The goddess Llorraine

I’m sleeping when unexpectedly Ben and Diane mount the stairs. “What are you going to do here?” I ask.

“Play Scrabble,” says Ben. They are in grade ten.

That seems sufficient, and I immediately return to sleep. Fifteen minutes later I awake to great silence. I investigate. Ben and Diane are lying on Ben’s bed talking.

“You’re not playing Scrabble,” I say, and transform myself into host and chaperone.

I pass this via phone to the goddess Llorraine. We finally meet and go for brunch. Brunch includes limitless quantities of any of four beverages. Lllorraine orders one of each, drinks them, and says, “Ben is fucking Diane.”

“No, he’s not,” I say.

“You are hopelessly naïve,” she says.

“Waiter!” I call. “Check, please!”

“You’re angry,” she says.

“No,” I lie.

“Don’t you want dessert?” she asks.