Chapter 3
The eggs were frying in the pan when Richard reappeared. Becky was off mending some broken fence with Doug via telephone, leaving me to organize her feast without her. Richard had showered (not shaved) and was wearing jeans and a gray Led Zeppelin t-shirt. He trod heavily to the kitchen table and sat down with his newspaper and computer. He coughed indelicately to let me know he was there (though his organic, free-trade soap and GMO-free shampoo had already done that).
"This is for Beck and me," I said without looking up.
"It smells good," he said.
"Of course it does."
I knew he was grinning as he unfolded his paper. "I'm sorry about what I said about your top," he said. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"Well you did," I said only half-serious. I was mortified, bu
