Read Online Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo - Free Book Online

and grin at you forever, too, and when he did this Rub got so self-conscious he had to look down at the floor. “We going back to work?” he said finally, for something to say.
    Sully shrugged. “You think we should?”
    Rub nodded enthusiastically.
    â€œOkay,” Sully said. “As long as you’re not too worried.”
    Rub frowned. “About what?”
    â€œAbout my bad knee. The one you never forget about. I thought you might be worried I’d hurt it again.”
    Rub wasn’t at all sure how to respond to this. He could think of only two responses—no, he wasn’t too worried, and yes, he was worried. Neither seemed quite right. He knew he was supposed to be worried. If true, this meant he was expected to hope they
didn’t
go back to work, something Rub couldn’t really hope, because he’d missed working with Sully a great deal this fall and hated working with his cousins collecting trash, almost as much as they hated letting him. North Bath had recently suspended trash collection as a city service, leading to entrepreneurial daring on the part of Rub’s relatives, who had for generations worked for the sanitation department. Last year they’d purchased the oldest and most broken down of the town’s aging fleet of three garbage trucks, had SQUEERS REFUSE REMOVAL stenciled on the door, and prepared to compete on the free market. In addition to the driver, there were always at least two Squeers boys hanging on to the back of the truck as it careened through the streets of Bath, and when the vehicle came to a halt they leapt off the truck like spiders and scurried for curbside trash cans. There were only sobooth or not. He’d been under the distinct impression that when Sully told him to go grab a booth, he himself had intended to join him there when he finished with the old woman. Except that now Sully was seated at the counter talking to Cass as if he’d forgotten all about Rub and the booth. To make matters worse, several people had come in and were waiting near the door for a booth to be vacated. They kept looking at Rub, all alone in his big one. Had the stool next to Sully been empty Rub would have made for it, but that stool was occupied, which meant he had to choose between sitting alone at a booth for six and not having a place to sit at all. His deeply furrowed expression suggested that the conundrum might be causing a cranial blood clot.
    â€œHe
has
been even more pathetic than usual this fall,” Cass had to admit. “He was in here earlier looking for you.”
    â€œI figured.”
    â€œHe ask you yet?”
    Sully shook his head. “He keeps getting interrupted. In another minute or two he’ll cry.”
    Indeed, Rub looked to be on the verge of tears when Sully finally relented and waved him over. Jumping up quickly, he came toward them at a trot, like a dog released from a difficult command.
    â€œThere’s no stool,” he said as soon as he arrived.
    Sully swiveled on his, a complete circle. “You know what? You’re right.”
    The people waiting by the door made for the booth Rub had vacated. Rub sighed deeply as he watched them take possession. “What was wrong with the booth?”
    â€œNothing,” Sully told him. “Not a goddamn thing. Booths are great, in fact.”
    Rub threw up his hands. The look on his face was pure exasperation.
    â€œThink a minute,” Sully reminded him. “What’d you just do for me over at the house?”
    Rub thought. “Tied your shoe,” he suddenly remembered.
    â€œWhich means?” Sully prompted.
    Cass set a steaming cup of coffee in front of Sully and asked Rub if he wanted any.
    â€œDon’t interrupt,” Sully told her. “He’s deep in thought.”
    â€œI never minded tying your shoe,” Rub said. “I know your knee’s hurt. I didn’t forget.” This last was delivered so unconvincingly