Alone with You in the Ether: A Love Story

Regan orders lunch, though she rarely eats lunch these days because of her medication, and Aldo orders nothing. They sit together and question one another about the things that have been floating through their minds. Aldo explains that he’s getting his PhD and admits that he had problems with substance use, which led to an overdose. His father’s concern inspired him to quit after that. Regan is skeptical, thinking there must be more to the story, but Aldo changes the subject and asks her why she felt the need to create counterfeit money when she seems to have enough already. Regan gives a cryptic response that doesn’t reveal the answer, only stating that she wasn’t motivated by a need for money. Soon, Aldo’s line of questions annoys Regan, and she tells him to treat her less like a zoo animal. Aldo continuously points out when he thinks she’s lying, which is entertaining at first quickly becomes draining. Regan admits that she wanted to be an artist but has never really succeeded at art. She doesn’t understand why Aldo is taking such an interest in her but agrees to meet with him five more times, smiling as she walks away.

Aldo shows up at one of Regan’s art tours without warning, and Regan has no choice but to be professional. She tells him he can stay as long as this counts as one of their conversations. Regan takes a group through the Impressionism section of the museum, and Aldo asks what her favorite painting is. Regan reluctantly shows the group a painting called Nocturne: Blue and Gold by James McNeill Whistler. When Aldo insists on knowing why she likes it best, Regan explains that the artist wasn’t trying to express anything, merely to capture a moment, and that he insisted that art itself didn’t need to have a particular story to tell. After the tour, Aldo and Regan reflect on what they learned about one another. Regan admits she learned that Aldo is single-minded and has no concern for whether he might be annoying others. Aldo learned that Regan’s facial expressions tell a story about her, but he isn’t exactly sure what that means yet.

Regan invites Aldo to a cocktail bar, and he seems on edge in the crowded atmosphere. She lets him choose their drink, and he picks a red wine. When she asks him about his time travel problem, he explains that he already has the solution but doesn’t know how that solution works. She’s interested in knowing what he knows about bees, because they seem to be a passion for him, and learning about it might teach her something about who he is. Aldo is surprised to learn that Regan is interested in him, and he agrees to tell her about bees if she tells him about her motives for counterfeiting. Aldo describes the social system of honeybees, noting that male bees’ only purpose is for reproduction and they die immediately afterward. Female honeybees are workers who either produce honey or protect the hive, and protecting the hive is always the first priority. The female worker bees create a new queen bee by favoring one of the larva so that it becomes larger than the others.

Regan likes the idea of “a true patriarchal nightmare” (84) and finds that Aldo is handsomest while discussing bees. She tells him that her reason for producing counterfeit money was largely because she could; Marc needed money for a blacksmithing project he was working on, and Regan got the idea to create money after watching him create swords. She used a digital software and Marc’s materials to print it. Regan also tells Aldo that her plans to be an artist never worked out. Both Regan and Aldo feel they learned something about each other, and conversation starts to flow more naturally between them. He tells her that he likes her brain, and she intuitively knows that is a high compliment coming from him. They’ve now had three conversations and have three to go.

Having thought of an example of a perfect circle in nature, Regan calls Aldo at four o’clock in the morning to tell him that ripples in water are perfectly circular. He concedes, though he isn’t certain whether they actually are. Regan whispers as Marc sleeps nearby, and Aldo listens to the sounds of her movements. She asks him about hexagons, and Aldo explains that hexagons are a pattern that is frequently found in nature. He suggests that perhaps reality is a multiverse shaped in a hexagonal pattern and tells Regan about how humanity’s current concept of time (in units of 60) is a Babylonian concept that isn’t necessarily absolute. Regan asks Aldo who his best friend is, and Aldo admits that it’s his dad; Regan thinks that her two-year-old niece, Carissa, is probably her favorite person. She admits that she enjoyed seeing her sister mess up when she became pregnant unexpectedly during her first year as a doctor. Not wanting to end the conversation, Regan keeps asking questions, and Aldo and Regan talk about hexagons and Babylon long into the night. He mentions that he’s going to church the next day (a habit and source of comfort), and Regan asks to join him.

In the morning, Aldo and Regan meet at the cathedral to attend mass. She admires the architecture and feels small amid its prestige, which she finds ironically comforting. After mass begins, Aldo pulls out his notebook and begins writing math equations and drawing hexagons in an almost frantic manner. Regan watches him, entranced by trying to figure out exactly what he’s doing. Taken by the moment, she reaches for his hand and moves it to her thigh, motioning for him to continue. Aldo freezes at first but then returns to his train of thought and begins drawing hexagons on Regan’s leg. She feels oddly alive while becoming the medium through which he expresses his ideas, and finds herself deeply attracted to him. She thinks about placing his hand between her legs but resists. When he finishes, they hold hands, and Regan traces each tiny centimeter of Aldo’s hands. Noticing that his knuckles are bruised, Regan guesses that he must do martial arts or something similar. Aldo reveals that he noticed Regan has a ring she never takes off. He comments that the form of conversation was unusual but agrees that it counts as one of their five conversations. Aldo asks Regan if they can have their final conversation now, but Regan awkwardly insists that she must go.

On the way to shop for a new wine opener for Masso, Aldo encounters Regan and Marc. Marc reveals that Regan told him about Aldo, referring to him as the “math guy.” Regan tries to introduce them properly but finds she has little to say. The conversation is brief and awkward, and Marc suggests that they all have dinner sometime. Regan texts Aldo to let him know that this didn’t count as their last conversation.

Regan shows up at Aldo’s class unannounced and finds a seat among the students, who all stare at her briefly. Aldo comes in right on time and jumps straight into the lesson, glancing at the class only once but long enough to notice Regan. He continues his lesson without faltering, reluctantly providing examples for the topic at hand as Regan tries not to laugh at his sheer hatred for his job. Afterward, Aldo approaches Regan, and she asks him if he would come with her to her parents’ anniversary party. She cleared it with Marc, who was relieved not to have to go himself. Her hope is that her bringing Aldo might confuse her parents enough that they would ask no questions. Aldo invites Regan to get some dessert by riding to the shop on his motorcycle. Regan hesitates, but only for a second, and finds riding with Aldo both intimate and exhilarating. After a somewhat flirtatious dessert, Regan tells Aldo that she wants to cut his hair and invites herself back to his place. She thinks back to when her psychiatrist asked her about compulsiveness.

Aldo feels strange when Regan comes to his apartment. He’s unsure whether she’ll judge him or find him dull. Instead, she goes straight to the point and asks where his clippers are, asking Aldo to sit down and take his shirt off. Aldo obeys, allowing Regan to take over and fulfill her vision. She measures his head and runs her fingers through his hair methodically, and Aldo can see that she’s indeed an artist with a goal of creating something she imagines. Aldo closes his eyes and it seems like only seconds before Regan is finished. They stare at each other in the mirror as Aldo adjusts to his new appearance, admiring Regan’s work. He boldly rests his head on her stomach, and wraps his hand around her leg, and they share an intimate moment before she leaves. After she’s gone, Aldo starts analyzing everything that happened, trying to determine Regan’s feelings.

Marc is surprised to see Regan packing for her parents’ party and starts to become possessive while playing as though he’s being casual. He tells Regan that he knows she likes Aldo and to sleep with him if she wants to. He boasts confidence in his belief that Aldo will eventually see through Regan and find her flaws unattractive, and he reminds Regan that he’s the only one who never rejects her. Regan takes comfort in Marc’s assertiveness and the knowledge that her relationship with him is always the same, but as he walks away from her, she feels ordinary and small. Regan chooses a green dress that reminds her of Aldo’s eyes, and then goes to lie in the bathtub naked. She touches herself while thinking of Aldo, and then phones him just to hear his voice and offers to bring him something for the road. Regan has an orgasm during the call, and Aldo pretends not to notice. She hates to end the conversation abruptly, but feels unsatiated and hangs up so that she can call Marc into the bathroom to satisfy her again.

Aldo sits on the roof and smokes a joint, thinking about Regan, about the inevitable void, and about the way that so many cultures speak of an ancient flood. He wonders if something like that is just what he needs.

As Regan picks up Aldo, she admires the haircut she gave him. On the drive, she jumps right into personal topics and asks Aldo about his sex life. He admits that he had casual sex with a woman recently but has never really entertained anything serious because he finds it difficult to relate to people. Aldo is flattered that Regan wants to know about his sexual history and is happy to answer honestly. Afterward, Aldo tries to ask Regan questions, but she’s less willing to answer. Aldo describes Regan’s mind like a place with many doors and many keys, each door leading to more doors to unlock. He can’t get her to say much about her family or her past, but she assures him that it will all become clear when he meets her family. Although their six conversations are already over, both Regan and Aldo feel like they’re just getting started. She takes his hand and holds his gaze, asking him if he likes dancing. Aldo tells her to ask him again later, and smiles.