[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
cleaner prints on the gray carpet that made it look as though Billy had just
finished vacuuming. And while the air was filled with the warm, yeasty smell
of freshly baked bread, there was not even a dusting of flour on the kitchen
counter.
He patted them down into seats, then hurried off toward the kitchen. "Coffee,
tea, or..." why did Billy have to put a pause in there?
"... hot cocoa?"
"Cocoa," Maggie said. "Cocoa would be wonderful we'll both have some." She
unbuttoned her coat and took it off, glaring at
Jeff to do the same.
The walls had been painted with one of those pattern-painting gimmicks that
made them look all splotchy, and probably covered up stains on the wall as
well as wallpaper would have. Track lighting on the ceiling splashed warm
buttery light on the Broadway posters, but also on the wall behind the red
leather love seat, where a lap desk lay.
"Are you a marshmallow person, a whipped cream per-
son, or a purist, Maggie?" floated out from the kitchen.
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry%20kruis.../spaar/Joel%20Rosenberg%
20-%20Hidden%20Ways%203.htm (67 of 213)22-2-2006 0:42:07
Hidden Ways 3.htm
"Marshmallows, please," she said, sitting back and clearly enjoying Jeff's
discomfort.
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
The truth was that Billy Olson had always made Jeff uneasy. Jeff had been more
than happy when Billy had relocated temporarily to the city in high school,
then permanently for and after college.
It wasn't that he had anything against queers, not really, but they made him
uncomfortable. It wasn't a feeling he could speak out about very often Doc
Sherve and the rest of the elders were always ready to politely, carefully,
explain to him that queers were no different than anybody else, but that just
didn't matter, not to Jeff.
He was allowed his own feelings, as long as he behaved himself, wasn't he? And
it felt strange being around homosexuals.
Yes, it felt strange being around black folks, but at least you knew going
into it that they were black. You didn't have to take showers next to them in
gym class for years and years before you knew they were black. And while you
could expect that Jews were smarter than you, most of them were nice about it,
and, shit, Ian Silverstein was really one hell of a guy, once you got to know
him.
"You look familiar, Maggie," Billy called out, still clattering dishes in the
kitchen. "I'm sure I've seen you before. Do you live in the neighborhood?"
"I was just thinking the same thing about you. I know I've seen you some
place," she said. "And I'm not quite in the neighborhood
I'm over at Lake and Bryant."
"But you haven't been there long?"
"No. Just this semester."
"Then that's not it although I used to practically live at the Bryant Lake
Bowl, back when I was last year. Probably somewhere in Uptown?"
"That would probably be it," she said. "I sometimes go over to Uptown for
coffee."
"Hmmm ..." There was more clatter of dishes and silverware, and a moment later
Billy appeared, backing up through the swinging door to the kitchen, a silver
tray heavily laden with plates, silverware, and three steaming mugs balanced
easily on the flat of his hand.
"You're in luck," he said, "I just made up a batch of pâté last week," he
said, scooping a small dollop out of a ramekin and spreading it on a piece of
thin bread with a smooth, practiced motion. He set it on a plate, and set the
plate in front of Maggie.
"Taste."
"With hot cocoa?"
"Chef Louis's pâté goes with anything."
Jeff accepted another plate from Billy, and bit into the pâté. It was smooth
and meaty and rich, and while there was a definite liver note in the medley of
taste, it didn't predominate.
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry%20kruis.../spaar/Joel%20Rosenberg%
20-%20Hidden%20Ways%203.htm (68 of 213)22-2-2006 0:42:07
Hidden Ways 3.htm
Billy was showing off.
As usual.
He was frowning, though, which wasn't usual. "But if you live around here," he
said, "why haven't we met, then? I'd surely have recognized Torrie. I knew he
was going to the U, but I didn't really expect to see him in this part of
town." He made a moue. "Not really butch enough for him."
Maggie giggled. "Should I tell him you said that, or should I be sure not to
tell him you said that?"
"Either way."
Billy echoed her giggle. The two of them were getting along just fine and
dandy, like a pair of old girlfriends. Jeff felt like a stranger, and he
didn't much like the feeling. Trust Billy Olson to find a new way to make him
uncomfortable.
"So," Billy asked, "what are you in town for, Jeff?" He gave a sideways smile
Page 57
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
to Maggie, then held out his wrists. "If you are here for me, just slap those
cuffs on me; I'll come quietly."
Maggie spurted a mouthful of hot chocolate back into her cup. "Don't do that
when I'm drinking," she said. "I almost ruined your carpet."
"Just here on some ... private business," Jeff said, ignoring the way Maggie [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
cleaner prints on the gray carpet that made it look as though Billy had just
finished vacuuming. And while the air was filled with the warm, yeasty smell
of freshly baked bread, there was not even a dusting of flour on the kitchen
counter.
He patted them down into seats, then hurried off toward the kitchen. "Coffee,
tea, or..." why did Billy have to put a pause in there?
"... hot cocoa?"
"Cocoa," Maggie said. "Cocoa would be wonderful we'll both have some." She
unbuttoned her coat and took it off, glaring at
Jeff to do the same.
The walls had been painted with one of those pattern-painting gimmicks that
made them look all splotchy, and probably covered up stains on the wall as
well as wallpaper would have. Track lighting on the ceiling splashed warm
buttery light on the Broadway posters, but also on the wall behind the red
leather love seat, where a lap desk lay.
"Are you a marshmallow person, a whipped cream per-
son, or a purist, Maggie?" floated out from the kitchen.
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry%20kruis.../spaar/Joel%20Rosenberg%
20-%20Hidden%20Ways%203.htm (67 of 213)22-2-2006 0:42:07
Hidden Ways 3.htm
"Marshmallows, please," she said, sitting back and clearly enjoying Jeff's
discomfort.
Page 56
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
The truth was that Billy Olson had always made Jeff uneasy. Jeff had been more
than happy when Billy had relocated temporarily to the city in high school,
then permanently for and after college.
It wasn't that he had anything against queers, not really, but they made him
uncomfortable. It wasn't a feeling he could speak out about very often Doc
Sherve and the rest of the elders were always ready to politely, carefully,
explain to him that queers were no different than anybody else, but that just
didn't matter, not to Jeff.
He was allowed his own feelings, as long as he behaved himself, wasn't he? And
it felt strange being around homosexuals.
Yes, it felt strange being around black folks, but at least you knew going
into it that they were black. You didn't have to take showers next to them in
gym class for years and years before you knew they were black. And while you
could expect that Jews were smarter than you, most of them were nice about it,
and, shit, Ian Silverstein was really one hell of a guy, once you got to know
him.
"You look familiar, Maggie," Billy called out, still clattering dishes in the
kitchen. "I'm sure I've seen you before. Do you live in the neighborhood?"
"I was just thinking the same thing about you. I know I've seen you some
place," she said. "And I'm not quite in the neighborhood
I'm over at Lake and Bryant."
"But you haven't been there long?"
"No. Just this semester."
"Then that's not it although I used to practically live at the Bryant Lake
Bowl, back when I was last year. Probably somewhere in Uptown?"
"That would probably be it," she said. "I sometimes go over to Uptown for
coffee."
"Hmmm ..." There was more clatter of dishes and silverware, and a moment later
Billy appeared, backing up through the swinging door to the kitchen, a silver
tray heavily laden with plates, silverware, and three steaming mugs balanced
easily on the flat of his hand.
"You're in luck," he said, "I just made up a batch of pâté last week," he
said, scooping a small dollop out of a ramekin and spreading it on a piece of
thin bread with a smooth, practiced motion. He set it on a plate, and set the
plate in front of Maggie.
"Taste."
"With hot cocoa?"
"Chef Louis's pâté goes with anything."
Jeff accepted another plate from Billy, and bit into the pâté. It was smooth
and meaty and rich, and while there was a definite liver note in the medley of
taste, it didn't predominate.
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry%20kruis.../spaar/Joel%20Rosenberg%
20-%20Hidden%20Ways%203.htm (68 of 213)22-2-2006 0:42:07
Hidden Ways 3.htm
Billy was showing off.
As usual.
He was frowning, though, which wasn't usual. "But if you live around here," he
said, "why haven't we met, then? I'd surely have recognized Torrie. I knew he
was going to the U, but I didn't really expect to see him in this part of
town." He made a moue. "Not really butch enough for him."
Maggie giggled. "Should I tell him you said that, or should I be sure not to
tell him you said that?"
"Either way."
Billy echoed her giggle. The two of them were getting along just fine and
dandy, like a pair of old girlfriends. Jeff felt like a stranger, and he
didn't much like the feeling. Trust Billy Olson to find a new way to make him
uncomfortable.
"So," Billy asked, "what are you in town for, Jeff?" He gave a sideways smile
Page 57
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
to Maggie, then held out his wrists. "If you are here for me, just slap those
cuffs on me; I'll come quietly."
Maggie spurted a mouthful of hot chocolate back into her cup. "Don't do that
when I'm drinking," she said. "I almost ruined your carpet."
"Just here on some ... private business," Jeff said, ignoring the way Maggie [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]