say the word. And golly, you try and get a divorce, and, by gosh-!"
"Connie," I said. "You surely can't mean that!"
"You'll see! You'll see if I don't. Just let me hear one more word out of you about a divorce, and-and- I'll show you who's a pile of shit!"
She slammed up the phone, completing any damage to my eardrum that had not been accomplished by her banshee scream. Of course, I'd hardly expected her to bedeck me with a crown of olive leaves, or to release a covey of white doves to flutter about my head. But a threat to have me prosecuted for attempted murder was considerably much more than I had expected.
At any rate, a divorce was impossible unless she agreed to it. Which mean that it was impossible period. Which meant that I could not marry Manny.
Which meant…?
10
She, Manny, was back in town two weeks later, and she called me immediately upon her arrival. She suggested that I pick her up at the airport, and go immediately to our place. I suggested that we have dinner and talk before we did anything else. So, a little puzzled and reluctant, she agreed to that.
The restaurant was near the lake I have mentioned earlier. The city waterworks lake. There was only a handful of patrons in it, this early evening hour, and they gradually drifted out as I talked to Manny, apologizing and explaining. Explaining the inexplicable and apologizing for the inexcusable.
Manny said not a word throughout my recital. Merely stared at me expressionlessly over her untouched dinner.
At last, I had nothing more to say, if I had ever had anything to say. And, then, finally, she spoke, pulling a fringed-silk shawl around her shoulders and rising to her feet.
"Pay the check, and get out of here."
"What? Oh, well, sure," I said, dropping bills on the table as I also stood up. "And, Manny, I want you to know that-"
"Get! March yourself out to the car!"
We got out of the restaurant, with Manny clinging to my arm, virtually propelling me by it. She helped me into the car, instead of vice versa. Then, she got in, into the rear, sitting immediately behind me.
I heard her purse snap open. She said, "I've got a gun on you, Britt. So you get out of line just a little bit, and you won't like what happens to you."
"M-Manny," I quavered. "P-please don't-"
"Do you know where I went while I was out of town?"
"N-no."
"Do you want to know what I did?"
"Uh, n-no," I said. "I don't think I do."
"Start driving. You know where."
"But-You mean, our place? W-why do you want to-"
" Drive!"
I drove.
We reached the place. She made me walk ahead of her, inside and up the stairs and into our room.
I heard the click of the door lock. And then Manny asked if I'd heard a woman being slapped on the first day I went to her office.
I said that I had-or, rather, a recording of same; I had grown calmer by now, with a sense of fatalism.
"You heard her , Britt. She left the office by my private elevator."
I nodded, without turning around. "You wanted me to hear her. It was arranged, like the scene with Albert after you'd left that night. I was being warned that I'd better fly straight or else."
"You admit you were warned, then?"
"Yes. I tried to kid myself that it was all an unfortunate accident. But I knew better."
"But you went right ahead and deceived and cheated me. Did you really think I'd let you get away with it?"
I shook my head miserably, said I wanted to make things right insofar as I could. I'd give the car back, and what little money I had left. And I'd sell everything I owned- clothes, typewriter, books, everything-to raise the rest. Anything she or PXA had given me, I'd give back, and- and-
"What about all the screwing I gave you? I suppose you'll give that back, too!"
"No," I said. "I'm afraid I can't do anything about that."
"Oh, sure you can," she said. "You can give me a good one right now."
And I whirled around, and she collapsed in my arms, laughing.
"Ahhh, Britt, darling! If you could have seen your face! You were really
"Connie," I said. "You surely can't mean that!"
"You'll see! You'll see if I don't. Just let me hear one more word out of you about a divorce, and-and- I'll show you who's a pile of shit!"
She slammed up the phone, completing any damage to my eardrum that had not been accomplished by her banshee scream. Of course, I'd hardly expected her to bedeck me with a crown of olive leaves, or to release a covey of white doves to flutter about my head. But a threat to have me prosecuted for attempted murder was considerably much more than I had expected.
At any rate, a divorce was impossible unless she agreed to it. Which mean that it was impossible period. Which meant that I could not marry Manny.
Which meant…?
10
She, Manny, was back in town two weeks later, and she called me immediately upon her arrival. She suggested that I pick her up at the airport, and go immediately to our place. I suggested that we have dinner and talk before we did anything else. So, a little puzzled and reluctant, she agreed to that.
The restaurant was near the lake I have mentioned earlier. The city waterworks lake. There was only a handful of patrons in it, this early evening hour, and they gradually drifted out as I talked to Manny, apologizing and explaining. Explaining the inexplicable and apologizing for the inexcusable.
Manny said not a word throughout my recital. Merely stared at me expressionlessly over her untouched dinner.
At last, I had nothing more to say, if I had ever had anything to say. And, then, finally, she spoke, pulling a fringed-silk shawl around her shoulders and rising to her feet.
"Pay the check, and get out of here."
"What? Oh, well, sure," I said, dropping bills on the table as I also stood up. "And, Manny, I want you to know that-"
"Get! March yourself out to the car!"
We got out of the restaurant, with Manny clinging to my arm, virtually propelling me by it. She helped me into the car, instead of vice versa. Then, she got in, into the rear, sitting immediately behind me.
I heard her purse snap open. She said, "I've got a gun on you, Britt. So you get out of line just a little bit, and you won't like what happens to you."
"M-Manny," I quavered. "P-please don't-"
"Do you know where I went while I was out of town?"
"N-no."
"Do you want to know what I did?"
"Uh, n-no," I said. "I don't think I do."
"Start driving. You know where."
"But-You mean, our place? W-why do you want to-"
" Drive!"
I drove.
We reached the place. She made me walk ahead of her, inside and up the stairs and into our room.
I heard the click of the door lock. And then Manny asked if I'd heard a woman being slapped on the first day I went to her office.
I said that I had-or, rather, a recording of same; I had grown calmer by now, with a sense of fatalism.
"You heard her , Britt. She left the office by my private elevator."
I nodded, without turning around. "You wanted me to hear her. It was arranged, like the scene with Albert after you'd left that night. I was being warned that I'd better fly straight or else."
"You admit you were warned, then?"
"Yes. I tried to kid myself that it was all an unfortunate accident. But I knew better."
"But you went right ahead and deceived and cheated me. Did you really think I'd let you get away with it?"
I shook my head miserably, said I wanted to make things right insofar as I could. I'd give the car back, and what little money I had left. And I'd sell everything I owned- clothes, typewriter, books, everything-to raise the rest. Anything she or PXA had given me, I'd give back, and- and-
"What about all the screwing I gave you? I suppose you'll give that back, too!"
"No," I said. "I'm afraid I can't do anything about that."
"Oh, sure you can," she said. "You can give me a good one right now."
And I whirled around, and she collapsed in my arms, laughing.
"Ahhh, Britt, darling! If you could have seen your face! You were really
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