he puts off until Deke’s in bed; it’s the chore that seems the most housewifely, that he most dislikes beingseen at. He still uses his mother’s old Hamilton Beach, a low gray cigar-blimp on casters that whines like a jet engine.
Into p.j.’s, brush teeth. Dry his hair. While he’s picking out his bedtime books, make sure all his stuff’s in his backpack for school tomorrow. And that’s the weekend.
On Monday morning, Billy’s on the phone with some technophobe who’s whining that Windows is defective because when he tries to drag and drop icons on his desktop they won’t stay put. “Okay, go to your START button,” he says, and his other line lights up. “Sorry, could you hold just a second?” Dennis, perhaps, at long last? He hits HOLD, then 4427.
“Billy?” Cassie. “Listen, I’m in Albany. Can you meet me for lunch?”
“You what? Look, can you hold? Let me get rid of this call.” He hits HOLD, then the blinking 4426, and tells the technophobe “a small emergency” has come up and he’ll transfer him to somebody who can help him out. He hits the blinking 4427.
“Cassie?”
“None other.”
“What’s going on?” Crap: he forgot to transfer the guy. “Why aren’t you—”
“They let me have a whaddya-call-it. I have to be back by six-thirty. Poor Billy—I scared the hell out of you, didn’t I? So can we have lunch? There’s something I really need to ask you and it’s, sort of, not for the telephone. Shit, I’m making this sound heavy and it’s really not.”
“Jesus, I wish you’d—sure. Yeah. I mean I’d love to see you.”
“I’ll bet. But really, I’m a lot, lot better. I promise you, this is not going to be painful.”
“I’m just surprised is all. If you’d—”
“I know, I know. Like, how can they let her out if she’s going to go right back to her impulsive behavior?” Billy hears her sigh. “It’s not like that, believe me.”
“So where did you want to meet?”
“Doesn’t matter. Actually, you know where I’d like to go? Now, this
is
crazy. That HoJo’s where we used to go with Mom and Dad.”
“That’s bizarre,” Billy says.
“How so?”
“Because I just—you know, took Deke there.”
“Oh.” Silence. “So. How is he?”
“He’s good.”
“Are you judging me for not asking about him first thing? I can tell you are. Shit. See, I knew that was a mistake. I didn’t want to seem like I was pushing, but I can see how you might think, you know, that I was, like—”
“Don’t tie yourself up in knots. I’m not judging you, and Deke’s doing fine.”
“I.e., better than with me.”
“Well. Better than back
then.
”
“Oh,” she says. “Tough love.”
“You asked. I mean, don’t you think so?”
“No, you’re right,” she says. “See? I’m learning.” She sighs again. “But you’re not impressed.”
“Can we save this?”
“That’s the question, isn’t it? But you mean for over lunch. Save the bullshit for over lunch. Because you’re busy at work. Don’t worry, Billy, I’ll be good. Now, what time?”
“What’s good for you?”
“And the hits just keep on coming. What’s good for me. Twelve-thirty. Twelve-thirty is good for me. She says decisively. So I’ll see you then, at HoJo’s?”
“How are you getting there? I mean, how did you get
here
?”
“Rented a car. That’s another thing, I have to return thecar by six o’clock. So you’re covered six ways from Sunday, kiddo.”
Billy has to ask. “Had you planned to try to see Deke?”
“Had I planned, to try, to see Deke. Whew. You put that so beautifully. You really are a word person, Billy. You’re wasting yourself in computers. God, it’s like … No. Short answer: no. That would just be too much. For
everybody
concerned. Don’t you think?”
“I do, actually. But it’s your decision.”
“Damn right,” she says. “Not to put you on notice or anything.”
“So I’ll see you at twelve-thirty.” He looks at the
Into p.j.’s, brush teeth. Dry his hair. While he’s picking out his bedtime books, make sure all his stuff’s in his backpack for school tomorrow. And that’s the weekend.
On Monday morning, Billy’s on the phone with some technophobe who’s whining that Windows is defective because when he tries to drag and drop icons on his desktop they won’t stay put. “Okay, go to your START button,” he says, and his other line lights up. “Sorry, could you hold just a second?” Dennis, perhaps, at long last? He hits HOLD, then 4427.
“Billy?” Cassie. “Listen, I’m in Albany. Can you meet me for lunch?”
“You what? Look, can you hold? Let me get rid of this call.” He hits HOLD, then the blinking 4426, and tells the technophobe “a small emergency” has come up and he’ll transfer him to somebody who can help him out. He hits the blinking 4427.
“Cassie?”
“None other.”
“What’s going on?” Crap: he forgot to transfer the guy. “Why aren’t you—”
“They let me have a whaddya-call-it. I have to be back by six-thirty. Poor Billy—I scared the hell out of you, didn’t I? So can we have lunch? There’s something I really need to ask you and it’s, sort of, not for the telephone. Shit, I’m making this sound heavy and it’s really not.”
“Jesus, I wish you’d—sure. Yeah. I mean I’d love to see you.”
“I’ll bet. But really, I’m a lot, lot better. I promise you, this is not going to be painful.”
“I’m just surprised is all. If you’d—”
“I know, I know. Like, how can they let her out if she’s going to go right back to her impulsive behavior?” Billy hears her sigh. “It’s not like that, believe me.”
“So where did you want to meet?”
“Doesn’t matter. Actually, you know where I’d like to go? Now, this
is
crazy. That HoJo’s where we used to go with Mom and Dad.”
“That’s bizarre,” Billy says.
“How so?”
“Because I just—you know, took Deke there.”
“Oh.” Silence. “So. How is he?”
“He’s good.”
“Are you judging me for not asking about him first thing? I can tell you are. Shit. See, I knew that was a mistake. I didn’t want to seem like I was pushing, but I can see how you might think, you know, that I was, like—”
“Don’t tie yourself up in knots. I’m not judging you, and Deke’s doing fine.”
“I.e., better than with me.”
“Well. Better than back
then.
”
“Oh,” she says. “Tough love.”
“You asked. I mean, don’t you think so?”
“No, you’re right,” she says. “See? I’m learning.” She sighs again. “But you’re not impressed.”
“Can we save this?”
“That’s the question, isn’t it? But you mean for over lunch. Save the bullshit for over lunch. Because you’re busy at work. Don’t worry, Billy, I’ll be good. Now, what time?”
“What’s good for you?”
“And the hits just keep on coming. What’s good for me. Twelve-thirty. Twelve-thirty is good for me. She says decisively. So I’ll see you then, at HoJo’s?”
“How are you getting there? I mean, how did you get
here
?”
“Rented a car. That’s another thing, I have to return thecar by six o’clock. So you’re covered six ways from Sunday, kiddo.”
Billy has to ask. “Had you planned to try to see Deke?”
“Had I planned, to try, to see Deke. Whew. You put that so beautifully. You really are a word person, Billy. You’re wasting yourself in computers. God, it’s like … No. Short answer: no. That would just be too much. For
everybody
concerned. Don’t you think?”
“I do, actually. But it’s your decision.”
“Damn right,” she says. “Not to put you on notice or anything.”
“So I’ll see you at twelve-thirty.” He looks at the
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