Milk and Cigarettes

Chapter 24

We spent the next three hours counting out of state cars and talking about our childhood. I learned that Leo had a pet snake as kid named Romeo and that his mom made him give it away when Romeo bit him, even though he wasn't venomous. I learned that when he was 8 years old, he fell out of the second story of his house and broke his arm. He even showed me a scar, a slim, pale pink that marked the top of his forearm. I learned that Leo had made his mind up when he first came to Spokane. He decided he was going to kill himself after that summer. He turned to me and smiled, "You've changed me. And I don't mean in the way that people say it but don't really mean it. You came into my life like an earthquake and completely shifted my landscape forever." Leo's eyes squinted from the sun. "You've changed me for good, Wendy. Even if you decided you didn't want to be with me anymore, even if you went back to Spokane, I will forever be changed because of you. Thank you." My heart sped with every word he let out and I looked out the window to keep Leo from seeing my eyes water. He saved me from a lifetime of pain in a rotting town full of rotting people. That's what I loved so much about him, was that our conversations could waver from what we held in the pit of our hearts, to the corners of our brains. A monologue of soul, or a ripple of laughter from a perverted joke. This time, our conversation rolled into the category of our favorite movies.

"You've never seen Bonnie and Clyde? What!" Leo exclaimed, one hand on the wheel and the other on my thigh. His face was bright with shock and laughter.

"No," I answered. "but, I mean, I know who they are!"

"Oh, babe, you've gotta see it! Warren Beaty is in it!" He lifted his hand from my thigh and took my hand. "He's my ultimate man crush."

"Well then, I guess I have to see it!" I giggled.

"Let's watch it tonight." Leo said, eyes on the road and his thumb stroking my hand.

"How?" I asked, puzzled.

"Well, I have a cousin who is from a really big city, and in that city," I watched Leo speak. The way his mouth moved to form the words was like a beautiful art production. "they've got these old fashioned drive in theaters. My cousin said they show any old film you can think of." I remember being amazed at this. Back then, I had only heard about drive in theaters from my mother and all of the older people in Spokane. In Jasper, a slightly larger town than Spokane, they had a movie theater. It was 45 minutes away and it was the only way we could go see the new films. Last time I went was on my 14th birthday. My mom and Roger took me to see "The Princess Bride".

I looked at Leo, urging for him to continue. "Okay, what city is it Leo?" I smiled in excitement.

"How does Hollywood, California sound, Wendy?" My mouth dropped. Leo simply smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Do you-" his sentence broke with a laugh. "Do you think you'd like that to be our new home?" He was even giddy about the idea, his cool and collected self could hardly keep its act together and we both burst into excited gasps.

"Hollywood!" I exclaimed.

"Hollywood." Leo confirmed.

"Oh my god." I splatter kisses on his cheek while his free hand held my bum.

"Say goodbye to Arizona, darling." He spoke as I looked up to see a 'Welcome to California sign!'