The Lake

She opened them and carried them out to the porch. Charlie’s hat was on his lap. His brown hair was plastered to the top of his head and stuck out, unkempt and shaggy, around the ears.

“Would you like a cold drink before you go?” she asked.

“Don’t want to put you out none.”

“You’d better take one,” she said. “They’re already open, and I can’t drink them both.” She handed one of the cans to him.

“Thank you.”

He was sitting near the middle of the swing, an arm draped over its back. Leigh considered asking him to move over, but that seemed a bit too pushy. Besides, if she joined him on the swing, it would make looking at him awkward. So she stepped away and leaned sideways, shoulder against the door frame.

“Your mother makes the baskets, and you sell them to people around the lake?”

He took a drink and nodded.

“Are there enough people around to make it worthwhile?”

“Don’t need much.” His gaze flicked downward, then back up to Leigh’s face. “There’s four lakes. Did you know there’s four of ’em?”

“No.”

“Wahconda, Circle, Goon, and Willow. There’s channels. You can get from one to the other. I sell on all of ’em. There’s places like Carson’s where you’ve got folks coming and going all summer. That’s where I sell the most.

“New folks all the time, and they like Mom’s baskets. They got money, too, a lot of ’em. Made sixty-five dollars off just one lady a couple weeks back.”

While he talked, his eyes kept straying down Leigh’s body. Then he would look elsewhere fast as if he feared being caught.

“It sounds lucrative,” she said.

He lowered his gaze to the top of his soda can. “That lady didn’t want just baskets.”

“What else did she want?”

“Well, she liquored me up.”

Leigh was suddenly very glad she’d decided against the beers.

“Then she went grabbing at me, but I made her quit. Mom, she give me a good switching.”

“How did your mother find out?”

He shrugged. “Smelled the liquor on me. I told her I made the lady quit, but she hided me anyhow. It didn’t count I sold five baskets. See, I went in her place and got a snoutful and put myself in the path of temptation.” He didn’t sound resentful against his mother, more as if he had strayed and deserved the punishment. “She’d likely switch me,” he added, “if she found out I was here.”

“Well, I hope you’re not planning to tell her.”

“I don’t guess I will,” he said, and looked up at Leigh with wary eyes.

“Don’t worry, I won’t liquor you up and grab you.”

The red of a blush showed through his tan.

“Your mother sounds pretty strict.” Sounds like a regular bitch, Leigh thought.

“She just don’t want me doing wrong.”

“Does she let you date?”

Charlie looked confused.

“You know, go around with girls.”

He shook his head, looked back down at his can of soda, and took a drink.

“You mean you never had a girlfriend?”

“Just never mind,” he muttered.

“Okay. Sorry.” She sipped her black cherry soda. As she tilted the can down, a cold drop fell to her breast. It trickled down. She saw Charlie look up in time to watch her brush it away. “What about your father?” she asked.

“He run off with a tramp. I was just a kid. I don’t remember him at all.”

“That’s rough,” Leigh said.

“He was no good.”

“Maybe your mother’s afraid you’ll run off with a tramp.”

“Not me.”

“That would explain why she doesn’t like you seeing girls.”

“You shouldn’t talk that way about her.”

“I’m sure she’s a fine person.”

“That’s right.”

“I just think maybe you’re missing out on a lot, that’s all. Most guys your age—What are you, nineteen or twenty?”

“Eighteen,” he said.

“Okay, eighteen. Guys your age, that’s about all they ever think about, is girls. Don’t you feel like you might be missing out on something?”

“I know what you’re up to.”

“I’m not up to anything,” she protested.

“Oh no? How come you keep talking about me and girls?”

“I’m just curious, that’s all.”

“You want me to do things to you.” There was a challenge in his eyes. Leigh felt caught. She wanted to snap out a denial. But Charlie wouldn’t believe her anyway. He knew what he knew. “It’s crossed my mind,” she admitted. “Don’t get any ideas, though. I’m not about to let you try anything with me. It’s not that I don’t like you. I’m glad we met, and I think you and I could be friends if we got to know each other better. The thing is, I’ve already got a boyfriend. He’s back in California, but I’m not the kind of person to fool around behind his back. So we could be friends, you and I, but it would have to be strictly hands off.”

“Well, how come you brought me up here, then?”

“I came up to get the money, remember?” She pressed on, confident now that he seemed to be buying her story. “Just because you had one bad experience, Charlie, you shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Everyone isn’t like that woman who tried to grab you. And you shouldn’t go putting all the blame on her, either. If you were looking at her the same way you’ve been looking at me, it’s no wonder she got ideas.”

Charlie’s eyes widened. His mouth fell open.

“She probably thought you were asking for it.”

“I didn’t look at her that way.”