Short Cuts Read Free Page A

sandwich in front of Earl. Around the sandwich there were French fries, coleslaw, dill pickle.
    “Anything else?” she said. “A glass of milk?”
    He didn’t say anything. He shook his head when she kept standing there.
    “I’ll get you more coffee,” she said.
    She came back with the pot and poured coffee for him and for the two men. Then she picked up a dish and turned to get some ice cream. She reached down into the container and with the dipper began to scoop up the ice cream. The white skirt yanked against her hips and crawled up her legs. What showed was girdle, and it was pink, thighs that were rumpled and gray and a little hairy, and veins that spread in a berserk display.
    The two men sitting beside Earl exchanged looks. One of them raised his eyebrows. The other man grinned and kept looking at Doreen over his cup as she spooned chocolate syrup over the ice cream. When she began shaking the can of whipped cream, Earl got up, leaving his food, and headed for the door. He heard her call his name, but he kept going.
    He checked on the children and then went to the other bedroom and took off his clothes. He pulled the covers up, closed his eyes, and allowed himself to think. The feeling started in his face and worked down into his stomach and legs. He opened his eyes and rolled his head back and forth on the pillow. Then he turned on his side and fell asleep.
    In the morning, after she had sent the children off to school, Doreen came into the bedroom and raised the shade. Earl was already awake.
    “Look at yourself in the mirror,” he said.
    “What?” she said. “What are you talking about?”
    “Just look at yourself in the mirror,” he said.
    “What am I supposed to see?” she said. But she looked in the mirror over the dresser and pushed the hair away from her shoulders.
    “Well?” he said.
    “Well, what?” she said.
    “I hate to say anything,” Earl said, “but I think you better give a diet some thought. I mean it. I’m serious. I think you could lose a few pounds. Don’t get mad.”
    “What are you saying?” she said.
    “Just what I said. I think you could lose a few pounds. A few pounds, anyway,” he said.
    “You never said anything before,” she said. She raised her nightgown over her hips and turned to look at her stomach in the mirror.
    “I never felt it was a problem before,” he said. He tried to pick his words.
    The nightgown still gathered around her waist, Doreen turned her back to the mirror and looked over her shoulder. She raised one buttock in her hand and let it drop.
    Earl closed his eyes. “Maybe I’m all wet,” he said.
    “I guess I could afford to lose. But it’d be hard,” she said.
    “You’re right, it won’t be easy,” he said. “But I’ll help.”
    “Maybe you’re right,” she said. She dropped her nightgown and looked at him and then she took her nightgown off.
    They talked about diets. They talked about the protein diets, the vegetable-only diets, the grapefruit-juice diets. But they decided they didn’t have the money to buy the steaks the protein diet called for. And Doreen said she didn’t care for all that many vegetables. And since she didn’t likegrapefruit juice that much, she didn’t see how she could do that one, either.
    “Okay, forget it,” he said.
    “No, you’re right,” she said. “I’ll do something.”
    “What about exercises?” he said.
    “I’m getting all the exercise I need down there,” she said.
    “Just quit eating,” Earl said. “For a few days, anyway.”
    “All right,” she said. “I’ll try. For a few days I’ll give it a try. You’ve convinced me.”
    “I’m a closer,” Earl said.
    He figured up the balance in their checking account, then drove to the discount store and bought a bathroom scale. He looked the clerk over as she rang up the sale.
    At home he had Doreen take off all her clothes and get on the scale. He frowned when he saw the veins. He ran his finger the length of one that