She smiled widely. And what I'd seen in her eyes, I saw in her smile.
'Pud played football over at Alabama. Even had a pro tryout.'
'Linebacker?' I said.
'I don't know who the pro team was. I hate football.'
'What position did he play?' I said.
'Defense.'
I nodded.
'He still goes to the gym all the time. But you just turned him around like he was a little bitty boy.'
'Breathtaking, isn't it?' I said.
'You're a dangerous man,' she said, and put her glass out. I poured.
'Especially to fried clams,' I said. 'You put a plate of fried clams in front of me, they're gone in a heartbeat.'
'I could see that you were dangerous,' she said, 'minute you came into the room.'
The champagne was beginning to affect her speech a little. Her articles were slurring, or she was skipping right over them.
'I think even Pud could see it, but he was too drunk to be smart about it. What would you have done if he'd come back at you?'
'You kind of have to be in the moment,' I said, 'to know what you'd do.'
'You'd have hurt him,' SueSue said. 'I saw it in your eyes.'
'I take no pleasure in hurting someone.'
'I know men, darlin'. Everybody else in my damn family knows horses. But I know men. You like to fight.'
'Everybody needs a hobby,' I said.
'You like to fuck too?'
'Wow,' I said. 'You do know men.'
A little vertical frown line indented her perfect tan for a moment, between her perfect eyebrows, and went right away.
'Lotta men don't like it. They all pretend they like it, but they don't. Some of them don't want to, or they can't 'cause they a little teensy bit drunk, or they scared of a woman who wants to.'
'And you're a woman who wants to.'
'I like it. I like it with big men. I'd like to see how many muscles you got and where.'
'Lots,' I said. 'Everywhere.'
'I need to see for myself, darlin'.'
'That'll be a problem.'
'You aren't even drinking your champagne,' she said. 'If you don't like champagne, I got something more serious.'
'No need,' I said.
But SueSue wasn't all that interested in my needs.
'You married?' Sue said.
'Sort of.'
'You don't wear a wedding band.'
'I'm not exactly married.'
'How can you be not exactly married?' she said. 'You mean you got a girlfriend.'
'More than that,' I said.
'Good Lord, you're not gay, are you?'
'No.'
'Well, whatever it is, you being loyal about it?'
'Yes.'
'Oh hell,' she said.
I nodded.
'Cheatin' makes it a lot more fun, darlin',' she said.
Her southern accent became more pronounced as the champagne bubbled into her system.
'Maybe it's not always about fun,' I said.
