The door to the room next door was slightly ajar, and he got to listen in on executive types loudly moaning "They ALL bared their breasts? ALL of them?" He guessed that they might be connected to the network, and he scooted back to Chloe.
"Yeah, let's get out of here," said Jim. There was certainly enough diversion to make a clean getaway. "And stay out." The Italian woman's threat, of every woman dating him in one night, sounded absurd even by the standards of a trial threatening temptation and hellfire, but Jim didn't want to push it.
"You know, this is nice of you," Chloe called out as she changed. "I got the impression they needed you."
"No, they don't, not really. It's all so fake. The guy running the contest told me in no uncertain terms who I was supposed to vote for, some girl named Christmas White who's supposed to be the next Pamela Anderson."
"Who's Pamela Anderson?" Chloe wondered.
Jim had to grin. Chloe had her charm.
Looking out the window, Jim saw a restaruant and decided they should go there. As they began to relax, Jim and Chloe quickly found that they shared musical tastes and curiosities. Chloe was not as much a fan of movies as Jim was, but then she began a discussion of which books could be adapted into movies.
"Heart of Darkness was the wrong model for Apocalypse Now," said Chloe. "I mean, the entire Vietnam War wasn't My Lai, requiring some desperate attempt to psychoanalyze it away as red-blooded American boys lost in a heathen land. From what I understand, the war was chaod and uncertainty. The Lord of the Flies might have worked better. Kids trying to lead kids."
"I don't know. I never really liked that book."
"Neither did I, but I can't help but glance back over it and think of Vietnam, you know?"
"It's a moot point. Forrest Gump was probably the last we'll see -- "
"Jimbo!"
Jim tensed as he tried to smile at the hand heartily clapping his shoulder from behind. "Hey there, Vaughn," he said without turning. "Vaughn, this is Chloe Cavalcanti. Chloe, this is Vaughn Price."
"Hello, Chloe," Vaughn said perfunctorially. "Jim, you missed it! During the lingerie competition, all the girls erupted in a big fake pillow fight and ripped each other's tops off! Man, there was so much wobbling and jostling -- my eyes have never been so happy, and you know me, my eyes have seen a lot!"
"The network, Vaughn," Jim grumbled. "What about the network?"
"The network's nothing. We'll apologize and that will be that. Jim, the videos of every angle of all those girls ripping and flashing are getting hunted down over the Web even as we speak. And to think, people always made fun of this Great Shape contest. No more! We're going to be the top request made of every search engine by dawn tomorrow. Okay, it's scandalous -- but it's worth it! Say, Jim, a lot of women are a bit sore at you for not being around."
"Vaughn, how did you find me?"
Vaughn leaned in close and murmured "You think I'd give a free wardrobe to my hottest property and not hide a tracking device in his clothing?" Then Vaughn leaned back and was jovial once more. "Jim, we need you back."
"This is a free country, and I'm staying with Miss Cavalcanti here."
Vaughn raised his palms in polite surrender. "Okay! Whatever you say, boss! See you around!"
Jim fidgeted. A tracking device? Where could he find new clothes at this late hour?
"You're something," said an amused Chloe. "I would expect you to be a jerk, and you lead the life of a jerk, and your best friend is a jerk -- so why do I have this nagging feeling that you're not a jerk?"
Jim grabbed Chloe's closer hand. "Because it's true: I'm not a jerk ... I need to find a change of clothes. Any idea how I can do that?"
Chloe considered that. "I can let you into the stage theater where I work, we have quite a wardrobe. You may have to wear something retro, although ... " She shook her head. " ... anything would beat that Nehru jacket!"
"I like your plan," said Jim. "After dinner, let's check out your theater."
Wed Feb 11 19:50:13 2004