16

CHUBBY SLEPT LATE Saturday, got up at noon. He ambled to the john, pissed and studied his face in the mirror. Good day for a haircut.

***

"Hey! Bobby B!" Chubby came grinning into the hosiery store.

"Hey, Chubby! Long time no see." Butler extended his hand over the counter. Chubby gave it a squeeze, a shake and a light slap. A cigarette hung between his lips and he squinted through the smoke.

"What can I do for yah?" Butler winced from Chubby's grip.

"Nothin'. I just came down to try out that barber across the street, the guy up at Co-op cuts hair like he got some kinda palsy."

"You gonna go to Domenick?"

"Whatever his name is," Chubby said. "Is he good?"

"You're askin' me?" Butler hadn't had his hair cut in more than a year.

Chubby laughed. "So how's the store?"

"It's slow, you know, the summer."

Chubby walked around, fished a cellophane-wrapped pair of red slippers with pink pompons from the cardboard box. "How much a' these?"

"They wouldn't fit yah."

"Wise guy." Chubby chuckled and tossed them on the counter. "I'll get somethin' for the old lady." He winked. "Keep it quiet on the western front, you know what I mean?" He pulled out his wallet.

"On the house." Butler laid a hand over the wallet while stooping for a paper bag.

Chubby grinned and pinched Butler's cheek. "Hey, Bobby, how's Stony doin'? I haven't seen 'im around."

"He's doin' O.K." Butler put the slippers in a bag and folded the top. "He broke up with Cheri, you hear that?"

"What!" Chubby grimaced and shook his head. "Is that kid a sap or what?"

Butler shrugged. "I think they're both better off."

"Ah hor'shit. She was a real sweetheart. He jus' din't know how to handle her. All you fuckin' kids, you slip 'em the schvance an' you think that's all there is to it."

Butler smiled uneasily.

Chubby leaned straight-arm on the counter. "He got somethin' goin' for him now?"

"Well..." Butler started arranging boxes on the shelves. "He's seein' this chick, Annette, Annette Palladino."

Chubby's eyes fluttered at half-mast as if someone had just shoved smelling salts under his nose. He looked down at his shoes and shook his head.

"Hey, you know her?" Butler turned from the shelves.

Chubby nodded without looking up. "She gives the best underage blowjob this side a Harlem."

"How do you know?" Something defensive and angry rose in Butler.

Chubby looked up, gave him a brief, hard stare, then returned his gaze to his shoes. "I'll see you, Bobby."

"Yeah."

Chubby walked out of the store without raising his head. He left the slippers. Butler didn't call after him.