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Show relieved and excited, disorganized and loud. I stood alone off to one side and watched the flash bulbs flashing, the waiters hurrying to move back the folding chairs and to set up tables, Mrs. Rubin giving unheeded orders. In the midst of the confusion Amelia stood quietly, the calm center of it, her white gown blazing and her thick sorrel hair aflame. She stood with chin lifted, smiling, regal and proud, the most beautiful, queenly woman I had ever seen. When I went through the receiving line and came to her I was suddenly shy and pecked her cheek. "Is that all I get now that Ben and I are legit?" she said, and I leaned forward and kissed her the way a bride should be kissed, friendly on the mouth, hello and goodby. I shook hands with Ben. "Mazel tov." He shrugged. "She'll divorce me and marry a lumberman yet." "Never. But a doctor a specialist, maybe." And there was Kite, her grey eyes looking directly into mine, her lips smiling. I took it as an invitation £to kiss. She kissed me back and when I pulled back she was still smiling. It had been a friendly kiss on the mouth, a big hello, but there was no goodby in it. Somebody pushed me on to Hal Dove. The gay wedding feast: Mrs. Gordon and Mrs. Rubin were friends again, everybody was friends again, Mrs. Rubin was smiling, Ben was smiling, everyone was smiling as if love had prevailed. While we ushers ate with the other guests, I watched Kite at the main table sitting beside Hal Dove's wife, who was talking. Kite wore a long rose dress and I had never seen her hair so black, her skin so white, so vivid. Vividly I could remember the warmth and the pressure of her lips but I knew it must be the excitement of the occasion. After the meal, tables cleared, a bar was set up and a band appeared. I drank and danced, drank and danced. I jitterbugged, sort of, and then danced the hora, which reminded me of square dances out in* the country at Oak Grove. With that I worked up a fine sweat in my tux, a fine thirst, and I headed for the bar. There was Kite and I took her off to dance. She came close to me, |
