just to fuck with me. I tell her about it and she says, âOh, well, she
could
change it for me,â and I say, âCould you?â And I tell Mel to go ahead and start without me.
âShe sounds pretty annoying,â Mel says. âSadistic, even.â
âItsy Bitsy? She is.â I tell Mel that Iâm starting to think she befriended me to make herself feel good. To feel extra bitsy. That I think she actually gets off on it, eating copiously in front of me whileI eat nothing, and pointing out how Iâm eating nothing while sheâs eating copiously.
âI guess thatâs possible,â Mel says. She picks up her fork and knife, then lowers them. âI feel bad about starting without you. You sure you donât want at least some fries while you wait?â
I tell her I better not. Iâve been on such a slippery slope lately.
Mel bites into her scroll. âYou look the shame to me,â she says. âShkinnier, even.â
âI wish. Iâm pretty sure Iâve plateaued. And Iâm flying out to see Tom soon.â
âI donât know if I support you doing this for Tom.â
âIâm not. Itâs just useful to have a date in mind. To work toward. You know?â
Mel keeps eating her scroll.
âThis is for me,â I add.
âGood. Because he should love you the way you are.â
âHe does.â
âGood.â Mel nods, and takes a bite of scroll. âIâm glad that one of these Internet things finally worked out for you. I was worried heâd be another creep. Like that soap opera guy in the wheelchair. God, what was his name? Something awful. Blair or something.â
âBlake.â
âOr that one from before from Colorado who kept claiming heâd dated international models. What a liar. And a loser.â
âYeah,â I say, cutting into an artichoke heart. âHow are things with Henry?â
She makes a face. âThe same. I donât really want to talk about it, if thatâs okay.â
âOf course. Well. Anyone you hate these days?â
Mel cuts a large piece of scroll. Then she says there are people who annoy her. Who seriously, seriously annoy her. But no, no one worthy of hate. Hating requires a lot of energy; sheâs so tired these days.
âI know what you mean,â I say. âIâm tired too.â
Speaking of which, Mel says, she has an early class tomorrow.
I ask her if sheâd like me to drive her home after dinner, but she says itâs fine. Really.
I tell her Iâm happy to at least drive her to the bus station closer to her house, that Iâd really hate for her to have to take two buses at night. Itâs such a long ride to Misery Saga, and besides, I feel like I never see her anymore. Like sheâs disappeared.
âI havenât
disappeared
,â she says. âBut I know what you mean. I feel like I never see you anymore either.â
On the ride to the bus station, to make her laugh, I tell Mel about Aggressively Naked, this woman who works out at my gym who does all of her post-workout grooming naked. She brushes her hair naked. She uses her straightening iron naked. Eyelash curler and mascara naked. Rings, necklace, and even bracelets naked. Only after sheâs got herself totally primped will she put on her clothes.
âIsnât that annoying?â
âIt is,â Mel agrees.
âI canât believe I forgot to tell you earlier. Also, sheâs got this body you wouldnât believe. Like, I knew just by her body she didnât speak English. I knew that when she opened her mouth, something like Danish would come out.â
âOh my god, stop,â she says, mock-covering her ears. âJust stop.â
Once we get to the bus station, I insist on holding Mel in the car until the bus comes. She takes her bus pass out of her little change purse to be at the ready. I tell her I love her change purse, even
MC Beaton
Jessica Speart
James M. Cain
Bill Pronzini
Regina Carlysle
James Lee Burke
Robert E. Howard
Lora Roberts
Jane Gardam
Colleen Clay