"Hey, Jim?"

"Mmmm?"

"How often do you fall in love?"

And Jim got up off the sofa, went to the kitchen to retrieve a few towels, returned and began sopping up the beer he'd sprayed in response to that little query.

"Sandburg! What the fuck kind of question is that?"

"Just a staring-off-into-space, popped-into-my-head kinda question. So ... how often do you fall in love, Jim?"

"You make it sound like a guy could fall in love on a daily basis, or something. Don't you mean 'how often have you fallen in love'?"

"Okay."

"Okay? What do you mean 'Okay'?"

"I mean, that's a good enough question. So ... how often have you fallen in love?"

"I don't know, really."

"You don't know?! How could you not know that? Do you fall in love that often? Or what?"

"I guess it's a case of 'or what.' I mean, haven't you had those times when you thought you were in love but later it turns out ... it doesn't work out?"

"Well, yeah ... yeah. But doesn't that count, anyway? I mean, even if it doesn't work out ... don't you just ... say to yourself, well that's how I felt -- I was in love. ... Don't you just say that and ... sorta ... go on, eventually?"

"Well, yeah, really I do. ... But it makes me wonder ...."

"What, Jim?"

"Well, was I really truly in love or did I just think I was? If it didn't work out, was it real to begin with ... or what?"

"Good question, man."

And Blair got up off the couch and headed for the kitchen for a couple more beers, returning to sit just a little bit closer this time, though mindful of the damp spot from the previous beer-spray. He lay his head back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling.

"Hey, Jim?"

"Hmm?"

"When was the last time you fell in love?"

"Recently."

"Recently?"

"Pretty recently. Well, sorta recently. Well, maybe not that recently, actually."

"Why so unsure, Jim?"

"Well, I don't know. How do you decide? Do you go by when you think it might've happened? Or when you knew? Or what?"

"I see... I don't know... Good question, Jim. ... So ... recently?"

"Maybe, recently. Or not. Depending, you know."

"Yeah, depending. ... Recently, huh?"

"Well, maybe, yeah."

And Jim got up to go to the john, while Blair contemplated the label on his beer bottle, peeling it slowly at the edges.

"How recently, Jim?"

"That I knew? Recently enough, ok?"

"This is pretty new, huh?"

"Well, yeah, you know, depending on what counts, like I said."

"So you're saying this happened before you knew it."

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Kinda snuck up on me, you know?"

"Yeah, I know."

And Blair scooped up the label peelings and headed for the kitchen to throw them into the trash.

"Another beer, Jim?"

"Nah. Had enough. Thinking of headin' up to bed."

But Jim didn't move, just sat on the couch, staring at the coffee table.

"You gonna have another beer, Chief?"

"Nah. Bed sounds better. ... So ... headin' up, Jim?"

"Yeah. ... You, too?"

"Me too, Jim?"

"Yeah, headin' up?"

"Up, Jim?"

"Yeah, up, Blair."

"Been thinkin' I might."

"Recently?"

"Yeah, Jim, recently."

--finis--