she chortled, beaming at Manny. "I swear you get prettier every day, Miss Aloe."
"Oh, now," Manny laughed. "I couldn't look half as nice as your dinner smells. Were you inviting me to stay-I hope?"
"Course, I'm inviting you! You betcha!" Mrs. Olmstead nodded vigorously. "You an' Mr. Rainstar just set yourselves right down, an'- -"
"I'm not sure I'll be here for dinner," I said. "I suspect that Miss Aloe won't be either. Please come upstairs, Manuela."
"But, looky here, now!" Mrs. Olmstead protested. "How come you ain't eatin' dinner? How come you let me go to all the trouble o' fixin' it if you wasn't going to eat?"
"I'll explain later. Kindly get up those stairs, Manuela."
I pointed sternly. Manny preceded me up the stairs, and I stood aside, waving her into my bedroom ahead of me. Then I closed and locked the door.
I was trembling a little. Shaking with the day's pent up fear and frustration, its fury and worry. Inwardly, I screamed to strike out at something, the most tempting target being Manny's plump little bottom.
So I wheeled around, my palm literally itching to connect with her flesh. But, instead, Manny's soft mouth connected with mine. She had been waiting on tiptoe, waiting for me to turn. And, now, having kissed me soundly, she urged me down on the bed and sat down at my side.
"I don't blame you for being miffed with me, honey. But I really couldn't help it. I honestly couldn't, Britt!"
"You couldn't, hmm?" I said. "You own the place, and that orange-colored bitch works for you, but you couldn't-"
" Wh-aat ?" She stared at me incredulously. "Own it- our place, you mean? Why, that's crazy! Of course, I don't own it, and that woman certainly does not work for me!"
"But, dammit to hell-! Wait a minute," I said. "What did you mean when you said you didn't blame me for being miffed with you?"
"Well… I thought that was why you were angry. Because I didn't come back from the bathroom."
"Oh," I said. "Oh, yeah. Why didn't you, anyway?"
"Because I couldn't, that's why. I had a little problem, one of those girl things, and it had to be taken care of in a hurry…" So she'd hailed a cab, and headed for the nearest drugstore. But it didn't have what she needed and she'd had to visit two other stores before she found one that did. And by the time she'd returned to our place, and taken care of the problem…
"You might have waited, Britt. If you'd only waited, and given me a chance to explain-but never mind." She took a three-thousand- dollar check from her purse, and handed it to me. "Another bonus for you, dear"-she smiled placatingly. "Isn't that nice?"
"Very," I said, folding it and tucking it in my pocket. "I'm going to keep it."
"Keep it? Why, of course, you are. I-"
"I'm keeping the car, too," I said.
"Why not? It's your car."
"But my employment with PXA is finished as of right now. And if you want to know why-as if you didn't already know!-I'll tell you," I said. "And if I catch any more crap like I caught today, I'll tell you what I'll do about that, too!"
I told her in detail-the why and the what-with suitable embellishments and flourishes. I told her in more detail than I had planned, and with considerable ornamentation. For a while she heard me out in silence and without change of expression. I had a strong hunch that she was laughing at me.
When I had at last finished, out of breath and vituperation, she looked at me silently for several moments. Then she shrugged, and stood up.
"I'll run along now. Good-bye and good luck."
I hadn't expected that. I don't know what I had expected, but not that.
"Well, look," I said. "Aren't you going to say anything?"
"I said good-bye and good luck. I see no point in saying anything else."
"But, dammit-! Well, all right!" I said. "Good-bye and good luck to you. And take your stinking bonus check with you!"
I thrust it on her, shoved it into her hand and folded her fingers around it. She left the room, and I hesitated, feeling foolish and helpless,
"Oh, now," Manny laughed. "I couldn't look half as nice as your dinner smells. Were you inviting me to stay-I hope?"
"Course, I'm inviting you! You betcha!" Mrs. Olmstead nodded vigorously. "You an' Mr. Rainstar just set yourselves right down, an'- -"
"I'm not sure I'll be here for dinner," I said. "I suspect that Miss Aloe won't be either. Please come upstairs, Manuela."
"But, looky here, now!" Mrs. Olmstead protested. "How come you ain't eatin' dinner? How come you let me go to all the trouble o' fixin' it if you wasn't going to eat?"
"I'll explain later. Kindly get up those stairs, Manuela."
I pointed sternly. Manny preceded me up the stairs, and I stood aside, waving her into my bedroom ahead of me. Then I closed and locked the door.
I was trembling a little. Shaking with the day's pent up fear and frustration, its fury and worry. Inwardly, I screamed to strike out at something, the most tempting target being Manny's plump little bottom.
So I wheeled around, my palm literally itching to connect with her flesh. But, instead, Manny's soft mouth connected with mine. She had been waiting on tiptoe, waiting for me to turn. And, now, having kissed me soundly, she urged me down on the bed and sat down at my side.
"I don't blame you for being miffed with me, honey. But I really couldn't help it. I honestly couldn't, Britt!"
"You couldn't, hmm?" I said. "You own the place, and that orange-colored bitch works for you, but you couldn't-"
" Wh-aat ?" She stared at me incredulously. "Own it- our place, you mean? Why, that's crazy! Of course, I don't own it, and that woman certainly does not work for me!"
"But, dammit to hell-! Wait a minute," I said. "What did you mean when you said you didn't blame me for being miffed with you?"
"Well… I thought that was why you were angry. Because I didn't come back from the bathroom."
"Oh," I said. "Oh, yeah. Why didn't you, anyway?"
"Because I couldn't, that's why. I had a little problem, one of those girl things, and it had to be taken care of in a hurry…" So she'd hailed a cab, and headed for the nearest drugstore. But it didn't have what she needed and she'd had to visit two other stores before she found one that did. And by the time she'd returned to our place, and taken care of the problem…
"You might have waited, Britt. If you'd only waited, and given me a chance to explain-but never mind." She took a three-thousand- dollar check from her purse, and handed it to me. "Another bonus for you, dear"-she smiled placatingly. "Isn't that nice?"
"Very," I said, folding it and tucking it in my pocket. "I'm going to keep it."
"Keep it? Why, of course, you are. I-"
"I'm keeping the car, too," I said.
"Why not? It's your car."
"But my employment with PXA is finished as of right now. And if you want to know why-as if you didn't already know!-I'll tell you," I said. "And if I catch any more crap like I caught today, I'll tell you what I'll do about that, too!"
I told her in detail-the why and the what-with suitable embellishments and flourishes. I told her in more detail than I had planned, and with considerable ornamentation. For a while she heard me out in silence and without change of expression. I had a strong hunch that she was laughing at me.
When I had at last finished, out of breath and vituperation, she looked at me silently for several moments. Then she shrugged, and stood up.
"I'll run along now. Good-bye and good luck."
I hadn't expected that. I don't know what I had expected, but not that.
"Well, look," I said. "Aren't you going to say anything?"
"I said good-bye and good luck. I see no point in saying anything else."
"But, dammit-! Well, all right!" I said. "Good-bye and good luck to you. And take your stinking bonus check with you!"
I thrust it on her, shoved it into her hand and folded her fingers around it. She left the room, and I hesitated, feeling foolish and helpless,
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