“So you want to have a different kind of fun?” she asked, sitting down next to him.

“No,” Ben said, pulling away. “I just want to sit here and mope. Trust me, it’ll be tons of fun.”

“Moping is not an option. Get it out of your mind.”

“Is sulking an option? Because I can just as easily sulk if I can’t mope.”

“You’re not doing either.” Slowly, Lisa moved closer to Ben on the couch.

“Then what are we going to do? Pout? Brood? Fret?”

“Let me put it to you this way,” Lisa said. “In my mind, there are two types of people in this world: those who will sleep with me, and those who won’t.”

“Relax. I’m not in the mood.”

“Don’t give me that. You said when everything calmed down-”

“It hasn’t calmed down yet,” Ben said. “Besides, who says I’d even want to sleep with you?”

“Oh, that’s funny,” Lisa said. “But that game doesn’t work anymore. I saw you crying when Rick was slapping me around. You were worried about me.”

“Those tears had nothing to do with you. They were tears of anger. They were angry, hateful tears.”

“Sure they were,” Lisa said, inching closer to Ben.

“I’m serious,” Ben said. “Anyway, I can’t do it now. I have a lot on my mind. You saw me before-I’m depressed.”

“You’re not depressed.”

“I am depressed. And it’s going to take me a long time to get over it.”

“How long?” Lisa asked.

“A very long time. A long, long time.”

“So when are we going to fool around?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe never.”

“Ben-” Lisa warned.

“Fine. You talked me into it. But I want you to know I’m not going to like it.”

“You’ll like it.”

“Fine. I’ll like it. But the moment we’re done, this relationship is over. I’ve had enough of this nonsense.”

“Whatever you say,” Lisa agreed. She kissed Ben’s neck. “You’re in control.”

Acknowledgments

I wish to thank the following people for being involved with this book and, therefore, being involved with my life: Jill Kneerim, my agent, for her faith in me as a writer. Over the past four years, she has been an editor, an advisor, a cheerleader, and a confidante. Most importantly, she has been my friend. With sagacious (and sometimes prognostic) insight and down-to-earth sensibilities, she has offered me a relationship that I deeply treasure. If she never laughed at fraternal antics, we wouldn’t be here today. Elaine Rogers, whose sales ability started the ball rolling-for that alone, I am forever in her debt; Sandy Missakian, whose sense of humor and tenacious negotiating abilities make my life much easier; Sharon Silva-Lamberson, for going beyond the call of duty and starting so much of this by enjoying it on her own (thanks, Sharon); Ike Williams and everyone else at The Palmer and Dodge Agency for all their support; Neil Stearns and everyone at the Dick Clark Film Group for their courage, commitment, and dedication. Neil, you and your crew were the first people to take a chance on me. I will never forget that.

I want to thank my parents, who have always given me tremendous amounts of love and have unknowingly provided me with years of good material; my sister, Bari, for her never-ending support; Ethan Kline and Noah Kuttler, who gave incredible amounts of time and energy to this book and all its details; Matt Oshinsky, Joel Rose, Chris Weiss, and Judd Winick for their tireless assistance and constant friendship; Professor Kellis Parker, for his expansive view of the law and unwavering aid; Kathy Bradley, for taking the time to help me during the planning stages and for giving me so many vivid details to work with; Chris Vasil, for his keen eye and generous nature; and the rest of my family and friends, whose names inhabit these pages.

Finally, I’d like to thank everyone at Rob Weisbach Books and William Morrow: Bill Wright, for his incredibly enthusiasm; Jacqueline Deval, Michael Murphy, Lisa Queen, Lisa Rasmussen, and Sharyn Rosenblum, for their boundless energy and invaluable support; Colin Dickerman, for his reactions and suggestions; David Szanto, for his input on the manuscript and for helping with everything else that came his way; and all the wonderful people at Weisbach/Morrow who helped make this book a reality. Finally, I owe an enormous thank you to my editor and publisher, Rob Weisbach. Rob is one of the people in this world with true vision. He is a consummate editor whose commitment to his authors cannot be overstated. I am honored to be a part of his new imprint and even prouder to count him among my friends. Rob, I can never thank you enough for everything you’ve done: beyond endless enthusiasm, you’ve given me your faith.

Brad Meltzer, recent Columbia Law School graduate, has been the subject of a major profile in The New York Times, has written speeches for President Clinton's national service program, devised marketing strategies for Games magazine, and married his high school sweetheart. He's been compared to John Grisham, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Scott Turow by The Washingtonian and The New York Times. He lives in Washington D.C.