Chapter 20

In the morning, Anna made everyone eggs and sausage. Only Jonny looked worse for wear from the night before, the rest crested on a night of satiation. “A bit of the dog that bit you, Jonny?” Anna asked.

“Yes please,” Jonny murmured.

She put together a bloody mary for him that seemed to hit the spot, even though Joe noticed she put very little liquor in. A psychosomatic cure. She winked at Joe.

After the recovery, Jonny remembered a part of the conversation from the night before. “You said something about filming a commercial?”

“Took you a while, Mr. Director,” Joe chuckled. “I think they plan to consult you.”

“You know it can’t be shot on video if it’s going to be at all professional looking. Preferably 35mm transferred to video. The cameras are expensive and cumbersome, and you’ll need good lighting as well.”

“I’m not sure how far along they are on looking for equipment,” said Joe. “Moe’s aware of quality and limitation, but I bet they’re waiting for your advice. I’m sure we’ll find out when we get back to the Cube.”

“Can I come?” Victoria asked.

“I’d like to go too,” said Anna.

“How about we all invite ourselves over?” said Julian.

“No problem,” Eddie smiled.

They decided when they got off the dinghy that Eddie would ride with Julian. Jonny preferring being driven as well, so Victoria and Anna rode the motorbikes with Joe following the Range Rover.

When they reached the garage door of the Cube, Eddie hopped out and pressed the code into the pad that opened it, and they parked. The limo remained inside, so it looked like everyone had stayed.

Liana greeted them when they entered the building proper, Joe introducing the newcomers. She and Victoria gave each other a special nod and smile, members of the Joe’s women’s club.

“I’d like to meet with you, Jules,” she said. “Moe, Cheryl, Rachel and I decided to enjoy the weather and meet in the back yard.

“Where’s Cynthia?” Jonny asked. “I’d like to meet with her and Joe and maybe Eddie?”

“You guys go ahead,” Eddie said. “I don’t think I’m needed quite yet. My fingers are itching for my twelve string.”

“Mind if I join you?” Anna asked.

“I’m used to audiences,” Eddie grinned. “You play?”

“No, not really.”

“She has a nice voice,” said Julian.

“Let’s find out,” Eddie grinned and took her hand.

“Essie?” Victoria asked.

“Still in the dining room with the kids,” said Liana. “I believe they plan to use the pool.”

“Perfect. Where can I change?”

“There’s a cabana on the roof where the pool is.”

“Great. You going to join us later Joe?”

“I will.”

“Did you buy my present?” Liana asked.

“I did.”

“Then I’ll be sure to be up there too.”

Both she and Victoria giggled.

“Your wife is consulting with my mother in the kitchen,” Liana told Jonny. “I believe Cynthia is in the library.”

“Library?”

“It’s just above us. Not just books but videos and a projector.”

“Would you mind getting her? Could we meet outside as well Joe?”

“There’s a couple picnic tables,” Liana said. “I’ll go fetch Cynthia. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.” She ended looking at Joe, who restrained his chuckle.

“Thanks Leo,” said Jonny.

“Not a problem. I’ll see you outside.”

They passed through the kitchen to get to the backyard. “Have fun Jonny?” Maria asked.

“I did. It’s a fabulous ship.”

“That’s good.”

“Planning dinner?”

“We are.”

“Great.”

“Hi Maria.”

“Hi Joe.”

She smiled for him. Beautifully.

The small grassy backyard had room for two normal wooden picnic tables with large umbrellas planted in their centers to give shade. Jonny settled in the one not being occupied and Joe went to the other one, hugging his wives.

“Where’s Liang?” he asked.

“With Essie and the kids.” Moe said.

He nodded. “I’m going to say hi before they head up to the pool. Why don’t you bring Jonny over and discuss the commercials?”

“Including the x-rated one?” Cheryl giggled.

“Maybe it will get him directing them.”

They laughed.

He went inside and just caught Essie and Liang about to leave. He hugged and kissed both of them. “She’s hot, Uncle Joe,” Essie whispered.

“Just let me know if she’s cool.”

“I will.”

He went to Victoria because she looked like she needed him.

“She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” she whispered.

“I know, but you already like her.”

“I do.”

“And she likes you. She just told me how hot you are.”

“She did?”

“Because you are.”

He kissed her and patted her firm tusch. “So stop worrying.”

“Yes Joe,” she smiled. “You will come up and model your Speedo.”

“I promised Liana, didn’t I?”

“Your kids seem nice.”

“They’re not all mine.”

“I kind of figured. Charlie’s nearly as beautiful as his sister.”

“Be careful or you might be his first.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

“He’s young, but I think he can handle you.”

“He’s not gay?”

“Bi. But I think he’s still trying to figure that out.”

“I may help. But I still want you as my first.”

“It might be a couple days.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll see if my dad lets me stay.”

“I’d like that.”

“Would you?”

“I want you to be that tough, confident girl I saw. I know it’s a weird situation, but I will always be honest with you. And I honestly like being with you.”

She gazed at him and nodded. And smiled. “Me too.”

After one more kiss, Essie asked, “Ready?”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“The kids went up. You and I and Li will catch it when the elevator gets back down.”

Victoria turned to Liang. “How do you like married life?”

“I’m certain it’s like no other,” Liang laughed. “It’s great.”

“I bet.”

When Cynthia arrived in the backyard with Liana, she saw an opportunity. Her boss sat with those who had been working on promoting the Cube, and Liana joined them. Joe was just ahead of her heading alone to the other picnic table. So she went to the group.

“Jonny? I found something that I think will help Joe with his script when I was in the library. I’d like to show it to him. No, you’re obviously needed here.”

“Okay, Cyn,” Jonny smiled.

She smiled back and walked quickly to intercept Joe. “Come with me,” she said. “I believe Jonny will be busy for a while.

Joe chuckled. “Lead the way, Milady.”

Cheryl noticed the interaction, and Joe following Cynthia back into the Cube. She decided to give them some time. Maybe a half hour. The thought distracted her, but as usual, she managed to keep taking notes. Both she and Moe were the note takers for the meetings for Liana’s efforts. Hers were for the legal agreements she would draft. Moe’s were the commercial aspects.

Eagerness had Cynthia go to the stairwell instead of waiting for the elevator. As soon as Joe followed her through the door and the door closed, she took one step and turned, bringing her face to face with the tall man. She embraced and kissed him, pushing her breasts and groin against his chest and groin. By the time she released him with a breathless, “Come on!” and took his hand, her grinding had created results which she wished to uncover.

Two flights up, they exited the stairwell and walked briskly a few doors down. One thing different about the Cube, doors rarely locked, and Cynthia opened her bedroom door and pulled him inside. She flung off her t-shirt and undid and removed her shorts. Except for Joe and the indoor Barbadian family, everyone else wore the most casual of clothes. He wore t shirts for sleep, but buttoned shirts remained the norm for him in every circumstance, and he rarely wore shorts.

“Hurry and get naked,” she said, standing in bra and panties. “I need your cock.”

“Patience,” he chuckled, and stood in front of her. His hands reached around her torso and unhooked her bra. Her hands worked on the buttons of his shirt. She undid half before he urged her onto the bed and kneeled in front of her breasts. His mouth took one in while he finished unbuttoning, leaving his shirt on but open. His hands then took over for his mouth, and he lifted it to kiss her. Fingers soon had her nipples hard, and his mouth nipped at each before lowering. She lifted up to let him slide her panties off.

“Joe, I don’t ... Oh fuck!”

His tongue slid over her clit. His hands gently coaxed her onto her back while still tugging at her nipples. His tongue ignored her clit after its first encounter, lingering on her labia or swiping inside just below that most sensitive of organs. As she rose to greater heights of pleasure, he brought fingers into play, letting them go deeper inside her than his tongue, finding the textured spot behind her pubic bone and gently caressing it as his tongue closed in on her clit.

He decided not to tease too long, and brought her into an arching orgasm, caressing her through it and letting her sexual essence drip from his chin before standing and completing his undressing. His hand reached into his bag and found a condom packet. She smiled at that and backed up. But instead of rolling it on, he handed it to her and slid onto the bed, his head towards its foot. He pulled her over him and began once again sucking her quim.

“Damn you,” she laughed and began exploring his cock. She had never been one to enjoy cocksucking much. When horny and the boy wasn’t quite ready, she’d suck enough to get him hard. But she seemed to have a weird affinity for this one. Taller than any she’d encountered and as thick as the thickest, she knew it could be a dangerous weapon. A spear with the bulge of veins not making it a smooth shaft, and the spearhead made of a unique substance. Spongy instead of firm and hard like the rest of his cock. Mauve colored instead of a mix of flesh colored and red.

This cock becoming dangerous when it takes over the mind of the possessor and demands to be pleasured without regard to hers. It had power like all the others. Power to hurt and power to give great pleasure and of course the power to bring seed deep into her womb. It had all these things to make it a formidable object. And the power it had wasn’t reduced by knowing the man who owned it would never use it with her for anything but her own pleasure. That it would be mutual in its pleasure giving. That it would never represent anything fearful. It actually seemed all the more powerful for it.

But what surprised her was she found it strangely beautiful. Straight and true, no odd bends or disturbing bumps. Straight and true like its owner, who she also found more and more beautiful every time she looked at him. His long narrow nose had no disturbing bumps either. The long narrow face held piercing or loving or excitable eyes, expressing his joy, his enjoyment being with her, and lips that curved just so to further the expressions. A tall face for a tall man. Her first impressions of handsomeness aided by confidence, not breathtaking but good looking had transformed into absolute attraction for the man. It didn’t hurt that she loved the sleekness of his strong body. And its gracefulness.

Beautiful man. Beautiful cock. It even smelled beautiful. The manly tang of sweat mixed with insipient semen never attracted her. In fact it could be a repellent. But his somehow excited her. As did the taste and texture her tongue explored where her eyes had. And the subtle pulsing and the slight expansion and the moan she heard and felt at her pussy. He gave her such pleasure. She could give him his.

“Cynthia,” he moaned. “Roll on the condom.”

“No,” she said, and continued to suck and lick his cock.

“Okay,” he laughed within another moan and worked more towards her climax rather than sustaining a plateau.

It became a contest. Who could concentrate more while the other lavished distracting pleasure. Not surprisingly, Joe won, and Cynthia acknowledged it by somehow managing to jacket his cock.

He moved from beneath her and ended up behind her. His first careful thrusts ended when he was fully impaled. “Fuck me Joe!” she demanded, and he did. Hard and fast. Fingers went to where his tongue had just been, rubbing around her clit until she could handle full contact. Others reached her hanging nipples. She pulled on the one he didn’t.

Lasting seemed unlikely for him, but her finally getting fucked made it not a problem.

“Cumming!” he announced.

“Me too!” she practically yelled.

So, in the end it became a tie. Both won.

“Nice one,” said Cheryl, sliding onto the bed beside them. She kissed Cynthia when the tall Jewess turned her flushed face to her.

“Show me how to blow Joe?” Cynthia asked.

“Sure,” Cheryl grinned. “You done yet, Joe?”

“Just about.”

“Slip out and bring it here, Love.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

He did, moving around so his head was again towards the foot of the bed. Cheryl straddled his face. His cunnilingus was casual at best, recovering from an intense orgasm, but she didn’t mind. She removed the condom that had cum filling the top of it, creating a subtle bulge, and set it aside on the bed.

Over several minutes, Cynthia learned all about pleasuring Joe with her mouth. She even seemed to have less trouble with her gag reflex than Cheryl had. “Student always improving on teacher,” Cheryl moaned. “Take over Cyn.” And she soon convulsed in pleasure.

“I’m getting close,” Joe told Cynthia not long after.

“I’m not ready to taste it yet,” she responded, quickly straddling his cock. “Go ahead and cum,” she said.

Instead, the moment let him recover. And with Cheryl rubbing her clit and twisting her nipple and even lapping at the other one as it bounced past, Cynthia found herself climbing again to climax.

This time Joe reached it first. He grabbed her hips and bounced rapidly upwards just enough for her to orgasm. His cock slipped out, nearly flaccid, with his and her juices following its exit.

“You safe?” Cheryl asked.

“No diseases.”

“Meaning.”

“I could have just started another of one of Joe’s beautiful babies.”

“What will Jonny think?” Cheryl giggled.

“You know I don’t really care what that fat little pervert thinks.”

“Do you want to quit?”

“No. I admire him. He’s brilliant. And he pays me a fuck of a lot of money. But it’s great I’m working with Joe. For obvious reasons, but also to take a break from Jonny. I’m probably safe. My period will probably start pretty soon. I just wanted feel Joe’s cum.”

“Did you?”

“He was too busy making me cum.”

“Next time,” Joe said. “I don’t mind making love to a woman on her period if you don’t.”

“Cramps aren’t sexy.”

“I can help you with that,” Cheryl smiled. “Me and Moe have ours at the same time and do mutual massages.”

“That would be great. But once they’re done, I can get pretty horny.”

“You seem to always get horny.”

“I guess I’ve always been oversexed. But end up taking care of it myself.”

“Not anymore,” Cheryl giggled.

“As long as I’m around.”

“As far as I’m concerned,” Joe said, “You can be around as long as you want, Beautiful. Always.”

She sniffled and toppled onto Joe, kissing him intensely.

“Same for me,” said Cheryl. “I guess I’ll wait for mine later.”

A few seconds later, the kiss ended with chuckling. “Come here, Firecracker,” said Joe, and included his wife in the embrace. Kisses went from lips to lips in all combinations.

“We should probably get back,” Cynthia muttered.

“Speaking of which,” said Joe, “How interested did Jonny seem about the commercial?”

“You mean did we tell him about the porno version?” Cheryl smirked.

“What porno version?” Cynthia asked.

“We thought we’d do an orgy in the naughty room and film it as a final enticement to rent the Cube.”

“Seriously?”

“Not sure how serious, but I think it would be fun.”

“We’d wear masks,” said Joe. “Except for the professionals.”

“You mean porn actors?”

“They do that too.”

“Prostitutes.”

“It’s part of the service it seems,” said Cheryl. “Linton’s the provider of all things illicit here.”

“You should tell Jonny. I bet he’d love to film it.”

“You think he’s a voyeur?”

Cynthia laughed. “You’ve seen his films?”

“Pretty much all of them,” said Joe.

“You know there’s almost always this really sensuous R rated sex scene.”

“Yeah?”

“Well, depending on the actress, what she signs up for. You know how much to show? If they’re up to doing it nude, he likes to up the ante. Some bullshit about making it look real by having it real. He tries to stay cool, but I can tell he’s totally excited. Then, of course, he needs his R rating so he cuts it out.”

“Always?”

“Yeah. It’s really to save his ass so the actress doesn’t flip out. But I bet he’s got a reel somewhere that he watches in private.”

“You said he’d want to film it? As in actually handling the camera?”

“He’s totally hands on. Especially the hand held stuff.”

“For the sex scenes?”

“Definitely. It’s a closed set of course. He’ll have another cameraman doing the master shot, but he’s the one who gets up close with his camera. Just the two, a lighting guy and a sound guy.”

“And you?”

“I’m always around. To the point nobody notices me.”

“I doubt that.”

“You remember when you first saw me? Kind of clumsy and flustered?”

“I do.”

“That’s my natural state, Joe. I get flustered easy. And I am clumsy. Jonny likes to fluster me. He thinks it’s cute, the asshole. You really think I’m beautiful?”

“You are beautiful.”

“I guess not a lot of people think so. I kind of blend in. Which is actually part of my job, so I guess I’m good at my work.”

“You’re like Cheryl early on. She used to hide behind these really obtrusive glasses so that’s what people would see. Even I didn’t know how gorgeous, sexy and cute she was until she took them off.”

“I can’t imagine.”

“Thanks,” said Cheryl. “But it really was a defense. I wanted to be taken seriously, and not some dumb cutie.”

“Not me,” said Cynthia. “I felt like a dork. I acted like a dork. I looked like a dork. I quacked like a dork. In high school, I felt awkward and ungainly. And maybe not a little bit paranoid. Like everyone would see this girl too needy for her own good. Who masturbated and felt incredibly exposed because of it. Guilty because I didn’t want them to know my secret, but somehow they knew. Looking at me. Even smelling me. My not so secret shame.

“And I was omnivorous in my wanting. Whether it was the prettiest girl or the hottest guy. I wanted to touch and be touched. Craved something besides my own fingers on me. But of course I realized the fantasy lover wouldn’t happen, so I looked lower. I just needed a cock or a pussy. Both would have hands and lips. Boys as needy as me. Girls limited by their desire for their own gender. Boys proved a bad choice. Too thrilled to be with a girl to last or give much back. And it actually was repellent. Mostly how they smelled. But girls, one girl in particular, a true dyke, really knew her stuff and showed me how to pleasure her. Insisted, but I wanted to anyway. And she must have known my sensitivity or had her own, because inevitably we started things in the bath. And then as we got into it, and sweat mixed with pussy, it didn’t repel. It made it better. So I identified as a lesbian.

“But I still liked looking at men. And I guess I got a little more confident. Learned to dress a little more sexually. Found guys in college, not many, just a couple really, who did more than fuck me and forget me. Who’d go down on me before they fucked me. Who made sure I’d cum. Who didn’t care if my blow job was tentative or perfunctory. Only one actually made me cum when he fucked me, and that was a bit of a marathon, like it was his intent to make it happen. Wouldn’t quit until he did kind of thing. I guess what I needed was a guy who could suck me as good as a woman. Or having a guy and a woman. And here I am,” she laughed. “My fantasy finally come true, literally. And both fucking hot!”

“Sounds like you didn’t have any relationships with men,” Cheryl said.

“One night stands or an occasional weekend. My dyke lover was my longest relationship. I guess I wasn’t lesbian enough to stick with any other dyke. And I was also really busy. Still am. Speaking of which...”

One more exchange of kisses and they got up and dressed and headed downstairs. Joe led the ladies through the naughty room to the spa like bathroom where they quickly showered off the smell of sex, though its presence remained. Intimate touches of breasts and cunts. Kisses. Joe’s cock being well cleaned by two sets of hands. But they left the shower before anyone climaxed. Letting desire linger as they dressed and headed outdoors.

To keep Cynthia’s illusion of sexual preference, Joe headed to the empty picnic table and Cheryl and Cynthia locked lips before Cynthia joined him. Joe managed to glance at Jonny’s reaction, and saw the blush and the widening of eyes. He could swear Jonny adjusted himself before he stood and headed over to Joe’s table, assistant and boss reaching it at about the same time.

“Was what Cyn showed you helpful, Joe?” Jonny asked.

“It gave me a lot to think about,” he smiled at Cynthia and held back a wink. She grinned back.

“Good. Good.” He took out his heavily annotated copy of Joe’s book. Both Joe and Cynthia took out copies of Cynthia’s transcribed treatment. All three had a notebook to jot notes, but Cynthia seemed to jot a lot more.

“Is that shorthand?” Joe asked.

“A sellable skill,” Cynthia said.

“A necessity,” Jonny added, and proved it by his fast patter. Joe actually felt like an interrupter every time he wanted to put in his thoughts, or question Jonny’s. As the meeting continued, he decided to relax. It would be his screenplay in the end, or his and Cynthia’s, even if it would be squeezed into Jonny’s vision. So he took his own notes and interrupted minimally.

After Jonny gave his reasons for the arc of the film, which was in the treatment, and Joe was still in defensive or argumentative mode, they worked through the first few scenes of the film. More and more Jonny’s version of it. Less and less of Joe’s need for inclusion of things he thought necessary to the story. Letting go of that need ended up being a lot more comfortable than Joe would have imagined. It let him witness the brilliance of the man. As if he could explain the universe, and more importantly No Contest through the lens of a camera and the assemblage of the editing room. Both things, like the script, he commanded in order to create his remarkable films. In a way, he was letting go a little bit letting Joe write the script. But only a little bit. Jonny’s squeeze on Joe’s writing would necessarily be a tight one.

“Do you want to write the script?” Joe finally asked him.

“I know I’m being...” Jonny started.

“I’m not being defensive Johan. I get why you write your movies.”

“No Joe, I want you to write it. You are writing my movie.”

“I get that,” Joe laughed. “I just don’t understand the point. It’s like the script is already in your head.”

“And how long has this novel been in your head?”

“Ten years?”

“Really?”

“Almost exactly. I started writing it the summer after I graduated high school. Ten and a half years. I wrote what I saw. It’s what I thought I needed to do at the time. Immersion begetting immersion. Know what you write and all that shit. Especially when its creating an immersed world, a world exclusive in itself. I thought I needed to know everything about that world to make it real, visceral to those who read it. Bringing them into that place I knew well. I kept that belief through my second novel before I realized I had the imagination to live other lives. And actually safely tell those lives, because No Contest, and my second, which is called moms, lower case, was actually a little too close to home. Too much about its sources. Eddie in No Contest. Eddie’s and my moms in moms. I decided not to publish my first because of it, and Joanne thought I shouldn’t publish the second for the same reason, and I agreed. Luckily I had the sagas in my head and they came out pretty swiftly, all things considered. I actually didn’t intend to release either book until everyone in them would be too dead to care anymore, including me.”

“You actually planned your legacy?” Cynthia asked.

“Why not? I’ve planned everything else regarding my career. Even had contingencies, which is why I have a PhD from Columbia. Some things worked a little differently, like writing two novels I realized I probably shouldn’t publish, but they ended up part of the plan anyway, and probably always had been.”

“Practice,” Cynthia smiled.

“Exactly. By the time I was actually ready to publish, I had just gotten my doctorate, and had written the first book of my sagas and samples of the other two. My first published novel was actually my third, and partially my fourth or fifth. So the plan was there, realized. If I failed to publish, I had a life as a professor, and would keep at the novel writing until I did get published. But I had a pretty solid strategy, a plan within a plan, to assure I would get published. Of course how successful I’d be would always be an unknown.

“Anyway, yes, I thought that a couple of really good novels discovered at my death would be pretty awesome, considering what crap they usually scrape up for every other authors’ posthumous work. Of course they can’t really be posthumous unless someone ghost wrote them,” Joe laughed.

“That’s kind of clever and creepy at the same time,” Cynthia chuckled. “Not to mention morbid.”

“So why publish now?” Jonny asked.

“Eddie said yes. About both books actually. The second one we worried more about our dads freaking out. They’re pretty shitty dads in the book. But actually Eddie’s mom in my revised version probably comes off worst of all. Actually Eddie’s idea. Of course, like No Contest, they really are fiction, just uncomfortably close to their inspirations.”

“Is moms ready to publish?” Cynthia asked.

“Almost. Maybe. I need to do one more careful edit, and with the changes, I figure I’ll need to wait another month before I do that. Fresh eyes, or at least fresh as a couple months can have. Right now I actually feel really good about it, and I usually get that feeling when it’s ready.”

“Could I read it?”

“Sure.”

“Is it here?”

“I left it at home. Like I said, I need to get some distance from it. Right now I’m working on the musical for Charlie. And this of course. Maybe,” he chuckled.

“I do want you to write it, Joe,” said Jonny. “Because, though I’m definitely framing it with what I visualize, you’re the one who knows it. I mean ten fucking years!”

“You want my insight.”

“Exactly. I’ve been with it maybe a few days. Hours really. What I probably haven’t seen compared to what you know being inside it ... living its inspiration ... I think you can show me things I can’t have possibly seen. Things that I missed. Things that I probably need to see. I have this structure. I need it condensed, obviously. But have I captured its essence?”

“But is that what you want? It’s a Johan Soros movie.”

“Remember what I said. I don’t want it to be just another Johan Soros movie. I think when I read it I sensed an opportunity. To break that mold. The singular vision.”

“You want to collaborate.”

“I want a synthesis. Visions colliding and coalescing into something altogether different.”

Joe nodded. “Let’s do this. We keep working like this. You constraining me to your vision. I’m actually enjoying the hell out of it, once I got my ego out of the way. When we’re done here, once we leave this little bit of paradise, I write this version. Your version. And a second one. My version. My movie.”

“Makes sense. But I have another suggestion. And it depends on if you can make it happen. You take my vision and run with it. Bring in what you think I missed. Even use it as a platform or a springboard and just go off on it until you feel like its yours. Or more importantly, the book’s. Because it’s this,” he shook the book in his hand, “that brought us here. That made me want to make this movie. This is you, Joe. Ten years. Inform me. However you want. But it’s a movie,” he laughed. “I can’t afford to make Greed.”

“I’ll go with your idea and see where it takes me. And Cynthia.”

“It’s yours, Joe. I...”

“You’re there to instruct me. You know what a script means to a director. Especially this one.”

“Yes but...”

“You steer me. But you’re also another person with another view. Maybe I know the book too well. I will be listening, okay?”

“Okay Joe,” she smiled.

“Now that we’re done with this, let’s talk about the Cube.”

“Your wife is a marvelous writer,” Jonny chuckled.