Hide and Seek

HShe pulled away.

"You convinced me."

We drove to the phone booth in front of Harmon's. She got out, and I

watched her under neon light. Dialing the number, talking. I guess

she got a little argument. Then she turned toward me and made a circle

with her thumb and forefinger. A moment later she smiled and hung up.

She climbed back into the car and slammed the door.

"I have my period. Kim will tell Steven. He's not going to like it

much. But."

"But."

I kissed her.

"What is it with Steven, anyway?"

"You mean with Steven and me."

I nodded. She laughed at me.

"We were kids together. Next-door neighbors. When we were real

little, we even talked about getting married some day. You know how

kids do. Then we grew up. At least some of us did."

"He's going to Harvard."

"There are plenty of kids at Harvard, dear."

"So where does Kim come into it?"

"Oh, some seven or eight years later. I met her in junior high. I

introduced them. His parents and mine and Kim's all became friends

eventually anyway, so they'd have met sooner or later. All the same, I

take complete credit for putting that together. And I'll tell you,

back in high school it was a very heavy thing. They were both sort

of... precocious, I guess you'd say. Kim developed quite a reputation.

Deservedly, of course."

"And they've been together all this time?"

"We have. We've stayed together. Sometimes I feel like we're linked

at the hip, the three of us. We've had some rough spots, but they

pass. If you want me, you take Kim. And if you want Kim, you take me.

Steve wants both of us, so it's easy. It's a weird relationship. We've

never been lovers, never will be. But he's still sort of possessive of

me, you know? And without me, I'm not sure he and Kim would still be

together. Like I say, I think he wants us both both together. And he

can only get me through Kim.

IDE AND SEEK