from the NNN archives: two suggestive conversations, transcribed

the morning after, we lay in bed till 11 am and make fun of each other.

"this is you last night," he says, breathing La Maze style, rhythmic yet panicky, cheeks puffed out.

"oh yeah? well, this is you!" I screw up my face in a torsion of effort and concentration, lower jaw jutted forward, grunting like I'm pinching a big one.

"oh yeah? yeah? well, this is you!" he throws back his head and emits a string of wily chimp calls: ooh! ooh! ooh! ahh! ahh! ahh! ahh! ahhh! ahhhh!

***

"I'm very susceptible to ideas, did I mention that?"

"I could've deduced it, I think."

"Yeah? How?"

"Well, it's obvious--it's obvious that you desire to be overwhelmed. Taken over. In a swoon."

"What about you, are you susceptible to ideas, too? Is there something distinctive about me, or are you like that, too?"

"Um--what do you think?"

"I think you have your ideas pretty well laid out. You like to develop your ideas."

"Yeah, I was gonna say that. I do like to lay out my ideas, I like to...lay them, rather than be laid by them. I like to...engender."

"Oh my lord. Lordy b'gordy."