“Oh, God! It’s like looking directly into the sun. I will never unsee this!”
Teddy spreads his fingers, and I can see him peer through them.
“And yet I can’t stop looking,” he says. “It’s like a train wreck.”
“What are you doing in here?”
“I’m out of painkillers. I’ve been so distracted, I didn’t refill my prescriptions.” Teddy looks at me. “Now I need something stronger. Like morphine.”
“Get out!”
“I thought you were gone!” he says. “Speaking of which, where did your ass go? Witness protection? Have you tried to iron out those wrinkles?”
“GET OUT!”
He starts to leave but turns on a dime and, without warning, raises his phone and snaps a photo of me standing half naked.
“What the hell are you doing?” I yell.
“Torturing my SIM card! Blackmail, Sid. Now you will owe me when I need it most.”
“You’ll be dead so it won’t matter!”
I pull a large hand towel from the gold stand perched on my bathroom counter and flick Teddy with it, just like I did as a boy in the locker room. It catches him hard on the side, but he doesn’t wince. He just stands there, already looking pained.
“Teddy?” I ask. “Are you okay?”
“I honestly don’t know,” he says. Teddy rubs his temples. “This headache just won’t go away.”
“Here,” I say, reaching into my cabinet. “I have Advil.”
Teddy takes the bottle.
“Thanks,” he says, forcing a smile. Teddy never forces a smile.
“You want to talk?” I ask.
“We’ll talk later. Okay? I don’t want to spoil your date.”
His demeanor concerns me. My face falls.
“I mean, this is your first date sinceGrease.”
I can tell when Teddy is trying to divert attention. He knows it, too.
“Stop it,” he continues. “I’m fine. My sister’s visit has just thrown me for a loop.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure,” Teddy says. “Are you going out with that cute guy who turned down Barry? Is that why he came to Streetbar? To find you?”
I nod. “His name’s Leo.”
Teddy gives me a once-over. “Remind me again? Is he a blind man?”
“I think you’re feeling just fine,” I say.
“Told ya so.”
