Three, Two, One (321)

“Did she live?”

“Well, first they had to catch her. She was up in a tree. She was in pain. She was not at all interested in coming down. No amount of food could coax her. They had a net and they had her keeper calling to her. But she just clung to that branch high up in the tree for dear life.”

He looks at me and his expression softens again. I have a bad feeling about this story. “She died, didn’t she?”

“She came down, but not until the sun came up. She climbed down. So very slowly. She was in a lot of pain. But she came down and she wrapped her little monkey hands around that handler’s arm and… gave in.”

“She died,” I say without emotion.

“No, Blue. She gave in to us.”

I can’t breathe.

“She gave in to what we were offering. She let us help her. And yeah, it involved a lot of things that made her sick, and uncomfortable, and probably wishing she was dead. But she trusted us to save her.”

“Did you? Save her?”

“She’s still alive today. No one thought she’d make it. And fuck, after the first night, JD and I were kicking ourselves for offering up that money. We had it, but money was new for us back then. We were pulling it in, and the payoffs were big. But it still felt like a dream. Like it wasn’t real. So the money meant more back then than it does now.”

“That just means it was a bigger sacrifice to give it over.”

He nods. “Yeah. I know. But even though it’s not such a risk for us to help like that now, it’s still a genuine offer.”

“We’re not talking about a monkey, are we?”

He shrugs.

“You made that all up, didn’t you?”

“Her name is Ophelia. I’ll take you to see her one day.”

“Why are you helping me?”

“Why do you need help?”

I shake my head at him.

“Well, when you can admit that to me, I’ll tell you why we’re helping you.”

And then he throws the covers off and swings his legs out of bed. He’s naked, as am I, but after that conversation it feels… different. I watch him walk around the bed, turning my body to see him as he comes over to the other side and picks up his pants. His dick is erect and he looks at me as he handles it, tucking it inside his jeans, but only drawing up the zipper halfway and leaving the button undone. “You’re not the monkey in that story, Blue. JD is.”

And then he walks out of the bedroom, leaving me alone. And even though five minutes ago, all I wanted was for these two strange men to let me work out my conflicted thoughts on my own, I feel lonely.

And a little while later, as I work up my courage to get up and go talk to the man who told me a story, the man who wants me to tell him one, the front door slams again.

I guess wishes do come true.

I stop by a boutique on the mall and chat up the salesgirl about some clothes for Blue and then head over to the bus station.

It always comes back to the bus station. I’m not sure why I look here first when I need to find JD, but this is where I end up. I sit on the concrete wall where he was sitting that night I got off the bus. High on something. Starving. Talking to a girl who wasn’t there.

JD the junkie.

Lots of people have asked me over the years why. Why him?

But why not him? Why only help people who are good candidates? Why bother saving the dying monkey when there are so many more deserving animals?

What does deserving even mean?

The bus station is busy because it’s Monday morning. Most people are going to work, but this is my weekend. JD and I work Thursday through Sunday. If all goes well—and most weeks it does—we film Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and then I edit and deliver on Sunday.

This week we have girls lined up for all three filming days. But that doesn’t mean they will show. I’m not sure why we’ve had such a rash of no-shows lately, but it’s getting old. I can’t wait to shed this business and move on.

I spy a hooker I know coming out of the bus station and whistle. “Shadow!” I wave her over.

She takes a long drag on her smoke, probably wondering what I want. Maybe wondering if I’ll pay her to suck off JD. But we don’t do whores. They can’t pass the health tests.

Shadow knows this, so that’s why she hesitates. I don’t want her for work, so I must want her for something else.

She drops the cigarette and stubs it out with the toe of her four-inch heels, then waves back as she looks both ways and crosses the street. Her short skirt is gold and barely covers her ass, and her top is sleeveless and beaded with black and gold sequins. “I ain’t seen him,” she says as she steps up on the curb. “I know you only come here to look for JD and I ain’t seen him.”

I nod. “OK. Well, thanks for letting me know.”

“Now wait, sugar. I said I ain’t seen him. But I heard something that you might find interesting.”

I don’t bother being suspicious. Shadow wants a little bit of cash and truthfully, I’d have given it to her just for crossing the street. So I’ll take whatever she’s got. I grab a wad of bills from my pocket and count out three twenties. “Buy some breakfast, Shadow. You’re too skinny.”

She smiles and I notice she’s missing a tooth. Not one right in front, but off to the side a little bit. “You always were a sweet talker, Ark.”

I put my hands up like I’m guilty.

“Anyways, I was just coming from Charlie’s and I overheard some men talking about you.”