“My name was Smith before I was married.
That don’t sound much like a Mex, does it?”
“Not much.”
“What’s more, I don’t even come from around here.
I come from Iowa.”
“Smith, hey.
What’s your first name?”
“Cora.
You can call me that, if you want to.”
I knew for certain, then, what I had just taken a chance on when I went in there.
It wasn’t those enchiladas that she had to cook, and it wasn’t having black hair.
It was being married to that Greek that made her feel she wasn’t white, and she was even afraid I would begin calling her Mrs. Papadakis.
“Cora.
Sure.
And how about calling me Frank?”
She came over and began helping me with the wind wing.
She was so close I could smell her.
I shot it right close to her ear, almost in a whisper.
“How come you married this Greek, anyway?”
She jumped like I had cut her with a whip.
“Is that any of your business?”
“Yeah. Plenty.”
“Here’s your wind wing.”
“Thanks.”
I went out.
I had what I wanted. I had socked one in under her guard, and socked it in deep, so it hurt.
From now on, it would be business between her and me.
She might not say yes, but she woudn’t stall me.
She knew what I meant, and she knew I had her number.
That night at supper, the Greek got sore at her for not giving me more fried potatoes.
He wanted me to like it there, and not walk out on him like the others had.
“Give a man something to eat.”
“They’re right on the stove.
Can’t he help himself?”
“It’s all right.
I’m not ready yet.”
He kept at it.
If he had had any brains, he would have known there was something back of it, because she wasn’t one to let a guy help himself, I’ll say that for her.
But he was dumb, and kept crabbing.
It was just the kitchen table, he at one end, she at the other, and me in the middle.
I didn’t look at her. But I could see her dress.
It was one of these white nurse uniforms, like they all wear, whether they work in a dentist’s office or a bakeshop.
It had been clean in the morning, but it was a little bit rumpled now, and mussy.
I could smell her.
“Well for heaven’s sake.”
She got up to get the potatoes.
Her dress fell open for a second, so I could see her leg.
When she gave me the potatoes, I couldn’t eat
“Well there now.
After all that, and now he doesn’t want them.”