Alice ”Yeah…started on a napkin.  Then I put it up here.”

Alice had not considered this part.  She was hoping it would just be background.  Mark’s curiosity however is more apparent than Alice gave him credit for.  Mark points at Alice’s name on the board.

Mark ”Oh.  So, that would be you then.”

Alice ”Yeah, um…Mark?”

Mark is about to look at some of the line connections to other names as Alice grabs his attention instead.

Mark ”Sorry.  I don’t mean to come off as obsessing.  It looks really cool.  What can I do for you?  By the way, you look great.”

Alice sits on the couch with Mark taking a seat in the nearby chair.  Alice is dressed for this evening’s occasion.

Alice ”Thanks.  Um…I figured it’d be safer to talk to you.  Without a camera this time.”

Mark grins, nodding.

Mark ”Of course.”

Alice ”…I may not be going tonight.”

Mark ”What, to Tile?  Everyone’s gonna be there.  They even invited me.”

Alice ”Yeah…well…”

Alice closes her eyes momentarily before looking at Mark.

Alice ”What do you know?”

Mark shakes his head slightly, not understanding the question.

Mark ”About?”

Alice ”Me?”

Mark ”Um…you write articles for L.A. Magazine…you have the K.C.R.W. gig.”

Alice ”No, I mean the real stuff.  The personal stuff.”

Mark ”Shane thinks you’re going through some…’silly phase,’ as she put it.  I know you’ve hung out with ex-girlfriends who are now girlfriends to each other.  …I know you haven’t been around as much.”

Alice ”You’re right.  I haven’t.  …Normally I would talk to Shane, but…she seems really…really wrapped up in Carmen lately.”

Mark ”Yeah, I think they like one another a lot.  That isn’t an issue for you, is it?”

Alice ”No, of course not.  It’s not that at all.”

Mark ”So…what’s the problem?  I mean, you’re dressed up.  You look great.  Definitely ready for a night out on the town.  So why call me over to say you’re not going?”

Alice ”Because it’d be nice to talk to someone different this time.  Maybe get another perspective of all this and you’ve been introduced to all of us, so…you’ve been around us all long enough to get an idea of what we’re like.  And you’re a guy, so maybe your perspective’s a little different from the others.”