She was wearing a black dress that you would have said, if you saw it on a wire hanger, belonged on a woman half a foot shorter and twenty pounds lighter. But Socrates didn't complain about the deep brown cleavage or the flesh of her thighs. He didn't ask why she was late. He didn't even remember that she was late. He said no more to Charlene than he had to Bernie but his face was an open book.
She said, ?Hi,? and he opened the gate to the alley. She held out her hand and he took it to lead her across the threshold. They walked past the hole he'd dug and the tree next to it. Killer shoved his friendly snout up under the short dress. Charlene giggled and scratched his ear.
In the kitchen Socrates took Charlene by her waist and guided her to sit in his one good wood chair. He took off her flat-heeled black suede shoes and caressed her calf with a hand that knew a hundred ways to kill.
Charlene sighed and he said, ?Stand up.?
He pulled the black straps off her shoulders and then went down on his knees again as he pulled the dress toward her ankles. He swung around to sit in the chair. Using his hands he turned her slowly around to look at the body that had lived in his dreams.
?Baby,? Charlene said in a voice that was almost pleading.
Socrates could see that she was getting shy from his deep scrutiny and his powerful hands.
?What?? he asked her.
?I don't know,? she said.
They played love until nearly midnight. It wasn't until then that Socrates broke the seal on his whiskey. They had only one drink before going back to bed.
?What you thinkin'?? Charlene asked him in the darkness of his sleeping room.
?That it's always about me,? Socrates said.
?What you mean??
?Here I am sayin' that I did this for Levering. But Levering is gone and I'm here with you. You know I think I woulda bust if you didn't come over. It was me had to sleep with you. Even though I knew it was wrong.?
?What's wrong with it? I ain't married. You ain't neither. Are you??
?Maybe it ain't. I don't know. At least nobody died over it.?
?I almost did,? Charlene sighed.
They fell asleep in each other's arms.
At four o'clock the next afternoon Socrates went to Iula's diner. Before he climbed the aluminum ladder he saw Tony working in the machine shop below the restaurant. Socrates waved at Tony who had a blowtorch in his hand. The mechanic made some kind of gesture and Socrates continued his climb.
Iula was alone behind the counter. Charles Rinnet was in the kitchen bus behind.
?Hello,? Iula said in a neutral tone.
?I,? Socrates said.
?Not quite ready yet but if you give us ten minutes you could have somethin'.?
?I just had to say somethin'.? Socrates' voice was full of the love that Charlene gave him. It arrested his ex- girlfriend and she gave him a nod.
?I ain't stayin',? Socrates said. ?I just wanted to say that you mean somethin' to me and I care a lot about you. You a good woman. You got a lot goin' for you that any man would like to share. If you need a man today you should have that. And I'm sorry it ain't me. But you know I got business t'take care of before I could saddle a woman with this here heart I got. You know sometimes I feel like I'm gonna explode. An' you cain't blow up on someone you love, baby. No.?
Iula said nothing but she didn't seem angry. She just nodded and looked at him.
He kissed her on the cheek and left.
