The Tin Box Read Free Page A

the bed here, which looked big enough to host a Roman orgy, but he spread them out as best as he could and decided he’d shop for bedding soon.
    He opened the dresser drawer but paused before grabbing his pajamas. He always slept in pajamas: flannel in the winter and cotton in warmer weather. Always had. Lisa used to tease him about it, yet sometimes bought him a new pair for his birthday. Probably the practicality of the gift had appealed to her. Even on nights when they were supposed to have sex he’d start out in his pajamas, and he’d pull them on again after they’d cleaned up.
    But… even with the fans going, the room was awfully warm. The little bit of moving air would probably feel nice over bare skin. And there was nobody but cows for miles around.
    The wicked smile returned as William shoved the drawer closed and stripped to his boxers. He hung his pants carefully in the armoire before padding into the bathroom, where he placed the dirty socks and undershirt in the washing machine. His evening ablutions took very little time. He wasn’t the type to linger, and there wasn’t much to look at in the mirror anyway. His nose was too long and too sharp, his lips too thin, his eyes muddy brown, his straight sandy hair unremarkable. The rest of him wasn’t so great either. Lisa had always told him he could pack on some muscle if he tried—she was a physical therapist and considered herself an expert on the subject. But his few attempts at working out had ended quickly. He didn’t really enjoy focusing so much on his body and had accepted the fact that he was tall and slightly scrawny.
    Back in the main room, he debated whether to close the window. Leaving it open left him feeling exposed, even though he knew nobody was out there. But if he closed it he’d lose access to the bit of cooling air. He ended up with a half-assed compromise, pulling the drapes partway shut so that they billowed slightly in the breeze.
    Oh man, the bed was comfortable, even with the terrible sheets. For the first time in weeks he could really stretch out, and he did, starfishing himself across the mattress so that the fan dried the sweat on his chest and legs. He had never slept in such an enormous bed before. It would never have fit in the bedroom of their cramped Oakland apartment. Whatever else came of his time in Jelley’s Valley, at least he’d get a decent night’s sleep.
     
     
    H E WOKE to the sound of birds calling raucously outside his window. Tangled in the loose sheets, he was a little disoriented at first. But by the time he freed himself, he had remembered where he was. He glanced at his small alarm clock on the nightstand and discovered with a shock that it was 9:13. There went his intentions for an early start.
    Despite getting nearly twelve hours of sleep, he felt a little muzzy-headed as he used the bathroom and heated a pot of water for tea. He preferred coffee but hated instant and had no way to brew the decent stuff he’d brought with him. He needed to buy a coffeemaker when he went sheet shopping.
    Darjeeling tea and dry toast were enough to get his brain functioning again. He had to stoop a little to fit in the shower, but at least the water pressure was decent. He was running low on soap and shampoo. He decided midway through rinsing that instead of settling down in front of his laptop right away, he’d take a drive into town. He could get some groceries and make sure the post office knew he existed. He was a little doubtful whether he’d find all the items on his growing shopping list, but at least he could give it a try.
    He shaved and dressed. He felt a little daring in going tieless, but he could already tell it was going to be another hot day, and the thought of that strip of fabric strangling him in his stifling car was just too much. He even considered leaving the sport jacket behind, but in the end he threw it onto the passenger seat. He needed to look at least somewhat professional.
    The ritual of