His hands splayed over my backside, clutched me, and his lips followed the rise of my breast. He murmured along my neck. “You make me crazy when I’m with you and crazy when I’m not with you.” He kissed me again, a deep, searching kiss, until a loudspeaker in the hallway blared out and a hospital cart rattled near the door.

We got off the bed and stepped away from each other breathlessly. I righted my bra, and buttoned my blouse, and smoothed my hair, while he tucked his shirt back in his pants and promised I’d see him tonight. I stepped closer to him, took his beloved face in my hands, and brushed his lips fleetingly one last time before I rejoined the disapproving others.

“I was just telling Clarence,” said Irene, glaring at me as I entered the room, “that Summit Drive will probably fall apart in the next ten days while he’s at home recovering. Roxanne, you’ve lost an earring.”

“I’m sure it’s in the car.” I tasted Terrence on my lips, and my breath came involuntarily quicker.

Excruciating, inconsequential talk continued, more bowels, the old operation for cancer some years ago, Summit Drive, Ruby’s Diner, what grade little Serena was in. Perhaps ten minutes later Terrence popped back in the room. His tie was still askew, and he had buttoned his sport coat.

“What’s wrong with everyone?” asked Serena.

“We should let Clarence rest,” said Irene, rising and picking up her handbag.

Everyone said awkward goodbyes with well wishes for Clarence’s recovery. I offered Terrence my hand, which he held with exaggerated finesse. “Mr. Dexter. How nice to see you again,” I said without looking at anyone else in the room.

“Miss Granville.”

Irene did not speak to me all the way back to her car. She did not answer me when I spoke. I had to walk fast to keep up with her till at last we got to her enormous teal blue Cadillac. Once inside the car, she lambasted me.

“Have a thought back to Diana Jordan, you dumb cluck! It wasn’t the arrest that finished her off, it was the Negro! She’ll never work again! Not after the whole world knows she was sleeping with a Negro!”

“Terrence’s brother.”

Irene started to hyperventilate. “Did you actually meet this man the night of the raid?”

“Before that. He drove me to Pierino’s one day last spring when my car was at Reg’s. He has a Porsche.”

“Oh, great god in the morning, Roxanne! You got in the car with a strange Negro because he had a Porsche? Have you lost your mind? Have you stuffed your brains up your twat?”

“I never knew what it was to be in love before this, Irene. I didn’t know everything that can happen to you, body and soul—”