JR (31 page)

just left… this afternoon sometime yeah, he's… okay yeah, goodbye now… she hung up. —Wait put your coffee here, drag his chair over.

—You tell him about Leo?

—I started to no, maybe when he gets back, you want your sugar?

—Here. I swear if Leo tries that with me he'll go out with a hole in his belly. So how long's he gone for.

—A couple of days he said, he's stopping in Dayton I think he's after Kenny's ass.

—That Kenny he gives me a big pain you know where, you got an emery?

—Here … a drawer rolled open between their crossed knees, —you want the radio? No just move your coffee…

—You still using his apartment?

—No his kid's still home sick we been using this friend of his, Kenny said he's a musician someplace I think he's a fag the way the place is decorated, you know? It's real nice.

—I can't make it like that, like that time with Ronnie I'm always scared somebody's going to walk in right when you're wait is that all the pink polish?

—We made it four times up there Monday before he went, I'll get more at lunch you want to go shopping? I saw this like silky yellow blouse over on Steinway it would go real nice with your coloring turn it up a little…

The voices met, parted, rose over the scratch of emery boards, dropped for the sound of the phone—no he went out of town for a couple of days Mister Shapiro, could I do something for you … ? no come on now don't get fresh … paused to dial, —yes I'm calling Mis … no ma'am no I'm not the lady selling the free dance less … no for Mister Bast, is he … he's where… ? answered again —that last order I

got the order right in front of me it says twenty pound stock yeah… and silence, finally, with —wait out here for me, I forgot to turn off the lights…

—Turn it off I swear, if he wasn't so cheap we'd have Muzak. How come you came in so late this morning.

—I got the worst cramps I been, wait. Hello… ? No he's out of town, he went yesterday Mis … tomorrow I think, I'll tell him to call you okay? Goodbye now…

—I got to get back out there, those new forms Mrs Krauer's having a hemorrhage.

—Wait lend me a Tampax, I thought I had some here. Kenny didn't call?

—Him? I told you he's bullshitting you I swear, he's a worse bullshit- ter even than Ronnie you going shopping at lunch? I'm taking back that yellow blouse I got yesterday my mother said it will shrink.

—I thought maybe I'll get a plant.

—For here?

—One yeah mainly just leaves, I mean I'm spending half my life here you know… ? the drawer rolled open —how the days go by you can't tell one from the next one sometimes … she studied her nails turned in on her palm and then studied them the length of her hand. —I mean sometimes I get real bored … and the emery board took up, the phone, the typewriter, voices meeting and parting.

—Yeah I know, he's supposed to be back yesterday he had to stop off at Dayton … no I told him you called Mister Shapiro, he … thank you that's very nice but I can't, no, my sister's having a …

—How come you go out this way now, it's so dark. —Just not to pass the shipping room, you know? Those boys with their cracks.

—That one Jimmy's nice.

—Nice yeah, he's hard up like all of them in there…

—Hello… ? It's me yeah who did you think it … yeah what are you doing up so early I been trying to call you every night since… big order I bet yeah, I bet you're sacked out with this big order right now you… Yeah I bet listen you think I never saw you talk on the phone while you're in the saddle? don't… I heard it yeah don't tell me it's the television like that time you came back from Cleveland for two days you couldn't even … When yesterday? No … no he just called in he didn't say … Okay I kept telling you didn't I? What did he … yeah okay

what am I sup… by talking to him yeah about what, you think I can save your ass now by telling him you … I bet… yeah I bet… I bet yeah, you… yeah okay you do that Kenny you can kiss my… you can kiss that too yeah, good … I bet you would, goodbye.

—He's fired?

—Yeah now he's telling, he's telling me will I ask the boss if, wait hello… ? Oh hi Mister Co, Coen they let you out… ? No he, he said sometime today, he's … no I, I guess I got a cold…

—Use my, wait here's a napkin…

—Yes I'm, okay go ahead Mister Coen I got my pad…

—I swear, didn't I tell you?

—Like I was saying in his car that time where he already had about ten daiquaris so I finally just tell him look, I don't go down unless I really like somebody, you going shopping at lunch? I saw this black wig…

—Okay just move his chair back so if he comes in wait, hello… ? Gee no he still didn't come back yet we … Sure yeah I'll tell him you wait, wait hold on a second, he's just walking in the office, Mister Angel? It's your wife calling…

—Well just, here. Hello, Stel…just walked in this minute yes, what… yes well fine you go ahead then I'll just fix something when I come in, are there any eggs… ? Don't do that no I'll find something, you didn't hear from our boy Edward while I was gone did you … ? No wait a minute, Terry? did you ever get hold of that Mister Bast at that Long Island number I gave you?

—No I called but they said he went abroad someplace accepting some award so …

—I guess not no unless Coen… that's all right you go ahead yes, goodbye … he dropped the large envelopes under his arm to his desk, took off his hat —you girls just going out to lunch?

—If that's okay Mister Angel, we just waited till late because it makes the afternoon shorter you know? Here's all your phone calls, this Mister Shapiro called about ten times and Mister Coen called this morning about this whole tax thing I wrote it all down…

—That's fine Terry … he came round behind his desk getting out of his coat, —ought to keep me busy till you get back.

When she did he was pouring bourbon into a paper cup. —Gee we didn't expect you to be gone so long Mister Angel, I mean even being gone the whole weekend and all, you notice any changes?

He put the bottle back into the file cabinet drawer. —I guess that looks like a new…

—No not about me I mean, that. The plant.

—Yes well, where'd that come from.

—I got it a couple of days ago gee it looks like it's wilting already, they had big ones too only they were a lot more, you know?

—Yes well it's, it's just fine Terry but you shouldn't spend your own

money like that on something for the office.

—No that's okay, I mean like you said once we spend half our life in here … she was squaring papers on her typewriter, turned thrusting red hair back. —This letter to Dayton, you want carbons to anybody Mister Angel?

—One for the file's all it's just confirming that order, I just scribbled it on the plane can you read it?

—Sure … she squared them in the typewriter, —so everything went okay?

—Wouldn't have if I hadn't stopped off there, it looks like I have to replace Kenny.

—Really? gee that's, that's too bad Mister Angel… she typed a word,

—maybe he's, maybe he just had an off day this time I mean that big Cleveland order he got that time, he can…

—No way you'd have known it Terry I spent three nights on the phone clearing that one up too … he put the paper cup down emptied.

—I don't like to fire somebody any better than the next man but I can't do his job and mine too, some things about Kenny I picked up you'd as well just not hear but, something wrong?

—No, no … the drawer rolled closed at her knee and she brought up a tissue, —I just must have caught cold…

—I heard you had rain here … he picked up the empty cup and put it down sitting back slowly, looking, dug for a key and pulled open the drawer reaching to the back of it for the soiled envelope opened down at his waist's level, looking up from one to the next of the pictures as though to catch, in that moment of moistening his lips and swallowing, an evanescent matching tilt of nose or fall of hair, a turn of wrist or cheapringed crook of finger or grasp of hand regardless what it grasped or crooked or turned about coming up straight as her typing stopped and she stood suddenly crossing to a filing cabinet, sinking back in his chair as she stooped for a folder in a bottom drawer there turning up the next picture and the next, and next, as though to seize the moment of that simulated leather expanse to match in one of them its crevassed counterpart in white.

—Excuse me Mist…

—Oh … ? he came up straight keeping his lap composed, in toward his desk where she stood over him, —what…

—No just, I'm sorry I just, in, just in this letter these specifications you put in if they should match their last order in the file here where we say sixteen…

—Yes well yes, yes that's, don't have to ask me that that's the, says it right here doesn't it to specifications contained in your order of June the …

—No no yes sir I just wanted to check I didn't…

—Yes well that's the, that's all right Terry I guess I'm just tired from all this running around haven't even had lunch myself yet I'm, you couldn't stay a little late could you?

—Well if you, I didn't know it's so late already Mister Angel my friend Myrna in the order room, you know? She waits for me to ride in on the subway together so we don't have to ride it alone and my sister's having this…

—Yes well that's all right Terry you're, you can leave that till tomorrow you got a cold too and…

—No that's okay but I mean you should get something to eat Mister Angel if you didn't even eat yet, you…

—Might as well I guess yes … he snapped the desk's drawer closed, turned the key —not much choice around here though where…

—There's this place Joe's where we go over by Thirty-third it's not bad.

—Near that Army post?

—Right acrost it's not so bad, this special they have of …

—Terry?

—Yes what sir … she came up straight at the typewriter.

—Leo did he bring in this cost estimate?

—No sir I didn't even hardly see him all the time you were…

—What's that you wanted to tell me about him there … he was up pulling on his coat, —just when I was leaving, you…

—No that's nothing Mister Angel you better get something to eat while you, I'll just put this on your desk if you're coming back…

He stood there with his hat. —Yes well, yes just finish that up and go ahead home then.

—Thanks Mister Angel you, it's nice you're back…

—Yes thanks Terry it's, I'm glad to be back you, you take care of that cold now … and he stood there a moment longer with his hat before he put it on and turned down the length of porous green. —Leo… ?

—Didn't know you're back I got that Italian for you, he'll be here next Thursday he's…

—Thursday hell he can be here tomorrow morning or he don't need to come at all you tell him that and wait, you got that plan I drew?

—I got it right here… the frayed buttonhole came open, with it a folded yellow sheet and a picture that flew up between them, to reach the floor face up.

—What's, looks like you been holding out the best one on me Leo…

—Must have, must have fell out…

—Sure as hell did fall out didn't it.

—Must have fell out in my pocket out of that envelope…

—Yes well just, here just better keep them all together … he faced it inside his shirt pocket —now … he flattened the yellow page against that green with the heel of his hand, —just give me your pencil there now look, I forgot to mark this in we're going to need vents all down here if we change it around like this see what I mean? Now you get that Eyetalian in here tomorrow on it or he don't need to come at all.

—I'll try to do that for you Mister Angel but wait, these here pictures what…

—Don't do it for me Leo you just do it and these pictures, you just let me take care of it… and he pulled the door hard behind him against the day that seemed to dim as he entered it, gray dimmed overhead to vindicate small shams of housefronts' glassed porches boxing retirement in undervests no longer anywhere for sale behind aluminum doors bearing aluminum initials, yards parceled behind chain link not even his waist high toward an American flag flown high and bleak some blocks ahead down one curb, up the next, shoulders down hands fallen to the depths of pockets, when a rubber ball hit him on the leg.

He stooped and caught it, and looked up, around, into a drive squeezed along the fence to a man poised there in a gray patterned suit and wearing a shirt and a tie, and he threw the ball and stopped dead. —Wait is, Jack… ?

The man turned as the ball bounced past him toward a child who rounded the corner of the house and stopped it, half running toward her with the sudden and grotesque effort of the limp that dragged one foot behind him. —Jack? Gibbs? is that you Jack… ? But with one twisted turn the figure was gone behind the house. He stood there until a curtain stirred at the window, and then he turned and went on toward the flag, and the glass front just across where he went in and sat at the counter eating a western sandwich, looking from one face to the next of the sprawled soldiers, glancing repeatedly back at one

more erect under a major's clusters until he finished and left, the flag behind him, up one curb and down the next. The child was in the driveway with the ball, and he hurried toward her. —Wait, little girl? Wait a minute, I just want to ask you something… she backed down the fence a step or two. —That man you were just playing ball with, is he here?