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The wood panelling is dark and the customers rather pale in Kerry Keel, Mar del Plata´s ¨ Real Irish Pub ¨. Isa had agreed to join us immediately - ´a donde van?´ read her message and I knew she´d want to join us. So, despite Pranav´s impatience, we had waited in front on the sidewalk on Alvarado and when Isa had arrived in her own taxi, headed upstairs. The prices are surprisingly reasonable but it´s clearly a watering hole for people with money and they tend to be paler in Mar del Plata. Families at the tables, not too many younger customers. Large windows looking out on the plane trees on Alvarado. I feel suffocated but the cream ale I order for me and Isa is lovely. It gets better with every sip like a true beer. Pranav has worked his way through a couple of Guiness already but at least he´s had a sandwich to absorb some of the booze. We had wanted to share a pizza between the three of us but he had ordered without even asking us - Isa was clearly offended but she wanted to get along so she hid her displeasure behind a sarcastic smile. I don´t think Pranav even noticed, or perhaps didn´t care. He seems to find Kerry Keel interesting but it´s hard to tell. His glances are quick and indifferent and I´m not sure what he´s looking for. I suppose he notices the women in the place. I don´t even bother looking; there´s no point starting another argument with Isa. It´s taken some work to get past that stage, but I think we´re managing it. Most of the time. A blond waitress brings another Guiness to our table. I look at Isa while the blond leans over Pranav and sets down the pint. Pranav glances at her and then looks at the two of us with a wry smile I don´t like. I decide to try some conversation.

So, your family is Gupta? ( I recall from the contract signing )
Uh ... no. It´s Patel.

Did I offend? Anyway, he lied. But it doesn´t matter if the contract is strictly legal or not. The apartment is his and he´s our partner. Maybe I shouldn´t dig for information. I try changing tack.

So, where´d you go to school? ( Did he go to university? )

Baylor.
Oh ... must be a good school, huh? I went to Queen´s ... in Ontario.
Yeah, you´re Canadian. Pizza looks good ...

He directs the comment at Isa and she cuts him a piece, glad to have the conversation turn to food rather than far off universities she couldn´t care less about. Why do I bother trying to uncover details about Pranav? The hypocrisy of it is self evident. I set him up. My every word was a lie to him and all concerned and now all that matters is whether all of us can work together. Does my hypocrisy weigh on me like the lead cloaks the hypocrites are forced to wear in Canto XXIII? No, but it does slow me down by introducing unecessary worries. The only truth that matters ... damn I wish I could reduce it to a cold calculation but I can´t.

Thankfully we don´t have to sit in smoking. It´s been fairly easy for Isa so far but I keep waiting for a nicotine fit. We talk about the game for a while and what he thinks of Piceno, the hothead. I joke that I keep trying to convince Isa to learn how to play poker and it´s true. I just have this feeling that she´d be quite good at it. Pranav gives her a long steady look and I try not to feel annoyed.

I´ll teach you anytime Isa.
Oh, thank you but I think no - she answers in her heart breakingly sweet accent with a shy little laugh mixed in. She desperately wants to ensure Pranav won´t hurt me or her. His eyes glisten.

No problem. But anytime you change your mind ...

I glare at Pranav and then stand up to go the bathroom. Of course, I lean over and kiss Isa tenderly on the lips before going off to pee. Like most public bathrooms in Mardel, the washroom at Kerry Keel is divided into three spaces; washbasin, single urinal and toilet - each in it´s own little cubicle. I´m at the urinal and just finishing up peeing when the door swings open and Pranav brushes past me towards the toilet.

Sorry man - his voice sounds relaxed rather than apologetic.
No problems man - I answer a little sullenly.

Strange. Are we talking about his invading my peeing or are we talking about Isa? Maybe both. He calls out from behind the partially closed door,

I think I´m gonna go clubbing later. The bartender says the´re some cool places around Aylum ... ?
Yes, it´s pronounced Alem. That´s the zone yes ... ( when the fuck did he talk to the bartender? Has he been to Kerry Keel before tonight? )
Should be fun ... but I think we´ll be heading back soon.
Yeah, I would too ... ( a final dig but I don´t respond )

Later, after Oriana arrives to collect some things and head off to Diego´s ( plan b she calls it; we´re plan a ), I slip inside Isa as she lays on her side, her stomach slightly swollen and her breasts just a touch larger. She reaches back and strokes my hair but I¨m not sure if she comes. I squeeze her as hard as I dare until she falls asleep. It takes me a while longer.