“JACK?” KENDRA ASKED SOFTLY. SHE PINCHED HERself, convinced she must be dreaming. But Jack the Jackal went nowhere. Lamar’s voice echoed in her head. Overheating makes you crazy.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Jack the Jackal said. He didn’t talk like he did in the cartoon. When he spoke, he sounded like Frank Sinatra, his voice velvety and alluring. “Hello?” he asked again, standing up straight from the gas pump. “Cat got your tongue?”

Then Jack was directly in front of her again, that snide smile still spread out across his face. “Don’t you remember me?” he said smoothly.

“Of course I remember you,” Kendra said, somehow unable to resist talking to him. “You’re back home in my room. You’re sitting on my bed. And you’re a doll. You don’t talk.”

“Well, see, that’s where you’re wrong,” he said, an edge creeping into his voice. A small breeze blew across the flat expanse of the parking lot, causing a small puff of dust to lift off of his brown-gray fur. Now that she looked at him, Kendra realized, Jack the Jackal didn’t look so good. He looked skinnier, and his fur was patchy.

“You used to watch cartoons every Saturday morning, Kendra. What happened to you? You must miss me so much. You must long for the days when you could sit down, eating a bowl of sugary cereal, and watch me chase that stupid bird all over the desert.” He gestured toward the dusty expanse of the surrounding desert with a stick-like arm. “Admit it. You miss me.”

“I grew up. I don’t miss you,” Kendra said, her eyes starting to droop from the heat and the intensity of his yellow eyes boring into hers. “I still have you—the doll, I mean—but that’s it. I’m a different person now.”

“Turn around and get out of here,” Jack the Jackal said, walking slowly towards her. “Get back to where it’s safe.” His big dusty feet padded softly toward her, one after another. His smile grew more and more menacing with every step, revealing huge yellow teeth. I don’t remember him having teeth, Kendra thought, her pulse rising. She wanted to turn and run, but her feet were fixed to the ground . . .

“I said get out!” He was inches away from her, his teeth shimmering in the sunlight . . .

“Kendra!” A male voice made Kendra’s eyelids fly open. She looked around to find she had apparently sat down against a cement pillar. And had fallen asleep. She looked hurriedly around her to see if the jackal was calling her name, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, a hand was on her shoulder and Kendra screamed, rolling away.

“Whoa, whoa!” Mitch stammered, his eyes searching her; he looked almost scared of her. Kendra breathed hard, trying to shake herself out of her daze.

“Oh,” Kendra said. “Mitch. It’s you.”

“Hey, are you okay?” Mitch asked cautiously. “Did you fall asleep out here?”

“I . . . I guess so,” Kendra said. “The heat.” She rubbed her eyes, her mind still focused on Jack the Jackal. The dream had seemed so vivid, like the desert was playing tricks on her. Or trying to tell her something.

Without looking at Mitch, Kendra whispered, “Where were you?”

“I know,” he said, defeated. “I’m so sorry.”

“Seriously,” Kendra said. “Where were you?”

“I was asleep,” Mitch said. He grimaced, looking completely pathetic.

“Until noon?” Kendra asked. Her temper was rising again. “What did you do last night?”

“It’s a long story,” Mitch said. “I’m sorry,” Mitch said again.

“Supposedly the guy will be back in a few minutes,” Kendra said bitterly. “Once we buy a can of gas, we can go.” Mitch nodded heavily. They sat down side by side on the asphalt under the overhang.

“You know,” Kendra said, suddenly sharp, “I should still be mad at you.” Rather than focusing on the mystery of her own mind, she wanted answers from Mitch.

“Oh, I know,” Mitch said. “I’m mad at myself.”

“Now will you tell me what you did last night?”

Eventually the attendant returned, and Mitch paid for the can of gas. During the Uber drive back to the hotel parking lot, Mitch spilled: the journey to find Patrice and Abby; the wandering around the Strip; and the last thing he remembered, which was, as he said, a “single, solitary kiss goodnight with Patrice.” He wasn’t quite ready to divulge every detail, and he definitely didn’t want to open the can of worms that involved him inexplicably losing his memory for a few hours.

“You smooched her?!” Kendra exploded.

“Shh!” Mitch said, looking awkwardly at the driver of the car. “I think so,” he whispered. “But like I said, my memory is totally fuzzy.”

“You little turd,” Kendra said. “Are you kidding me?”

“Are you mad?” he asked.

“No, I’m just kind of nauseous,” she said. “Is she like a cradle robber or something?”

Before he could respond, the Uber pulled into the hotel parking lot, and he and Kendra got out. As they walked to the Mustang and Kendra began the process of refilling the tank, Mitch said, “Well, I don’t want to meet up with her again. Honestly. She’s been texting me again today. It’s kinda weirding me out.”

“Yeah, dude, me too,” Kendra said. “Let’s avoid her, huh?” She unscrewed the cap on the gas tank and tipped the nozzle of the gas can inside. Both she and Mitch were silent as the gas tank refilled. Once the can was empty, Kendra moved around to the driver’s side door and opened it.

“Here goes nothing,” she muttered tensely as she put the key in the ignition. The engine revved twice and then quickly turned over, humming again. Kendra pumped her fists in the air and cheered. “Yes!” she yelled. “Relief!” Mitch banged his palm on the trunk in celebration. Kendra raced back to where Mitch was standing and hugged him.

“Thank God,” she said. They breathed two big sighs of relief and then pulled apart.

“I’m so sorry about everything,” he said. “The gas tank, last night, this morning. I have a lot to make up for. I totally get why you’re mad.”

Kendra nodded. “I feel pretty weird that you just left me in the hotel and didn’t invite me. Not cool.”

“I know,” Mitch said. She was completely right.

“But on the other hand, we weren’t really getting along all that well last night.”

“Also correct,” Mitch said. “Did I do something wrong?”

“I don’t even remember,” Kendra said. “I was mad at you about the car, but I was also really mad at myself. I just wasn’t sure I wanted to be here. If any of that struggle and frustration had been worth it.”

Mitch paused, wondering where this was leading.

“But after some thinking,” Kendra said, “I want to give Vegas another day.”

Mitch nodded, relieved. “I’m really happy to hear that,” he said. “Let me make last night up to you. I was a really terrible friend last night and this morning. I’m really sorry.”

Kendra patted his hand. “It’s okay, my son. Just don’t ditch me because some pretty girl tells you she wants to hang out.”

“Deal!” Mitch cheered.

“Oh, right,” Kendra said, a smile creeping across her face, “there’s one more thing.” Mitch watched tensely as Kendra bent down and picked something up off the ground. It was brown and more than a foot long, and for a terrifying second Mitch thought Kendra was handling a rattlesnake. But quickly he realized it was something else, and he felt his cheeks flush crimson.

He stuck out his hand and Kendra gave him his withered brown belt.

Kendra laughed. “Pants hanging a little loose today, Casanova?”