looking at the moon. It was a big moon, I had never seen a bigger moon.”
“And you don’t remember the other?”
“No.”
“You black out when you are drinking, Kevin. You know you black out when you are drinking.”
“I don’t think I’d do anything like that. I’m no child molester.”
“Little girls 8 and 10 years old are pretty cute.”
Gwen walked into the bathroom. When she came out she said, “I pray to God it happened. I’d be happy to God if it really happened!”
“What? What the hell are you saying?”
“I mean it. It might slow you down. It might make you think twice about your drinking. It might even make you quit drinking entirely. Every time you go to a party you’ve got to drink more than anybody, you have got to pour it down. Then you always do something foolish and disgusting, although usually in the past it has been with a full-grown woman.”
“Gwen, the whole thing has got to be some kind of joke.”
“It’s no joke. Wait until you have to face Cathy and Jeanjean and Tom and Bonnie!”
“Gwen, I love those two little girls.”
“ What ?”
“Oh shit, forget it.”
Gwen walked into the kitchen and Kevin went to the bathroom. He threw cold water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. What did a child molester look like? Answer: like everybody else until they told him he was one.
Kevin sat down to crap. Crapping seemed so safe, so warm. Surely this thing had not happened. He was in his own bathroom. There was his towel, there was his washrag, there was the toilet paper, there was the bathtub, and under his feet, soft and warm, was the bathroom rug, red, clean, comfortable. Kevin finished, wiped,flushed, washed his hands like a civilized man and walked into the kitchen. Gwen had the bacon on. She poured him a cup of coffee.
“Thanks.”
“Scrambled?”
“Scrambled.”
“Married ten years and you always say ‘scrambled.’”
“More amazing than that, you always ask.”
“Kevin, if this gets around, you are out of a job. The bank does not need a branch manager who is a child molester.”
“I guess not.”
“Kevin, we’ve got to have a meeting with the families involved. We’ve got to sit down and talk this thing out.”
“You sound like a scene from The Godfather .”
“Kevin, you’re in big trouble. There’s no way of getting around it. You’re in trouble. Put your toast in. Push it in slow or it will pop right up, there is something wrong with the spring.”
Kevin put the toast in. Gwen dished out the bacon and eggs.
“Jeanjean is something of a flirt. She’s just like her mother. It’s a wonder it hasn’t happened before now. Not that I’m saying there is any excuse.”
She sat down. The toast came up and Kevin handed her a slice.
“Gwen, when you don’t remember something it is very strange. It’s the same as if it never happened.”
“Some murderers forget what they’ve done too.”
“You’re not comparing this to murder?”
“It can seriously affect the future of two little girls.”
“A lot of things can.”
“I’d have to guess that your behavior was destructive.”
“Maybe it was constructive. Maybe they liked it.”
“It’s been a hell of a long time,” Gwen said, “since you sniffed my peepee.”
“That’s right, bring yourself into it.”
“I am in it. We live in a community of 20,000 people and something like this is not going to stay a secret.”
“How are they going to prove it? It’s two little girls’ word against mine.”
“More coffee?”
“Yes.”
“I meant to get you some tabasco sauce. I know you like it on your eggs.”
“You always forget.”
“I know. Listen, Kevin, you finish your breakfast. You take as long as you want to eat. Excuse me. I have something to do.”
“All right.”
He wasn’t sure if he loved Gwen but living with her was comfortable. She took care of all the details and details were what drove a man crazy. He put plenty of butter on
“And you don’t remember the other?”
“No.”
“You black out when you are drinking, Kevin. You know you black out when you are drinking.”
“I don’t think I’d do anything like that. I’m no child molester.”
“Little girls 8 and 10 years old are pretty cute.”
Gwen walked into the bathroom. When she came out she said, “I pray to God it happened. I’d be happy to God if it really happened!”
“What? What the hell are you saying?”
“I mean it. It might slow you down. It might make you think twice about your drinking. It might even make you quit drinking entirely. Every time you go to a party you’ve got to drink more than anybody, you have got to pour it down. Then you always do something foolish and disgusting, although usually in the past it has been with a full-grown woman.”
“Gwen, the whole thing has got to be some kind of joke.”
“It’s no joke. Wait until you have to face Cathy and Jeanjean and Tom and Bonnie!”
“Gwen, I love those two little girls.”
“ What ?”
“Oh shit, forget it.”
Gwen walked into the kitchen and Kevin went to the bathroom. He threw cold water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. What did a child molester look like? Answer: like everybody else until they told him he was one.
Kevin sat down to crap. Crapping seemed so safe, so warm. Surely this thing had not happened. He was in his own bathroom. There was his towel, there was his washrag, there was the toilet paper, there was the bathtub, and under his feet, soft and warm, was the bathroom rug, red, clean, comfortable. Kevin finished, wiped,flushed, washed his hands like a civilized man and walked into the kitchen. Gwen had the bacon on. She poured him a cup of coffee.
“Thanks.”
“Scrambled?”
“Scrambled.”
“Married ten years and you always say ‘scrambled.’”
“More amazing than that, you always ask.”
“Kevin, if this gets around, you are out of a job. The bank does not need a branch manager who is a child molester.”
“I guess not.”
“Kevin, we’ve got to have a meeting with the families involved. We’ve got to sit down and talk this thing out.”
“You sound like a scene from The Godfather .”
“Kevin, you’re in big trouble. There’s no way of getting around it. You’re in trouble. Put your toast in. Push it in slow or it will pop right up, there is something wrong with the spring.”
Kevin put the toast in. Gwen dished out the bacon and eggs.
“Jeanjean is something of a flirt. She’s just like her mother. It’s a wonder it hasn’t happened before now. Not that I’m saying there is any excuse.”
She sat down. The toast came up and Kevin handed her a slice.
“Gwen, when you don’t remember something it is very strange. It’s the same as if it never happened.”
“Some murderers forget what they’ve done too.”
“You’re not comparing this to murder?”
“It can seriously affect the future of two little girls.”
“A lot of things can.”
“I’d have to guess that your behavior was destructive.”
“Maybe it was constructive. Maybe they liked it.”
“It’s been a hell of a long time,” Gwen said, “since you sniffed my peepee.”
“That’s right, bring yourself into it.”
“I am in it. We live in a community of 20,000 people and something like this is not going to stay a secret.”
“How are they going to prove it? It’s two little girls’ word against mine.”
“More coffee?”
“Yes.”
“I meant to get you some tabasco sauce. I know you like it on your eggs.”
“You always forget.”
“I know. Listen, Kevin, you finish your breakfast. You take as long as you want to eat. Excuse me. I have something to do.”
“All right.”
He wasn’t sure if he loved Gwen but living with her was comfortable. She took care of all the details and details were what drove a man crazy. He put plenty of butter on
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