Jennifer Government Part 28

General Li smiled. "No."

48 N/A

"Okay," Buy said, when Jennifer walked in the door. "I decided on ca.s.serole. I was thinking tuna bake, but that box of bread crumbs of yours expired six months ago." He looked at her reprovingly.

"Oh," Jennifer said. "You're cooking?"

"I got restless." Buy had arranged to meet at Jennifer's house after work, but when he arrived she was on the way out to pick up Kate. So she let him in and told him to amuse himself. He now had three pots bubbling on the stove top and a dish in the oven. "I hope you don't mind. I thought..."

"What?"

"There's a girl," Buy said, "hiding behind your legs."

She looked down. "Buy, this is Kate. Kate, meet Buy."

Buy waved. "Pleased to meet you." Kate didn't say anything. She had dark eyes, like her mother. Buy felt a twinge of nervousness. He didn't have much experience with kids.

Jennifer said, "Kate, why don't you get changed?"

Kate left wordlessly. There was something going on here, Buy thought. Kate's face looked like a storm; Jennifer's was tired and strained. "She's cute," Buy said. He stirred a pot.

"Yeah. She is." Jennifer looked at him. "Look, I have something to ask...a favor. A big one."

"Sure."

"I've been given an a.s.signment in London. I don't know how long it will be. Maybe a week."

"You're leaving? When?"

"Tonight."

Buy looked at his ca.s.serole. "Do you have time to eat?"

"No."

"Oh. Lucky I'm hungry."

"You can say no...but I need someone to look after Kate." She watched him.

Buy almost laughed. "You want me to take care of your daughter?"

"You'd only have to pick her up after school or aftercare, feed her"

"Isn't there anyone else you'd rather do this? Family? Her father?"

"Look," Jennifer said, "I'm asking you, okay?"

"Okay." He hesitated. "You don't know me very well."

"Sure I do."

"Well, okay, then," Buy said. "I'd be honored."

"Thanks. Thank you." He could see the relief on her face. "I thought maybe you could stay here, so Kate's not in a new environment. Is that all right?"

"Sure."

Kate reappeared in the doorway. Jennifer said, "Honey, Buy will be looking after you while I'm away."

Kate looked at him.

"All right? He's cooking a nice meal for you." She waited.

"I'm not hungry."

"You don't have to eat now. now. It's not ready yet. You can eat later." It's not ready yet. You can eat later."

Kate was silent.

"I'm sorry," Jennifer said. She pressed her hand against her forehead. "Kate, I'm so sorry. I have to pack."

She left. Buy and Kate looked at each other.

"Well," Buy said. "Looks like you and me are in for a fun time."

Kate looked at the stove. "What are you cooking?"

"A ca.s.serole. You like it?"

"What is it?"

"You don't know what a ca.s.serole is?"

Kate shook her head.

"What do you eat?"

"Spaghetti, mostly."

"Well, then," Buy said. "You're in for quite a treat."

"You speak funny."

"That's because I was born in France. I can teach you a few words of my language, if you like. You can impress your friends with your command of francais francais."

"What?"

"Francais," Buy said, "is French for French."

"What's French for Kate?"

"Kate," Buy said.

"Oh."

"Most of the other words are different," he a.s.sured her. "You will sound very sophisticated."

"Okay." She smiled a little. "I think I am hungry now."

Kate set the table and over dinner they talked about French cheeses. Kate wouldn't believe that France had five hundred types and she asked Buy to name them. He struggled to get past ten, and anyway she accused him of making up Roquefort.

"It's real," Jennifer said, coming into the room. "I've seen it myself." Kate didn't say anything. Jennifer looked at Buy, and he noticed again how tired she looked. "Thanks so much for this. I'll call as soon as I can."

"Sure."

She squatted beside Kate. Kate stared at her plate. "You know I don't want to do this. Right? As soon as I get back, you and me will go down to the dog shelter. The minute I get back."

"Yes, Mommy."

"I love you. I love you so much."

Buy said, "Do you need help with your bags?"

She looked up. "Thanks, no. My shoulder's a lot better." She kissed Kate, then him on the cheek. "I'm sorry, I really have to run."

"Have a good trip."

"Thanks." She dragged her suitcase out the front door.

Buy played with his fork. Kate stared at her empty plate. When Jennifer had invited him over, this was not how Buy had envisioned the evening.

"Okay!" he said. "Should we see what's in the freezer for dessert?"

Kate sniffed. Buy realized she was crying, or about to. He felt panic.

"Hey..." He rose and went over to her, feeling awkward. What did he know about kids? Nothing. "She'll be back before you know it. I bet."

Kate's lip was trembling; her eyes were filling. Buy didn't know what to do. Then she reached out for him, and he hugged her. Her tiny arms felt strange around his neck. Strange and nice. He stroked her hair.

"You're a very brave girl." He held her for a long time, until she stopped trembling. "Some dessert now?" he said, and felt her nod.

49 The Gap

Everyone was very worked up when Hack arrived at the parking lot. "Have you seen the news?" Leisl demanded. Leisl had green hair and heavy makeup; her main beef was with genetically modified food but she was basically willing to stick it to anyone who was making a lot of money.

"What news?" Hack said.

"They shot shot some people. One company went in and shot some people from another company. It's like organized crime. It's like the some people. One company went in and shot some people from another company. It's like organized crime. It's like the mob mob."

"Oh, wow," Hack said. "No, I hadn't heard." He wondered if Nike was involved.

"That's why tonight is so important," Thomas said. Thomas was the youngest, just a kid, really. He hated inequality, like how only rich people got to ride first-cla.s.s in airplanes. "Right, Hack?"

"Right," Hack said. "Hi, Claire."

"Hi." She smiled. Her breath fogged in the night air. "You still want to go ahead with this?"

"h.e.l.l, yes," Hack said. "Bring it on." He wondered if he should make a little speech.

"Yeah!" Thomas said. Thomas was pretty excited. Hack guessed they all were.

"Well, we're all set," Leisl said. "I've secured the guy ropes. Any time you're ready."

"Okay." He wasn't totally confident about Leisl, so he checked the ropes himself. It was six stories to the ground. Hack didn't want to find out halfway down that Leisl had used hemp rope or something. "Then let's do it."

On the side of the parking lot was an enormous billboard, on which a model advertised stretch pants for The Gap. The model was four stories tall but her arms were like sticks. He and Claire were going to go down and spray-paint a speech bubble that said FEED ME.

They got trussed up and stood together on the ledge. Claire's cheeks were red; from the excitement or the cold, Hack didn't know. She took his hand. "I can't believe we're doing this."

"Bombs away," Hack said, and stepped over the edge. The street, sixty feet down, swung out before him. His head spun. His body screamed out for him to get vertical. What are you doing? Hack, you don't do things like this! What are you doing? Hack, you don't do things like this! But Hack was doing it. He started to get the knack of it and pushed off from the side, then swung back. It was kind of fun. Soon he was rappelling down the billboard in great leaps. He stopped when he reached the model's neck and looked up. Claire was still edging down. "You okay?" But Hack was doing it. He started to get the knack of it and pushed off from the side, then swung back. It was kind of fun. Soon he was rappelling down the billboard in great leaps. He stopped when he reached the model's neck and looked up. Claire was still edging down. "You okay?"

"Yes!"

He blew on his hands to keep them warm. Hack was getting a pretty good view of the Punt Road shopping strip from here. The traffic looked like a metal river. He wondered what the drivers made of him and Claire.

Claire slowly made her way down. "What are you, some kind of stunt man? Jumping and leaping like an idiot."

He grinned. "It's fun."

She smiled, studying him. "You know, I'm proud of you."

"What?"

"I thought you'd be moping around, feeling bad about Violet...I'm impressed. You're doing great."

"Violet and me were never such a great couple." But Claire was right, of course. The old Hack would be inconsolable about being dumped; bitter about being left behind while Violet enjoyed her new success overseas. But this wasn't the old Hack. This was the New and Improved Hack.