“All I truly want is to be famous.” Tegan crossed her legs. She was wearing her Alice in Wonderland leggings. She twirled the ends of her hair with one hand and held an opened book with the other. The book was Night Thoughts by Wallace Shawn. It was a small book. A one-hander. 92 pages. Large print. Generous margins. Listed at $14.98. Not bad for hardbound, but cost was not an issue with Tegan. Tegan liked the library.
Finishing a book once started was a compulsion for Tegan. She avoided long and overly difficult ones for just this reason. But under a hundred pages with large print and generous margins made this a safe bet. And she loved Wallace Shawn. Mostly for “My Dinner with Andre.” But also because of the Algonquin waiter he played in that Jennifer Jason Leigh film about Dorothy Parker.
Tegan sniffed her hair. The Harvest Spice scent from last night’s bath oil lingered. She checked for split ends.
“What do you want to be famous for?” David was Tegan’s boyfriend. He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. If this were a yoga pose it would be called Listening Boyfriend. They were seated at their favorite window table in their second favorite Starbucks. They’d had other plans, Half Price Day at Value Village, and later, fifty-cent wings at George’s. But while passing by they’d glanced in and noticed another couple preparing to leave—their favorite table.
“I want to be famous, so people will know who I am without having to introduce myself.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“What did you mean?”
“Never mind.”
It started to snow. The first of the season. Tegan took a sip of her Coldbuster, which was a venti cup with a bag of Refresh Tea (mint) and a bag of Calm Tea (chamomile), brewed with half hot water and half steamed lemonade. She put the cup down and reached across the table for David’s hand.
“What did you mean?”
“Nothing. It’s not important.”
Tegan looked at the snow.
Finishing a book once started was a compulsion for Tegan. She avoided long and overly difficult ones for just this reason. But under a hundred pages with large print and generous margins made this a safe bet. And she loved Wallace Shawn. Mostly for “My Dinner with Andre.” But also because of the Algonquin waiter he played in that Jennifer Jason Leigh film about Dorothy Parker.
Tegan sniffed her hair. The Harvest Spice scent from last night’s bath oil lingered. She checked for split ends.
“What do you want to be famous for?” David was Tegan’s boyfriend. He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. If this were a yoga pose it would be called Listening Boyfriend. They were seated at their favorite window table in their second favorite Starbucks. They’d had other plans, Half Price Day at Value Village, and later, fifty-cent wings at George’s. But while passing by they’d glanced in and noticed another couple preparing to leave—their favorite table.
“I want to be famous, so people will know who I am without having to introduce myself.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“What did you mean?”
“Never mind.”
It started to snow. The first of the season. Tegan took a sip of her Coldbuster, which was a venti cup with a bag of Refresh Tea (mint) and a bag of Calm Tea (chamomile), brewed with half hot water and half steamed lemonade. She put the cup down and reached across the table for David’s hand.
“What did you mean?”
“Nothing. It’s not important.”
Tegan looked at the snow.
