be at The Long Shot. It's not their regular hangout, but she said she'd look for me there. And she's coming to the game Saturday. And we might go to dinner Saturday night."
"She's coming to watch you coach a kid's baseball game?" Cal said. "She must love you a lot."
"Not yet," Roger said. "But she will."
"Friday," Tony said, ignoring them. "That's good. I can hit on Liza, and Cal can move on the suit."
"No," Cal said.
Roger looked sympathetic. "What happened?"
Cal went back to his computer. "She's a conservative, antigambling actuary who spent dinner bitching at me. Then I took her home, climbed fifty-eight steps to her apartment to make sure she didn't get mugged, and elbowed her in the eye. It was the worst date of my life, and I'm sure it was in her bottom five."
"You hit her?" Tony said.
"By accident," Cal said. "I'd send flowers to apologize, but she's anticharm, too. It's over. Move on."
"So you're going to give up on another one," Tony said, shaking his head.
Cal looked up at him, annoyed. "Now tell me about your deep and lasting relationships."
"Yes, but that's me," Tony said. "I'm shallow."
"Bonnie lives on the first floor of that house," Roger said, as if they hadn't spoken, "so I just had to make the first thirty-two steps. And then she felt bad for me, so she invited me in for coffee. I can get used to the steps."
"Does that mean Liza lives on the second floor?" Tony said.
"No, Liza lives over on Pennington," Roger said. "She moves every year to a new place, about the time she changes jobs. Bonnie says Liza likes change."
Cal looked at Tony. "You didn't walk her home?"
"She ditched me while I was in the John ," Tony said. "I think she's playing hard to get."
"Sounds like Min," Cal said, going back to the computer. "Except I don't think she's playing."
"Bonnie and I walked Liza home," Roger said. "It was nice. It gave me more time with Bonnie."
"Jesus, man, pull yourself together," Tony said.
"You're serious about this?" Cal said, turning back to Roger.
"Yes."
Cal saw determination on his face. "Congratulations," he said, deciding to check Bonnie out. "Wait a month to propose. You don't want to scare her."
"That's what I thought," Roger said.
"You're both nuts," Tony said.
"We're all going to be unemployed if we don't get to work," Cal said. "Start with the Batchelder refresher."
"Bonnie says Min is great," Roger said. "She looked nice."
"Min is not nice," Cal said. "Min is mad at the world and taking it out on whatever guy is standing next to her. Now about the Batchelder refresher—"
"Are you sure David knows there's no bet?" Tony said.
"Positive," Cal said. "I'm never seeing that woman again. Now about the
Batchelder refresher
..."
At half past four that afternoon, Min walked into the ivory moire-draped fitting room of the city's best bridal emporium, well aware she was late and not caring much. Her mother was probably so absorbed in harassing Diana and the fitter that—
"You're late," Nanette Dobbs said. "The appointment was for four."
"I work." Min crossed the thick gold carpet and detoured around the dark-haired bundle of exasperation that had given birth to her, dropping her jacket on an ivory-upholstered chair. "That means the insurance company gets first dibs on my time. If you want me here on the dot, schedule this for after work."
"That's ridiculous," Nanette said. "Your dress is in the second dressing room. The fitter is with Diana and the other girls. Give me your blouse, you'll just drop it on the floor in there." She held out one imperious, French-manicured hand, and Min sighed and took off her blouse.
"Oh,
Min,"
her mother said, her voice heavy with unsurprised contempt. "Wherever did you get that bra?"
Min looked down at her underwear. Plain cotton, but perfectly respectable. "I have no idea. Why?"
"White cotton," Nanette said. "Honestly, Min, plain cotton is like plain vanilla—"
"I like plain vanilla."
"—there's no excitement there at all."
Min blinked.
"She's coming to watch you coach a kid's baseball game?" Cal said. "She must love you a lot."
"Not yet," Roger said. "But she will."
"Friday," Tony said, ignoring them. "That's good. I can hit on Liza, and Cal can move on the suit."
"No," Cal said.
Roger looked sympathetic. "What happened?"
Cal went back to his computer. "She's a conservative, antigambling actuary who spent dinner bitching at me. Then I took her home, climbed fifty-eight steps to her apartment to make sure she didn't get mugged, and elbowed her in the eye. It was the worst date of my life, and I'm sure it was in her bottom five."
"You hit her?" Tony said.
"By accident," Cal said. "I'd send flowers to apologize, but she's anticharm, too. It's over. Move on."
"So you're going to give up on another one," Tony said, shaking his head.
Cal looked up at him, annoyed. "Now tell me about your deep and lasting relationships."
"Yes, but that's me," Tony said. "I'm shallow."
"Bonnie lives on the first floor of that house," Roger said, as if they hadn't spoken, "so I just had to make the first thirty-two steps. And then she felt bad for me, so she invited me in for coffee. I can get used to the steps."
"Does that mean Liza lives on the second floor?" Tony said.
"No, Liza lives over on Pennington," Roger said. "She moves every year to a new place, about the time she changes jobs. Bonnie says Liza likes change."
Cal looked at Tony. "You didn't walk her home?"
"She ditched me while I was in the John ," Tony said. "I think she's playing hard to get."
"Sounds like Min," Cal said, going back to the computer. "Except I don't think she's playing."
"Bonnie and I walked Liza home," Roger said. "It was nice. It gave me more time with Bonnie."
"Jesus, man, pull yourself together," Tony said.
"You're serious about this?" Cal said, turning back to Roger.
"Yes."
Cal saw determination on his face. "Congratulations," he said, deciding to check Bonnie out. "Wait a month to propose. You don't want to scare her."
"That's what I thought," Roger said.
"You're both nuts," Tony said.
"We're all going to be unemployed if we don't get to work," Cal said. "Start with the Batchelder refresher."
"Bonnie says Min is great," Roger said. "She looked nice."
"Min is not nice," Cal said. "Min is mad at the world and taking it out on whatever guy is standing next to her. Now about the Batchelder refresher—"
"Are you sure David knows there's no bet?" Tony said.
"Positive," Cal said. "I'm never seeing that woman again. Now about the
Batchelder refresher
..."
At half past four that afternoon, Min walked into the ivory moire-draped fitting room of the city's best bridal emporium, well aware she was late and not caring much. Her mother was probably so absorbed in harassing Diana and the fitter that—
"You're late," Nanette Dobbs said. "The appointment was for four."
"I work." Min crossed the thick gold carpet and detoured around the dark-haired bundle of exasperation that had given birth to her, dropping her jacket on an ivory-upholstered chair. "That means the insurance company gets first dibs on my time. If you want me here on the dot, schedule this for after work."
"That's ridiculous," Nanette said. "Your dress is in the second dressing room. The fitter is with Diana and the other girls. Give me your blouse, you'll just drop it on the floor in there." She held out one imperious, French-manicured hand, and Min sighed and took off her blouse.
"Oh,
Min,"
her mother said, her voice heavy with unsurprised contempt. "Wherever did you get that bra?"
Min looked down at her underwear. Plain cotton, but perfectly respectable. "I have no idea. Why?"
"White cotton," Nanette said. "Honestly, Min, plain cotton is like plain vanilla—"
"I like plain vanilla."
"—there's no excitement there at all."
Min blinked.
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