“They knew,” Jesse said.
Again the cross-country silence broken by the lowvoltage sound of the circuitry.
“I’m scared, J6sse.”
Jesse didn’t say anything.
“Will you call me soon,” Jenn said.
“Yes.”
“I mean tomorrow, every day, so I’ll know you’re okay?”
“Yes.”
“I still love you, Jesse.”
“Maybe,” Jesse said.
“I do, Jesse. Do you still love me?”
“Maybe,” Jesse said.
After they had hung up he sat looking at the half-empty glass with the ice cubes melting into the whiskey. He picked it up and took a sip, and let it slide down his throat, warm and cool at the same time.
His eyes felt as if they would fill with tears. He didn’t want them to, and he pushed the feeling back down.
Jenn, he thought. Jesus Christ!
couple of oer bumom ds sat fer down e will pmnng at ey wen’t listening, and we’t cl to pay any antion to e li cNef if he chore to sit on · e will wiem.
“You got a cigtte?” Michelle sd.
“You don’t smoke?”
“Yo evt7‘ ’
“No.”
“How com7”
“I w a jk,” Jesse sd. “I thought
it would cut my wind.‘ ’
“m’s weird,” Michelle sd.
Jes sd at e leaves on e co—on, crimson now in pls, d run, d yellow, yellow ting flong · e ges wi gn. It w someng he’d never sn except on cflend, owing up in zona d Cflifomia.
“I live next to your girlfriend,” Michelle said. “Abby Taylor.”
“That so?”
“Yes. Sometimes I see you come home real late with her and go in.”
“Un huh.”
“You have sex with her?”
“Why do you want to know?” Jesse said.
“I don’t, I don’t care. I just
think if you’re going to be telling people what to do you shouldn’t be having sex with ‘people.”
“Why not,” Jesse said.
“Why not?”
“Yeah, why shouldn’t I be chief of police and have sex with people?”
“I don’t care what you do, but
it’s gross to do that and then be telling other people not to.”
“Have I ever told you not to?”
“You think I should?”
“There’s no should to it,” Jesse
said.
“Well, that’s not what most adults
think.”
“I’d be willing to bet,” Jesse
said, “that you don’t know what most adults think.
You know what a few of them think
· and you assume everyone thinks that.“
“Well, do you think it’s okay?”
“Sex? You bet.”
