In Lieu of Flowers Page #4

Do you live around here?

No.

I'm out on Long Island.

My dad works in the area.

We had dinner.

Nice.

Yeah.

- You?

- Yeah, yeah.

I live right down

the street actually.

Oh, wow.

So, getting a little caffeine

to go with your nicotine?

Yup, I've heard the coffee,

smoke breath combo is a killer.

Yeah, no, I actually

took your advice.

You mean you quit?

If you can even call it that.

- Here you are, sir.

- Thank you.

I've actually taken up

binge eating instead.

You know what, could we get

the tray of biscotti

and a dozen or so

bear claws, please?

She doesn't like my jokes.

You know, I haven't been,

but I hear it's great though.

Yeah, the staff's a little rude,

but the food's good.

Thank you.

Did they redo this place?

You know, it's been the same

since I've been up here.

How long is that?

Almost a year.

Do you like the neighborhood?

I do, you know,

it's cleaner, quieter,

outrageously expensive.

I don't know, I do miss

living downtown though.

Why did you leave?

Well, my old roommate

got married.

Loser.

And, um, my girlfriend Gretchen,

she lived about

five blocks up, so, yeah.

So, you live in one of those

Brownstones right off the park?

- Wow, that's pretty...

- Pretentious?

I was going to say

impressive, but...

Yeah, well, I'm a big shot

investment banker.

- Really?

- No, I'm not that lame.

My husband was a banker.

Of course he was, Jesus.

No, it's okay,

I didn't get it either.

Well, I did do a semester

of business school

so I'm at least partly lame.

Oh, at least.

- Why only a semester?

- I don't know.

It was fine, but,

you know after...

I just decided to take a break

for a semester or forever,

we'll see.

So, what are you doing

in the meantime?

Just loitering in coffee shops?

Pretty much, yeah.

No, I work for a commercial

real estate firm.

But what do you do,

how do you spend your time?

Um, I'm a teacher.

- Oh yeah?

- Yeah, second grade.

That sounds about right.

Hey!

No, seriously.

In a good way.

So, what brings you

from Long Island

to a church all the way

on the upper Westside?

Um, well my husband

and I lived on 73rd.

And the group meets up here, so.

And how long have you been

going to Lazarus Lives?

I went pretty regularly

for about a year or so,

but I actually hadn't been

in months until that meeting.

Was it helpful?

Yeah.

I don't know.

It's kind of like Tylenol

or muscle rub.

It doesn't really cure anything,

it just sort of...

Masks the pain.

I was going to say,

"Relieves the pain," but...

I didn't see you there

this Sunday.

Yeah.

Yeah, I don't think

I really belong there.

Well, nobody belongs there,

but if you've lost someone...

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