“So you’re from Dunleith,” he said. “Do you know the Kellers there? My brother went to school with Shine Keller. Do you know them?”

“Of course we do. But we’re not from Dunleith. My father’s family is from Aberdeen. They own Aberdeen, to tell the truth. They own the whole town.”

“Well, not all of it.”

“They do too. They own all the houses. So your father’s the lieutenant governor? I’m sorry I never heard of him. I wasn’t raised in Alabama.”

“Where were you raised?”

“In the Delta. Everywhere. I’ve lived a lot of places. Anyway, I don’t want to talk about that. So, where did you see me?” We were still standing in the middle of the living room. I sat down in the window seat. He hesitated, then drew a small armchair up beside me and sat on that. He looked very uncomfortable but he pressed on.

“I saw you at the bookstore in the Quonset hut. I told you that. I like that. I like smart girls.” He smiled, an imitation of a sweet seductive smile.

“I can’t help it if I’m smart. I’m glad I’m smart. Well, Donie said you wanted to take me out to dinner.”

“I want to take you to this steak house on the river. It’s in the country. We go there on Friday nights.”

“Who does?”

“The law students. Would you like to go?”

“I guess so. Sure, I’d like to go.” He kept his hands folded on his open knees. There was something I didn’t understand about him. I couldn’t get comfortable somehow, but I kept trying.

“I won the Sigma Chi Derby with a skit I wrote. I guess you know that. Did you know the dean called us in? She had a fit because this character named Slut … it was about the Sigma Chis and in it they have this housemother named Slut. Anyway, she said goddamn a few times and the dean went crazy. I’m never writing anything else to put on here. How dare she tell us what to have in plays. I hate her. She’s so ugly. I bet she never had a boyfriend in her life.”

“She’s married to the head of the engineering school.”

“What?”

“The dean of women, Shirley Lang. She’s married to the head of engineering. They have two kids. I’ve been to their home for a reception. I think you’ll like this place I’m taking you to, Rhoda. It’s rustic. They have a big fireplace and they cook the steaks inside. We all go there now.”

“Donie said you were from Birmingham. I know a girl from there. May Garth Sheffield. Her family owns the bank. Anyway, she started drinking iodine in milk to make her bones thinner. Can you believe that? Can you believe anybody would do such a thing? Do you know them, the Sheffields?”

“Cal Sheffield? She’s Cal Sheffield’s daughter?”

“I don’t know. I just know her. I don’t know her father’s name.”