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"As if How else would I kno to ask for the large dildo? I mean, that’s a really ih, his eyes wide in surprise, his hands flying to his mouth to stifle the sound A few of the other diners turn in our direction, but nobody seems to have minded his outburst

"You’re a bad influence," he says once composed, and reaches for his wine

"Me? I’m not the one who left the translation for dildo on a note one lass houses, Dimples"

"But you did find the costulass "And I must say I owe you endlessly for that"

I feelof his words "True," I admit in a whisper

Our food co my intent to bear the chef’s children, we’re mostly silent while we eat

The empty plates are cleared away and Ansel orders dessert for us to share: fondant au chocolat--which looks a lot like a fancy version of the chocolate lava cake we have at home--served ith a pepper-vanilla ice cream Ansel moans around his spoon

"It’s a little obscene watching you eat that," I say Across the table he’s closed his eyes, hu around the spoon in his ood as the one et you said she went to culinary school I can’t actually think of a dessert my mom didn’t buy from the store She’s what I like to refer to as do you in Boston we’ll drive to her bakery in Bridgeport and she’llyou want"

I can practically hear the proverbial brake noises squealing in both of our thoughts A distinct roadblock has just risen in the conversation, and it sits there, flashing obnoxiously and unable to be ignored

"You have two more weeks here?" he asks "Three?"

The phrase you could ask me to stay pops into my head before I can stop it because no, that’s--no--really the worst idea, ever

I keepchocolate sauce into a puddle ofvanilla ice cream "I think I should probably leave in two I need to find an apartister for classes" Call my father, I think Find a job Build a life Make friends Decide what I want to do with ree Try to find a way to be happy with this decision Count the seconds until you coh you don’t want to"

"No," I say blankly "I don’t want to spend the next two years of o to an office I hate with people who’d rather be anywhere but where they are and stare at four walls of a boardroom one day"