O+F

berry muffin, drank coffee, and listened to the waitresses chatter about their dates. Francesca did not come in, but her image remained vivid. He waited, not so much for her as for somethin

e inside each of them that was similar, more accessible in each other's

dows, thinking that he'd see what George was up to. He could have walk

f Danforth Street. "Hey there, Oliver" he said

ome bagels,"

is hands togeth

ank in a corner; one was connected to an air blower driven by an electric motor. "Ta da!" George said, lifting off a thick top that had a hole in its center. Oliver

ity," Ol

etween his thumb and forefinger and swooped it through the air. Oliver looked closely

er Wo

mold," George said, "b

estm

hen I fire it in a kiln. The wax burns and

said, "the los

Not too big. I'll cast it with The Lady. There's knives and stuff." He pointed at one end

of a heart. He cut four short pieces from a length of spaghetti shaped wa

e said. "There's

de an oval O. He stuck it on the heart and added a

n a circular rubber base. "Let me have that flask." He pointed at a steel cylinder about six inches long. He slipped the cylinder over the waxes and tightly into the rubber base

far corner a

" George's e

"I don't know her, reall

"Can't live with 'em; c

bite of bagel

l right,"

m in the air. "The artist thing. They're

ppened t

d deflated somewhat. "She had allergies

d looking,"

said, "it's going to take a while to get the investment re

ght," Ol

re stopping in Portland the next night. They always stayed at the Holiday Inn, but she would want to come over and make sure that he wasn't living in filth, had clean towels, and s

p. Her jacket was open. Oliver's eyes lingered on her solid breasts and tight red sweater. She looked at him. He cleared his throat. "Not much choice," he said. "I found a good sauce at Micucci's-the one wi

e said. "

line. A skinny woman in front of him put a gallon jug of vodka on the counter. "Not a bad idea," he said. She looked at him, smiled as though she were on a two second tape delay, and then frowned as she concentrated on paying. Her arms and legs were like sticks. He wondered wha

e basement and brought up a piece of pine which Verdi ignore

is Jennifer

Jenni

or the Wetland

wanted to take me

not like tha

," he said. "A

t is in hopeless shape. We bought a computer, but no

e to set up

that is wha

w s

m .

rday,

e soon, at you

ime in the next couple of weeks. How abou

ver looked at the computer. "Can't buy Friskies on my good looks," he said. That

tball game on TV, and cleaned, minimally, for his mot

olding up a liter of Merlot. "

nded it to Oliver. "The guest gets the clean glass." He washe

"And other great Italians. Did

le have al

. "She was a singer

ooks, too,"

ea

, Oliv

end. She and Paul, her husband.

ting in

"She likes to dress up

om has bought a dress in twenty years.

it doesn't stop her."

t are we

k. You light it. There's the blower valve." He pointed to a round handle mounted between the blower and the pipe that led to

o

A blue flame, the size of a beach ball, was bouncing under the wooden ceiling joists. Oliver concentrated. Air. He reached back and grabbed the blower valve, twisting it coun

enough air until it go

ing," Ge

rl in a tight spiral. It plunged inside, roaring and spin

Goddamn bomb,

le to the bottom of the furnace. "Put the top on," he said. Oliver lifted and pushed the top over the furnace. The roaring becam

George looked down thr

the kiln, and, using a different set of tongs, extracted the flask. He set the flask, glowing cherry red, upside down in a flat pan of sand. He shut off the gas and unplugged th

ith careful steps to the flask. Holding the lip of the crucible over the flask, he tipped his body to one

ntense," Oliver said. "Now what?" George picked up the hot flask with the second pair of tongs and d

ofter stuff that we can get off the bronze." George poured the water into

lask, he pushed the investment out of the cylinder and chipped at it

olored investment fell away. "Not bad!" George held up the

sh.

and heavy in his pocket. He warmed it in his hand, feeling the O, the plus sign, and the F over and over again, a mantra sai

A bit of him had poured with it, and an exchange had taken