The torero pants were tight; they reminded Ella of her body and of her years and of her excitement. She knew that Adam Cramer was going to kiss her tonight. But she did not know whether he planned to touch her. No one ever had, at least not as Lucy had described it, and she hoped, without realizing that she hoped, that it would happen. There wasn’t anything wrong about letting someone touch you, after all. Not really wrong. A lot of girls, some of them younger than Ella, just took it for granted. And with her own eyes she’d seen Alfred Clancy put his whole hand over Dorothy Watkins’ right breast and keep it there—on the outside, of course.

She drained the soda glass noisily and looked at the clock. It was seven-ten. In five minutes, she thought, he’ll pick me up. It didn’t even occur to her that Adam Cramer would be late. He wasn’t that sort.

She took thirty cents out of her wallet, went around the counter and put the money into the cash register. Mr. Higgins jumped at the sound.

“I’d forgotten you were here,” he said. Then, “Why are you here, anyway, all by yourself?”

“I’m meeting somebody,” Ella said.

“Oh. I beg your pardon.”

She went outside and waited and presently the Chevrolet pulled up. Adam Cramer got out and opened the door for her.

“I really appreciate this,” he said.

Ella got in and waited until they were headed down the street before she said, “I told Mother I was meeting Lucy.”

“My God, is she against me too?”

“No, but she doesn’t like the idea of me going out on a school night, you know. What’s this about, anyway?”

“Well,” Adam Cramer said, “it’s mostly about you.”

Ella shivered slightly; it was the same feeling she’d had before, alone with Adam Cramer. She tried to think of an answer, or a question.

“Mostly I wanted to see you again, that’s all. But for some reason your father plain doesn’t care for me. He told me I wasn’t ever to see you again. And that, milady, was a bitter, bitter pill.”

“But you said you had some important business or something.”

“Isn’t being with you important business?” Adam Cramer patted the space next to him on the seat. “Come on over here. I hate to shout.”

Ella moved a few inches toward him.

“I do have a little business you can help me with, as a matter of fact,” he said, “but it won’t take long. I want to speak to some of the kids at Rusty’s.”

“How can I help?”

“Just by being with me. That way I’m not a total stranger to them. See?”

“I guess so.”

“Afterwards we can take a drive. You still have a lot to show me.”