Expiration Dates

The next day, Jake calls Daphne. He has tickets to a comedy show in the evening that includes secret guests, and Jerry Seinfeld may make an appearance. He asks if she will go with him. That evening, Jake picks her up for their date. Daphne makes a joke about his car seeming to be in working order, despite claiming car trouble the previous night. Jake explains that the car trouble was with his other car, a vintage Chevrolet that he left at home this time.

The comedy show is downtown, which Daphne feels to be a “haven of installation art and fusion food” and “real in a way Los Angeles never was” in her childhood (57). Jake explains that despite working with drama as a television executive, he is interested in comedy and takes every opportunity to attend live shows. They watch the show, and Daphne is surprised when Seinfeld does not make an appearance. Sheepishly, Jake admits that he lied about that, hoping that the allure of a big celebrity appearance would convince Daphne to join him. Daphne is more amused than annoyed about the small deception.