”You mean I’m going to have to force my attentions upon you?“ I said.
”Yes,“ she said. ”But you may as well force them in the bedroom. It’s more comfortable.“
I walked toward the hall with her. ”You smell good,“ I said.
”I know,“ she said. ”Halston.“
The bedroom door was ajar. I pushed it open with my foot and walked in.
”You better kiss me,“ she said. ”Stifle my screams.“
I sat on the edge of the bed and kissed her. I kept my eyes open. In the light from the hall I could see that she closed hers. She moved her head away and opened her eyes and looked up at my face.
I said, ”Lipwise you’ve still got it, baby.“
Her face was serious and still, but her eyes glittered. ”You ain’t seen nothing yet,“ she said.
It was late when we were through. Most of our clothing was scattered about and the bedspread was badly wrinkled. I lay on my back with my heart pounding and my chest heaving in air. Susan lay beside me. She held my hand.
”Have you overexerted?“ she said.
”Your resistance was fierce,“ I said.
”Umm,“ she said.
From the living room there was the faint sound of the television, which Paul had left on. The image of it gesticulating to an empty room pleased me.
”Just what do you plan to do with that boy, cookie?“ Susan said.
”I thought we might want to talk that out,“ I said.
”We?“
”You know about kids.“
”I know about guidance,“ Susan said. ”There’s a difference.“
”I’ll need help.“
”You’ll need more than that. The boy is bound to be difficult. Even without knowing him one could predict that. My God, he’s chattel in a divorce settlement. What do you know about the needs of a neurotic adolescent?“
”I thought I’d ask you,“ I said.
”Based, on my experience with you?“ she said.
”I’m not neurotic,“ I said.
Susan turned her face toward me. In the half-light she was smiling. She squeezed my hand. ”No,“ she said, ”you aren’t. You’re complicated, but you are not even a little bit neurotic“
”The kid needs to get away from his parents,“ I said.
”That’s not the conventional wisdom, except in cases more extreme than this.“
”Maybe the conventional wisdom is right,“ I said, ”if the choice is to get into the welfare-youth services-foster- home system.“
”But not if he’s going to be with you?“
”Not if he’s going to be with me,“ I said.
”You think you can make life better for him?“
”Yes.“
”How long do you plan to keep him?“
”I don’t know.“
”It’s hard enough to raise children you love,“ Susan said. ”I’ve seen it from the failure end, over and over, parents whose kids are just a goddamned mess. Parents who love them and have presided over the complete botching of their lives. I think your eyes are bigger than your stomach on this one, dear heart.“
”How about that property in Maine,“ I said.
Susan propped up on one elbow. ”Fryeburg?“ she said.
”Yeah. I told you I’d build a house on it“
”When you got a chance, you said.“
”This is the chance.“
”You and Paul?“
”Yes.“
She was quiet, lying naked beside me, on her right side with her head propped on her right elbow. Her lipstick was smeared. The intelligence in her face was like energy. It seemed almost to shimmer. That she was beautiful was only the first thing you noticed.
”Work release,“ she said.
