“D’ya like puzzles, Logan?”

Logan looked away from the television long enough to see Marie standing next to the couch with a box. It was bright and colorful, depicting some cartoon that he might have seen once or twice on the television that Marie kept in the joint room she shared with the other girls.

“No, why?”

The crowd on the television began yelling and he looked back just in time to see that he had missed someone scoring a goal for his favorite hockey team. Cursing, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigar, looking around to make sure Scott wasn’t anywhere nearby.

“You aren’t supposed to smoke those in here. You know Scott doesn’t like it,” she warned.

“Scott can kiss my ass. I don’t give a goddamn about what he thinks.”

Reaching in his shirt pocket, he found that his lighter was gone. Maybe in his pants pockets… Standing, he began giving himself a good search for any sign of fire.

“C’mon,” she whined. “Put this puzzle together with me.”

“Hell no.”

“Logan,” she whined, setting the box on the sofa. “Please?”

“No.”

“What’re ya doing?” she asked as she watched him grope himself.

“Looking for a light.”

“Ah have a lighter,” she said, reaching into her jeans. “Ah was using it earlier to light some candles.”

Holding out his hand, he asked, “Can I use it?”

“Ah’d be glad to let you use it,” she said, sparking it up, staring at the flame. “But you have to do something for me.”

“I’m not putting together that stupid puzzle,” he said, walking toward the hallway exit. “You can put it together yourself.”

“Ah thought you’d say that,” she said, smirking. “So that’s why Ah went to your room and took all of your cigars and lighters.”

Stopping, he put a hand on the doorway as he thought about whether or not to strangle her, or just go through her personal stuff to find his things. He decided that neither were a very good idea since she would probably never speak to him again. Especially if he strangled her.

“You took my stuff so I’d put a puzzle together with you?” he asked, turning around.

“Yes.”

“That’s not a very smart thing to do.”

“You won’t do anything to me.”

“And how do you know that?”

“Because if you lay an unkind finger on me, which Ah know you’d never do, Ah’ll tell everyone that you have The Little Mermaid on video in your room.”

“That one of those kids’ movies?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“You know I don’t watch that shit. Why would I have it in my room?”

“Well Ah know that, sugah, but everyone else doesn’t. And it isn’t hard to plant a copy in your room if someone gets curious enough to look.”

“You wouldn’t,” he said, coming to stand within a foot of her.

“Ah would.”

“One puzzle,” he said, holding a finger in front of her face. “One.”

“Okay, it’s on the couch. Ah’ll go clear the table. And when we’re done, you’ll get your stuff back.”

Walking over to the couch, he picked up the box, looking more closely at the picture. And much to his disgust, there was a cheerful looking fish on the front, and several other sea creatures. A woman with a fin swam in the middle. In the corner he read the words ‘The Little Mermaid’.

“Jesus Christ, Marie.”

“No, Walt Disney.”