The winter of Frankie Machine

68

Danny Carver is about to get bare tit.

Finally.

What he gets for dating a Mormon girl. Other chicks are passing out blow jobs like Skittles, but Shelly will not give it upat all. Danny’s been at it for three months-taking her to the movies, to the mall, going bowling, playing freakingminiature golf -and the most he can get is a quick kiss, no tongue.

He would have dropped her on, like, date two if she weren’t so goddamn hot. Blond hair, big blue eyes, and thatrack…

It took two months just to get her to go parking with him at all, come out here to the roadside parking lot where, in the daytime, the tree-huggers park their cars to go hiking down in the canyon.

But at night, the place is like health class. You got droves of teenagers out here studying sex ed like it’s going to be on the SATs, and tonight Shelly isinto it. Her hand doesn’t even come down on his like a castle gate when he starts to unbutton her blouse.

I am in, Danny thinks.

Thank you, God.

I amin.

“Oh myGod, ” Shelly says.

Oh yeah. You theman.

“Oh-my-God.”

Her body stiffens and she’s looking over his shoulder.

It’s her father, Danny thinks.

Six-foot-six Mormon who shoes horses for a living.

Danny’s body stiffens.

He looks back over his shoulder.

Bigfoot is in the window.

It’s like one of those stories you used to tell on camping trips, about the guy with the hook. Except this guy doesn’t have a hook-he has a gun. And he gestures for Danny to roll down the window.

Danny does.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” the guy says to Danny, yanking him out of the car. “I just need your vehicle.”

All Danny can do is nod as the guy slips past him into the driver’s seat.

Frank looks at the girl.

“You can get out now,” he says. “And button your blouse, huh?”

Shelly does both.

Frank puts it in reverse and takes off.