“I like those skinny pants,” he said. “They look good on you.”
“They’re called cigarette pants.” She rested her hand on the menu. Neither of them needed to look at a menu anymore, but the staff provided them anyway. “Now that I’m wearing them, I’m required to take up smoking.” She made her fingers into a V and feigned bringing a cigarette to her lips and blowing out a smoke ring.
He laughed at her silliness, and she reached over to take his hand. They no longer told people they were just friends. Now that they’d admitted they were dating, the townspeople had begun asking when they would be getting married. It was impossible to keep a low profile in Pullman.
After Pearl’s death, Joe had discovered that he and Linda had inherited their grandmother’s estate. He was staying behind in Pullman, ostensibly just to settle the estate and sell the house, but he knew he wasn’t leaving after that. If Kathleen was in Pullman, that was where he was going to be. He had no reason to go and every reason to stay.
Doris came to take their order. “What’ll it be?”
“The usual for me,” Kathleen said.
“The usual for me as well.” Joe gathered up the laminated menus and handed them over. After Doris walked away, he said to Kathleen, “You know what today is?”
“September fifth, 1983.”
“Remember that date, because history is going to be made today at exactly one thirty this afternoon.”
“One thirty? What are you talking about? What history?”
“Wait and watch the front door, and all will be revealed.” He grinned, glad that most of the lunch crowd had already left. Doris brought their drinks and then later the sandwiches; the entire time Joe kept his eyes on his watch, waiting as the minute hand made its way to the bottom. Every now and then, he snuck a look behind him, worried he might miss it.
“I wish I knew what I was waiting for.” Kathleen’s gaze was aimed at the front of the restaurant. “Is a marching band going to come in or something?”
“Better than that. I’ll give you a hint. Keep your eyes on Doris. She’s the key to this whole thing.”
When the door swung open, Joe allowed himself a glance back, relieved to see the boy he’d paid earlier coming in with a white envelope in his hand. The kid yelled, “Special delivery! I got something here for someone named Doris?”
Kathleen stared, mesmerized, and narrated for Joe’s benefit. “Okay, the kid’s holding up an envelope. Doris must have heard because she’s coming out of the kitchen and going straight for him.”
Doris’s voice could be heard saying, “My name’s Doris.”
“Then this is for you.” The kid’s voice floated over the heads of the restaurant patrons.
Kathleen leaned forward and said, “He handed her the envelope and took off out the door. She’s opening it now.”
“Watch her face,” Joe said. “Don’t look away for even a second.” They’d both forgotten their sandwiches, now half-eaten on their plates. “What do you see?”
“She’s opened the envelope and looks puzzled. Now she’s pulled out a note and is reading it.”
“Keep looking,” Joe said, barely able to contain his excitement. “What is she doing now?”
“She’s smiling.” A look of wonder came over Kathleen’s face. “Really smiling, and she looks like she might cry.”
“She’s smiling, huh?” He rested his elbows on the table and tented his fingers. “But I thought that you said making her smile would be impossible.” Joe couldn’t stop grinning.
Kathleen tossed him a knowing look. “Joe Arneson, what did you do?” She reached over and nudged his arm.
“After I figured out that I was trying too hard and doing all the wrong things, I changed my strategy. I realized that I needed to give her a reason to smile. After a lot of thought, I came up with a plan. I filled an envelope with five hundred dollars in cash and put in an anonymous note saying she should use the money to buy Randy a new wheelchair and whatever else he needed.”
“Nice,” she said approvingly. “Where did you get the kid who delivered it?”
“Just a random child riding his bike on the street.”
“And you just handed over an envelope with that much cash? What if he took off with the envelope?”
Joe shrugged. “I wasn’t too worried about it. I paid him ten bucks and made a big deal about him coming in right at one thirty. Told him it was a secret mission. He seemed like a good kid.”