Another Marvelous Thing by Laurie Colwin Read Free Book Online Page B

said Billy, who was phobic about Francis’s dwelling.
    â€œIt’s too rainy to go looking for a restaurant,” Francis said. “I have some choice edibles at my place”
    â€œI would rather eat cheese and garlic and live in a windmill,” said Billy.
    â€œOh, really?” Francis said. “Where’d you pick that up?”
    â€œIt’s from Henry the Fourth ,” Billy said. “My favorite teacher, Miss Chaffee, used to say it all the time.”
    â€œCheese and garlic,” Francis said. “How I long for it. Get dressed. You’ve given me a ferocious appetite.”
    Billy yawned again. She was starving, too. Hunger made Francis restless. In his naked state he prowled around her study. He knew in advance that there was nothing of interest on her desk, so he opened her study closet, where her clothes were kept.
    â€œI always hope I’ll find something nice-looking in here.”
    â€œFat chance,” said Billy.
    Francis surveyed her clothes. He rummaged in the back and pulled forth a blue cotton dress.
    â€œWhat’s this?” he said. “This is an actual nice-looking garment.”
    â€œIt was at the cleaners for a year,” Billy said. “I found the ticket by accident and picked it up the other day.” She turned on her side because she did not want to look at Francis. The sight of him naked and holding up her dress caused her heart to ache. These poignant moments, of which there seemed so many in a love affair, printed themselves indelibly on her consciousness. The result was that even on the happiest day, walking across a field in Maine out on a bird walk with Grey, for instance, these tender specters—Francis doing some preposterous thing—rose up before her and reminded her that her life was full of thorns.
    Francis put on his trousers and socks and sat down next to her on the couch. At his feet lay the white cotton underpants he was given to understand she bought at the five-and-ten-cent store. Next to Grey’s football jersey, coiled like worms, were two worm-colored socks. The look on Francis’s face said: “Why are so many of her clothes worm -colored?” Billy knew this look very well.
    â€œI’ll take you to my house and feed you a beautiful roast beef sandwich with watercress and curried mayonnaise,” Francis said into her hair.
    â€œI’m not going to eat the leftovers of your dinner party,” Billy said.
    â€œIt wasn’t a dinner party,” Francis said into her neck. “It was family dinner right before Vera left.”
    â€œEeep!” said Billy, pulling away from him. “How can you utter the word ‘family’ and slobber over me at the same time? Quentin and Aaron are probably coming out in hives right now and don’t know why.” Quentin and Aaron were Francis’s grown sons.
    â€œHush,” said Francis.
    â€œYou want to feed me old food,” Billy said. “You want to feed me something cooked by your very own wife.”
    â€œHush,” said Francis again. He put his arms around her.
    â€œYou have very long arms,” Billy said. “Has this been pointed out to you?”
    â€œMany times,” Francis said. “You have pointed it out on many occasions.” He turned her toward him and kissed her.
    â€œYou have the wingspan of the California condor,” Billy said.
    â€œThe California condor is extinct,” Francis murmured.
    â€œIt is not,” said Billy. “It is almost extinct but is making a comeback.” She draped her arms around Francis’s neck. “In fact,” she continued dreamily, “the last issue of Condor Watch describes how to feed condor hatchlings on simulated vulture regurgitation.”
    â€œSounds good to me,” said Francis. “Get up.”
    In the kitchen they made a snack of peanut butter and stale water crackers. They were both ravenous and almost anything would have