Augusta Played by Kelly Cherry

Author:Kelly Cherry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Augusta Played
ISBN: 9781938103896
Publisher: Dzanc Books
Published: 1979-12-26T16:00:00+00:00

37

SHE’S HAVING this mole removed,” Norman said. “It seemed like a good opportunity.” He was seated on the Empire sofa in Birdie’s apartment, leaning forward earnestly with his hands clasped between his knees. “You must think I’m crazy,” he said, “barging in on you like this. I’ve got to talk with somebody.”

“I don’t think you’re crazy. Truly I don’t.” But she did think he might be just the tiniest, fractional bit mad. He had Sidney’s knack for dramatizing everything, which as a person of known dramatic flair she personally appreciated, but his eyes were different. They weren’t like his father’s eyes, and they weren’t like Richard’s eyes either. They were very attractive eyes though, she thought, moving her chair closer to him until their knees bumped. “You have very interesting eyes,” she said. “Like a person in a book. I would say they are devastating. Yes,” she said, peering into them, “they are quite definitely very devastating eyes. Have you ever tried to hypnotize anybody with them?”

“No,” he said. He reconsidered. “In a way,” he said.

“I thought so. You’re the Svengali type.”

“Nobody ever said that before.”

“They probably weren’t as perceptive as I am.”

“That’s why I decided to call you. I could have called Phil, but it’s something you don’t want to talk about to someone you grew up with. Phil thought I was a jerk for getting married anyway.”

“Your friend Phil is not married?”

“He goes with a girl named Dinky.”

“Dinky!” Birdie said. “I know a Dinky. Or rather, I know her mother. What does she do?”

“She’s a model.”

“That’s the one,” Birdie said. “Her mother is always bragging on her. Is she pop-eyed?”

“A little,” Norman admitted.

“It must be her. Ledbetter. The mother thinks she’s really hot stuff for raising her kid up to be legitimate, but she couldn’t have done it by herself. Her John paid the school bills and the orthodontist. I could have had a John who would keep me like that, but I prefer to be independent. If I weren’t independent, how would I know that what I feel for Sidney is genuine? I think,” Birdie said, frowning, “being independent is just about the most important thing in the world. Sometimes. Other times, it doesn’t seem so important. Do you find that your opinions change like that? Mine seem to shift with the wind, like clouds.” She giggled. “Not really,” she said.

“Well, then you can understand why I would be reluctant to discuss my wife with Phil. For one thing, he might start to compare her with Dinky Ledbetter.”

“Oh, if he does that, you can just tell him that she isn’t strictly legit. She only models part of the time. I know, because her mother told me. Not that I think there’s anything wrong in that. As Mrs. Ledbetter told me—she is known in the trade as Mrs. Bedletter, by the way—you trick ‘em, you don’t treat ‘em. Though speaking for myself, I prefer to lay down for pleasure.”

“Lie down.”

“Now?”

He flushed. “What I was trying to say, Miss Mickle—”

“Birdie.

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