Pretty Girls Don't Cry (22 page)
Read Pretty Girls Don't Cry Online
Authors: Tony J Winn
Indeed, pairing up did seem natural. Kylie had finally phoned and confessed to Nora that the guy she'd been dating was none other than Bobby, and she was so sorry to go after an ex of Nora's, but she
really
liked him. Nora then apologized for having slept with Kylie's boyfriend
before he was her boyfriend
, so they were basically even. They did not compare bedroom notes, though Nora had a difficult time refraining from asking about the possibility of spanking.
Nora strode to her parking stall under the building, surprised by how wonderful it felt to wear a dress in the summer. The air played around her legs in a way it never did in even the loosest-fitting pants.
She climbed into her new car, her father's restored Camarro, and started the engine. She didn't know much about cars, much less this one, but to her ear, the engine sounded perfect. He'd always meant for it to be hers someday. She felt his presence all around her.
The sun wasn't up yet, but it would be in an hour or so. She waved at her billboard, and because she was running early, she stopped at a 24-hour doughnut shop to buy treats for everyone at the station.
The woman at the counter said, “I know you, you're Nora!” She called for the people in the kitchen to come out and meet her. Nora shook everyone's hands, and one of the guys asked if he could take her photo with the group of them, with his cell phone camera. They squeezed in together for a shot.
Nora noticed the man standing next to her was crying. She looked down and realized his left arm was a prosthetic, and he had a hook instead of a hand, which would be much more practical for working in a kitchen.
“You're an inspiration,” he said to Nora.
“No, I just talk on the radio. You make doughnuts with one hand.”
He beamed. “That, I do.”
The woman said, “Can you stay? Carlos is coming in soon, and he'd love to meet you. Is it true that you kissed that Stevey? Was that real? Oh, you must stay, have a coffee.”
“I have to go, prepare for the show,” Nora said. “I'll come back again, though. Everybody loves your doughnuts.”
The woman gave her a hug. The man with the prosthetic shook her hand, barely able to meet her gaze.
They wouldn't let her pay for the dozen doughnuts, so she slipped a twenty in the tip jar when they weren't looking.
Back in the Camarro, she started the engine and turned up the radio. The station was playing Liz Phair.
Nora rolled down the window and sang along, as loud as she could.
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