Joel
“How much?” I ask. “Man to man, what"s it gonna take to get your blessing?”
I don"t give a damn about his “blessing,” but I know that bitterness and strife are no way to start out a relationship, much less a marriage. That, and I need to get out of town.
I take in his appearance. He"s wearing a clean, pressed shirt and slacks. His hair is slicked back, and he has a sharp nose. He looks like he"s ready for a fight. “You come in here, into my home, and insult me.”
“Money is hardly an insult. Quite the contrary.”
“What—”
“Look,” I say, trying to be reasonable. “She obviously wants to go. And from what I know about women, it"s probably easier for us all if you just let her have her way. Maybe she"ll come to her senses, maybe she won"t. But the more you try to keep her here, the more
