- No. Who is she?
- Ah how quickly we forget! Your mother would remember Arlene Dahl.
Caped in black velvet, Norman swung away from me and strutted to the end of the bar to stroke the arm of a pretty boy before returning to his stool next to mine.
- LAST CALL FOR HETEROSEXUALS! I speak loud don't I. That's because in the theatre one has to PROJECT. Is he your boyfriend?
- No. We just met.
- Ah! What a marvelous title for a song! No, we just met!
He took a drag on his cigarette
- With the distinct pause after 'No'
Norman proceeded to sing the line, his old voice strong above the Sunday bar music, though cigarette-raspy.
- No, we just met, but perhaps in a previous lifetime
He projected toward the man sitting next to me.
- Isn't she stunning? Isn't she STUNNING? How many boyfriends do you have? ANYONE FOR A LOVE AFFAIR?
Unoccupied behind the bar, Lily and Katerina laugh.
His tone turned sad, no longer affected with the melodrama of his act.
- No one. No one today knows how to have a love affair. That's why they call them Generation X.
- I don't have any.
- I beg your pardon darling?
- I don't have any boyfriends. The last one just left me.
- After how long together?
- Five months
- Ah! So it was merely carnal!
A drag on the cigarette, smug pat on his velvet beret.
- No. In fact, he says the carnal aspect was the problem. He says that because he loves and respects me, he doesn't want the sex with me.
- Ah.
The old man was intrigued. As a couple walked toward the exit, he leaned toward them and flourished his drink
- GOODNIGHT! THANK YOU FOR COMING!
He batted his mascara
- So the problem between you, is that he's an idiot.
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