The Desert Rose by Larry McMurtry

Author:Larry McMurtry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 1983-10-15T04:00:00+00:00

IV

NO SOONER had her mother hung up than the phone rang again and it was Bonventre, he said he hoped he hadn’t awakened her, obviously he was making a big effort to be super-polite. Nope, I’m up, she said, and waited—she wasn’t going to build his ego by giving him any chatter, chatter was her mother’s department.

“The reason I’m calling is about the audition,” he said. “We were wondering if you could come this afternoon at about three?”

“How long will it take?” she asked. For all she knew she could be getting married that afternoon.

“Oh, about an hour, we just want you to try out a few routines,” he said.

“How about two-thirty then?” Pepper asked. “My lesson starts at three-thirty and Madonna doesn’t like it if I’m late.”

“Fine,” Bonventre said. “And if you’re late and she gives you any trouble I’ll just send someone to strangle her.”

That was the kind of remark he was famous for—Pepper just let it pass.

“If you like we’ll send a car to get you at school,” he said, he was definitely coming on like Mr. Smooth.

“It’s okay, I got a car,” she said. “I’ll just show up. Why did you say Madonna had an ass like a prune?”

She just thought she’d hit him with that, why not? He was surprised, too—there was total silence on the line for quite a few seconds. Then he finally managed a chuckle.

“Pepper, it was just a lovers’ quarrel, don’t take it seriously,” he said.

Bullshit, she thought, you’re not Madonna’s lover, but she didn’t say it. He sort of chuckled again, he seemed to find her attitude pretty amusing.

“How did one like Harmony ever have one like you?” he said. “See you at two-thirty.”

The stupid peacocks were pecking at the screen door, they were pissed that their momma hadn’t come home to scatter them some corn. Their momma had sounded pretty drunk, in fact, no doubt she had met some criminal on the order of Denny and had popped right in bed with him, that was totally par for the course. Pepper threw a few handfuls of bird feed out in the yard, at least it would keep them from pecking a hole in the screen. She got a bowl of cereal and some orange juice and went to see if Myrtle had survived the night or if Wendell had got the Buick fixed or what.

Myrtle was already outside in her bathing suit. Once in a while when the garage sale scene had gone totally dead she got on a sunbathing kick and would sit around in her bathing suit rubbing oil on herself. It was grotesque since she was a total mass of freckles anyway. The tow truck and the Buick were there, only the Buick hadn’t been disconnected from the tow truck, probably Wendell had been too tired when he got home.

Myrtle had already oiled herself good, which annoyed Maude—she didn’t like the smell. Maude was the world’s most spoiled goat, all right. She immediately came over and began to butt Pepper’s shins a little, she was hoping for some of the cereal.

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