"Na... well, maybe. I don't know. After you left I fell for a lesbian."
She laughed. "Really?"
He nodded. "Yep. Her name was Andie. I should have known, she always said 'that girl's pretty, don't you think?' She never up and told me, and I think I kind of figured, but then she told me she was seeing somebody named Tracey when I asked her to accompany me to some dance."
She didn't say anything at first, but then "There's nothing left. Is there."
"I think there's some pizza in the fridge from 1am room service last night..."
"That's not what I meant, you dickhead."
"I don't know, I already told you that," Chris said calmly.
"Because if you do, that's okay too."
He did, of course. There was a noise at the door of the hotel room, and Joey walked in.
"Oh, hi Tims!"
"Do not call me that, you bastard."
"Timber."
"Good morning, Joeseph," she said as she attempted a smile.
"Do you practice that smile?"
"Trying out new pick-up lines, I see. Not a good night at the clubs last night?"
"Yep, new pick-up lines. I've got to be going. Nice talking to you again, Timber. Really." Joey said as he left.
Timber glanced at the refrigerator. Why do you suppose there's a fridge in a hotel room when there's room service?
"I was thinking the same thing last night," Chris said.
"What?"
"About the fridge."
"But I didn't say it out loud. I'm sure of it."
"Oh."
********
Chris ran to catch up to Timber on the crowded city street. "Hey you," he greeted.
"Hey you," she returned.
"Watcha doin'?"
"Nothin'. Shoppin'. Not much. Gotta get the new Limp, you know how it is."
"You'll end up getting the new Yankee Grey CD, you know."
"Is that out yet!?" He nodded. "So, what you doin'?"
"Ah, nothin'. Had to get away, you know?"
She stared at him with a kind-of glazed look. "You know I can have you arrested for stalking me, you know."
He laughed. "This time, missy, it's by pure coincidence. Mom's birthday's comin' up and I haven't gotten anything for her. I was thinking maybe a new oven."
"An oven, Christopher," she said as she shivered.
"Cold?" She nodded. "Here, have my jacket. But yes, an oven. She needs a new oven."
"Christopher Alan, you don't get a woman an oven for her birthday. Especially your mother. Get her a... does she wear jewelery?" A nod. "Get her a necklace. And thank you."
"You're welcome. And I don't know how to shop for women, so maybe you could help me."
"Oh, fine, I've got nothing better to do with my time, I don't fly out until 5."
"'Fly out?' Where are you going?" he asked, a little hurt.
"Don't worry, buddy boy, I'm not abandoning you again."
"That's what you said last time," he muttered.
"I work for an airline." Chris nodded. "So, yeah. I have to be there at 3, though, to set up and stuff."
A moment later, as though reading his mind, she said "You'll never know me well enough to know what it is that I really need, Chris. At least, not anymore."
"What'dya mean?"
"You're thinking that you know what I want and that you know what I need." She started singing. "No offence, but you're not everything I want not everything I need no—"
"I get it, I get it."
"Then I'll spare you the pain of singing the rest," she said as she looked away and pushed open the door to DeWalt Jewlers.
"Well, I guess I'll just have to find out what you need, then," he said quietly to himself as he followed her.