First thing Bill did when he went downstairs was go to his locker and get some more black beauties. He popped one on the way to the meat room and put two into a small baggie which he sealed and stuck into his pocket.
In the meat room he and Henry Lee went into the deep freeze to smoke a joint. They took their time and made it a leisurely smoke. They didn’t talk much because there wasn’t much to say.
The meat delivery wasn’t due till tomorrow. For this afternoon there was just a regular amount of meat to be cutting and of course the meat for the other store. But Henry Lee had gotten well ahead of the game and he could’ve handled it by himself. So they worked slowly, drank bourbon as they felt like it and passed through the afternoon.
Round about four Mary came down and plopped herself up on the counter like she always did. First thing, she asked if Bill had any more weed. Bill looked at her as if she were crazy for thinking he might not and without her having to say anything else, he handed her a joint then watched as she fingered it, smoothing it out, making it ready to smoke.
“Who’s going in there with me?” she asked.
“Not me,” said Bill.
“Girl, you don’t need no one to go in there with you,” Henry Lee said.
“I want some company,” Mary said.
Henry Lee said, “You ain’t no goddamn baby.”
Mary gave him the evil eyes followed by the finger. She crossed her feet at the ankles and swung her legs to and fro.
“You gonna be messing with Arlene?” she asked Bill.
“I don’t think so.” He was cutting top sirloins. He set his knife gently on his cutting board and walked over to Mary.
“Not that it makes any difference,” he said, “but she got stuff going on. Truth is we spent last night together and talked most of it through. We talked but we didn’t do anything.”
“Your choice or hers?”
“It was kind of mutual, more my choice, if you really must know.”
“Shit,” Henry Lee said. “You spent the night with her and didn’t do nothing? What kind of crap is that? I’d have I didn’t hit it in a flash.”
“We all know that,” Mary said.
“Neither of us is going anywhere,” said Bill. “And it’s not like I don’t have anyone here to fool around with.”
Bill put his arms around Mary’s neck and drew her face to him. He kissed her softly then he reached a hand to her knee and slid it up her thighs.
Mary clamped her legs shut stopping his hand where it was. She pulled back from him and pushed him away from her.
“Fooling around?” She looked at Bill. “Fooling around?” she said again. She hopped down off the counter, didn’t say anything more. Almost like she was in a huff, she walked over to the hooks where the Arctic parkas hung. She took one for herself and put it on. Then she asked Bill for his lighter.
“Sure you don’t want to join me?” she asked him.
Bill didn’t want to but she had made him feel as if he should. So without putting on a parka, he lit the joint then followed her into the deep freeze.
“I thought you really cared about me,” she said when they were inside.
“What makes you think I don’t?” Bill asked. “You know how I feel. I’ve said it over and over and I won’t stop saying it.”
They did puff-puff-pass except Bill did more passing then puffing. He was pleasantly high and did not want to overdo it. “I’m gonna trip tomorrow,” he said.
“Bea be looking for your ass,” Mary said.
Bill smiled at her. “I’d hide out if I could,” he said. “Maybe I can evade her long enough for it to be time for her to go home.”
