“So she’s crazy. Guess what? All women are crazy. You know why? Because all men are liars. Like you don’t know. You’re telling me what? That if this salesgirl says to you, ‘Come on in the back, let me suck your dick,’ you’re gonna say what? No? ‘I don’t want you to suck my dick even if you are young and beautiful.’ Bullshit.”

Monty had passed his bar exams the previous year. Whereas I had perfunctorily gone to school and received a degree in business, Monty had soared through his education and was given a junior partnership at a prestigious law firm. It was quite an accomplishment, but then again, Monty usually got what he wanted. What his sunny blond hair and rugged good looks did not bring to him, his sharp mind could figure out a way to obtain. Every year a local magazine listed the city’s most eligible bachelors, and Monty’s name was invariably at the top of the list. I went to see him at his office. The secretary escorted me in, and I found Monty reclined with his shoes, black leather buffed to a luxurious glow, propped up on his desk, a cigarette clipped between his fingers. Since our father’s death, I always consulted Monty with my problems. He was stronger, smarter, and more worldly than me.