As he twisted open the last doll, Daisy turned her lips in, a pinched look around her eyes. “What’s in there is rightfully yours,” she said. “I shouldn’t have kept it, but I did.”
He tipped onto his palm the tiny gold scissors which used to hang with the other charms on his necklace.
“Oh, Dais.”
“I know.”
“You had the sax.”
“I had the sax.”
“Where was this? I thought it was lost?”
“I had it. When we first found your necklace, it was missing. But I poked around in the dust and grease and finally found it. It was obvious why your necklace was under the stove, I mean, how it had gotten there. And it seemed symbolic mine was the charm that fell off. So when I found it, I didn’t give it to Will to send back to you. I kept it.”
Erik looked at her.
Her eyes were far away. “For a while I wore it on a chain around my neck. It made me feel close to you. I thought that… I had a funny idea it would connect us. You’d feel me wearing it. Christ, here I go…” Her voice broke. She stepped back from him, laughing a little, pressing the heel of her hand to her suddenly streaming eyes. “Anyway, after a while I realized it wasn’t a good thing to have hanging around my neck,” she said. “And I put it inside the dolls with my other little souvenirs. My secret little shrine at the office. The end. Are you hungry?”
“I’m stunned,” he said. He looked back to the little scissors on his palm. He cleared his aching throat. “I’m really torn here. I’d like to ask for this back but I love you had it all this time.”
“It’s yours, it was a gift.”
“But you kept it with you. You needed it. I don’t know what I’m saying.”
She took a deep breath. “How about,” she said, her voice trembling, “you put it back in the doll and you’ll know where it is now. You’ll know it’s with me.”
“All right.” With some reluctance he put the scissors back inside the doll and twisted it closed. “I can’t believe you kept my lint,” he said.
“I loved you,” she said.
He looked at her. She looked back.
They stared.
It happened.
“I missed this,” he said.
“I missed it too.”
“But it’s still here. We can still do it.”
“It’s still here. And nobody else does it.”
He closed his eyes, gently letting the bubble break.
“Are you hungry?” she asked. “We can go get some dinner.”
“A little. But I don’t feel like being in a crowd. I just want to sit somewhere quiet with you and talk.”
She nodded. “How about we go to my house and I’ll cook.”
“You will?”
“If you want.”
“I want.”
“I left my coat in the theater.”
She turned out the light and they walked through the dim corridors to the side door leading into the theater. There Daisy stopped short and Erik plowed into the back of her.
Will was sitting in the front row. Busy with notebook and papers, one ankle perched on the opposite knee. When he saw Erik, the pencil he had been twirling in one hand went flying over his shoulder.
They all stared.
Finally Daisy spoke. “You wouldn’t believe what Customs lets into Canada these days.”
Will shook his head. “You’re right. I wouldn’t.”
Erik put his hands on Daisy’s shoulders. “Give me five minutes?” he whispered.
She nodded, smiling. “Take ten. I’ll be back in my office.” And she slipped out the door they had come through.
Slowly Erik walked closer to where Will sat.
“So,” Will said. “Obviously you’ve come to suck my cock.”
“I have.”
“Finally. What took you so long?”
“I would’ve been here sooner but I ran into Dais on the street and…”
Will smiled. “She told me you called.”
“Finally.”
“Yeah, you are inexcusably late.”
“Am I too late?”
Will sighed and stretched his arms along the seat backs. He tilted his head and stared at the ceiling.