— highest yield on your savings it’s time to join the biggest savings bank family in town…
— Oh wow.
— I, I didn’t mean to hurt…
— Wait like get something it’s going all down my, wait move your… she reached the brown paper, — I mean my poor fisse, man…
— Well I, I didn’t…
— And I mean wait let me get my, man like that last page you just did those fucking enchilavies went all over it.
— No that’s all right I’m, I’ll just do it over again…
A hand rose to scratch. — Like what do you want to do now.
— Well nothing I, I guess I’d better copy that page over and get back to…
— Like I mean you never talk. I mean you’re not very interesting you know? I mean like all these other people and like Al I mean they all talk only with us I mean I always have to do all the talking, you know?
— Yes but, I mean when I’m trying to work and not thinking about something to talk about I…
— Man like you always think you’re trying to work and like you never have something to talk about, I mean like except you’re pretty big in the sack there you’re like not very interesting.
— Well why should I be interesting! I mean, I mean I want my work to be interesting but why do I have to be interesting! I mean everybody’s trying to be interesting let them I’m just, I’m just doing something I have to do so I can try to do what I hope I…
— Like then what about Schramm I mean you were always talking to Schramm, like you just said you…
— No I didn’t really I, he talked and I…
— Man like he hardly talked at all I mean you don’t know what it was like with him, like with him you never knew what’s coming next like this time he couldn’t make it and he jumps off the bed and grabs this pencil and throws it down and it, I mean like that’s why I hate all these fucking sharp pencils you’ve got around here you know?
— Yes that was terrible I, I didn’t even know you were there when he…
— Man I don’t want to talk about it! The feathers went off in a heap, a hand came up, scratching a loin.
— No I, I didn’t mean…
— Then like don’t talk about it… and the hand came up to dig in the shirt pocket as she stood, — I mean there’s the telephone again, like I mean all it does is rings…
— Yes I’ll get it… He passed her paused sniffing by 36 Boxes 200 2-Ply, mounted to QUICK QUAKER, — hello…? Oh Mister Brisboy yes, hello… Now…? Oh, no I’m sorry no I don’t think it would… no no I really don’t think… Yes well thank you but… No not here either no I’m, I still have a lot of work to take care of tonight and… I know you do yes thank you but… until then yes thank you for calling good… yes goodbye thank you for… auf Wiedersehen then yes…
She followed him back. — Like what are you getting dressed again for I mean are you going someplace?
— No I just feel more, just to work…
— Like you’re going to be up all night again? She pulled the rumpled blanket.
— No if I can just finish this I, I mean are you all right?
— Like why not man I mean I’m really sailing…
— Oh… he was back on Hoppin’ With Flavor! spreading a fresh sheet of empty staves.
— from the finest homes in America. Many were…
— Just that radio man, I mean the water I’m used to like you live by the ocean but that fucking radio, I mean Al put this gum on that mop handle you can like get it in there only to change the station like if you keep wiggling it I mean will you?
When he came down her gaze was gone elsewhere, he stood looking there blowing at the front of his shirt before he sank back to Hoppin’ With Flavor! bent over the empty staves where the pen arched, paused, filled, once twice he looked back to find a whole bar missing, crumpled the page staring at the slow rise and fall beyond and pushed the punctured shade aside to bring it into shadow, and licked his lips, parting, meeting, parting on bleats and sudden muted stabs of triumph as he sought fresh pages, drew a hand down his face and stared at the shadowed rise, and fall, and rise, licked his lips, licked the pen nib and dipped it seeking fresh sheets more slowly when the phone rang.
— I can’t I can’t no! No please I can’t…!
He was up, caught her head to his trousers bulged against her cheek and held there. — It’s all right you, you don’t have to…
It rang again.
— I can’t…
