Case of Lucy Bending (59 page)

She shrugged. "At my age you've learned to live with everything. Especially death."

"That's the way I feel about it. It's the Bendings I'm sorry for. Their shells aren't as thick as ours."

They finished their glasses of champagne, and Craner poured more.

"You wouldn't be trying to get me drunk, would you?" she said. "Just to take advantage of my weakness?"

"It's an idea," he admitted. "But actually, I'm trying to get up the courage to discuss something with you that we should have talked about before this. I'm willing to marry you if that's what you want, but we—"

"Are you crazy?" she burst out. "Get married? What a nutty idea! We're both on Social Security. We get married and my benefits are cut. Our total income goes down. It's not worth it for a piece of paper."

"I was hoping you'd feel that way. It's unfortunate that the laws of this great nation make it, ah, inexpedient, and uneconomical, for people our age to marry."

"Don't give it a second thought."

"It won't bother you to live in sin?" he asked, tugging on his white goatee.

"Not if there's enough of it."

"Well, then," he said, beaming, "I foresee a long and happy future for this illicit relationship."

"I'll drink to that," she said.

He poured the remainder of the champagne into their glasses, and moved closer to her on the bed. She pulled down the neckline of her muumuu to expose one brown shoulder. She batted her eyes.

"Kiss me, you fool," she said.

And, laughing, he did.

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