this paper is going to do it for you. I just know it.”
“You mean get me up and over?”
“I just know it will. I don’t know much about your field but this paper on Olmec vestiges in Mayan art reads like a Dorothy Sayers mystery. It’s exciting. What have you read in art history lately that’s exciting?”
“Yeah, well, that’s it. They’re such damned stuffed shirts. I’m hesitant to turn this in.”
“Oh, come on, take the chance. What the hell. If they don’t like it we’ll start searching out hospitable universities that will appreciate you. Any school that’s too dumb to see the value of this paper, both content and style, doesn’t deserve to have you.”
“Are you for hire?” Adele poked her ribs. “Speaking of hire, we’d better get our asses out on the street and find a cab or we’ll never make it to Lynn Feingarten’s party and you know she’s got this thing for you.”
“She can keep her thing to herself.”
“What? I thought you fancied her ever so slightly.”
“Oh, we had dinner a few times but honest to god, Dell, if Lynn were a man she’d be a regimental-tie queen, you know what I mean?”
“Yes, I know what you mean. But darlin’, half of New York City is busy being oh-so-refined.”
“I can’t bear it. Remember what Chanel said, ‘Luxury is not the absence of poverty but the absence of vulgarity.’ ”
“Ha, Feingarten does glitter with all that jewelry. You ought to tell her.”
“Tell her nothing. I say let’s throw her in the Hudson. Every fish within five miles will come after all that shiny stuff.”
“Honey, you are getting downright venomous. What’d she do to you?”
“Two things. First she made a pass that was so crude it defies description. I can’t stand that lady-butch crap. Second, and worse, far the worse, she said I had a Southern accent and I’d be far more attractive if I lost it. The nerve of that overdressed tart.”
“There is a delicate bouquet of magnolia in your speech.”
“Adele, I slaved like a cotton-picker to get rid of that when I was at school.”
“Yes, well, it’s coming out now. Besides, Scarlett, my folks were the cotton pickers, remember?”
“Like hell they were. Your grandfather probably sold them all snake-oil to get rid of the aches and pains. That’s how your family got so disgustingly rich.” Carole howled.
Adele giggled. “Now don’t you be telling anyone such horrible lies about me. My Granddaddy made a fortune selling Black folks creme to lighten their skin.”
At this outrageousness Carole screamed, “Adele, ninety per cent of the terrible things they say about you are untrue but ten per cent is worse than anyone can imagine!”
“That’s right. Don’t you forget it.”
“Your grandfather didn’t do that, really, did he?”
“Of course not but it’s such a good lie. You want to know how we got the money, cross my heart?”
“Seeing as we’ve known each other for around six years now, I’d love to know.”
“Didn’t your mother tell you talking about money is trash?”
“Yeah but that’s because we didn’t have any to talk about and neither did anyone else so why embarrass all your friends.”
Adele relished this. “Now see, I was told the exact same thing for opposite reasons. Anyway, Grandfather did start the business rolling and it’s stayed in the family ever since. As a chemist at the turn of the century he developed a line of beauty aides for colored people as he still calls us and it’s boomed ever since. Dad went into law, has Grandfather’s account and a lot of other fat accounts as well as real estate.My father is a shrewd man. He can smell money in a clover blossom.”
“God knows there are many ways to make a buck and I haven’t discovered one. Must be what I inherited from all those generations of poverty.” Carole laughed.
“Oh, you’re doing pretty good for a single woman.”
“I know but academic types rarely get rich.”
“But we have
“You mean get me up and over?”
“I just know it will. I don’t know much about your field but this paper on Olmec vestiges in Mayan art reads like a Dorothy Sayers mystery. It’s exciting. What have you read in art history lately that’s exciting?”
“Yeah, well, that’s it. They’re such damned stuffed shirts. I’m hesitant to turn this in.”
“Oh, come on, take the chance. What the hell. If they don’t like it we’ll start searching out hospitable universities that will appreciate you. Any school that’s too dumb to see the value of this paper, both content and style, doesn’t deserve to have you.”
“Are you for hire?” Adele poked her ribs. “Speaking of hire, we’d better get our asses out on the street and find a cab or we’ll never make it to Lynn Feingarten’s party and you know she’s got this thing for you.”
“She can keep her thing to herself.”
“What? I thought you fancied her ever so slightly.”
“Oh, we had dinner a few times but honest to god, Dell, if Lynn were a man she’d be a regimental-tie queen, you know what I mean?”
“Yes, I know what you mean. But darlin’, half of New York City is busy being oh-so-refined.”
“I can’t bear it. Remember what Chanel said, ‘Luxury is not the absence of poverty but the absence of vulgarity.’ ”
“Ha, Feingarten does glitter with all that jewelry. You ought to tell her.”
“Tell her nothing. I say let’s throw her in the Hudson. Every fish within five miles will come after all that shiny stuff.”
“Honey, you are getting downright venomous. What’d she do to you?”
“Two things. First she made a pass that was so crude it defies description. I can’t stand that lady-butch crap. Second, and worse, far the worse, she said I had a Southern accent and I’d be far more attractive if I lost it. The nerve of that overdressed tart.”
“There is a delicate bouquet of magnolia in your speech.”
“Adele, I slaved like a cotton-picker to get rid of that when I was at school.”
“Yes, well, it’s coming out now. Besides, Scarlett, my folks were the cotton pickers, remember?”
“Like hell they were. Your grandfather probably sold them all snake-oil to get rid of the aches and pains. That’s how your family got so disgustingly rich.” Carole howled.
Adele giggled. “Now don’t you be telling anyone such horrible lies about me. My Granddaddy made a fortune selling Black folks creme to lighten their skin.”
At this outrageousness Carole screamed, “Adele, ninety per cent of the terrible things they say about you are untrue but ten per cent is worse than anyone can imagine!”
“That’s right. Don’t you forget it.”
“Your grandfather didn’t do that, really, did he?”
“Of course not but it’s such a good lie. You want to know how we got the money, cross my heart?”
“Seeing as we’ve known each other for around six years now, I’d love to know.”
“Didn’t your mother tell you talking about money is trash?”
“Yeah but that’s because we didn’t have any to talk about and neither did anyone else so why embarrass all your friends.”
Adele relished this. “Now see, I was told the exact same thing for opposite reasons. Anyway, Grandfather did start the business rolling and it’s stayed in the family ever since. As a chemist at the turn of the century he developed a line of beauty aides for colored people as he still calls us and it’s boomed ever since. Dad went into law, has Grandfather’s account and a lot of other fat accounts as well as real estate.My father is a shrewd man. He can smell money in a clover blossom.”
“God knows there are many ways to make a buck and I haven’t discovered one. Must be what I inherited from all those generations of poverty.” Carole laughed.
“Oh, you’re doing pretty good for a single woman.”
“I know but academic types rarely get rich.”
“But we have
Similar Books
