“Dex,” I whispered.“Mmmm?” he grunted.“I hope you never stop feeling alive.”I could have sworn his heart skipped a few beats. He tensed. Then relaxed.“As long as you’re around,” he said softly, “I’ll be alive.”

“I was trying to be a better man, Perry. For you.” I shifted in my seat. “Dex…” “And I’ll keep trying,” he quickly said, voice low and somber. “Until I get it right.”

“Hello?” Bird’s stoic voice answered. “Hi, Bird?” This is Dex Foray, we met back in Red Fox last October…”“Dex,” he pronounced my name slowly. “I knew it was you.”“Oh,” I said, taken aback. Shit, maybe he was more new agey than I thought. “Could you sense me?”“No, I have caller ID”

“Who the hell is Old Roddy?” I said angrily. I was sick of feeling like I wasn’t being told the whole story. Dex was silent. I shined my light in his face, causing him to squint harshly.“If you don’t know then I don’t have time to explain,” he sneered in the brightness. He eyed my hand on his bicep. I didn’t let go. “Make time,” I said.”

“I hope next time you feel – well, retarded – about yourself, you’ll remember that I think you’re…”I looked up into his eyes. They were drunk, yes, but still absolutely mesmerizing.He didn’t finish his sentence. Instead he said, “Sorry I licked your face.”

“No matter what happened, he was Dex and I was Perry and that combination only led to trouble.”

“Why are you so pissed off?" he asked, sounding genuinely surprised. Sometimes I wondered if Dex actually had any recollection of 90% of the conversations he was involved with.”