When it became apparent that Mal didn't know any more about what was happening with Rona and the "record-store guy" - as he had now, semi-officially, been dubbed - Alain rang Hannah instead.

"So it definitely is record store he works in then?" asked Hannah, "Not a video store?"

"No, it's a record store. That's the whole point, she goes in there to sell C.D.s when she's done reviewing them."

"But she reviews D.V.D.s as well, so it could have been a video store."

"Yeah, but it's not. It's a record store. You were with her last week, she said that didn't she?"

"I was with her, sure" pointed out Hannah, "but so was a lot of alcohol."

"Oh, yeah."

There was a slightly awkward pause: Alain and Hannah weren't used to talking to each other. At length Hannah said, simply:

"So why exactly are you ringing me?" She had decided recently to be annoyed at Alain: he was an easy scapegoat, so she blamed him for her situation with Janine. After all, it was him that had dragged her out on the night when she'd met Janine. (The fact that she would invariably have gone out anyway, and probably to the same place, was beside the point.)

Alain, as was his wont, ignored the tinge of venom in Hannah's voice and took her question straight. He replied: "I figure you're Rona's best friend. If anyone was gonna know what's going on, it's you."

"Oh, right. Sure, I guess that makes sense." Hannah didn't want to reveal that she'd been neglecting her friendship with Rona in the last few weeks - apart from anything else, she didn't want to hear any of Alain's suggestive questions about it, which she knew he would inevitably ask. "Well I don't know much about the guy" she said carefully.

"Well that's pretty obvious, all shit about the video-store you were talking about" interrupted Alain.

"Look, did you ring me up to talk, or did you ring me up to be rude?"

"Isn't it the same thing in the end?" joked Alain.

"How do you even have any friends?" asked Hannah.

"Ask yourself" replied Alain. "You're the one who's talking to me."

"We're just acquaintances. Or something. Shut the fuck up!"

Alain laughed. "Is that how you talk to your girlfriend as well?"

"Actually, yeah" said Hannah, deciding not to be angry any more. "Pretty much. And she just keeps on coming back for more."

"Treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen."

"People are fucking stupid."

"Maybe that's what the record-store guy was doing with Rona" mused Alain in response to his own comment, ignoring Hannah.

"Come on, on a first date? That's crazy!" Hannah cleared her throat. "Anyway, I guess we'll find out soon enough. She's going over there right now.

"Right now?"

"That's what I hear."

"Cool . . ." Alain was excited: he could smell fresh gossip coming up.