Long Made Short by Stephen Dixon Read Free Book Online

good friends.” “Also, to see if you were still
     married, I’d say, or had ever got married, really,” and I say “No, she knew—she spoke
     to someone who told her of my teaching, so he must have mentioned my marriage.” “How
     long ago?” and I say “A few years, I think.” “Then maybe she thought you could be
     divorced, as I said, or in the process of getting one. Just, in other words, finding
     out where you were on those—if you were content in your marriage, even, for all we
     know.” “What do you mean?” and she says “After everything you’ve said about her, she
     could be a little sly one, and she might have recently been thinking of you. Because
     you were always in good shape, thought you might still be in good shape. Remembered
     your ardor, shall we say?, your intellect, that you were good-looking and always loved
     kids and now have a secure job—tenure, she might have heard—and she has them, right,
     kids?” and I say “Two, teens,” and she says “Well then, that’s important, your loving
     kids, but could be I’m stretching things too far. But are you very happily married,
     as she said?” and I say “Don’t be silly, you know I am. Very. Mostly. Sure. What are
     you going on for?” “I don’t know. Sly old lover calls out of the blue after twenty-two
     years?” “No, she’s more sincere than that.” “Then sincere old lover calls, but probably
     a little bit wily too. I bet she doesn’t call you again—you make plans to meet?” “No,
     but she said something about getting together in a couple of weeks. She’s busy, something.
     She’d come down from New Haven—I told her I couldn’t go up.” “How’d you do that?”
     and I say “Young kids in school, I like to pick them up, and you’re very involved
     on your project, and I’ve lots of work to do too. And she wouldn’t come down just
     to see me but because she comes down periodically, on business—she owns, with some
     women, a pottery studio or shop. Teaches it, sells, probably exhibits—it’s what she
     was also interested in, besides acting.” “Well, I bet she never calls and I bet if
     you called her in two weeks she’d say she’s tied up and she’ll get back to you and
     never would and would hope you got the message. You’re not free; you’re not a possibility.”
     “One good thing to say about that is she’s not trying to steal me away from you.”
     “If she thought things weren’t going well with us, who knows? But let her. I wouldn’t
     do anything to stop it.” “You wouldn’t at least cry, for that sure as hell would get
     me running back? Or say to me if I walk out once I’m gone for good as far as you’re
     concerned?” “But that wouldn’t be the case. I’d put up with your leaving once, doing
     it to someone behind my back, having a sneaky sloppy affair while still living here.
     Twice, I don’t think so. But once, I’d probably let you back if someone didn’t come
     into my life in the meantime, not that there’d be much chance with two kids growing
     up and so many totally free much younger women around.” “A lot of men would like a
     mature beautiful woman with kids,” and she says “Beautiful mature twenty-three and
     beautiful mature forty-three are very different things. So, given the choice, who
     would—you?” “I did, though admittedly they were twenty-eight, thirty, thirty-three
     or so, but no older. And, true too, they each only had one kid. But two I don’t think
     would stop most men—I doubt it would have stopped me—and you look young and your body
     and mind are youthful.” “Even with the ones you lived with, young as they were, you
     didn’t stay with them long, and the one you did, you didn’t marry. You in fact told
     me a short time after we met that one of my attractions was that I was single and
     childless and of childbearing age.” “It had nothing to do with the children, I don’t
     think, why these women and