Solomon's Vineyard Read Online Free

sight of the wad of
hundred-dollar bills in it.
    I let her drive out to Tony's. I wanted to look at the town. It
wasn't much to see. The street lights were dim and all I-got was an
impression of many brick and frame houses kept back by lawns from the
street. We passed a hospital and the city pumping plant. Then we were
in the country. It was cooler. I looked at Ginger. She was intent on
her driving and her face was not so sullen.
    “What's a girl do in a town like this?” I asked her.
    “What do you think?” she asked.
    “You'd get sore if I told you.”
    “Yeah?” she said. “Well, I'm a singer.”
    “What kind?”
    “With an orchestra.”
    “Where?”
    “At Tony's. He's going to open up next week.”
    “How much will he pay you?” I asked.
    “Wouldn't you like to know,” she said.
    She had a husky voice and I thought she'd probably sing well.
    We went off the cement road on to a gravel road. We passed n small
lake and turned into a big parking lot. There were half a dozen cars
there. I saw a big farmhouse with a neon sign on it: Tony's. We
went up wooden stairs to the entrance and came into an old-fashioned
bar with a big mirror, two bartenders in shirtsleeves, and pyramids of
glasses. One of the bartenders said “Hello, Ginger,” and then looked at
me. He seemed surprised to see me.
    “Where's Pug?” he asked Ginger.
    “How do I know?” Ginger said.
    The bartender glanced at me. I looked dumb.
    We had a drink at the bar. I said I wanted to order dinner and the
bartender got a waiter. We ordered steaks and green salad. I ordered a
bottle of. champagne. That made both Ginger and the bartender look at
me. After a while we went out to a veranda overlooking the lake. There
was a breeze off the water. The waiter showed us our table.
    “This is swell,” I said.
    “Yeah,” Ginger said. “But where's our champagne?”
    The waiter brought it in an ice bucket. I had him bring a bottle of
cognac, too. I poured some of the cognac in the champagne glasses and
the waiter put champagne on top. There is nothing that gives you a rear
like champagne laced with good cognac. Try it some time. We drank
slowly.
    “Who's Pug?” I asked Ginger. I wanted to hear what she would say.
    “A friend.”
    “Anybody to worry me?”
    “No'.”
    “I'm glad,” I said. “I'm steaming up for you.”
    “He's a louse,” Ginger said.
    There were people at three tables. One party was large; three men and
five women. At the other tables were couples. The big party was noisy
and two of the women were climbing all over a red-faced fat man. I
thought he looked familiar, but I couldn't see him very well. The
cuddling was strictly fun on the surface but the women were really
trying for the fat man. He was giving the party.
    “Do you think you could go for me, beautiful?” I asked Ginger.
    “Not tonight,” she said.
    “Tomorrow?”
    “Let's dance.”
    I stuck a nickel in the jive box and we danced Some or the other
people danced, too. I noticed one of the women had cot the fat man on
the floor. Suddenly I recognized him. It was the chief of police.
Piper. He was pretty drunk. Ginger danced away from me.
    “Don't be so distant,” I said.
    “That gun of yours tickles me where I don't like to be tickled,” she
said.
    I pushed the holster further under my arm. She danced closer, putting
her head on my shoulder. Her body was firm.
    “That's better,” I said.
    “Don't talk,” she said. “Dance.”
    We danced until the record stopped, and then we went back to the
table. I noticed one of the bartenders and the waiter watching us. When
they saw me look at them, the bartender ducked into the other room and
the waiter came over and poured us more brandy and champagne. Then he
got our dinner.. The steaks were good; burned a little on top, but red
inside. I was having a good time. There were only three things I really
liked in the world; food, fighting and . . . women. Oh yes, and maybe
liquor. And