He sat up with a start and looked at the bed-stand clock; it said 12:37 p.m. His friend, Jim, said he would be heading back for Michigan at noon. Tex leaned back on the bed and looked around the room. Only God knew how he would get a ride back. He was in Fort Lauderdale with no money, in a hotel room with someone he did not know.

He went into the bathroom and took a long pee. Jim would wait for him. No. Jim was probably pissed off at him from embarrassing him in front of a girl last night. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what happened before the hotel room. He remembered Jim sitting with a girl in a bar exchanging addresses with a girl. Tex grinned to himself and washed up at the sink. To hell with it.

He ran his tongue over his teeth and put a hand to the beard on his chin. His mouth tasted like stale beer and he needed a shave. And his gear was in Jim's car. He laughed again. He looked through a pink vinyl vanity bag on the sink finding a toothbrush and a razor with hair stubble in it.

Maybe Jim would wait, he thought, lathering up. Jim, his buddy, his pal. Driving down to Florida they bullshitted each other about the girls they would nail. At least Jim did. At twenty two, Jim's fuzzy hair was already thin at the top and he had a paunch at his waistline. He broke the ice with women by pretending that they were someone he knew, apologizing, and then offering to buy them a beer. Six beers later he still wouldn't have a phone number.

Jim even dated a one of Tex's former girlfriends for a while, even though she was on the rebound. But, it was crash and burn all the way with Jim making futile phone calls to her apartment and she leaving her answering machine on twenty four hours a day. It was Jim who suggested they go down to Florida in March just to get away from it all. Tex seconded the motion immediately, if for nothing else he knew Jim wouldn't have enough nerve to go hunting for poontang by himself in Fort Lauderdale.

Tex explained to his girlfriend he was going down with Jim to cheer him up. A little sun would do him good, he would make new friends. She understood didn't she? Of course she did, she. When would he come back? Oh, just for three days. Thursday through Saturday, drive back Sunday. She trusted him didn't she? Of course she did, and it was so sweet of him to look out for his friend. She followed the script, gave him a kiss, and was non-chalantly flipping through Mademoiselle when Jim came to the door to pick him up.

He wondered what Jim would tell her if he came back to Michigan alone. "I'm sorry, but your boyfriend is still down at Fort Lauderdale. There are still three cunts he hasn't nailed yet."

He rinsed off the lather from his chin and grabbed a towel. He felt guilt now. He had hoped that he could have made it through without messing around. He shouldn't have come down here. He wasn't even a college student anymore. He dropped out last year. He rubbed his face in the towel and closed his eyes trying to bring back some feeling, any feeling for someone or something. His head felt like a tight helium balloon bobbing on a string.

He thought of his job at the appliance store. He was supposed to be working this weekend. He thought of what he would tell the manager. That he had been in jail? That sounded good. Drunk driving. His manager would understand. If not, he would just get another job, no biggie.

Tex stepped out of the bathroom. The girl in bed was still out. He couldn't remember if he had used a rubber or not and wondered if she had anything serious. Maybe they just came up to the room and passed out. He put his bermuda shorts on and looked for his sneakers. Did he bring a shirt? To hell with that too. He would find one lying around on the beach somewhere.

The girl began to stir. Tex laced up quickly. Maybe he wouldn't go back to Michigan. Hell, he came down to Florida with only fifty bucks in his pocket and he had himself a damn good time. He could pick up a job in a hotel somewhere and just live on the beach. He walked swiftly to the door as the girl woke up.

"Hey, where're you going?" She said blurrily.

"I have to go. I'm heading home today."

She sat up and started out of bed, "But wait...who are you? What's your name?"

"I'm nobody." He walked out and closed the door.