He laughed, skeptically. I felt sparks of anger catch in my chest and send a heat through my body.
'I'd like to return to the dance hall,' I said, rising.
'Okay. I ain't the best dancer in the world, but I'm as good as most.'
I froze for a moment. I hadn't meant I wanted to dance with him, but he obviously had taken it that way.
'You wanna dance, don'tcha?'
'Okay,' I said. My tongue was so reluctant to form the word, I almost choked, but I got up and went on the dance floor with him. When I looked over toward Daddy and Jed Atkins, I saw them grinning from ear to ear. Mama, who was standing with some of her friends nearby, glared in their direction, the sparks flying out of her eyes. Daddy ignored her.
The truth was, Virgil wasn't a bad dancer, and I did enjoy the music. He took it as a sign I was comfortable with him and liked him.
'I play a mean washboard,' he shouted into my ear, and laughed. 'Me and some friends get together at the garage and fool around. We played for a
'That's nice,' I said. The music got louder and faster. Virgil started to sweat profusely. He unbuttoned his shirt and gulped some more beer.
'Let's get some air,' he cried finally. I was going to excuse myself and join Mama, but she was into a heavy conversation with two of her friends and had her back to me, and I couldn't think of a good excuse. 'Come on, let's have a smoke.'
'I don't smoke,' I said.
'So you'll watch me.' He took my hand and I went out with him, looking back once to see Jed Atkins pat Daddy on the back and the two of them toast each other.
We went out the rear door into the parking lot. Virgil dug a pack of cigarettes out of his top pocket and pounded one out. He lit it quickly and threw the match into the air, laughing.
'Bombs away. So you like living here?'
'Yes,' I said.
'I got my car right here. Wanna see it? I souped up the engine myself.' He pointed to a customized automobile with a lightning streak painted in yellow across the driver's side. 'It's a drag car, you know.'
'I don't know much about cars.'
'Whatcha think of it?'
'It's nice,' I said with thick indifference.
'Nice? It's more than nice. It's a prizewinning vehicle. You know, I won five hundred dollars in races already this year?'
'I'm very happy for you,' I said. 'I think we better go back inside.' I started to turn toward the door when he reached out to seize my wrist.
'You're very happy for me? Boy, you're sure stuck on yourself, ain'tcha?'
'I am not.'
'You sound like you are.' He flipped his cigarette into the air and it bounced over the parking lot, sparks flying every which way. He still held my wrist. 'Whatcha want to hurry back inside for? Just a lot of old people and kids. Come on, I'll take you for a spin in my car.'
'No, thank you.'
'No, thank you,' he mimicked, laughed, and then he put his left arm around my waist and drew me to him before I could resist. He pasted his lips to mine with a wet kiss as his hand fell to my buttocks and squeezed. I struggled to free myself, but he held on tighter, pressing his tongue into my mouth with such force, I couldn't even block it with my teeth. I gagged and finally broke free, wiping my lips with the back of my hand.
'How dare you do that?'
'What's the big deal? You've been kissed before, ain'tcha?'
'Not like that and not without my wanting to be kissed.'
He laughed. 'Don't put on airs. I know all about you, how you was pregnant with someone else's baby,' he added. I felt the breath leave my body and my blood drain down to my feet. 'It's all right. I don't care about it. I still like you. The truth is, I learned it's better to have a woman already broke in. Learned that in the army. We'll go for a ride and get to know each other and maybe we'll get hitched. Come on,' he urged, stepping toward his car.
'I wouldn't go with you if you were the last man on earth,' I said.
He laughed. 'For you, I might just be. Once everyone knows about you, no one's going to come around asking you to marry him. You wanna be livin' with your ma and pa till they got no teeth? I can make you happy. Better than that other man did,' he added with a leering smile.
'You're disgusting,' I said, and pivoted.
'Last chance,' he called, 'to have a real man.'
I didn't reply. I couldn't get away from him fast enough. When I stepped back into the dance hall, I looked desperately for Mama and spotted her talking to Evelyn Thibodeau's mother. She took one look at me and excused herself quickly to walk across the hall.
'Gabrielle?' she said. 'What's wrong, honey?'
Tears were streaming down my cheeks. 'Oh, Mama,' I said, 'he told. Daddy told about me so that boy thought he was doing me a favor to ask me to become his wife.'
