Part 11 (2/2)
”I told her, he said after a while.
”Finally got up the nerve?
”Finally got enough beer in me.
She hesitated. ”Moses?
”What?
”Are you sure?
He nuzzled her breast. ”I wish I wasnt.
So did she. ”What do you think sh.e.l.l do?
”Get a lobotomy.
”Seriously.
He sighed and rolled to his back, swearing when he cracked his head on the couch. ”I dont know. Up to her. Ive prepared her as much as I can. Ive delivered the bad news. She didnt believe it, but shes been told.
She rolled toward him, winced, and pulled her hair free from the caster. ”Will it be as bad for her as it is for you?
He shook his head. ”No way to tell. Mine came to me young. They say my mother had them before me, but I dont remember her. And I havent asked a lot of questions.
She knew why. Half the Bay thought he was G.o.d. The other half thought he was the devil. Bill had seen people turn away, step aside, retreat when they saw Moses coming, even though he never gave advice unsolicited. Everybody was afraid he might, though, and that this time it would be something they couldnt ignore.
”Man. He raised his head. ”This is just pitiful. Lying under the desk, clothes half-off.
”I was ravished, she said primly.
He laughed, a wholehearted, rollicking sound that few had heard. ”Yeah, right, thats why you didnt have any panties on underneath them jeans.
”What are you saying, sir?
”Im saying, maam, that I was honey-trapped. I didnt have a chance. He pulled her to her feet. ”Im hungry. Feed me.
They raided the kitchen, half-naked and giggling like a couple of kids, and brought their spoils back to the office and curled up on the couch. They fed each other olives green and black and pickles sweet and dill and pieces of cheddar cheese, washed down with enormous drafts of ice-cold beer. When they were done she licked his fingers clean, which led to other, more interesting places. This time it was long and slow and oh so sweet.
”This is all wrong, you know, she said drowsily, a little later.
”What is? he said, facedown, body limp.
”Were too old to be enjoying s.e.x.
”Who says?
She ran one fingernail from his nape to the cleft of his b.u.t.tocks, and was rewarded by a responsive groan. ”Everyone under fifty.
”Everyone under fifty is wrong.
She smiled, closing her eyes and snuggling in for the duration. ”They sure are.
The next morning as she was getting dressed and he was hindering her, he saw the gold coin on the desk. ”Whats that?
”Remember that arm, and the coin that fell out of its hand?
”Oh. He picked it up and looked at it, couldnt read the writing, and looked for the half gla.s.ses that had sidetracked him earlier. ”Twenty dollars. And Lady Liberty in all her glory. He looked at her over the tops of the gla.s.ses. ”This is gold.
”It looks like it, and its heavy enough.
”Where did Liam say it came from, again?
”John and Teddy found a wreck up near Bear Glacier, and tripped over the arm.
”They brought it back with them? Why?
”Who knows why John and Teddy do anything?
”Good question. He squinted at the coin. ”I always was lousy at Roman numerals. Whats MDCDXXI?
”Beats the h.e.l.l out of me. Im strictly an Arabic-numbers kinda gal, myself.
”Up on Bear Glacier, huh?
”Yeah. She took the coin and tossed it into the drawer. ”You owe me breakfast.
”I owe you breakfast? You seduced me with those gla.s.ses of yours.
”You ravished me, she said. It was her story and she was sticking to it. They argued all the way to the Harbor Cafe, which they found packed full of fishermen, a morose group in stained Carhartts and dirty white fishermens caps pulled down low to hide their lack of hairlines. The air was thick with the smells of coffee, bacon and cigarette smoke. Bill and Moses sat and ordered enormous breakfasts, their digestive systems having long given up any attempt to dictate diet. It came and they ate heartily.
Replete, Bill stretched her arms, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s straining at the fabric of her s.h.i.+rt, to the rapt appreciation of the fisherman sitting at the next table. Moses gave him a hard-eyed look, and the fisherman reddened, grinned and shrugged, as if to say, Who wouldnt? Who wouldnt? He was maybe thirty-five. He was maybe thirty-five.
”Youre a vamp, Moses said out loud.
She did her best to look completely innocent. She hadnt missed Marvin Engelands admiration, or Moses reaction to it. She still had it, and shed use it however long it lasted. ”I dont know what youre talking about.
”Aw, what the h.e.l.l, hes too old for you, anyway; he wouldnt be able to keep up.
They staggered, laughing, out of the cafe together, in time to b.u.mp into the four remaining Tompkinses coming out of the building next door. It was a two-story, prefabricated building, housing the offices of the local State Farm representative, the Newenham Telephone Cooperative, Mario E. Kaufman, Attorney-at-Law, Great Land Cable Television, the U.S. Parks Service, and Vanessa Belanger, CPA. Betsys eyes were red but her head was high. Stan and Jerry were solemn. Karen looked at Moses, then back at Bill, one eyebrow going up, one corner of her mouth curving into a knowing smile.
It took a moment for Bill to remember about Lydia. ”I was so sorry to hear about your mother, she said to Betsy, the eldest.
Betsy inclined her head. ”Thank you.
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