Read Online Further Out Than You Thought by Michaela Carter - Free Book Online

the chocolate, the donut and the pregnancy test in her purse and sipped the black coffee. A little weak, but it would do. “I couldn’t live in the same city with my family, Jin,” she told him. She might have said father rather than family. They were the same thing.
    His eyes lit up. “Oh, I see,” he said. And she knew he didn’t, not really, and there wasn’t time to explain.
    â€œYou be careful,” he said. And she promised.
    In the car, she took a bite of the bear claw. It was good, but it was no old-fashioned. The clock read 9:45, and it was a few minutes slow. She’d be late for sure. She’d do her makeup on the way.
    Leo was in front of the Cornell when she pulled up. He ran Fifi inside and jumped into the car, tricornered hat and all.
    â€œWe should let her go,” he said.
    â€œLet who go?” she said, stepping on the gas.
    â€œFifi.”
    â€œWhat? It’s not like she’s our maid or our secretary. We can’t just let her go.”
    â€œI mean, let her go free. It isn’t right. We shouldn’t own animals. And decide for them whether or not they can procreate. It’s barbaric.”
    â€œThis isn’t Mexico. If you let her go she’ll get picked up by Animal Control and either get adopted by someone else or, more likely, since she’s a biter, get put down.”
    Gwen drove fast and blew through two lights as they turned red. She handed him the donut.
    â€œI’m not hungry,” he said and took a bite. “God, what possessed you?” He took another bite and gave it back.
    â€œIt’s your favorite,” she said, holding it to his lips. He inhaled it.
    â€œWitch,” he muttered, mouth full. “You have water? I just need a sip.” He reached into her bag, feeling for the bottle. Her heart lurched.
    â€œOn second thought,” he said, and reached for her coffee.
    He put the bag on the armrest between them. He hadn’t seen. But then, he never looked through her purse. He didn’t dare. It was a carpetbag affair, terrifying in breadth and density. Like a great mouth complete with teeth—pencils or hairbrushes with thin nylon bristles that pierced you under your fingernails, bare razors. Damn, she thought, she’d forgotten to buy a razor.
    â€œPick me up on your way home?” he said.
    â€œIt’ll be six thirty, at least.”
    â€œThat’s fine.”
    â€œYou have water? Food?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œCash?”
    â€œYou know I don’t touch the stuff.”
    â€œBut if someone gave you money for a tape?”
    â€œI’m not an idiot, Gwen.”
    She searched her purse for a five and pressed it into his hand.
    â€œHonest Abe,” he said, and studied the face on the bill before putting it back in her purse.
    â€œLeo—”
    â€œZero. Please.” He tipped the front corner of his hat, grinned, and started singing, a sort of Middle Eastern chant. His voice was liquid, clear undulating blue, lit so you could see to its depths. It made the traffic stop and go rhythmic, made it flow, ebb and slap. The Mediterranean on an afternoon in October. They’d been there once. Made love on a hot smooth rock.
    Put the trip on credit cards.
    It seemed so long ago, like a dream. Greece and its empty beaches. Folegandros, the island where she first had Leo in his sleep, took him as a real succubus would, on that cement dock at the beach with the long name, the furthest beach, the one that made the villagers smile when she and Leo had asked. “Livadaki?”
    â€œAh, Livadaki.” They’d nodded knowingly, pointing in its direction, their smiles showing their missing teeth.
    Leo was nude when he fell asleep. They’d skinny-dipped in the brisk sea and stretched out on the dock to dry. He was sleeping on his back, and she whispered to him, “Who am I?”
    â€œYou?” He’d laughed to himself. She’d touched him,