Split Image

4

THEY HAD ICED TEA and lobster rolls. Jesse had french fries with his. Sunny didn't. Sitting across the table from him, Sunny studied Jesse. He was very much of a piece, she thought, like Richie. Compact, graceful, all his movements both precise and easy.

He looks so perfectly integrated, she thought.

"Anything from Jenn?" she said.

Jesse shook his head.

"We're not in touch," he said.

"She's really gone?" Sunny said.

"She's really gone," Jesse said.

"How do you feel about that?"

Jesse shook his head.

"You and Dix," he said. "We've both had too much shrinkage."

"Clever dodge," Sunny said.

Jesse nodded.

"Okay," he said. "I'll talk about it if you want. But afterwards you gotta talk about Richie."

"God, you're tough," Sunny said.

"Of course," Jesse said. "I'm the chief of police."

He ate a french fry.

"Okay," Sunny said.

Jesse nodded.

"Whaddya want to know?" he said.

"How you feel about her being gone?"

"Part of her I miss," Jesse said. "Part of her was-still is, I guess-simply sensational. Funny, charming, smart, quick, loving, sexy. It's the part of her I loved-probably still love, I guess. I'll probably always miss that."

"Of course you will," Sunny said. "Anyone would…"

"But finally, I guess, it came with too much else."

"Like?"

"The desperate need to be… what? Important?" Jesse said. "Successful? Special?"

"The need to be noticed?" Sunny said.

"Yes," Jesse said. "It ate her up, and she couldn't seem to overcome it."

"You know why?"

"Why she needed to be noticed?" Jesse said.

"Yes."

"No."

"Does she?" Sunny said.

"I don't know," Jesse said. "She still needs it."

"And you were not enough," Sunny said.

Jesse drank most of his iced tea and gestured to the waitress. She poured him some more. He added some sugar and drank another swallow and looked at Sunny.

"No," he said. "I wasn't."

"Does that bother you?"

"That I wasn't enough?" Jesse said.

Sunny nodded.

"A lot," Jesse said.

"Think it's why you drink?" Sunny said.

Jesse was silent for a moment, looking at his iced tea.

"I think I always drank too much," Jesse said. "But it got away from me when Jenn and I started having problems."

"How you doing now?"

"Pretty good," Jesse said. "Normally I have a couple at night after work, before I have supper. I haven't been drunk for a long time."

Sunny reached across and patted his hand.

"Why do you-" she said.

Jesse's cell phone rang.

"Excuse me," he said, and answered it.

He listened for a moment.

"Okay," he said. "I'll come along."

He looked at Sunny.

"Business?" she said.

"Yes."

"Go ahead," Sunny said. "I'll take care of the check."

"That doesn't seem right," Jesse said.

"Spike has never charged me for a meal," Sunny said. "I sign the check, and he tears it up."

Jesse stood.

"Boston, too?"

"Boston," Sunny said, "here, doesn't matter. Spike loves me."

"Maybe I should try that," he said.

"Spike doesn't love you," Sunny said.

"But he does you?" Jesse said.

"Totally," Sunny said.

"Spike's gay," Jesse said.

"True," Sunny said. "So he doesn't want to have sex, but he loves me."

"Some men might do both," Jesse said.

"Anyone in mind?"

"We'll talk," Jesse said. "You had a question before the phone rang?"

"It can wait," Sunny said. "Go be chief of police."

"I'm always the chief of police," Jesse said.

"Even in a dressing room in a boutique on Rodeo Drive?" Jesse smiled.

"Except then," he said.