The ball end righ' past midnight- an' that can't have come any later. It was so hard, dancin' with him an' not sayin' one word 'bout how much I wanted to leave. We could only dance fo' so lon' at least- less we want people to think we engaged. Three songs- an' then I was done. But jus' two songs after that- he come back next to me an' begin' to talkin' again.
An' then midnight.
"We mus' be sayin' our goodbyes, now," the Misses had said- to the boy by my side. She whispered ta me- "lovely- oh he's lovely." Which jus' made me hate him mo'. I guess that ain't his fault- but it don't matter none.
"Oh, mus' you?" He had asked, lookin' at me like I the moon. I guess it flatterin' in a way- but I don' care none.
"We mus'," I had snapped- fo' the Misses could say anythin'. She sent me a look, shook the man's hand- Thomas- his name- an' then we left.
"Bye Corinne," he called.
"Bye Thomas." I was only comforted by the thought that'd I never, ever see 'em again.
"He sure was nice," The Misses says, from next to me. 'Course we can't go home- it too late an' far. We stayin' with some friends of the Misses- who I ain't too excited to meet.
"And real good-lookin' too," she adds, on a second thought. "You like him? Mo' than Lloyd, perhaps."
"I dunno."
"Thomas Day- that his name? I can have someone look 'em up- if you would like. An' don' even worry 'bout yeur daddy. I'll take care of 'em. Oh,- oh it would be jus' lovely if you was engaged. Such beautiful babies."
I glower out the window. I don' want no beautiful babies- with no one. Not with Thomas or Lloyd. But I can't say as much.
"I think daddy really set on me marryin' Lloyd."
The Misses pause- unsure really wha' to say to that. An' then her hand grabs mine, an' she squeeze.
"But do you want that, Corinne. Would that make you happy?"
Make me happy? Since when does she care 'bout that?
"I dunno- it don' matter really."
"Yeah it do," she sigh, her voice droppin' real low. "Cause when you ain't happy- it hard to live."
An' then midnight.
"We mus' be sayin' our goodbyes, now," the Misses had said- to the boy by my side. She whispered ta me- "lovely- oh he's lovely." Which jus' made me hate him mo'. I guess that ain't his fault- but it don't matter none.
"Oh, mus' you?" He had asked, lookin' at me like I the moon. I guess it flatterin' in a way- but I don' care none.
"We mus'," I had snapped- fo' the Misses could say anythin'. She sent me a look, shook the man's hand- Thomas- his name- an' then we left.
"Bye Corinne," he called.
"Bye Thomas." I was only comforted by the thought that'd I never, ever see 'em again.
"He sure was nice," The Misses says, from next to me. 'Course we can't go home- it too late an' far. We stayin' with some friends of the Misses- who I ain't too excited to meet.
"And real good-lookin' too," she adds, on a second thought. "You like him? Mo' than Lloyd, perhaps."
"I dunno."
"Thomas Day- that his name? I can have someone look 'em up- if you would like. An' don' even worry 'bout yeur daddy. I'll take care of 'em. Oh,- oh it would be jus' lovely if you was engaged. Such beautiful babies."
I glower out the window. I don' want no beautiful babies- with no one. Not with Thomas or Lloyd. But I can't say as much.
"I think daddy really set on me marryin' Lloyd."
The Misses pause- unsure really wha' to say to that. An' then her hand grabs mine, an' she squeeze.
"But do you want that, Corinne. Would that make you happy?"
Make me happy? Since when does she care 'bout that?
"I dunno- it don' matter really."
"Yeah it do," she sigh, her voice droppin' real low. "Cause when you ain't happy- it hard to live."
