Noah stands, looking at the TV screen dangling above the bar. A bear is being chased through a nearby neighborhood. “How does a bear get into a city without being detected?” he says to Eldon. Eldon Longworth is sitting next to Noah, waiting for the effects of a Jack & Coke to begin. “He’s pr’oly a Canadian.” Eldon says. “What does that mean?” Noah says. “If he was Mex’can, y’ud spot him lickety split, ‘cause there ain’t too many Mex’cans that’s that big. He’d stand out like all bejesus comin’ across the border.” Cleo MacInerney, sitting next to Eldon, bends forward over her Hamm’s beer. “It’d be amusing to see a Mexican bear working as a busboy. Of course the space between the tables would have to be increased to accommodate his girth...meaning less covers served...and the restaurant would, no doubt, then have to close” she says, adding after a slim, thoughtful pause, “F**king bears.” “Cleo,” Eldon says “ever think maybe the bear got talents?” He points at the TV screen. “Took a dart in the keester and just kept goin’. A determined thing, that one. Dart guy only brought one dart. Had to go back to get more. Arrogance is all that is”. Noah uses this lull in logic to visit the Men’s Room. As he sits, the door opens and Cleo enters. “Cleo? Cleo, sweet, wrong bathroom again.” Noah says, quite gently. “Noah, how are you?” she says to Noah’s voice, not sure from where it is coming. “I will use the other room, so as not to embarrass you further”. Cleo leaves majestically. Noah walks back into the bar. As he nears his stool, he sees someone sitting at the far end. The bartender, Chuck, is leaning in, listening to her. Noah sits, waiting for Chuck to notice him. The newcomer and Chuck look over in his direction. The front door smashes open. Three cops run in, slamming the door closed. Cleo returns from the ladies room. “Are we under attack?” she says. Chuck says to the cops “Guys, what’s the issue?” “There is a goddamn bear outside this door” says a medium sized cop. “Is he wearing clothing of any kind?” Eldon asks. “’Zat mean?” says a smaller cop. “Sometimes the clothing one wears causes people to become suspicious of their motives.” “Where’s the back door?” says the other medium cop. “In the back” says Chuck. The patrons chuckle, but not Chuck. He is an actor and very serious. All three cops, and the stranger, race to the back and exit. “Well” says Noah, “It seems there’s a bear outside our place. Let’s go see.” Eldon says “Wait. What if it’s a ‘she’?” Cleo speaks first “He has a point. If it is a woman, we need to take extra caution. As well, it may not be Mexican after all, but Russian. A violent people the Russians.” “Wait! What am I supposed to do?” Chuck says. “You’re an actor. Remember all this. It may come in handy.” Noah says. Noah looks at Cleo. “Ready?” “Never more so” Cleo says. They exit. Noah and Cleo stand on the sidewalk, close to the door, just in case. “Nothing this way” Cleo says, looking left. “Nothing this way, either.” says Noah, looking right. “What if it has sought refuge in one of these cars” says Cleo. There are 5 SUV-type-things among the others, so they concentrate on those. “It being a bear, that reduces the options” Noah says, “What do you think?” “Forget the Infiniti”, says Cleo “I have a friend with a bear-sized ass who wanted to buy one, but the laughter of the salespeople made him rethink.” From somewhere not close by, they hear a scream. “Eldon” says Noah. He runs down the street to the alley. Cleo trails, as best she can wearing high heels. Noah enters the alley and sees Eldon crouched, in front of him the bear, not tall but robust. It looks tired. The shoulders are slumped and it wobbles a bit. Noah remembers the dart incident from the television. “Can you see any distinguishing genitalia, Eldon?” Cleo yells. Her voice makes the bear turn in her direction and drop down on all fours. Eldon quickly bends over, eyeing the bear’s undercarriage. “I might be a little tipsy, but it looks like a guy to me” he says and then throws up. The bear lumbers towards Cleo. He stops two feet in front of her. He stands. Cleo smiles. A moment passes. “I would be enchanted” Cleo says. The bear lifts his arms. Cleo grasps his paws, and then sways from side to side. The bear begins to mirror to her rhythm. “Relax and let me lead” she says. The bear drools a bit, but is otherwise calm. Cleo initiates a broader series of steps causing the bear to lift each leg as he moves from side to side. Noah hums a tune he is sure is a waltz, but is unsure of its name. At the end of the alley, a truck with a cage in back pulls up. The driver, a game warden, says “Lady, are you okay?” “You are correct, I am a lady, and have never been more so than now.” she says. “Move and I can get a shot off” the warden says. She looks up into the bear’s eyes. “Then we will die in each others arms” she says. She then hugs the bear. “You are a divine partner. But it seems you must go. My friends are concerned, and I am thirsty.” She curtsies. The bear bows. Cleo leads the bear to the cage, the journey made slower by Cleo’s tears. She turns to the game warden “Does he have a name?” “Leonard” he says, as the bear climbs into the cage. “I thought as much. I once...” She turns to Noah “Buy me a drink.” “Sure.” “No, a real drink. A cocktail.” “Sure, Cleo.” She starts to cry in earnest now. “F**king bears” she says.