Read Online American rust by Philipp Meyer - Free Book Online

wondered if she had used him, poor Bud, though she didn't think so. Ten years ago he'd become chief of police, though, as he was always pointing out, it wasn't like being chief in a real city, there were only six full- time officers, and with all the financial crises, half of them were due to be laid off. At any rate here she was, still thinking about him, she and Virgil had broken up so many times that she'd dated a dozen other men, only somehow she was still thinking about skinny old Bud Harris.
    She heard a truck come up the road and pull into the driveway. Virgil came inside. He was drunk, maybe stoned, she could see that. That would suit her purposes. She kissed him on the neck, took his hand and put it between her legs.
    “What a good day,” he said.
    “What'd you do?”
    “Went fishing with Pete McCallister.”
    She put the towel aside and laid against him. She rubbed his leg.
    “I thought you said you'd be out looking for something,” she said.
    “It's a goddamn Saturday,” he said.
    “Well, that's what you told me.”
    “I forgot what day it was when I said that.”
    She shrugged. “I heard U.S. Steel is doing aptitude testing next month. You could put in a call up there.”
    “Goddamn hour and a half in traffic each way.”
    She could smell the booze on him. “We could move closer in to the city, live in an actual house.”
    “We ought to be moving further away. Live a real country life instead of trying to pretend we're gonna move up in the world.”
    He looked at her. “What are you laughing about,” he said.
    She shook her head and stopped smiling. They looked at each other awhile longer and there was something about his face. She was looking at him and he had a strange look and then she knew.
    “What,” he said.
    “Virgil,” she said.
    “What?”
    “The mortgage is due this week, plus it's April and we still owe taxes from two years ago. I'm on a payment plan with the IRS.”
    “Danny Hobbes owes me three hundred bucks. We can always make more money.”
    It was quiet and she kept rubbing his leg. “Remind me again why you came back,” she said.
    “You know I've got money.”
    “What about your disability this month?”
    “That's what I lent to Danny.”
    She nodded.
    “What about getting other money from the government.”
    “We ain't gonna pass the asset test for welfare. Plus they sign you up for some shit job now so you're fucked if you think you're gonna have time to look for a real job. There's no goddamn point if it don't lead to actual wage-paying employment.”
    “You should apply for it anyway,” she said. “Your son isn't working, either.”
    “I already looked into it,” he said. “Between the house and my truck we're not even close to qualifying. It's the asset test.”
    “Your truck is six years old and I make nine- fifty an hour.”
    “Well it's too much,” he said. “You still giving away your time at that shelter thing?”
    She looked at him.
    “Maybe for a little while you could do something else that paid instead, I mean if you're so worried about all this.”
    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
    “I was just thinking out loud,” he said. “Don't get all mad, now.”
    “We'll get by,” she said. She still had her eyes closed.
    He leaned over and kissed her.
    “Let's have a drink to get this out of our heads.” He grinned and went out to the truck.
    Give him some time, she thought. Be a little more generous. He came back inside brandishing a half- empty bottle of Kentucky Deluxe and, after finding clean glasses, poured one for her and one for him. She wanted to tell him about Billy coming home hurt last night but something stopped her. She took down her shot of whiskey and so did he and then he started kissing her.
    Then he unbuckled her jeans and slid them down.
    “You don't want to go to the bed?” she said.
    He shook his head. He slipped inside her and she lifted her legs around him. Soon she could feel it building and then she forgot