excerpt:
Ennis and his new friend David escape the wedding reception to have
a drink, and make plans to go horseback riding the next day.
It
was still early but Ennis had known the Black and Blue Eagle would be
busy. Riverton had grown a little since he and Alma had gotten
married but it was a hard time to start a new business there right
now, with the economy the way it was and more ranches folding, some
bought up by absentee owners. Good times had come and gone, and
there were still few other places to go on Saturday night. As he got
out of his truck and watched David close the door of his
anonymous-looking rental car, Ennis wondered how the hell he’d
gotten into this: two men walking into the bar together and wearing
suits at that. And one of “them….”
Queer.
Say it. David’s cousin Charlene might not be anyone he’d want
to spend even a few hours with but she’d made it clear in just two
sentences. And he’d never been that, never had anything goin’
with any man but Jack.
But Jack had…. You been to Mexico, Jack? … another
one’s goin a come up here … some ranch neighbor a his from down
in Texas.
He walked through the bar making an effort to not look at anyone but
threw a longing glance at a table in the corner, wondering if they’d
attract less attention there or just look like they wanted to be
alone with each other. David slid onto a barstool before he had a
chance to find out, too late. Sitting at the bar, Ennis felt like a
car dealership spotlight was only ten feet away and shining directly
on them.
“Hey
Ennis, lookit you – almost didn’t know ya wearin’ a suit.
Who’s your friend?” it was Vickie, owner of the place since her
husband had died, she’d been here more than one Saturday night
lately; sometimes out here talking to employees and customers and
sometimes going through the tiny office in back, drawer by drawer.
“Not friends, ma’am, cousins, as of a couple a’ hours ago
anyway.” David answered before Ennis could even react, and it
seemed like his Southern accent was suddenly stronger. “Ennis’
daughter got married this afternoon, prettiest bride I’ve seen in
awhile. Things were startin’ to wind down, and we just needed
somethin’ stronger ta drink than punch with lime sherbet.”
Vickie
laughed and called to Roy, washing glasses at the other end of the
bar, for two beers. “First ones on the house, nobody’s daughter
gets married every day” she said. The searchlight had at least
dimmed, more quickly than Ennis had thought it could. “So you’re
from out of state?” she asked David.
“Yes
ma’am, I live in Minnesota now but I’m a good ol’ boy from
Georgia. Macon,” David answered. “Never been this far west
before.” He pulled a few dollar bills out of his pocket. “Would
you have some change? I’d like some music with the beer, don’t
seem to have any quarters.”
His
drawling voice sounded affable and a little coaxing, but not blatant
or aggressively salesman-friendly. He was leaning a little toward
her, smiling slowly, eyes narrowed a little and focused on her face,
but not getting too close, staying a respectful enough distance so
that the impression was more of sociable interest than a conscious
attempt to charm. Ennis found it oddly familiar, remembering his
short conversation with David’s grandmother earlier. She’d had
the same trick in conversation of seeming to pull the other person
closer to her, by briefly seeming to draw an invisible and private
circle around both of them. Pocketing the change Vickie gave him,
David nodded to Roy as he put their drinks on the counter, went over
to study the selections on the jukebox.
read
the rest of Chapter 4 at
http://talkstocoyotes.livejournal.com/1485.html
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