They play (((XM))) radio in there, hit music, song after song. The Twisted Pears were playing when we sat down.

The soup is fabulous, they shred the cabbage so fine it floats about a foot off the bowl. It was Algernon's first time for pho. He seemed to like it well enough, but every now and then, he'd stop eating and pause with a faraway look on his face.

"Something wrong with your soup?" I asked him the third time it happened.

"Nope. It's delicious." He took another spoonful, slurping, avoiding my eyes.

Alana Davis came on and he put his spoon down, shaking his head.

"What is it man?" I asked him.

"Nothing. But if they play the Red House Painters I think I am going to puke."

"I thought you liked them."

"Most of their stuff I love."

"So what's wrong?"

"It's hard to explain, man," he said, picking up his spoon.

"Suppose you try. You're acting weird."

"Just leave it."

Little Red Light came on, bouncing off the walls. I love that song, but it's so much better in the car when you're burning up I95. I was drumming the table with my chopsticks and Algernon was just looking up at the reflection of the ceiling in the mirror.

"Dude. This ain't like you, you love all this stuff -- what the fuck?" I said.

"Ok, man I'll tell you. I will tell you what the fuck. I hate the bastards at XM."

"Why? All the music you love, no commercials? What's wrong with it? They haven't played a bad song yet."

John Legend came on, singing Live It Up with the girls.

"That's just it man. It's killing me. All my life I have been listening to music, staying in front of the curve, checking out the trends, it takes time."

"Yeah, so?"

"Trying to get a groove, sampling everything that comes out, staying down with the whole scene... You know."

Tori Amos came on and he looked at me hard.

"Algernon, dude. Everybody comes to you to get the lowdown, when we're looking for some quality, something new... you're the man. So?"

Something came on from a Dave Matthews Live recording, a college show.

"So --" he gestured at the speakers.

"Algernon, you GAVE me that CD, what about it?"

"Don't you get it dude? All that work and it turns out I am nothing but a demographic. a thin slice of pizza in the market." He drew a bullseye on his chest, "No matter how hard I try I can't get in front of fucking XM. Watch," he said, "they'll play Matchbox Twenty next. Bet you lunch."

We waited until Dave was finished, then Real World came on. He smiled a crooked smile at me and passed the check over to me.