suggests. “I can handle things on my own. If I can’t, I’ll get Lucky here to help
out. We’ll put an apron on him, he’ll make more here in tips than he makes off that old lobster boat.”
Ronette puts the can under the counter where it belongs and wipes her face once more with the white waitress apron. Then she
takes the apron off, throws it in Lucky’s lap and says, “He’ll look real cute in this. Thanks, Doris, that’s exactly what
I need. See you tomorrow.”
Without a word more she waltzes out.
“What’s that all about?” he asks Doris, who has taken over the job of brewing the new coffee. He gives her the waitress apron
and she ties it around her waist.
“Guess you know as much as I do. She’s right. Clyde’s not planning to give her a cent either, that’s what they say.”
“Where’s she staying?”
Doris gives him a dark suspicious look. “Wouldn’t
you
like to know.”
“Guess I ain’t going to get
her
for a sternman. Doris, you mind if I put a note up by your door?”
“What do you want a sternman for? You always liked working alone.”
“Sarah don’t want me out there by myself, account of the operation.”
“Can’t say as I blame her. Considering your father, how he went, and his father too, didn’t he? Working alone. Everyone else
got a sternman anyway. What about your boy?”
“Kyle’s got his own boat, he’s a big urchin diver now. He fishes the underutilized species for the Asian trade.”
“Urchin season’s over this week,” Doris reminds him.
“Don’t bother him none. He’ll go down after something. Sea cucumbers, squid. If it’s got tentacles, them Asians will eat it.
No questions asked.”
“Afro-
dee
siacs,” Doris says, “that’s what they called them on
20 / 20 .
Barbara Walters, so it’s not bullshit. They are highly regarded as a marriage aid for men.”
“Well, they must have some pecker problems over there, cause they finished off the fucking tigers and now they’re buying up
everything in the sea.”
“You wouldn’t think so from the population,” Doris says. “I heard the other day there’s five hundred billion of them. Think
of that, five hundred billion.”
“Lot of god damn sushi.” He tries to think of the number, but the picture that comes is not a land teeming with human beings
but the darkness of outer space.
Doris says, “What about Sarah, can’t she go out? She used to fish with her old man, back when she was a kid, before she worked
at the sardine plant. And your daughter, Kristen. Jesus, Lonnie Gross takes
his
daughter out.” They both break out laughing at that one, then Doris doesn’t pursue the subject.
“Kristen gets sick from the bait smell, Kyle don’t want to be on my boat. Period. I ain’t going to force him. I asked Sarah
but she’s got her arts and crafts.”
“She’s quite the celebrity, I hear. Got those mobiles or whatever they are up at the art school. But you two are man and wife,
and if you’ve got a condition she ought to be by your side.”
“Well, she ain’t. Print out a sign for me, will you, Doris? I ain’t such a neat writer.”
She prints on the back of her own business card and sticks it up with the others, right under the S&P Septic Service card.
STERNMAN WANTED. TWO DAYS. 222-2714.
“Thought you already asked Ronette. Trying to lure a good waitress away, better watch your step.”
“You only hire her three days.”
“She can go full-time in the summer if she wants. Lots of money in the dinner trade. She can earn a living off of tips, that
one, she just flicks her tail at them, they leave her fifty percent. I let her keep all of it too. Some’s don’t.”
“You are the employer of the month, Doris.”
“Knowing her, by summertime she’ll have somebody else paying the bills.
If
she doesn’t go back with Clyde.”
He borrows her pen to circle the phone number and starts to leave. Just then this decrepit Ford F-150 four-by-four
out. We’ll put an apron on him, he’ll make more here in tips than he makes off that old lobster boat.”
Ronette puts the can under the counter where it belongs and wipes her face once more with the white waitress apron. Then she
takes the apron off, throws it in Lucky’s lap and says, “He’ll look real cute in this. Thanks, Doris, that’s exactly what
I need. See you tomorrow.”
Without a word more she waltzes out.
“What’s that all about?” he asks Doris, who has taken over the job of brewing the new coffee. He gives her the waitress apron
and she ties it around her waist.
“Guess you know as much as I do. She’s right. Clyde’s not planning to give her a cent either, that’s what they say.”
“Where’s she staying?”
Doris gives him a dark suspicious look. “Wouldn’t
you
like to know.”
“Guess I ain’t going to get
her
for a sternman. Doris, you mind if I put a note up by your door?”
“What do you want a sternman for? You always liked working alone.”
“Sarah don’t want me out there by myself, account of the operation.”
“Can’t say as I blame her. Considering your father, how he went, and his father too, didn’t he? Working alone. Everyone else
got a sternman anyway. What about your boy?”
“Kyle’s got his own boat, he’s a big urchin diver now. He fishes the underutilized species for the Asian trade.”
“Urchin season’s over this week,” Doris reminds him.
“Don’t bother him none. He’ll go down after something. Sea cucumbers, squid. If it’s got tentacles, them Asians will eat it.
No questions asked.”
“Afro-
dee
siacs,” Doris says, “that’s what they called them on
20 / 20 .
Barbara Walters, so it’s not bullshit. They are highly regarded as a marriage aid for men.”
“Well, they must have some pecker problems over there, cause they finished off the fucking tigers and now they’re buying up
everything in the sea.”
“You wouldn’t think so from the population,” Doris says. “I heard the other day there’s five hundred billion of them. Think
of that, five hundred billion.”
“Lot of god damn sushi.” He tries to think of the number, but the picture that comes is not a land teeming with human beings
but the darkness of outer space.
Doris says, “What about Sarah, can’t she go out? She used to fish with her old man, back when she was a kid, before she worked
at the sardine plant. And your daughter, Kristen. Jesus, Lonnie Gross takes
his
daughter out.” They both break out laughing at that one, then Doris doesn’t pursue the subject.
“Kristen gets sick from the bait smell, Kyle don’t want to be on my boat. Period. I ain’t going to force him. I asked Sarah
but she’s got her arts and crafts.”
“She’s quite the celebrity, I hear. Got those mobiles or whatever they are up at the art school. But you two are man and wife,
and if you’ve got a condition she ought to be by your side.”
“Well, she ain’t. Print out a sign for me, will you, Doris? I ain’t such a neat writer.”
She prints on the back of her own business card and sticks it up with the others, right under the S&P Septic Service card.
STERNMAN WANTED. TWO DAYS. 222-2714.
“Thought you already asked Ronette. Trying to lure a good waitress away, better watch your step.”
“You only hire her three days.”
“She can go full-time in the summer if she wants. Lots of money in the dinner trade. She can earn a living off of tips, that
one, she just flicks her tail at them, they leave her fifty percent. I let her keep all of it too. Some’s don’t.”
“You are the employer of the month, Doris.”
“Knowing her, by summertime she’ll have somebody else paying the bills.
If
she doesn’t go back with Clyde.”
He borrows her pen to circle the phone number and starts to leave. Just then this decrepit Ford F-150 four-by-four
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