Lake Overturn Read Free Page A

wine.”
    “I don’ know . . .”
    “Come on,” he said, picking up her glass, “you’ll like it.”
    He led her up the bright staircase under the skylights and down the hall to the bedroom. He set her glass on the bedside table and sat on the edge of the bed.
    “No way,” she said, laughing.
    His face was like a baby’s, searching your face and copying your expressions. He laughed, too. Then he remembered. “No, it’s right here.” He opened the drawer, took out a magazine, and patted the bed beside him.
    Shaking her head, she sat down and reached over him for her wine as he opened to a page that he had marked with a colored paper. “There’s a new type of train they’re building in Japan. It’s just incredible. The maglev train, they call it. Magnetic levitation. They don’t have wheels. They use electromagnets to levitate over the track.” He pointed to a diagram. “They go superfast. Imagine going three hundred miles per hour, completely smoothly, without a sound, just whizzing by.” He flipped through pages. “They’re going to make one from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. A six-hour drive will be a half-hour train ride.”
    Lina burst out laughing, and again Mr. Hall copied her faintly. “It’s so stupid!” she said.
    He looked hurt. “What?”
    “To pretend that train’s what you brought me up here for.”
    He smiled again. “Okay,” he said. He closed the magazine, touched her face, and kissed her.
    She laughed and shrugged away. “You shouldn’t kiss me,” she said.
    With both hands he gently turned her face toward him again, like Enrique used to when he wanted her attention. He kissed her. She closed her eyes. It stirred her, even though he wasn’t handsome, and she didn’t really like him. She pulled away and looked down. The trembling in her chest had caused her wine to come up a little. She turned away and burped.
    He turned her back to him, and went to kiss her, but she pushed him away. Maybe he didn’t take the rules of his church seriously, but she did hers.
    “Why you want to do that?” she said.
    “Well, I think you’re very beautiful, and . . .”
    “And what?” She didn’t believe him.
    “And you are like me. We both need to kiss.”
    All right, then, she let him kiss her again. A little sadness came with his honesty. She did need to kiss. They lay down on the bed and he kissed her neck and buried his face in her breast. This was so stupid. How far would she let this go? He ran his hand up her leg. That was it.
    “Come on, Mr. Hall, let’s stop this.” She grunted to lift herself.
    “But why?”
    “You know why.”
    She left the room and walked down the soft, carpeted steps. She picked up her duffel bag and paused, looking up at the skylights above the stairs. This two-storied room was like a chapel, and it amplified the fluttering of her own breath. Mr. Hall didn’t come to look down at her from the railing. Was he waiting for her to turn weak and come back? Sacrifice her pride for the feeling of being kissed? Give in to sin? She left the house. At least she’d have something to confess this week—kissing a married man. It was so stupid.
    T HE BELL RANG, and school was out. Now Fred Campbell had missed his chance to speak with Coop before he headed out with the kids. Fred had built up some resolve during his conversation with Dean. They had prayed together, and he had felt like he could do it. He should have gone out to the garage right then, found Coop, and sat him down. But now he’d have to wait another two hours until Coop returned, during which he’d certainly lose his nerve. In the meantime, Karen would have to get dinner on alone. Fred buried his face in his hands and again called on Jesus to help him.
    John Cooper, whom everyone, child and adult alike, called Coop, was unaware of the anguish he stirred in the frail heart of his new boss, and if anyone had told him, he would have laughed long and hard. Coop’s hair was gray at the temples, his face