TOGETHER FOR A NIGHT

door. The girl didn't look a day over nineteen. I'd imagine Anna to be so

a ponytail, her tinted face scrubbed clean, no trace of makeup detectable. Big, roun

n her voice sounded young an

wouldn't come out. All I could think about wa

y bi

w had a man who could make her come during sex

model or something in show business, or her fathe

ed in a white sheer top and a flared polka dot skirt. She didn't have much going on curve wi

so he could talk to Anna. "Give me a minute, Anna. I need to grab

el?" I finally asked

his younger sister." Anna's large eyes bounced back and fort

His sister? Really? I laughed at the thought. "I w

hen in fact I wanted to jump this girl and pull out all of

poor girl looked like she was about to pass out or vomit. She could empty her guts if she so wished,

I kept my voice neutral as

g! I feel horrible. I

look scurried across his face and was gone a second later. "Don't believe anything she's telling you,

inting at the luggage standing at Daniel's

crash, just for a

d uncertain. "I'm not s

, reaching out to touch Anna on her shoulders. S

ill discussing outside, their voices coming in and out like a radio station going bad. He was begging her to give him a chance and telling her

for hours on end. A cheating bastard. But he was also the same man who had helped me through my mom's alcohol problem and ver

. I can't trust you," Anna said, her voice fa

he spare key I had hidden in a fake rock in the case that one of us ha

ack tears. My legs gave up on me and the next thing I knew I was sitting on the floor

him. It was stupid, but

idn't have any at the apartment. My mom was an alcohol

try space. Three minutes later, dressed in a dark grey hoody and jeans, I f

drown my sorrows on my own. I was not interested in hearing Eva's version of "I knew there was something s

now. I turned on the radio and the low, sultry voice of Toni Br

eed this shit righ

everyone so damn heartbroken? Finally, I settled on a station playing

coated the streets of downtown New Orleans. I loved th

all chasing the same dream, made it possible for me to believe in my art. Currently I was working on a serie

ecided to settle for a bar where I was certain I would

esperate men, and the occasional stripper. I even spotted a few drug dealers here and there. No

teps away from the corner of Bourbon Street. I entered

le of a random red wine off the very diverse menu. Red wine seemed more fittin

irst sip. Mm mm, this was some good shit.

off to my left, and the lonely man sitting at a table for two next to a pair of giant win

hought of myself as an adult. I was twenty-six,

studied fine arts at Columbia University. Rent in New York was just ridiculo

Addison, whose mom was then fighting breast cancer at the time. Daniel was there beca

of him. No more