The Kings Of Cool

66

O blurts out, “I want to meet my bio-father.”

All Paqu would tell O-despite her persistent questioning when she was seven or eight-was that her father was a “loser” and, therefore, better out of her life.

O learned not to bring it up.

Now she does.

To Ben.

Ben’s a little stunned. And more than a little distracted with converting his subversive plan into subversive action.

But Ben is Ben. “What do you hope to achieve?”

“By meeting the sperm donor?”

“That’s what we’re talking about, right?”

O lists the potential benefits:

1. Lay a guilt trip on someone else for a change.

2. Piss Paqu off.

3. Freak people out by performing hideously inappropriate PDA.

4. Piss Paqu off.

5. Pretend he’s actually her Sugar Daddy.

6. Piss “Go back to five,” Ben says. “You’re on to something there.”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on,” Ben says. “Paqu is turning off the tap, so you’re looking for a new… tap.”

“That’s deeply cynical, Ben.”

“Okay.”

“A poor little rich girl just wants some paternal love,” she says, “and you attribute her motivations to a crass gold-digging campaign instead of the profound search for identity that-”

“Do you even know where he is?”

“I know his name.”