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Show Peppermint Monday sure if he would come. I wasn't sure if he would even answer or acknowledge I'd spoken. "Barton." I said again a little sharper. I went to the doorway and peeked around to see what he was doing. "I'm coming," he grunted. His head was bent and his stocking - foot was twitching in mid-air while he reached for his shoe. I could easily tell what the best dressed business-men were wearing in the line of footwear. Barton wiggled his feet into the plain brown loafers, and I wondered if he owned a pair of tennis shoes. "What do you want?" He said impatiently. His cheeks were blazing an uncomfortable pink and it was obvious he was put out. "Have you seen Russ today?" I wasn't sure how to lead up to old Jake. To be fair, as ma said, I should at least prepare him. "Of course. I see him everyday. You got me up for that?" "Not exactly. I wanted to know if you've met his friend." "I've seen a bunch of bawling neighbor kids running around, if that's what you mean." He sank back to his chair, already bored of our conversation. His crossword puzzle still wasn't finished. Barton liked things finished even if he was no better at crossword puzzles than ma was. "This friend's grown up. I think you'd remember him if you met him." "I doubt it." Barton put his glasses back on and began reading. He wanted me to leave, but I wasn't finished yet. "You'd find Jake interesting. I'm sure you wouldo" "It would be a first." Barton was suggesting that none of my friends, or Jason's, were interesting. He wanted to make me mad, but it failed. At times Andrea was boring, and she was the only friend of mine who had met him. |
