R. tells Nancy that the Commies are trying to take over the world, trying to take over — he scans the room to to make sure no one is looking — Hollywood. He suggests everybody should be scared stiff. Nancy agrees. Commies are scary.

Ronnie says that Jane Wyman divorced him because he talks to damn much. Nancy says it’s okay, she likes listening. She’s a Cancer.

Nancy’s at her parent’s house. Her dad says he doesn’t understand why she would want to live in Hollywood. It’s full of drug addicts and commies. “Was it this bad when you were there,” Nancy asks her mom. “Hell no,” says mom. “Back then it was just wall-to-wall with Jews and queers.”

Nancy and Ronnie are on a date. He tells her that as a lifeguard he saved 77 lives in 7 years. He doesn’t say how many drowned.

Several scenes later, they kiss. Hard. Desperate.

Nancy implies that the hard desperate kiss got her knocked her up. Mom says not to worry. She knows a pre-Roe abortionist. Does good work, doesn’t kill anyone. Except, of course, for the baby.

Ronnie tells Nancy that his dad was a drunk. Came home from the YMCA and found dad passed out on the lawn. Bad stuff. Nancy says she understands. “No, you don’t,” says Reagan, “you come from Chicago.”

Nancy says, yeah uh-huh I did so have it bad. I cried myself to sleep for six years. Six years. Reagan is impressed. Tells Nancy he loves her and will do anything for her. He’ll crawl half-way across the country on his knees. On his knees! (Nancy wonders why he wouldn’t go all the way across the country.)

Nancy, who is wearing a pregnancy pad for a movie role, tells him that she’s pregnant. Reagan says, “Come here mommy. You want to marry me.” That’s the kind of guy he is: a heart of gold and an Oedipal complex.

Pages 27-39

Years 1953-54: Warner Bros. fires Reagan. His chimp movies weren’t doing so hot. He’s offered a job working for a pre-Jack Welch GE. He’s depressed. But it’s a lot of money, he’s told. Well, yeah, but the government is going to take 94% of it in taxes. Damn commie pinko government.