wipe it.
She breathed relief. ‘Well, that’s all over with. They didn’t hurt me. The way you spoke on the phone, you got me so worried—’
‘That’s not the point, baby.’ He put the soggy napkin to one side. ‘I saw Hermy just before I called you. He gave me the right pills, the ones we should have had last time.’
Her face sagged. ‘No—’
‘Well there’s nothing tragic. We’re right where we were Monday, that’s all. It’s a second chance. If they work, everything’s rosy. If not, we can still get married tomorrow.’ He stirred his coffee slowly, watching it swirl. ‘I’ve got them with me. You can take them tonight.’
‘But—’
‘But what?’
‘I don’t want a second chance. I don’t want any more pills —’ She leaned forward, hands knotted white on the table. ‘All I’ve been thinking about is tomorrow, how wonderful, how happy—’ She closed her eyes, the lids pressing out tears.
Her voice had risen. He glanced across the room to where the chess players sat with Gideon watching. Fishing a nickel from his pocket, he pushed it into the jukebox selector and jabbed one of the buttons. Then he clasped her clenched hands, forced them open, held them. ‘Baby, baby,’ he soothed, ‘do we have to go through it all again? It’s you I’m thinking of. You, not me.’
‘No.’ She opened her eyes, staring at him. ‘If you were thinking of me you’d want what I want.’ Music blared up, loud brassy jazz.
‘What do you want, baby? To starve? This is no movie; this is real.’
‘We wouldn’t starve. You’re making it worse than it would be. You’d get a good job even if you didn’t finish school. You’re smart, you’re—’
‘You don’t know,’ he said flatly. ‘You just don’t know. You’re a kid who’s been rich all her life.’
Her hands tried to clench within his. ‘Why must everyone always throw that at me? Why must you? Why do you think that’s so important?’
‘It is important, Dorrie, whether you like it or not. Look at you – a pair of shoes to match every outfit, handbag to match every pair of shoes. You were brought up that way. You can’t—’
‘Do you think that matters? Do you think I care?’ She paused. Her hands relaxed, and when she spoke again the anger in her voice had softened to a straining earnestness. ‘I know you smile at me sometimes, at the movies I like, at my being romantic. Maybe it’s because you’re five years older than I am, or because you were in the army, or because you’re a man – I don’t know. But I believe, I truly believe, that if two people really love each other – the way I love you, the way you say you love me – then nothing else matters very much – money, things like that, they just don’t matter. I believe that, I really do—’ Her hands pulled away from his and flew to her face.
He drew a handkerchief from his breast pocket and touched it to the back of her hand. She took it and held it against her eyes. ‘Baby, I believe that too. You know I do,’ he said gently.
‘Do you know what I did today?’ He paused. ‘Two things. I bought a wedding ring for you, and I put a classified ad in the Sunday Clarion. An ad for a job. Night work.’ She patted her eyes with her handkerchief. ‘Maybe I did paint things too black. Sure, we’ll manage to get along, and we’ll be happy. But let’s be just a little realistic, Dorrie. We’ll be even happier if we can get married this summer with your father’s approval. You can’t deny that. And all you have to do for us to have a chance at that extra happiness is just take these pills.’ He reached into his inner pocket and brought out the envelope, pressing it to make sure it was the right one. ‘There isn’t one logical reason why you should refuse.’
She folded the handkerchief and turned it in her hands, looking at it. ‘Since Tuesday morning I’ve been dreaming about tomorrow. It changed everything – the whole world.’ She pushed
She breathed relief. ‘Well, that’s all over with. They didn’t hurt me. The way you spoke on the phone, you got me so worried—’
‘That’s not the point, baby.’ He put the soggy napkin to one side. ‘I saw Hermy just before I called you. He gave me the right pills, the ones we should have had last time.’
Her face sagged. ‘No—’
‘Well there’s nothing tragic. We’re right where we were Monday, that’s all. It’s a second chance. If they work, everything’s rosy. If not, we can still get married tomorrow.’ He stirred his coffee slowly, watching it swirl. ‘I’ve got them with me. You can take them tonight.’
‘But—’
‘But what?’
‘I don’t want a second chance. I don’t want any more pills —’ She leaned forward, hands knotted white on the table. ‘All I’ve been thinking about is tomorrow, how wonderful, how happy—’ She closed her eyes, the lids pressing out tears.
Her voice had risen. He glanced across the room to where the chess players sat with Gideon watching. Fishing a nickel from his pocket, he pushed it into the jukebox selector and jabbed one of the buttons. Then he clasped her clenched hands, forced them open, held them. ‘Baby, baby,’ he soothed, ‘do we have to go through it all again? It’s you I’m thinking of. You, not me.’
‘No.’ She opened her eyes, staring at him. ‘If you were thinking of me you’d want what I want.’ Music blared up, loud brassy jazz.
‘What do you want, baby? To starve? This is no movie; this is real.’
‘We wouldn’t starve. You’re making it worse than it would be. You’d get a good job even if you didn’t finish school. You’re smart, you’re—’
‘You don’t know,’ he said flatly. ‘You just don’t know. You’re a kid who’s been rich all her life.’
Her hands tried to clench within his. ‘Why must everyone always throw that at me? Why must you? Why do you think that’s so important?’
‘It is important, Dorrie, whether you like it or not. Look at you – a pair of shoes to match every outfit, handbag to match every pair of shoes. You were brought up that way. You can’t—’
‘Do you think that matters? Do you think I care?’ She paused. Her hands relaxed, and when she spoke again the anger in her voice had softened to a straining earnestness. ‘I know you smile at me sometimes, at the movies I like, at my being romantic. Maybe it’s because you’re five years older than I am, or because you were in the army, or because you’re a man – I don’t know. But I believe, I truly believe, that if two people really love each other – the way I love you, the way you say you love me – then nothing else matters very much – money, things like that, they just don’t matter. I believe that, I really do—’ Her hands pulled away from his and flew to her face.
He drew a handkerchief from his breast pocket and touched it to the back of her hand. She took it and held it against her eyes. ‘Baby, I believe that too. You know I do,’ he said gently.
‘Do you know what I did today?’ He paused. ‘Two things. I bought a wedding ring for you, and I put a classified ad in the Sunday Clarion. An ad for a job. Night work.’ She patted her eyes with her handkerchief. ‘Maybe I did paint things too black. Sure, we’ll manage to get along, and we’ll be happy. But let’s be just a little realistic, Dorrie. We’ll be even happier if we can get married this summer with your father’s approval. You can’t deny that. And all you have to do for us to have a chance at that extra happiness is just take these pills.’ He reached into his inner pocket and brought out the envelope, pressing it to make sure it was the right one. ‘There isn’t one logical reason why you should refuse.’
She folded the handkerchief and turned it in her hands, looking at it. ‘Since Tuesday morning I’ve been dreaming about tomorrow. It changed everything – the whole world.’ She pushed
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