Read Online The Passionate Attention of an Interesting Man by Ethan Mordden - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ethan Mordden
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get married, though. You need to be in respect. Lucy’s the finest woman I know. Did you like her?”
“Very much. In the old days, she was called ‘a handsome woman.’ Not just for her looks, but her whole way of being. Her ease.”
“You were great with the kids. Hand me that towel, this one’s all…yes, that one.”
“You’re the guy who’s great with kids,” said Lloyd.
“I had a sterling example in my daddy, of course. But I heard a thing about you that I need to ask on right now. From old Jake. The realtor who’s selling Jake’s house for him? Seems he told Jake that you’re looking for a place of your own. All of a sudden. That true?”
“I… what ? Why is Jake getting involved in—”
“No, hold on, no one’s indicting you yet. Jake’s set to give up his house and take an apartment, though I make it that your house is your family, and I was careful to explain that to my old Jake there. Selling your house is like selling your kinfolk. But would he listen? You’ve stopped washing.”
“Tom, is this another of your jokes?”
Tom looked at Lloyd as if gauging his honesty, an inquisitor reading soul.
“I asked if you were joking,” Lloyd repeated.
“The answer to that is no.”
“Then let’s use our heads, okay? I don’t have the money to move, first of all, and, second, when has Jake ever said anything that makes sense?”
“He’s only reporting what he heard,” said Tom, relinquishing the towel and turning off the faucet. “Since it’s intermission here. But why would the realtor guy invent such a tale?”
“ What tale?”
“That you’re looking at places with an eye to move out of this house and leave me in the lurch and didn’t tell me.”
“ Oh !” Lloyd cried. “Damn, I know who it is now!”
“Because for you to sneak out on me after—”
“Tom, for gosh sakes! You know me better than that!”
“Does a guy ever know anyone but family, really?”
Lloyd stared at Tom. Then he said, “It was at Portia’s. This realtor, who is a venomous little toad, started getting pushy with me at the pool party, and I fended him off. I stiffed him out, is what. So, for revenge, he’s gone fibbing to Jake. Hoping to create trouble between you and me. And Jake, helpful as always, passes it all straight to you.”
Tom turned the faucet back on, his features unreadable. “Wash,” he ordered.
Lloyd cleaned a dish silently, while Tom thought it over.
Finally, Tom said, “So there’s no underlying crime here? It’s disinformation?”
“It’s evil lies, and you should have known that as soon as you heard them!”
“Mad at me, huh?”
Lloyd took another dish, washing and fuming.
“I can’t investigate in good faith?” Tom asked.
“There’s nothing to investigate!”
“Well, that’s why you look into the matter, to—”
“Tom, sometimes you are too rough with me.”
“Hear about you wandering off to…got to punish you for your crimes, don’t I? So my daddy did, and so will I.”
“All right,” said Lloyd, putting the plate down. “Now it’s time, man, because you have caught me on just the right drink.” Turning to look directly at Tom, Lloyd went on, “What kind of punishment was it, exactly? You tell me here and now.”
Surprised at Lloyd’s intensity, Tom hesitated. Then: “It was just and effective, angry though you are.”
“Well, who made me angry?”
“Wash.”
“ No .”
“Rebellious as always. You know what I’ll do about that.”
“This again,” Lloyd murmured.
“My daddy knew how to force rebellious kids to behave.”
Lloyd turned off the faucet.
“Would he strike you?” Lloyd asked.
“Worse,” Tom answered. That was all he would say.
In fact, Tom’s father never hurt his children. When very young, they got sharp reprimands, or timeouts fiercely initiated: to frighten rather than to pain. As teens, they got stern and then sterner warnings. And if these didn’t work, Tom’s father would take the culprit
“Very much. In the old days, she was called ‘a handsome woman.’ Not just for her looks, but her whole way of being. Her ease.”
“You were great with the kids. Hand me that towel, this one’s all…yes, that one.”
“You’re the guy who’s great with kids,” said Lloyd.
“I had a sterling example in my daddy, of course. But I heard a thing about you that I need to ask on right now. From old Jake. The realtor who’s selling Jake’s house for him? Seems he told Jake that you’re looking for a place of your own. All of a sudden. That true?”
“I… what ? Why is Jake getting involved in—”
“No, hold on, no one’s indicting you yet. Jake’s set to give up his house and take an apartment, though I make it that your house is your family, and I was careful to explain that to my old Jake there. Selling your house is like selling your kinfolk. But would he listen? You’ve stopped washing.”
“Tom, is this another of your jokes?”
Tom looked at Lloyd as if gauging his honesty, an inquisitor reading soul.
“I asked if you were joking,” Lloyd repeated.
“The answer to that is no.”
“Then let’s use our heads, okay? I don’t have the money to move, first of all, and, second, when has Jake ever said anything that makes sense?”
“He’s only reporting what he heard,” said Tom, relinquishing the towel and turning off the faucet. “Since it’s intermission here. But why would the realtor guy invent such a tale?”
“ What tale?”
“That you’re looking at places with an eye to move out of this house and leave me in the lurch and didn’t tell me.”
“ Oh !” Lloyd cried. “Damn, I know who it is now!”
“Because for you to sneak out on me after—”
“Tom, for gosh sakes! You know me better than that!”
“Does a guy ever know anyone but family, really?”
Lloyd stared at Tom. Then he said, “It was at Portia’s. This realtor, who is a venomous little toad, started getting pushy with me at the pool party, and I fended him off. I stiffed him out, is what. So, for revenge, he’s gone fibbing to Jake. Hoping to create trouble between you and me. And Jake, helpful as always, passes it all straight to you.”
Tom turned the faucet back on, his features unreadable. “Wash,” he ordered.
Lloyd cleaned a dish silently, while Tom thought it over.
Finally, Tom said, “So there’s no underlying crime here? It’s disinformation?”
“It’s evil lies, and you should have known that as soon as you heard them!”
“Mad at me, huh?”
Lloyd took another dish, washing and fuming.
“I can’t investigate in good faith?” Tom asked.
“There’s nothing to investigate!”
“Well, that’s why you look into the matter, to—”
“Tom, sometimes you are too rough with me.”
“Hear about you wandering off to…got to punish you for your crimes, don’t I? So my daddy did, and so will I.”
“All right,” said Lloyd, putting the plate down. “Now it’s time, man, because you have caught me on just the right drink.” Turning to look directly at Tom, Lloyd went on, “What kind of punishment was it, exactly? You tell me here and now.”
Surprised at Lloyd’s intensity, Tom hesitated. Then: “It was just and effective, angry though you are.”
“Well, who made me angry?”
“Wash.”
“ No .”
“Rebellious as always. You know what I’ll do about that.”
“This again,” Lloyd murmured.
“My daddy knew how to force rebellious kids to behave.”
Lloyd turned off the faucet.
“Would he strike you?” Lloyd asked.
“Worse,” Tom answered. That was all he would say.
In fact, Tom’s father never hurt his children. When very young, they got sharp reprimands, or timeouts fiercely initiated: to frighten rather than to pain. As teens, they got stern and then sterner warnings. And if these didn’t work, Tom’s father would take the culprit
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