“Are we okay?”

I shrugged, but didn’t feel like looking at her. “Yup.”

Kyle’s place was depressing. Spencer was out with Bobby what’s-his-face, but it didn’t matter anyway because Kyle wasn’t speaking to Spencer and Spencer wasn’t speaking to me, on account of the fact that Bette had decided she couldn’t use any of his prints for the gallery opening and Spencer decided it would be a good idea to take this out on me.

And Kyle was just no fun these days. He’d been so desperate for Spencer to not find out about his drinking that he’d given it up fairly quickly again, mostly because he was afraid of my suggestions that he check into a rehab clinic. Nothing helps that boy quit cold turkey more than fear.

So, on a Friday night, we were two lumps slouched in front of his TV, watching an I Love Lucy rerun. But we didn’t laugh, even once. That’s only happened with one episode of I Love Lucy­-that dumb one where the Ricardos were interviewed for some magazine. And this wasn’t even that episode.

“So, Spencer doesn’t know about your little trip off the wagon?” I asked Kyle. We had an open box of Cocoa Puffs propped between us and Kyle had to swallow the entire handful he’d stuffed in his mouth before answering.

“No. And you’d better not tell him.”

“I’m not gonna. He isn’t even talking to me, so…”

“He’ll get over that,” Kyle said. “He’s just having a diva moment.”

“Mmm,” I agreed.

“Hey.” He nudged me with the cereal box until I looked at him. “I think it’s really ***** what Bette did.”

I smiled weakly. “Yeah. Thanks.”

“Nobody messes with my Al.”

I shrugged, looking back at the TV. “She didn’t really ‘mess’ with me,” I pointed out.

“Please. Sleeping with you and then asking you to move in and then revealing that she has some hot girlfriend in Culver City? That’s messing with you.”

“She didn’t say she was hot,” I mused.

“Right. I bet she’s a dog.”

“Yeah.” I sat up a little and turned to him. “Except, Bette and I never slept together.”

Kyle straightened up and searched for the remote to lower the volume. “You didn’t?”

“No.” I shrugged. “I just said we did.” It didn’t seem such a big issue, all of a sudden.

Kyle seemed to accept this. He nodded slowly. “Wow, sorry I mentioned it in front of her.”

“Sorry I lied.”

We turned back to the television and watched a commercial about electric wheelchairs. I think they just assume that if you’re watching something like I Love Lucy, you must be an old person just trying to relive your glory days.

“Al?” Kyle said after a moment.

“Yeah?” I reached into the box of cereal and rifled around near the bottom, determined to finish those Cocoa Puffs.

“I’m sorry, but… I mean, if you didn’t sleep with Bette, then how come you’re so upset about her dating this Sunny girl?”

He looked so genuinely curious that I couldn’t help but gaze at him. I chewed and swallowed and I thought about it.

I wasn’t really sure.