"Did she say where we’re going to sleep," George said. "I don’t wanna be stuck on some damn sofa."
Mary Anne nuzzled his neck. "She’s got a huge house. We’ll find a bed."
They bummed cigarettes off a group of teenagers before they flagged the taxi. In the back seat, Mary Anne took George’s hand. They had been seeing each other for three weeks. During that time, they had hitchhiked through five cities before stealing enough cash to pay for bus fare.
George pulled his hand away. He hated girls who were clingy. Mary Anne was pretty and more than willing, but so were a lot of girls. He had his rules. He liked to call the shots. "Has your aunt got money?"
Mary Anne picked at her cuticles. In a sulky voice, she said, "Grace is my great aunt on Mom’s side. Everyone is waiting for her to die. Dad says she’s worth a small fortune. She’s got stocks or bonds or something."
A smile dimpled George’s cheeks. He reached for Mary Anne’s hand, sandwiching it between his own. "How good is her eyesight?"
With a grateful sigh, Mary Anne leaned into his shoulder. She hated the sly glances the taxi driver threw them as if he thought they did not have the cash to pay for the ride. "Who knows…"
George stroked her hand. He met the taxi driver’s eye. "How ‘bout you and me finding out."
They decided that Mary Anne would do the talking. George was not much for conversation and Grace needed to be put at ease. After the taxi dropped them off, they sat on the front steps of her Victorian-style home and finished their cigarettes. When the woman next door glanced out her window at them, George gave her the finger. He threw Mary Anne a scowl as she tucked the butts under a rose bush and went to work tidying her hair. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Making myself look nice."
"Whatever."
"She’s still my aunt."
"Yeah right. As if you care…"
Mary Anne dropped the comb in her purse and tugged at her bra strap. "I don’t okay. I’m just…" She shrugged. "Let’s get this over with."
The doorbell sounded five times before Grace finally opened it a crack. She
