“Sit at the table,” Bruno said. He was leaning against the wall with his arms folded. “You’re gonna get indigestion.”
“These kids don’t care,” Nancy said.
“Nobody gave Bruno any coffee?” Todd said.
“We never got Todd’s side of the story,” Bruno said. “You’re a passenger, you see a lotta things the driver misses.”
The phone rang again. Joanie swore.
“Get me a copy of Field and Stream,” Bruno said. “And get a copy of Modern Bride for Nancy here.”
“Fuck you, Bruno,” Nancy said.
It was Nina. “Who’s over there?” Nina said.
“What happened to ‘Hello,’ Ma?” Joanie said.
“What’s your problem?” Nina said. “I just asked who’s over there.”
“Nancy,” Joanie said. “And Bruno.”
“Who’s that? That your mother? Send her my love,” Bruno said.
“What’d he say?” Nina asked.
“He said he’s sorry he’s always rude to you,” Joanie said.
“Tell him not to get fresh,” Nina said.
“Don’t you hafta be at the dealership?” Nancy asked. “Shouldn’t you be cheatin’ some widow out of her life savings at this point?”
“Yeah, I gotta go,” Bruno said. “Todd, Yankee game: tomorrow night?”
Todd blinked, still holding his yogurt dish. “At the Stadium?” he asked.
“No, at my house,” Bruno said. “I’ll buy chips. Acourse the Stadium.”
“When did this come up?” Joanie asked, a little panicked. “When’d you get this idea?”
“When did what come up?” Nina asked.
“Hold on, Ma,” Joanie said.
“What?” Bruno said. “Just now. You heard it.”
“I got Ad Altare Dei Wednesday,” Todd said.
Bruno shrugged and turned his head slightly to the side. “And I’m busy Christmas Eve. But I’m talking tomorrow night here.”
“Okay. That’d be great,” Todd said.
“I’ll pick you up six o’clock,” Bruno said. “We’ll get something down there.”
“Are you still there?” Nina said. “Hello?”
“I’m not sure about this,” Joanie said, trying to get Todd’s attention.
“Thanks for your input,” Bruno said, heading for the door. “I’m outta here. Tell your mother she drove me out of the house.”
“She’ll be thrilled,” Joanie said. “Ma, you just drove Bruno out of the house.”
“I’m thrilled,” Nina said.
Bruno pointed to Joanie. “You think about where you wanna go. Remember, the date was your idea.” He had the door open and he pointed to Nancy. “Nancy. Hang in there.”
“Fuck you, Bruno,” she said again.
Bruno spread his hands wide for Todd. “I come in, I’m polite, I get shit on,” he said. He went out the door whistling.
“Nancy,” Joanie said.
“Well, he pisses me off,” she said. “Rubbing my face in it.”
“I know,” Joanie said.
“Rubbing your face in what?” Todd asked.
“Todd, leave it alone,” Joanie said. He tossed his empty dish and spoon onto the counter with a clatter, and turned and stalked off.
“Is he getting fresh?” Nina said.
“Ma, come over if you wanna talk,” Joanie said, exasperated. “Between you on the phone and everybody, I’m goin’ nuts here.”
“Pardon me for living,” Nina said. “Good-bye and good luck.” She hung up.
Joanie looked at the phone and blew out some air before hanging up.
She turned to face Nancy. She wanted to get rid of her so she could talk to Todd. She didn’t want to imagine Bruno working on Todd for four hours at a baseball game, and they had to figure a way to get out of it.
“So what d’you got planned for today?” she asked Nancy. “You want more coffee?”
“Sure,” Nancy said. “Pisses me off when he does that.” She handed her mug to Joanie.
“Bruno’s Bruno,” Joanie said.
“Well, that’s helpful.”
“Well, it’s true.” She poured what was left in the coffeepot. “There’s only half a cup here.”
“Make another pot,” Nancy said.
Joanie closed her eyes, her back to Nancy, and rubbed her face. “I think I’m out,” she said.
“No, you’re not out,” Nancy said. “I felt the can.”
Joanie grabbed the can and ripped off the lid.
She heard Todd on the stairs and then at the front door. “I’m goin’ out,” he called.
“Todd?” she called back. “Todd?” She leaned sideways to see down the hallway. “Where you goin’?
“Out,” he called. The front door slammed.
“Ah, they’re something, aren’t they?” Nancy said. She sighed.
“Hold on a sec,” Joanie said. She hurried to the front door. She swung it inward and looked both ways down the street. He was already gone. Had he gone around the side of the house?
“How could he disappear that fast?” she said, coming back down the hall.
She sat at the table, after starting another pot of coffee.
Nancy was the last person she needed to deal with right now. “I’m real busy,” she said.
Nancy looked down.
Come on, Joanie thought. This is your best friend.
“Hey,” she said. “How’re you doin’?”
Nancy leaned forward in her chair and put her elbows on her knees. She gave Joanie a little smile and looked down the hall toward the living room. “You heard anything from Gary?” she asked.
Joanie wanted to help, but she didn’t have time for this. And she was worried about Todd. “Don’t worry about Bruno,” she said. “He’s all talk.”
“I didn’t just bring it up because a Bruno,” Nancy said. “I been thinking about you.”
“Thanks,” Joanie said, but she didn’t sound as touched as she felt.
They both were staring down the cluttered hallway.
“You’re really letting the house go,” Nancy said. She sounded sad rather than judgmental, but Joanie was still a little offended.
Joanie got up and poured their coffee. She pushed the half-and-half closer to Nancy’s cup with two fingers.
“We gonna talk, or what?” Nancy said.
“What’re we doin’ now?” Joanie asked.
Nancy snorted.
They went all the way back to junior high. Joanie remembered a night before a Spring Fling dance, the two of them improvising to disguise the little cycle of good dance clothes they owned.
“The Gary thing got me down, and …” She searched around for something else. She was terrible at this, even when she was telling the truth. “Bruno’s been a pain.”
Nancy looked away.
“I’m sorry,” Joanie said. “You know what I mean.” What she meant was, I’m sorry about the way you feel about Bruno.
Nancy nodded. Joanie thought, This is a woman who never got one break.
She had another memory, from after high schooclass="underline" the two of them showing each other their diaries. She remembered thinking it was their way of proving to themselves that someone in the world might be interested. She remembered Nancy used little symbols, a code for herself. To make it more exciting? To save time? As a kind of modesty? Joanie couldn’t tell. She remembered some of the bigger ones: Three wavy lines meant depression. A skull and crossbones meant sex.
“I put up with so much shit from him,” Nancy said. “Like just now. He has to do that in front of you? He has to ask you out in front of me?”
Joanie gave her a sympathetic look, but she could feel her concentration slipping back to the car in the garage, Todd wandering by a police station.
“I should get one of those books,” Nancy said. “Women Who Love Guys Who Love … whatever. I went to a bar the other night. Mr. P’s. I called you but you were out. The night a Todd’s party, after we all went home. I just thought, you know, I don’t need anybody to go out with. I took a booth, I’m minding my own business, Bruno comes in with Joey Distefano and two other guys.”