the Big Bounce (1969) Read Online Free PDF

don't need any sweater.
    He turned, shifting his weight, to watch Nancy walk toward the house. She could stand about ten pounds but, damn, that was a nice little compact can in the white shorts and the striped top you could see down, and she knew it too, whenever she bent over. He watched her slide open the glass door that led into the activities room. That's where the bar was. Maybe she'd bring out some drinks.
    That'd be something. Get her to loosen up and relax. It was quiet now except for once in a while the faint, faraway sound of a boat motor; quiet and nice with the patio and swimming pool and most of the lawn in the shade; quiet and private with the stockade fence on both sides of the yard and, out in front, against the sky, the edge of the steep slope that dropped down to the beach: forty-eight steps and two landings. He ought to know because he had put the new stairway in the end of June with the two pickers helping him and Nancy lying around in the little two-piece outfit with her belly button showing. He had been coming back ever since.
    Today he had waited until 5:30, giving Mr. Ritchie plenty of time to start back to Detroit. If Mr. Ritchie had still been here, Bob Jr. figured he could always say he'd come to check on the boat. Mr. Ritchie did that a lot on Sunday: he and Nancy would go out and fool around a couple of hours then tie up at the house instead of the yacht club so Mr. Ritchie could change, get right in his car, and head for Detroit. Then Bob Jr. would have to call the yacht club for somebody to come over and pick up the boat a beauty sitting out there now, a thirty-eight footer, white with dark green trim, white and pickle green, like everything Mr. Ritchie owned: white house with a green sun deck over the lower level, green shrubs, green tile around the pool, green Mustang, green Lincoln, all the farm equipment green, a green and white Swiss-looking hunting lodge up back of the farm property. It was all right, Bob Jr. had decided, if you liked green and white, but his favorite colors, personally, were blue and gold, the colors of the uniforms they had worn at Holden Consolidated.
    She came out in a light blue crew-neck sweater that looked nice with her dark hair, taking her time and not carrying a bottle or glasses, damn it. It was strange she walked so slow, a girl as itchy-bitchy as she generally was.
    I thought I had another set of keys, Nancy said, but I don't.
    I'll tell you what. I'll let you use the pickup.
    That son of a bitch. He expects me to sit here all week waiting for him.
    Bob Jr.'s head was turned to watch her. Isn't that part of the deal?
    The deal, Charlie, is none of your business.
    Why don't you get us some drinks?
    I want to do something.
    Well, let's see, Bob Jr. said. We could go out in the boat.
    I've been out in the boat.
    What do you do out there?
    Nancy stood with her arms folded, looking out past the edge of the bluff, at the lake that reached to the horizon. She didn't bother to answer him.
    You do some fishing?
    She gave him a look.
    I know what. You go swimming bare-ass and then he chases you around the boat.
    Right, Nancy said. How did you know?
    Come on, let's go out. Just till dark.
    Your wife will be wondering about you.
    She went down to Bad Axe to visit her mother.
    With all the little kiddies? While Daddy what do you tell her Daddy's doing?
    Come on, let's go out in the boat.
    I don't want to go out in the boat.
    Then, get us something to drink. Hey, some Cold Ducks.
    I want to do something.
    That's something.
    I want to go out.
    And ride some boys off the road?
    She was looking at him now. You wouldn't have enough nerve.
    I know something better to do.
    You wouldn't have the nerve to take me out, she said then. Would you? You'll sneak in here when Ray's gone, but you wouldn't take me out, would you?
    Like where?
    Out. I don't know.
    There's no reason. You got everything you want right here.
    I want to go out, Nancy said. Do you want to go out with me or do you