He wears a long jacket. It’s hot out, but he wears it anyway. Jack is only two inches taller than I am, so he also wears heavy boots that give him another two inches. We meet on the street two blocks from the theater.
  I’ve been waiting fifteen minutes in front of a bagel shop. Long enough to realize I’m hungry, and also, the Burger King will be closing soon.
  “Hungry?” he asks, and it’s as if he’s reading my mind. “Burger King is still open.” It doesn’t occur to me that he’s hungry too, only that he knows what I want and need. It’s like magic.
  We hold hands as we cross the street. We don’t talk, drawn like moths to the florescent sign.
  He holds the door for me. He orders for me. He carries the tray. We have the restaurant to ourselves. We sit by the window at a faded table with worn chairs looking out on to the street.
  “Ozzie has a cold.” he says. “He’s sneezing.”  And I wonder how he can tell a regular ferret sneeze from a ferret with a cold sneeze.
  “I’m sure he’ll get better” I say, dangling a french fry over my ketchup . “I bet ferrets catch colds all the time. Just like people.”
  “I think so.” He pulls his pickles off his burger for later.
  “I have a new throwing star. I just got it yesterday from this new shop I found in Blue Ash.” He dips his french fries three at a time into the ketchup. Always three.
  I don’t really care, but he sounds so proud. “You’ll have to show me later” I say, and I smile.
  They’re closing the restaurant and we have to leave. He takes my hand and we walk slowly through the almost empty streets to the theater.  On the corner there’s a bar playing Jazz.
  “Roger is having a party next Thursday night. Wanna go?”
I don’t like Roger. “Sure” I say. I sneak a glance over at him. Jack has the most beautiful blue eyes. I really, really don’t like Roger, but I smile.
  We’re late for the movie, but I don’t care. I’m just happy.