Claire herself hadn't wanted anything for herself, and it was only at Charlie's insistence that she had set aside a little. It had been enough, however, to free her forever from the Custom Plate Division.

  Finally, the credits began to roll. Jean saw what she had been waiting for all evening, the words that in the weeks and months to come would cause her to hit the pause button on her VCR dozens of times, just so that she could flush again with pleasure. "Special thanks to ..." and there was her own name, Jean Montrose, right in the middle of the list.

  Claire reached for the remote and clicked off the TV.

  "I think I like the real you better." Dante rolled over on his side to face Claire. He dropped a kiss on her right shoulder.

  "You should be glad you like me better," she said, "since I heard that the actress who played me has just finished her third marriage and her fourth admission to the Betty Ford Clinic." She turned her face toward him for another kiss.

  Outside the windows of Dante's Fourth Avenue condo, horns, sirens and car alarms punctuated the ceaseless murmur of New York City. After a half-dozen trips here, Claire had gotten to the point where she almost didn't hear it anymore. Dante, on the other hand, still had difficulty sleeping whenever he visited Portland, finding the silence oppressive. They had talked about one or the other of them moving, but Charlie pulled Claire one way and Dante's job at the Met pulled him the other, so for now they made do with frequent visits. Claire snapped off the light and moved into Dante's arms. She didn't know where things would end up, but she was enjoying the trip.

  Guide to license plate termsNJYNLF = Enjoying Life

  1DRKNYT = One Dark Night

  2RU LUV = True Love

  6ULDV8 = Sexual Deviate

  AMYSTREE = A Mystery

  ANGLBB = Angel Baby

  AXNU8D+ = Accentuate the Positive

  BBNBRD = Baby on Board

  BG BKS = Big Bucks

  CC DDAY = Seize the Day

  COWPOO = Manure

  CUNQRT = See You in Court

  DEVORSD = Divorced

  EZ4U2SA = Easy for You to Say

  FX108 = Affectionate

  GETNAKD = Get Naked

  H20UUP2 = What Are (water) You Up To?

  IMHERE = I'm Here

  IRITEI = Right Between the Eyes

  KPASAMD = What's Up (que pasa), Doc?Key to License Plate Terms

  L8RG8R = Later Gator

  MSTBF8 = Must Be Fate

  MYTB$$ = Might Be Money

  NJYNLF = Enjoying Life

  N4CR = Enforcer

  OL4LUV = All for Love

  OWTAHR = Outta Here

  PP DR = Urologist

  QS10ALL = Question All

  RESQME = Rescue Me

  RUD14ME = Are You the One for Me?

  STAY2ND = Stay Tuned

  SWMR - Swimmer

  TI—3VOM = Move It (as seen from a rearview mirror)

  TVZTRU = TV Is True

  ULIV IS = You Live Once

  XQQSME = Excuse Me

  YRUFAT = Why Are You Fat?

  ZTHSIT? = Is This It?

 


 

  April Henry, Circles of Confusion

 


 

 
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