High Profile

60

They sat on the seawall at the town beach in the early evening, looking out across the deserted beach at the empty ocean. Sunny looked great, he thought. Black sleeveless top, white jeans, big sunglasses. Jesse looked sideways at her. She was staring straight out to sea. He’d never been able to figure out what made a face look intelligent.

“You spoke to Tim Lloyd,” Sunny said.

“Yes.”

Maybe it wasn’t in the face. Maybe it was behind the face.

“And?” Sunny said.

“He felt used,” Jesse said. “He felt she was exploiting him to get ahead.”

“I’m shocked,” Sunny said, “shocked, I tell you.”

Jesse nodded. He had stopped studying her face and was also looking at the ocean.

“He stalked her so he’d feel powerful,” Sunny said.

“I know,” Jesse said.

“To compensate for feeling so not powerful,” Sunny said, “after she ditched him, or however he experienced it.”

“I know.”

They stared out at the ocean together. It was calm as evening arrived. The water moved gently and the surface of it was almost slick.

Jesse said, “He and I agreed that he’d stay away from Jenn.”

“Does Jenn know?”

“Yes. But I’m not sure she’s trusting the agreement.”

“I’ll stay on him,” Sunny said, “for a while, see if he keeps his end of the bargain.”

“He will,” Jesse said.

“No harm making sure,” Sunny said.

“Thank you,” Jesse said.

“Did Jenn have anything else to say when you told her about the agreement?” Sunny said.

Jesse smiled at the blank ocean.

“She asked if we’d had a fight,” he said.

Sunny shook her head slowly.

“That’s so Jenn,” Sunny said.

Jesse didn’t say anything.

“What a thrill,” Sunny said, “to have two men fighting over her.”

Jesse was quiet.

“I know what you’re like,” Sunny said. “He wouldn’t have had a chance for it to be a fight.”

“He’s an amateur,” Jesse said.

“Sure,” Sunny said. “And you’re not. What’s sad is that she doesn’t know that, and she doesn’t know what you’re like.”

“And you do,” Jesse said.

“Yes,” Sunny said. “I do.”

Jesse nodded. He was motionless where he sat. He didn’t look at Sunny. Nor she at him. They remained fixed on the slow ocean in front of them. A herring gull came in and landed in front of them, and snapped up a piece of empty crab shell. There was no sustenance in it, so the gull put it back and hopped down the beach looking for better. Jesse watched it.

“She knows,” Jesse said.

“And doesn’t care?” Sunny said.

“She cares,” Jesse said.

Sunny continued to look out at the horizon.

“And she also doesn’t know and doesn’t care,” Jesse said.

“We who are about to shrink salute you,” Sunny said.

“I know her,” Jesse said. “I don’t understand her, but I know her. A while back, I thought we’d move back in together and it would be over. We’d be together. She wants that. I want that. And it didn’t work.”

“I like her better than I expected to,” Sunny said.

“People do,” Jesse said.

“She’s everything you could want a person to be,” Sunny said.

“Except when she isn’t,” Jesse said.

“Which is often,” Sunny said.

“But not always,” Jesse said.

A hundred yards down the beach, the herring gull gave up and flew away. The beach was empty now except for the two of them and the gentle, repetitive, heedless roll of the water.

“She have a shrink yet?” Sunny said. “I know she’s had several. But I have a good one. If she’d go.”

“She’ll do what she’ll do,” Jesse said.

“And you’ll do it with her,” Sunny said.

Jesse didn’t answer. The sun was down. It was still light, but the ocean had darkened. The wind had died entirely, as it often did at sunset.

“I think we need to say good-bye,” Sunny said.

Jesse nodded silently.

“It doesn’t mean I’ll never see you,” Sunny said. “It doesn’t mean I won’t help you. I don’t know what it does mean, exactly.”

She slipped off the seawall and stood in front of him.

“Except,” she said, “right now it’s time to say good-bye.”

“Yes,” Jesse said.

His voice was hoarse. He stood. They put their arms around each other. Neither spoke. Neither moved. They stayed where they were, hugging each other beside the nearly inanimate ocean as the twilight continued to fade.