"You want to talk about the other thing?" he asked finally. "About Billy?"
Genia had taken Billy away to a school out of state.
"No," I said. "Not now."
I didn't want to think about anything except Maxie. I was going through with it. I wanted to marry her. It would change everything.
I took some cash out of my pocket and started to put it on the counter. Tolya pushed my hand away.
"Please."
"Yeah, OK," I said. "Where do you want to shop?"
"You're really going to marry her? The girl who lives in Brooklyn?"
"Yes."
"Artyom, it's not for you, you know, this nice ordinary girl, this marriage, that's stuff for regular, boring people."
"I want to be regular and boring."
He buttered the last piece of toast on his plate, and ate it, then drank another cup of coffee while Mike went in the back and talked on the phone.
"Why not?"
"I got a call last night," he said finally.
My stomach turned over. I pulled a cigarette out of the pack.
"What kind of call?" I said to Tolya again.
He turned to look at me and said, "Lily's in New York."
"Good for her," I said. "Say hi, for me."
"Don't you want to see her?"
"No," I lied. "No." I wanted to see her more than anything I could think of; I wanted it, but I said, "No."
We sat for a few minutes not talking. I drank another cup of coffee, the thick smooth rim between my lips. Then Tolya's phone rang. He listened for a few seconds and turned to me.
"It's Lily," he said. "She wants to see you." He held out the phone. "She misses you."
Disturbed Earth Page 29
