“Daddy, you stop that!” Joyce ordered, gently tapping the side of Mac’s jowly face. I was glad to hear her using a firmer tone. Maybe she didn’t let her parents control every move she made after all. She cleared her throat and blinked at me some more. “What time do you want to go out, Odell?”
“She’ll be ready at six o’clock sharp,” Mac blurted out. “You got a car?”
“Not yet, sir. I plan to get one as soon as I can afford to.”
“Hmmm. Then you know how to drive?”
“Yes, sir. I been driving since I was sixteen,” I said proudly.
“Then y’all can go out in my car.” Mac glanced at the big clock on the wall above the door and gulped. “Lord a’mighty! Look how late it is! Come on, girl. We better shake a leg if we going to lunch, so I can get you back to your work on time.”
“It was nice meeting you, Odell. I’ll see you at six o’clock sharp,” Joyce cooed, walking behind her daddy like a faithful puppy all the way out the door.
Buddy and Sadie gazed at me with their eyes so bugged out, you would have thought I’d just parted the Red Sea. I didn’t feel like hearing any more of their crude comments or answering any nosy questions. I ducked out the back door, so I could be by myself for a few minutes. I needed to think about what I was getting myself into with my employer’s daughter. It didn’t take long for me to convince myself that I’d made a wise move.
Ten minutes later when I went back inside, Buddy and Sadie had several people to wait on, so I didn’t have to worry about them bothering me for a while. By three p.m. Mac hadn’t returned, so I figured he’d gone home early. With the big boss man no longer on the premises, and no customers in the store, Buddy slipped into his busybody mode again. He waltzed over to where I was straightening out the racks that held the women’s blouses.
“Well, now,” he croaked. “Look like you and Joyce done hit it off real good.”
I gave him the most irritated look I could conjure up. “We did. She seems like a real nice lady and I hope I get to know her better.”
“Why?”
I did a double-take. “That’s a mighty odd question. Especially coming from you.”
“I’m just trying to figure out what you seen in her that the other men don’t see.”
I folded my arms and said in the strongest voice my mouth could manage, “I seen a real sweet woman and I like her. She was nothing like I expected.”
“Is that right? Hmmm. I do declare, I’m sure enough surprised.” Buddy cocked his head and squinted. “After all me and Sadie Mae told you about that gal, I don’t know what you was expecting.”
“Well, it don’t matter. I still like Joyce. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to finish my work, so I can go home and get ready for my date with her.”
Buddy raised his arms and shook his patchy gray-haired, peanut-shaped head. “All right then. I was just trying to help.”
“Do me a favor and don’t ‘help’ me no more.”
“Say what?”
“If you got anything else you want to tell me about Joyce, keep it to yourself. I’d really appreciate that.”
“Oh. Okay then.” Buddy bit his bottom lip and cleared his throat. “I’ll tell Sadie the same thing if you want me to.”
“Tell her exactly what I told you.”
“Uh-huh. Um . . . I guess I should get back to work in case Mac come back. If he do, I hope he in a good mood, so he’ll let me take off early today. I need to get home, so I can rinse out my good shirt and iron it dry. I got a date with a lady this evening myself.”
“That’s good, Buddy. I hope you’ll have a good time.” I ended the conversation with a smile and a pat on Buddy’s shoulder and he returned to his cash register. That was the last time he or Sadie ever said anything to me about Joyce.
* * *
I didn’t own no watch. I looked up at the wall clock every few minutes to keep track of the time. When I got off at five, I’d have just enough time to go to the flophouse where I rented a room and get ready.
Chapter 4
Joyce
IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO BELIEVE THAT A HANDSOME MAN LIKE ODELL could fix his juicy lips to call me beautiful. I was not blind, so I knew what I looked like. No matter how much I spruced myself up, I was only average-looking at best. One of the drawers in my bedroom chifforobe contained a big supply of nut-brown face powder, rouge, black eyebrow pencils, straightening combs, marcel curlers, and every hair pomade ever made. Even with
