"How?"
"You're from Newport Beach."
"Can you?" she asks.
"No," I say. "You want to teach me?"
"Not really. I prefer swimming. But I do love the beach. The expanse of the ocean. It's beautiful."
"We're close."
"I would have brought my swimsuit if I realized," she says.
"Next time." I press my palm to her rib, over her new tattoo. "Once it's safe."
"Right. You're very strict with after-care."
"Always."
"You have any erotic thrillers in mind?" she asks.
"Hell yeah. You mind violence?"
"It's not my favorite," she says.
"Okay. I don't think there's anything too gory in this one. But there is some. If you want the nice black-and-white movie—"
"Well, are you up for subtitles?"
"Hell yeah."
"Have you seenLust, Caution?"
"No."
"It's not an erotic thriller, exactly. Or maybe it is. Only it's about the woman. She's a spy of sorts, but she's the one who makes bad decisions because of sex."
"Progressive."
"It is, yeah. Very anti-oppression. And all about the things people hide. Classic Ang Lee. He's amazing."
"You're a movie buff?"
"No. My ex was a film major."
"Lectured you about movies?"
"MostlyFight Club. And those kinds of TV shows about male anti-heroes. We watched the first episode of so many. I think I was sitting there, doing his homework with him. He thought that was a great way to spend time together. But I guess I got a free Intro to Dramatic TV writing class out of it."
"Did you like anything?"
"Some shows were okay, but I never got the "prestige" genre. All the shows are the same. A man, engaging in violence as a way of expressing himself."
"So you're aBreaking Badfan?"
"I'll leave," she says.
"And Christopher Nolan is a genius?"