her head, starting to walk toward the Star Market.
“Knock off the silent treatment, okay?”
“Let’s just say I had plans,” Cass said. “You, me …” She glanced at his crotch. “You.”
“Oh, yeah? So what happened?” Billy asked, smiling.
“The time clock,” Cass said. “I have to get home. Belinda has homework to do, and Josie can’t stand being by herself.”
“Let Josie handle it for once. It’s good for her.”
“You’re full of shit,” Cass said. They walked together into the store. As a father, Billy was entitled to his theories. The problem was, he was hardly ever around to try them out. All the lust Cass had been feeling ebbed away.
“What would happen?” Billy asked. “What would be the big deal if Belinda ignored her?”
“Screaming fit,” Cass said, easing into the numb zone she inhabited when Billy didn’t grasp one of the most rudimentary facts of her daily existence.
While Cass pushed the cart, Billy threw things in. He knew what everyone liked as well as she did. He pawed through a bin of oranges, choosing six with the right color.
“These come from Florida, right?” he asked, reading the box.
“I guess so.”
“It says right here: ‘Packed in Orlando, Florida.’”
“That’s that,” Cass said, still distant. Her eyes roved the fruits and vegetables while her mind composed balanced meals for a family of five.
“I always think of coral snakes when I buy oranges,” Billy said. “Here’s this box straight from Florida. Probably packed at the groves and shipped straight to the airport. What’s to prevent a coral snake from slithering into the box while the worker’s not looking?”
“What a horrible idea,” Cass said, leaning forward to look into the box. “Could that happen?”
“Why not? When I fill a box with cod it doesn’t guarantee that a crab won’t crawl in.”
“Aren’t coral snakes poisonous?”
“The most poisonous, I’d say,” Billy replied. Cass moved the cart forward.
“Well, think of something else crawling in. Something harmless. Some nonlethal southern reptile.”
“I was thinking danger, baby. Where were you planning to seduce me, anyway?”
Cass ignored him. She knew Billy thought he was being cute, but she wasn’t ready to give in.
“Your father told George Magnano he’s thinking of retiring to Florida,” Billy said.
“Oh, were you talking to George about his boat again?” Cass asked.
“Feeling him out.”
“I don’t know,” Cass said. “I don’t see you on a Gulf shrimper.”
“A chump boat, right?” Billy said. “Better suited for John Barnard.”
Cass reached for the Pop-Tarts. Her husband was flirting, teasing her about John. They cruised into the frozen-food aisle. Billy touched the small of her back. She felt him getting to her.
“They must keep these freezers at twenty degrees,” Cass said. During the winter she never registered temperature at the grocery store. She would be bundled in a scarf, hat, and parka, so the chill never got to her. But shopping during the summer, in a jean skirtwithout tights and a sleeveless shirt without a sweater, she’d be shivering halfway down this aisle. Her nipples were standing straight out under the thin cotton. She wanted Billy’s hands on her breasts, she wanted to run her tongue down the long red ridge of his penis.
“Maybe we should have ice cream for dessert,” she said.
“What kind?”
Delilah Pentwarse hurried past the aisle, waving hello; Cass waved back. “Chocolate-almond,” she said to Billy.
“Coming up,” he said.
Billy rummaged through the waist-high freezer. He came toward her, a devilish grin on his face.
“What?” she asked.
He held out a pint of ice cream to her.
“That’s too small,” she said. “T.J. would polish that off in ten seconds.”
“This isn’t for T.J.,” he said.
Cass watched fuzzy circles of frost melt around his fingertips. He let the cold transfer to his fingers. She shivered as they trailed
“Knock off the silent treatment, okay?”
“Let’s just say I had plans,” Cass said. “You, me …” She glanced at his crotch. “You.”
“Oh, yeah? So what happened?” Billy asked, smiling.
“The time clock,” Cass said. “I have to get home. Belinda has homework to do, and Josie can’t stand being by herself.”
“Let Josie handle it for once. It’s good for her.”
“You’re full of shit,” Cass said. They walked together into the store. As a father, Billy was entitled to his theories. The problem was, he was hardly ever around to try them out. All the lust Cass had been feeling ebbed away.
“What would happen?” Billy asked. “What would be the big deal if Belinda ignored her?”
“Screaming fit,” Cass said, easing into the numb zone she inhabited when Billy didn’t grasp one of the most rudimentary facts of her daily existence.
While Cass pushed the cart, Billy threw things in. He knew what everyone liked as well as she did. He pawed through a bin of oranges, choosing six with the right color.
“These come from Florida, right?” he asked, reading the box.
“I guess so.”
“It says right here: ‘Packed in Orlando, Florida.’”
“That’s that,” Cass said, still distant. Her eyes roved the fruits and vegetables while her mind composed balanced meals for a family of five.
“I always think of coral snakes when I buy oranges,” Billy said. “Here’s this box straight from Florida. Probably packed at the groves and shipped straight to the airport. What’s to prevent a coral snake from slithering into the box while the worker’s not looking?”
“What a horrible idea,” Cass said, leaning forward to look into the box. “Could that happen?”
“Why not? When I fill a box with cod it doesn’t guarantee that a crab won’t crawl in.”
“Aren’t coral snakes poisonous?”
“The most poisonous, I’d say,” Billy replied. Cass moved the cart forward.
“Well, think of something else crawling in. Something harmless. Some nonlethal southern reptile.”
“I was thinking danger, baby. Where were you planning to seduce me, anyway?”
Cass ignored him. She knew Billy thought he was being cute, but she wasn’t ready to give in.
“Your father told George Magnano he’s thinking of retiring to Florida,” Billy said.
“Oh, were you talking to George about his boat again?” Cass asked.
“Feeling him out.”
“I don’t know,” Cass said. “I don’t see you on a Gulf shrimper.”
“A chump boat, right?” Billy said. “Better suited for John Barnard.”
Cass reached for the Pop-Tarts. Her husband was flirting, teasing her about John. They cruised into the frozen-food aisle. Billy touched the small of her back. She felt him getting to her.
“They must keep these freezers at twenty degrees,” Cass said. During the winter she never registered temperature at the grocery store. She would be bundled in a scarf, hat, and parka, so the chill never got to her. But shopping during the summer, in a jean skirtwithout tights and a sleeveless shirt without a sweater, she’d be shivering halfway down this aisle. Her nipples were standing straight out under the thin cotton. She wanted Billy’s hands on her breasts, she wanted to run her tongue down the long red ridge of his penis.
“Maybe we should have ice cream for dessert,” she said.
“What kind?”
Delilah Pentwarse hurried past the aisle, waving hello; Cass waved back. “Chocolate-almond,” she said to Billy.
“Coming up,” he said.
Billy rummaged through the waist-high freezer. He came toward her, a devilish grin on his face.
“What?” she asked.
He held out a pint of ice cream to her.
“That’s too small,” she said. “T.J. would polish that off in ten seconds.”
“This isn’t for T.J.,” he said.
Cass watched fuzzy circles of frost melt around his fingertips. He let the cold transfer to his fingers. She shivered as they trailed
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