What Ginsberg says isn't quite what Ned was expecting. He thought it would be something more logical, something about the logistics of Ned asking him to keep a secret like that. But instead, what comes out is more of the same vein of self-criticism that he's seen in Ginsberg. It was peculiar to Ned at first; to a stranger, Ginsberg must seem so self-confident. Arrogant, even. But the closer they get, the more he sees the other side of that coin, the insecurity that's woven tightly with the bravado.

He leans over and kisses Ginsberg, just a brief kiss, as if to make a point. "You shouldn't talk about yourself like that," he says, quietly. Then, with a small, slightly rueful lopsided smile, he adds, "And I realize that's kind of the pot calling the kettle black coming from a guy who- from a guy like me. But I mean it."