“Who was that, sugar?” Odell asked when I got back to our bedroom. He was in his pajamas, sitting at the foot of the bed, fiddling with the radio we kept on top of the dresser. If he could find a station that didn’t have a lot of static, we planned to nestle in each other’s arms and listen to some gospel programs before things got more intimate.

“Guess,” I snickered and flopped down on my side of the bed.

“Yvonne and Milton?”

I nodded. “Milton said to let you know he’d be coming by the store Monday to pick up some item he discussed with you.”

“He came over here for that? I thought you had told Yvonne we’d planned to spend today alone.”

“I did. I made it clear to her that we didn’t want any company.”

“And they showed up anyway. Them people ain’t got no kind of manners, and it’s beginning to get on my nerves,” Odell snarled. His mood was so gloomy now, I wished I had not answered the door. I didn’t think them coming over unannounced was that big of a deal, but I guess he did. That was the problem with us being more sophisticated than they were. They didn’t have a clue when it came to acceptable etiquette. And with all the things Odell had to deal with, I could understand why it bothered him so much on a day we’d planned not to see anybody. “Oh. Yeah, me and him talked about that ‘item’ when I was over there last night. It’s kind of embarrassing.”

“Speaking of last night, how come you didn’t stay over there longer?”

“I wanted to. But when I mentioned that you wasn’t feeling good to a few women, they said their husbands would never leave them alone if they was sick. That made me feel bad. That’s why I came home so soon.” Odell set the radio on his nightstand. Then he got in bed and pulled the covers all the way up to his neck.

“Well, Milton admitted that he needs something from the store to deal with a manly issue. Yuck. That’s all I want to know.” I snickered again. “I’ll bet it’s a glitch down there that’s interfering with his performance.”

“Um . . . something like that.”

“Whatever it is, I’m glad you don’t have the same problem. I’d be climbing the walls in no time.”

Odell had been in a more romantic mood before Yvonne and Milton interrupted us. Now his level of physical interest in me was so low, he didn’t even touch me when I slid under the covers and pressed myself against him. I poked his backside with my knee. When that didn’t arouse him, I gave up. We didn’t listen to the radio or do anything else.

* * *