Excerpt: Happenstance/Selective Memories

Happenstance: A large poster from a movie I’d never seen was hanging above the sofa, and a rather ugly painting that my roommate’s boyfriend had painted for her took up most of the wall between the two bedrooms. It depicted the two of them as characters from the film “Moulin Rouge!” which was their favorite movie. As romantic as they apparently saw it, I couldn’t quite see the appeal of painting your girlfriend as a turn-of-the-century French prostitute and yourself as a penniless writer, especially when your girlfriend was a bookstore clerk and you were a computer programmer.

Selective Memories: “Sometimes I feel like I could throw a golden apple into this crowd,” said a man nearby, catching her eye and raising an eyebrow. “Only instead of ‘for the most beautiful’ I could label it ‘for the most powerful’ and watch a riot of epic proportions.”

“I don’t need a golden apple to cement my position,” said Arneb. “As much as they would fight, none would challenge my family. All I would have to do is ask for it.”

“True enough,” said the man. He had dark eyes and hair and skin like coffee with milk. “You’re Arneb Ryder.”

“You’re astute. And yet I don’t know your name, therefore you are not interesting to me.”

“My name is Toby Tanner. Not that I expect that to make me more interesting, of course, but you might like to know.”

“Tanner. I know your family. I suppose you think you can worm your way into the Ryder fortune through me, hm?”

“Give me some credit. I’m not that delusional. Is it a crime to make small talk? Or would you prefer a golden apple?”

“If you had one you’d certainly be more interesting.” But she smiled. “Myths. Which would you choose, the power, the wisdom, or the beautiful wife?”

“If I had the wisdom I could get the other two easily.” He smiled too. “And you?”

“Wisdom and power are both things I already possess. The wife I can live without. I would keep the apple until someone made me a better offer.”