When they meet, Laurie learns that his name is Barathrum. After that she just talks, lured on by his sympathetic brown eyes: she tells him about her job, her last breakup, the time she led a protest march in the Dean’s office. By now the party’s over and they’re alone in her car, his gray eyes searching as she confesses to high school shoplifting and a kiss with her cousin. She finally realizes she knows nothing about him but his name.

“You’re such a good listener–” she falters. His black eyes are hungry and bottomless.

“Really?” he says. “Tell me more.”