looked bathed and glittery. They beamed at Son with the same adoration she did, but they didn’t compete. They sat back and enjoyed his presence and his prize woman. They looked at him with love and looked at her like she was a Cadillac he had won, or stolen, or even bought for all they knew.
“YOU ALL gettin hitched?” Soldier asked. They were alone in the house while Son and Drake drove Rosa to church.
“I guess so,” Jadine answered. “We haven’t talked about it.”
“He’s good. You ought to snatch him.”
She laughed. “Should I?”
“Damn right. You don’t, somebody else sure will. He was married before, you know.”
“I know.”
“Never should have married that woman. That Cheyenne. Every one of us told him that, or tried to. But he did it anyway to his grief and sorrow.”
“Was she pretty?” asked Jadine. She didn’t want to ask it, but it seemed extremely important to know the answer.
“Naw. I wouldn’t say pretty. Not bad-lookin, mind, but nothin like pretty.”
“He must have loved her, though.”
“That could be what it was.” Soldier sounded as though there were some doubts. “Naw,” he said. “She wasn’t pretty, but you had to hand it to her though. She had the best pussy in Florida, the absolute best,” and he turned his eyes on Jadine as if to say Now top that!
It wasn’t nice. Not nice at all. Son embarrassed her in the road with the camera; Rosa made her feel like a slut; and now Soldier was trying to make her feel like a virgin competing with…She didn’t answer him so he went on.
“You ever been married?”
“No,” she said, and looked squarely in his face thinking, if he says “Good-lookin woman like you ought to be able…” she would smack him in the mouth. But all he said was “Too bad,” and that didn’t seem definite enough to break his face for.
“Any children?”
“You ask too many questions,” she said. “Anything you want to know about me ask Son.”
Soldier smiled at that and shook his head. “Son don’t talk about his women and don’t let nobody else talk about em either.”
“I’m glad of that,” she said.
“I ain’t. Keeps him dumb. He wouldn’t know a good woman from a snake and he won’t let nobody point out the difference.”
“Can he tell the difference between a good man and a snake?”
“Oh, yeah. Son knows people. He just gets confused when it comes to women. With most everything else he thinks with his heart. But when it comes to women he thinks with his dick, you know what I mean?”
“Some people think with their mouths.”
“Yeah. I guess you right about that.” Soldier smiled. “But maybe it’s better’n not thinkin at all.”
“How would
He laughed. “You a hot one, ain’t you?”
“Yes, I’m a hot one.”
“Yeah.” He ran his fingers over the place on his head where his hair was thinning. “A hot one all right and a live one too.”
“Believe it.” She got up to pour herself more coffee.
Soldier scanned her hips. “Can I ask you somethin?”
“What?”
“Who’s controllin it?”
“Controlling what?”
“The thing. The thing between you two. Who’s in control?”
“Nobody. We’re together. Nobody controls anybody,” she said.
“Good,” he said. “That’s real good. Son, he don’t like control. Makes him, you know wildlike.”
“We don’t have that kind of relationship. I don’t like to be controlled either.”
“But you like to have it, don’t you?”
“Not with him.”
“Good. Good.”
“Did Cheyenne have control?” She sat down and stirred air into her coffee.
“Cheyenne? Naw. She didn’t control nothin. At least not during the day. But good God she sure did run the nights.” He laughed and then, since she did not join in, he sobered quickly and asked, “How long you all plannin to
