Spivak Page #4

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What are you guys talking about?

Oh, I was just asking Wally

if I could read one of his novels.

Oh, Wally. That would be awesome.

Yeah, Chuck and I

were in Barnes and Noble...

Uh, yeah. Um...

-Yes, definitely.

All right.

Thanks, Chuck.

Thanks, Chuck.

That was fun. Tell me if he'll go.

Hey, Wally. Our car's here.

Buddy, buddy...

I will check my e-mail in the morning.

I can't wait to read the book.

I can't wait. It's gonna be great.

-See you, guys.

Okay.

-It's really nice to see you again, Wally.

Thanks, Chuck.

Tammy.

What do you think about the four of us

getting away one of these weekends?

We could go wine tasting in Napa,

or we could go

to The Del Coronado in San Diego.

-We'd love to!

Fantastic!

Okay. Bye, you guys.

Bye.

Bye!

Uh, Tammy, I will call you

to cement the deets.

-Sounds great.

Okay.

So, guys, what are your plans tonight?

We're actually really tired.

-Starkesha, Chani!

Hey.

Hey, Tammy. What do you guys got up?

Well, I was hoping to hang

with these guys, but they are tired.

-Uh, we're good.

-We can hang.

What do you guys have in mind?

Um...

How about chilling at our place?

-Sure.

-Sure.

Yes, yes.

-Of course! The more the merrier.

This is so uncool.

So uncool.

For god's sakes, Wally.

A pretty, sweet,

I'd venture to say, hot girl likes you.

We're not gonna let you walk away

without giving it a shot.

And think about it,

your love life has been

one disaster after another.

A series of short-term relationships

Yeah.

-with intellectual women

-that always end in arguments, mistrust,

Preach, Kevin.

charges of hypocrisy, disappointment,

-and Lord knows what else.

Mm-hm. Mm-hm.

We're doing you a favor.

You're gonna have

so much material for your book.

Yeah, it will write itself.

Your book, Wally. Think of your book.

Let me out. Let me out right now.

You're being selfish, Wally.

Jesse and I finally have a chance

to get laid, too.

And this can't always be

about you, Wally.

Let me out!

What do we tell Tammy?

There was an emergency at the library?

He's such a pain in the ass.

Oh, sh*t. It's Mark Stein.

No, Jesse.

-Hey, Mark.

Hey, Jesse.

-Hang up.

Nothing.

-Nice.

You?

We're just on our way to go hang out

with some Laker Girls right now.

Starkesha, Chani, Adriana,

any of you care to dance?

-It's okay.

-We're okay.

Yeah.

Tammy?

Maybe we should go to the library now.

Relax, Tammy.

Wally's fine. Trust me.

This is James Peavy for The Paris Review.

A Street Urchin Finds a Voice.

In his excruciatingly beautiful memoir,

MacArthur Parked,

Robert "Robby" LeBeau has burst

onto the American literary landscape

with his personal tale

of a once-promising young man

living and sleeping

in a drug-addicted haze

on the streets of the Eastside

of Los Angeles.

I sat with Mr. LeBeau in the living room

of his spacious loft

in the Arts District of Downtown...

Another?

You got a problem?

Look into my eyes.

I've lived a little.

Yeah, she looks nice.

That's my girlfriend.

Keep dreaming, son.

My god.

MacArthur Park.

Do you have the time?

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Nice night, yeah?

You come here often?

You're new here, aren't you?

Are you in Robby's book?

I knew a young man named Robert.

I don't feel well.

Hey, come.

You're gonna be fine.

Let's sit you down, all right?

That's it.

My name is Alan.

What's yours?

-Morning, sleepyhead.

-What the f***!

Tammy? What...

What are you doing here?

You were so drunk last night,

you don't remember, do you?

Well, you took a little detour

on the way home.

Apparently, there was some kind

of flooding at the library.

When you got home,

you were completely wasted.

Wally, we had the most amazing sex.

You really took charge.

-Uh-huh.

-Wow.

Mm.

I don't even get to remember.

Tammy,

-I had the weirdest dream last night.

Rex!

Shut up!

Rex, please! This one time, shut up.

I have a hangover.

Wally, that's a little harsh.

I think you need to shower up,

down a cup of coffee,

turn that frown upside down,

Chuck and Jeanine are on their way.

What?

They are taking us to Catalina.

-Uh-huh.

Oh, no, no, no. Call them and cancel.

It's too late.

They're already on their way.

Oh, Wally! Don't forget.

You have to write a thank you note

to that nice old man

who drove you home last night.

-It's the polite thing to do.

He said he really enjoyed your company.

Got it out of your system now, champ?

Hey?

You gonna have another crack

of that crab Benedict?

No?

You mind if I have a stab at it?

It's all yours.

Thank you.

It was a close second for me

behind the huevos rancheros.

So, uh, enjoying the island?

Oh, you will now, eh, Wally.

We just gotta get some coffee into you.

I can't believe we're going home. We didn't see the botanical gardens,

we didn't ride the zip line.

And what about that glass

I was so looking forward

to seeing those f***ing fish.

Tammy, Wally is not in the mood.

Nothing you could do about it.

I don't know, Jeanine.

He's becoming a real drag.

I'm having second thoughts.

Oh, don't blame him, Tammy.

This whole thing...

It's all my fault.

He's not even wearing his f***ing shirt.

Final boarding call

for the Catalina Express

bound for the port of Long Beach.

This is the final boarding call.

Wally!

It's leaving!

You're up.

I'm just gonna grab this.

Wally!

Wally.

I brought your shirt.

I thought it might cheer you up.

Come on, raise your arms.

Please.

There we go.

Look at this.

So handsome.

A "cheeseburger in paradise."

So tell me, Wally...

what's going on?

I have nothing to offer.

All I've ever done

is sit in my room and...

There's this guy called Robby LeBeau.

I always thought he was full of sh*t.

A real blowhard.

But last night, I found out

that everything he ever lied about

is true.

He's probably a genius.

Can I ask you something, Jeanine?

Of course.

Why did you sleep with me in Las Vegas?

Um... Well, we explained to you,

Chuck and I had an agreement

-that it meant, you know...

-No, no.

Why did you choose me?

Honestly...

I wasn't gonna do anything with anyone.

I was just gonna lie

and let Chuck have what he wanted.

I only went into that club

because I needed to have a story to tell.

I was just gonna make up everything.

And then I saw you, and...

You felt sorry for me.

I felt sorry for both of us.

We had no idea what we were doing.

I guess that's why we were

so comfortable with each other.

That was wrong.

That was wrong!

I'm sorry, Jeanine.

-I shouldn't have done that.

-No, no.

This is my fault.

All of this. This is all my fault.

Well, I don't know about the girls,

but I had a lovely time.

I mean, Catalina can't be for everyone,

right, sweetheart?

Yes, yes. Totally.

Easy, boy. Easy.

Who doesn't like Catalina?

Hey, Wally.

Brush it off.

And don't forget, send me your book.

Do you think we should do something?

Probably.

Wally.

No, no.

You don't wanna do that, Wally.

Come on, Wally, stop.

Stop, stop. No, not the printer, Wally.

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