“Shut up, fag.”  I mumbled, but this time my heart wasn’t in it.  Am I dead?  That’d be interesting.  He smiled and kissed my cheek.  
“Get in the shower, you bitch.”  I nodded.  “We’re going to a festival.  If you look pretty today I’ll get you a baklava.”  I like those.  I hop in the shower and wipe last night’s make-up off and for a moment I think the mistake went with it.  Those never wash away.
  

I use more soap.

I’m not sure how he did it, but Rain has me having fun.  I’m talking to a guy for him to find out if he’s gay and I have a fun “Cat in the Hat” felt top hat on my head and a box of baklava in my hand because I’m hot.  The man was cute, but not good enough for my baklava-buying friend.  Even if he is a bitch.  Jack, or whoever his name was, has told me in the subtlest terms he knew how that he wanted to pork me.  Very badly.  I laughed at his half-assed pick up line and shook my head at Rain.  I would now put tempera-dye in my hair and have them French Braid it at the hair stand on Rain’s dime… or his five dollar bill and dime.  I was fun when I wanted to be.  

“You’re fun when you want to be.”  Rain informed me.
“Yup.  Sorry you didn’t get laid.”  I told him and the boy who was doing my hair twittered.  I never knew what that word meant until he made that off putting, but cute noise.  “Do it again.”  I told him, but he didn’t.  I frowned for a moment, but put back on the cheesy grin when Rain chatted the hair boy up.  He was good looking, better than the straight guy and I felt jealous for a second.  It passed when I thought what I could have as I looked over at the games.  There was a riddle answering booth!  I loved riddles.  I tapped Rain on the shoulder and pointed to wear I was going.  He nodded and I went.  He’d call if he got lucky.  I’d call if I got bored.  

The man behind the counter caught my eye and I changed my statement.  I’d call if I got lucky.  I was never one for noticing things.  Rain would get mad at me sometimes for this.  Like he would notice the slight pinks and oranges in the sunset and I would notice the sunset.  Maybe that’s why I was good at riddles.  

I did notice, however, the conceited aura this boy had.  I felt in love.  He had black hair and a green sweat shirt that matched his eyes perfectly.  Men with simple fashion sense like that made me go wet in a big way.  

“Wanna try to guess today’s riddle.  The master riddle gets you a stuffed animal and the lesser gets you a trinket.  The master riddle is three in a row.  Miss one and you lose.”  He said bored.  I smiled at him, but it faltered as he didn't check me out.  I wasn’t beautiful, just better looking than most in this dead beat town.  He’s reading something and I sat down.  
“Well jeeze, throw me the master riddle then.”  Now he looks up.  I smirk now.  
“Two dollars.”  He says and I hand it over.  “The man that made it didn’t want it.  The man that bought it didn’t use it and the man that did use it didn’t know.”  I flutter my eyes and laugh.
“A coffin.”  I reply.  He puts down his book.  I must say I’m impressed he didn’t use a book mark.  I was never any good at remembering things like that.  “What are you reading?”  I ask to start a conversation.  Most boys chilled with game boys or comics.  This man seemed to be reading a book .  
“James Patterson.”  He answered.  I wanted him to say more.  He gave me the next riddle.  “How many letters are in the alphabet?”  He sighed out.  He thought I was just a nobody!
“…twen- NO!  Wait, eleven.”  I said squinting one eye.  This was not one of the fun riddles.  
He smiles now and I’m all a flutter.  He doesn’t know who I am!  Ha!  A challenge!  I wonder if I look like a fool with my braided hair and top hat.  I decide I don’t care and at least I match him and his green-ness.  “Do you know who Patterson is?”  His voice has this Gene Wilder thing going for it that I really like.  I know Rain will be ecstatic to know that I saw all this about him.  In spite of myself I look for more details to tell him about.  I think for a moment.  His green eyes aren’t that hunter green you always see on guys or that emerald green you always hear romance writers talk about… they’re green.  Like Crayola.  Well, that’s as close as I get to poetry.

“Yea, I know him.  He wrote that Cross series.  I love it.”  I didn’t use to be a dumb bubbly sweetheart.  I was egotistical, smart, and on my way to the top of my law firm… then it went wrong.  “He makes crime solving look easy!”  I laughed and he smiled too.  “So puzzles, what’s your name?”  I asked.  I would probably forget it later.  The fact is crime solving is what a lawyer does.  But if she finds that her client is a criminal she can’t do anything, but try and prove he isn’t.  I didn’t think about it when I was reading, so I read books when I wasn’t wrapped up in my love life or my cases.  I had a steady boyfriend back then too.

“My name’s Chase.”  He said and delivered the last riddle.  I got the answer right away and he seemed shocked.  Sure, there isn’t a lot of brain in the Valley.  

It was one case.  A homicide.  I knew the scum was guilty and so did the jury.  But he only got three years for breaking an entering.  Had I stayed in my firm that case would have gotten me major career cookies.  If my mom wouldn’t have died I would have stayed in the firm.  “What’s yours?”  He asked.  I smiled.  This was it.  The do or die of our conversation.

“Luvee.”  I told him and I licked my lips.  Yes, I have a whore’s name.  Something told me he didn’t find that sexy.  Well, this is my move.  I tuck the stuffed porcupine under my arm that made me squeal when he handed it over and gave him my card.  “So when are you off, Chase?”  I ask in my best, ‘I swear I’m like so sexy’ voice.  
“Now.”  He said and smiled.  I could have shrieked in glee.  Okay, more details for Rain, but first, Karaoke time.  I wanted to hear this little puzzle sing.