While Xtina's busy painting, she hears her name being yelled from across the hall in Nico's Italian accent. "Hey, Xtina, the phone is for you, again! Why don't you start getting it yourself for a change!" Of course it's Gavin, he calls everyday, relentless. "Are you doing anything on Christmas?" he asks her. Xtina sighs loudly so he can hear it. "You know I don't 'do' holidays, Gavin," she says derisively. "Well, it's not like you can just pop out of existence for the 25th of December, Xtina, you have to do something, even if it's just breathe. 'The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch' is playing at the El Morocco. I thought we'd could go..." "We saw 'Stigmata' when it first came out, Gavin, remember?" she answers. Xtina knows Gavin so well, she hears in his silence that she really hurt him with that one. "Of course I remember, Xtina, it was our first date. I wanted to take you, again..." "That was not our first date," Xtina contradicts him. "Yes it was Xtina, remember, you came home with me, you spent two glorious days in bed with me...." Gavin's voice gets quieter and he trails off. "I remember, Gavin," Xtina says, her own voice softening as she realizes how very badly she's hurt him, "But we didn't really have our first date until after that, you know," He sighs, now, loud enough for her to hear "Will you just please come to the movie with me, please Xtina?"

Xtina doesn't know why she agreed to go to the movies with Gavin. The more she allows him to hang around, the less chance he has of getting over her & leaving her alone. She meets him in the coffee shop across from the theater. At least he talks about the movie instead of laying the heavy romantic stuff on her.

Xtina sees Gavin heading to the cash register with a bouquet of roses. That's so sappy & stupid, she can't believe Gavin is doing this!

Gavin's fingers caress hers as he places the roses in her hands. He can still get to her with these sappy, romantic gestures, though she'd like to believe herself immune to such things.

NEXT