O+F

a way to give her the box and the valentine without putting her in an awkward position. He placed them on the mantelpiece in

, softened by the waxy smell of beach roses. Children played. Dogs chased Frisbees. Waves curled and crashed along the sand. In September, in Maine, time h

nto a house. Her job was a lot of work but going well. She missed him. He sent a housewarming c

I'm in town. I'm staying at the Regency. I'm wondering if you would join me for dinner. I've got a meeting in ten minutes. Just come to the restaurant in the hotel,

ry and ironed a white linen shirt. At six, he walked into the Regency and

you O

es

say that she would be

you a

t, please

ater Jacky swept

"You look well." She was ta

said. "No time to change. I

atulat

Mmm," she said,

w's Mar

er that-Maine wins." She told him about her

clave beat is." He explained and she applauded.

ng off her jacket and opening the t

g edge of her bra. A familiar undertow pulled him down; he wanted to be lower than she was. She watched, opened her bl

e check, and led him to the elevator. "There's wine in the convenience bar," she said, shutting the door of her room be

ff her shoes. Another button was undone. She sipped wine slowly, in n

at I have for y

rt was beating loudly. He put his glass

t me, O

t. He gave hims

is wrists. "Stand up." She unbuckled his belt and slid his pants and shorts down to

everything," he

the whip, smiling. She

o please her, to be close to her. She took off h

and back. "Don't touch, Oliver. Just look." She leaned ov

"Mistress." Hi

" she said. "Can I trust

her bra slowly, watching hi

y and guided him to the bed where he devoted himself to her until she was wet an

matter,"

ng with her hand. "I've got you. It's all right." He opened his mouth wide and drew her in. Love came in with her breast-a strange new feeling that scared him-but she continued, and he accepted and then couldn't get enough. She brought him to the top and cried out with him, "Ohhhh! Yes. Mor

ky leaning over him. She was dressed

he room is paid for. Just leave w

," Oliver said.

to Baltimore." Oliver sat up straight in the bed. "No, no," she said an

. .

in full detail. She wouldn't. But she might well mention his name. How many short Olivers were there in Portland? He got out of bed and took a quick s

" He spooned out a whole can of salmon Friskies. "Full breakfast, this morning. Non

ough lately without this demonstration of it. She reveled in his helplessness, rolled in it like Verdi in catnip. I like it, too, he admitted. I do. I do and I don't. He was so independent most of the time that it was a relief, a

ix o'clock. "Hi, h

un. Francesca'

tell her

beautiful. Men go gaga over her. She's one of these tall, dark, silent types. Go

Oliver said

st little girls. Oliver, I'm hoping you will come visit. I want to show you the B

you from At

two h

ing to see what it's like. I could drive down on Friday, see you

ed up at the slot machines . . . Cross over the Delaware Bridge by Wilmington. I'm in northern Mary

working girls," she said.

Olive

er turned to Verdi. "I'

Jacky. She could keep him going while he looked for work; he could work anywhere. Maybe he would do most of the cooking. Wha

resilience than calculation; he relied on his ability to pick himself up, dust himself off, and learn from experience.

now how brutal it was. The smartest and toughest player won. If you were smarter and tougher, you might as well just take the other person's wallet. It was wors

of the casino. He probably could count cards with practice; he'd been a math major in college; he was comfortable with numbers. But it would be a lot of

le. The best roulette odds were not as good as the best odds in

" if a 7 or an 11 came up. A 2, 3, or 12 was a "no pass." Any other number became the "point." The player continued t

ayer would pass or not pass or that a number would be rolled before a 7. The complicated bets had large payoffs and correspondingly smaller chances of winning. The simplest bet had the best odds, winning just under 50% of the t

er. He liked the financial Russian roulette quality: win or die.

drinking a pint of Guinness with six thousand dollars in his p

es. Houston,

go to Atla

his fingers. "Down on the

did you

most of

was it

lly

e whole thing,

es called 'pit bosses' that keep an eye on things, head off trouble . . . I usually go on a travel package for a couple of nights. They're a good

Oliver said. "I've been l

best. Down on th

cant and ceremonial about this trip. He had a summer linen suit that he'd worn to his sister's wedding, years ago. He bought a mulberry color

behind old sheets in the bedroom closet. The box made a

t leave food and kitty

And what if he didn't

len, downstairs, woul

Arlen return from work,

o, Ol

rt, Arlen

blue sky hung from Arlen's thin shoulders.

g if you could

ntered an immaculate apartment. Parakeets and finches wer

weekend. I need someone to look after Verdi, feed him, a

will be no trouble.

ida

u like a drink? We do

ur

e ale and, of cour

ve any Glenlivet

d. "Would L

I'll choke i

s. "Another day, anoth

after the first taste. "God, that's good!" Oliver said. "I have plenty of cat food. I

birds," Arlen said. "I don't think e

nt for one of the big firms

birds. They sing whenever they damn please." He sighed, leaned back on his couch, and

uddy," Oliver said.

ple don't realize." He looked out the window.

ver repeated,

wonderful singer." Arlen looked back at Oliver. "Parakeets are t

rots? I didn

he looked out the window again. "I was just getting to know William. He asked me to

ver said,

ong very well. I trie

eferred to sing." Ar

e situation to Tootsie. 'I'm leaving in the morning,' I told him. 'It's not your fault; it's not William's fault; it's not anybody's fault. We just didn't quite make it, that's all. Almost, but not quite.' Tootsie listened to me. You know how they d

o the living room. 'Goodbye, Toots,' I said. 'Toots?' He wasn't in his cage. I walked over,

," Oliv

now what happened. All I know is that he died when

did yo

id. "I haven't seen William for years. He moved out of town

ho

m," Arl

ilence. "Guess I'll b

key under the mat wh

glad to have solved the problem but feeling sorry for Arlen. He was a

care of you," h

rdi. Don't give Arlen a hard time." He slid a spare key under the mat and took a last look around. He hesit

e key inside the box. He put the other key on his key ring. There was only one Malloy listed in the telephone book. He wrapped the box with paper cut from two grocery bags and a

n the turnpike. The sun wasn't even up as he got back in the Jeep. On the road again, he sang, picking up speed and passing a Shop 'N Save truck. "Fuck