Sasha licked her hand and smoothed down the side of Dan's hair before letting him out of the cab outside the theater. If she could have wiped away his five o'clock stubble with a bit of saliva, she surely would have. Dan secretly relished the fact his hair would soon be at that length where it would just puff out around his ears and there would be nothing anyone could do to make it look good. It would just have to grow out.

Or Mars would have him held down and shorn like a sheep.

While her sexual appeal did not disappear the moment Dan realized he was in love with Jones (part of him had rather thought that's how true love worked), working intensely with Sasha had made it clear that they could never have been a real couple. Her compulsive organization and focus made her an amazing personal assistant but, at the end of the day, Dan was happy to go back to being a shambles. He stumbled into the office in the morning, Sasha told him what to do and where, then he went home to Jones and their now filthy apartment.

Claire had moved in with Elizabeth a few months earlier, after Lenore headed back to the states to take some business classes at Harvard. Dan and Lenore's monthly Thursday lunch had become a monthly Thursday video chat (set up by Sasha, Dan could really only use word processing programs and porn sites). He never asked her or Ned if they were keeping in touch. Ned had nearly endeared himself to Dan since coming on board at E-lite. Mars worked him like a dog but he thrived under the pressure. When E-lite covered Claire's film, the layout was a work of art. Sasha had the piece framed and wrapped before handing the package and bill to Dan. Claire had punched him in the arm, and told him he was going soft, but there had been tears in his eyes. Sasha had all those social skills Dan was lacking and seemed to consider making him less of a fuck-up to be an essential part of her job. Knowing Mars, it was probably in her job description and along with arranging speaking engagements. Dan speaking in front of crowds, small crowds but still. Turns out students will listen raptly to any bullshit that comes from a published writer (and then offer to buy him coffee or suck his dick afterwards).

Ned had truly impressed Dan when he, unprompted, edited the fake tan out of Dan's staff photo and made the hair look a little more unruly. Sasha, her ear forever to the ground, said Mars had screamed at him, but Ned held his ground saying Dan's metro look made him look like a prick and Dan was supposed to be cool. It took a lot to stand up to Mars, or so Dan imagined. He had never really tried. Ned Smanks wouldn't be the worst person in the world for Lenore.

Not that Dan considered it any of his business.

Dan gave a half-hearted wave in return to Ned's enthusiastic greeting as he entered the theater. Dan was doing a profile on young playwright, Elizabeth Marchand. While Elizabeth had landed on Mars' radar because of Dan's "controlling bitch of a daughter" (Mars' nickname for Lenore), she was getting a profile because Mars thought she was talented and sexy. Mars' exact words were, "She's fit, Black, has big tits and some talent. That's what this magazine is all about."

Dan wasn't exactly proud of working for E-lite but he liked his job. He had total control of his own column and a good bit of leeway when he accepted assignments for cover stories. He had already had two interviews with Elizabeth and would do a third after the opening of her show. She was charming, self-effacing and intelligent - he didn't need threats from Claire to write a positive article and yet the threats came. He and Claire spent nearly as much time together now as when they lived together, perpetually seeking one another out to deal with the surprising hassle that was success. Claire had her own idiot following and everyone with a camcorder wanted her to watch their "films". She was vague about why she hadn't shaken off her parasite, Barley, now that she had her own resources. The idea of Claire sleeping with Barley was disgusting, the idea of her having feelings for him was unbearable. Claire was such a sucker for a lost cause. In fact, she had made a career out of it.

"Dan?"

Dan's first response was to check his cell phone, assuming he had pocket dialed Lenore but there she was, in the flesh.

"I came to surprise Elizabeth!" Lenore exclaimed, "You look amazing? Almost healthy and... respectable?"

Dan shrugged and pointed at Sasha who explained Mars had hired her to keep Dan on track, and she had mouths to feed. Dan was not at all offended when Lenore suggested Sasha get hazard pay. It didn't occur to Dan to hug Lenore until they tracked down Claire and Elizabeth. He felt a bit guilty for his lack of affectionate instincts (when sober), but noticed Lenore looked vaguely uncomfortable as she was showered with affection her by her friends. Maybe being prickly was a genetic trait. When Ned joined them, he gave Lenore an un-ironic handshake and a nervous glance towards Dan. It was definitely better that he not know what was going on there. Sasha went to get their drinks (she was in charge of Dan's drinking at work events, his skin actually looked better the following day from all the water in his whiskey) while the five chatted. Dan was tempted to go inside and watch Jones DJ but he'd been ordered to "mingle" by Sasha and "quit moonin' over me, ya big poof," by Jones. Tonight, Jones was background music but he was getting what he referred to as a "shitload" of money for the gig. Since Jones always did whatever the hell he wanted, there wasn't really an issue of selling out. Unlike Dan, Jones had always known how to ply his trade without selling his soul.

xxx

The show was a success, the interview was easy and Jones was back at his side. All was well with the world. Sasha had left for the night so he was allowed to drink real drinks and once he was outside, he could smoke real cigs. He was putting in his time with Claire, Elizabeth, Lenore and Ned before he went home. He never cared for crowds but, with liquor, he could go through the motions of being social. Blind drunk he was the life of the party, but that was less and less a part of his life. Crippling self-loathing had eased back into neurotic, compulsive self-doubt.

He was grateful for Lenore's presence when Doug Rocket and Nathan Barley descended on their group at the same time, douche bags in tandem. Nathan was schmoozing away, looking for funding for Claire's next project on immigration. Lenore's discomfort melted into a perfect imitation of self-confidence as Doug gave her a long and creepy hug. Dan told himself his desire to punch Doug Rocket was purely based on his loathing of the man and not any kind of paternal feelings. He wasn't ready for paternal.

"Lenny, you charming girl. I've just been talking to Nathan about his next project with Claire, it sounds so... so..."

"Relevant?" Lenore supplied.

"Yes! And authentic, like this play. When those young men stripped naked on stage, I was moved in a way I have never experienced before, " Doug said to Elizabeth, clutching at his heart like he had said something profound.

Dan dug his fingers into Jones' arm and fought the urge to laugh in Doug's face. This night was not about Dan, it was about... well, it was about some girl Claire hung out with but Dan owed it to someone, somehow to be professional.

Doug continued to wax philosophical, mainly about male nudity, as Nathan snapped pics on his Wasp 15.2 for Trash Bat. When he handed the camera to Elizabeth so she could take a picture of him with Doug, Dan nearly lost his temper but he was getting a warning glance from Claire. He dearly hoped she was worrying about her career and not Nathan, but kept his tongue.

'Whaddya say, Barley?" Jones asked, "Wouldja get your cock out for a movie? Well arty films usually show some cock."

Nathan laughed, "I'd get it out right now!"

Claire rolled her eyes, "Please don't."

"Do it!" Elizabeth yelled, flirtatiously.

"Put up or shut up," added Lenore.

"Yeah, like get your cock out," Ned added, never one to not join in a mob mentality.

Dan felt sorry for Nathan for just a second as he clearly regretted the corner he'd just painted himself into. He didn't feel bad enough to help him, just a twinge of sympathy as a person who frequently made bad choices (and had his cock out at the wrong time and the wrong place).

Giggling, Nathan dropped his pants and threw his hands in the air. Dan looked away in horror until Jones assured him Nathan was covered again.

"What are you doing?" Nathan asked Elizabeth as he reached out to retrieve his phone.

Elizabeth shrugged, still holding the WASP, "I feel bad that Pingu couldn't come tonight. I know he's busy editing the show for this week but still. It is his birthday."

Claire glared at Nathan, "You're making Pingu do all the work for you on his birthday? You are an ass."

Nathan looked a bit awkward, "Hey, he didn't say anything..."

Elizabeth smiled, "Well, now he has footage to run over the credits! Happy birthday, Pingu."

Nathan grabbed his phone as though he could undo what had already been done. If there was one thing Dan had learned in life, it's that you can't un-take a picture of your dick. It was a hard lesson for anyone to learn.

Doug praised Nathan's bravery and comfort in his body, and the weasel immediately went back to schmoozing.

"I am man of the naughties, Doug. I'm not afraid to show my body or express my sexuality, whenever, where-ever," Nathan bragged, throwing an arm around Dan before he could duck, "Hell, I sucked this guy's dick before he turned gay."