A Letter to Three Wives Page #8

- My nerves can't take this.

Lora Mae, what are you waiting for?

That's what I was waiting for.

Sadie, would you be good enough

to answer the door?

Well, my union don't like me doin'

this kind of thing for free, but, okay.

Anybody wants me can come in

and get me. This ain't a drive-in.

Well, I never.

Hello, Sadie.

Hi, Porter.

- Good evening, Mr. Hollingsway.

- Good evening.

I see you know Miss Dugan.

He just didn't know

my last name was Dugan.

But I don't believe you know

my mother, Mrs. Finney. Mother...

Pleased to meet you.

- How do you do?

- Won't you sit down?

Well, I... The table's reserved

for half past 7:
00. Its after that now.

Yes, you are late, aren't you?

I won't be a minute. Just get my bag.

- Your bag is...

- Its a cold night out, ain't it?

Not bad.

- One of mine, right?

- Uh-huh.

- Giant-sized with a super-freeze box, right?

- Uh-huh.

How long you had it?

- How long they been on the market?

- Couple of years.

- That was one of the first.

- Uh-huh.

- I wonder what's keepin' her?

- Girls always got things to do, they tell me.

- Why, there it is. How silly of me. Ready?

- We're late.

Good night, Mother, dear. Don't wait up.

Thank you, Sadie, darling. Good night.

- "Thank you, Sadie, darling."

- "Good night, Mother, dear. Don't wait up."

If a daughter of mine ever really talked

like that, Id cut her tongue out.

Here you are, Mr. Hollingsway.

My, what a pretty shade of green.

What's it called?

Crme de menthe. Tastes like peppermint.

- It isn't too strong, is it?

- Wouldn't hurt a baby.

Well, Ill just have to trust you.

Mmm. Its good.

Oh, my. When I think of all the

wonderful things that you know about,

- that Ive never even heard of.

- Got a few years head start.

Now don't you go making yourself

out an old man, Mr. Hollingsway.

Let's make it Porter.

Why, the way I look at it, a man isn't

really grown up till, say, 35 at the least.

Yeah.

This is a very nice place. Ive heard about it,

though, of course, Ive never been.

I come here all the time.

With other young ladies you want to

talk to about new duties at the store?

Let's not talk business.

I thought that's what this dinner was for,

Mr. Hollingsway.

We'll get around to it.

You poor man. I suppose

you never get a chance to relax.

People always after you for things.

What do you do with yourself

after working hours, say, uh, nights?

I have my family

and my friends, of course.

- Boyfriends?

- Isnt that getting a little personal?

Oh, a girl like you, Ill bet there's plenty.

Who's out in front?

I don't happen to be one of those girls

that talks about her private life,

Mr. Hollingsway.

And what I do in my private life

is my own personal business

and nobody else's.

- How about another drink?

- Oh, no, really. I...

Why, it's Porter Hollingsway. Don't get up.

- Hello, George. You here alone?

- With Rita, of course.

Funny, we called your house,

but you'd just left.

- Addie's with us.

- Addie?

It was a last-minute idea. We figured you'd

probably have a previous engagement.

- Whose idea, Addie's?

- As a matter of fact, now let me think...

- May I have a cigarette, please?

- Oh, here you are.

Oh, thank you. Thank you, Mr...

- Phipps. George Phipps.

- This is Miss Finney.

- How do you do?

- Hello, Miss Finney.

- Been here long?

- We just got here.

Didn't you see Rita and Addie go by?

They were a few steps ahead of me.

Just now?

Why, Im sure they saw you,

but you probably weren't looking.

Not that I blame him. Say hello

on your way out, why don't you, hmm?

- Yeah.

- Love to.

You have such nice friends.

He's a schoolteacher.

He hasn't got a dime.

Oh.

You were saying something

about another drink.

Mm, it's gettin' stuffy in here.

I want some air.

Weren't you out of cigarettes back there?

Didn't you ask George for one?

- Did I?

- You're smart.

- Thanks.

- Plenty smart.

- We gonna talk about business now?

- Let's look at the view.

- Miss Lipke is leaving next week.

- Yeah.

And if Miss Goldberg moves up,

you'll need a new assistant supervisor.

- Like flies around honey.

- Hmm?

You and your boyfriends.

- I thought we settled that.

- I want to talk about it some more.

What makes you so interested

in my boyfriends?

- What do you think?

- Which is the ashtray?

- Ive got very definite ideas.

- Like what?

There's never been anybody

in particular. Nobody special.

Plenty that wanted to, Ill bet.

What do you think?

That you've been waiting for that

one guy to come along.

- I got very definite ideas.

- What's he got to be like, this one guy?

Someone who wants to marry me

more than anything else in the world.

You sure got wrong ideas about things.

They may be wrong, but they're definite.

Well, tomorrow's another

working day. Shall we go?

Yeah.

Well, home again.

I want to thank you

for a lovely evening, Mr. Hollingsway.

That's all right.

Oh, now, look what Ive done.

My best nylons.

Too bad.

Oh, must have caught on a nail

or something at the restaurant.

I hope you don't mind my bringing it up,

but could you remember about Miss Lipke

leaving and Miss Goldberg moving up?

What about tomorrow night?

- If you'd like.

- Id like.

Half past 7:
00.

Thank you again, Mr. Hollingsway,

for the lovely nylons.

- It wasn't really necessary.

- Forget it.

Before we say good-bye,

Id like to tell you that your friendship

has meant a great deal to me

and our evenings together,

they've been wonderful.

And Im just sorry that...

Well, good-bye.

Good-bye.

Oh, Mr. Hollingsway!

Oh, Im terribly sorry.

How stupid of me.

After all my graceful speeches,

I forgot my nylons.

- They're in the back.

- I know.

Good night again.

Good-bye, Porter.

- That's all.

- Yes, sir.

Its gonna be a white Christmas.

That song, they tell me it made a million

bucks for the fella who wrote it.

This is the most beautiful house

Ive ever seen.

- Its just everything anybody'd want.

- You name it, I got it.

- You were married once, weren't you?

- See if it's too sweet.

Perfect. Is this her picture?

My wife? I wouldn't even have

her fingerprints in the house.

- Then who's this?

- Somebody I know.

I bet I can guess... Addie Ross.

- That's right.

- So that's what she looks like.

You can't tell from that really.

Its only a picture.

She's beautiful all right.

She sort of looks like a queen, doesn't she?

Like a queen ought to look.

I imagine you must be very good friends.

I helped her with some investments.

She gave me this last Christmas.

Almost a year ago.

Yeah. Just never bothered

to put it away, I guess.

- Porter?

- You know how I feel about you.

How?

Im only human, you know.

- Im not so sure you are.

- No?

- No.

- Thanks.

- You're smart.

- So you told me.

- Im smart, too, and Ive been around.

- Ill bet.

Its an old act, you're good at it,

but you don't fool me.

You're smart, all right,

smarter than anybody.

And I know all the answers.

Then answer this one, why pick on me?

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