'Kiss you on the mouth?'

'For an educated guy,' said Juana, 'you're a little slow to read the signs.'

'Thought it would be polite to ask,' said Quinn.

'Ask, hell,' said Juana, moving her mouth toward his. 'You nearly made me beg.'

11

Entering his row house, Derek Strange listened to a message from Janine, asking him over for a thrown-together dinner with her and her son, Lionel. She had made 'a little too much' chicken, she said, and she didn't want 'all that food to go to waste.'

Strange phoned a woman named Shirley whom he dated from time to time, but Shirley was either not at home or not taking calls. Strange fed Greco and walked him around the block.

When Strange returned he checked his portfolio on the Net while listening to a reissue of Elmer Bernstein's soundtrack to Return of the Magnificent Seven. He took a shower and changed into a sport jacket over an open-collared shirt. He phoned another woman and was relieved to find her line busy, as this was not a woman he was anxious to see. His stomach grumbled, and he phoned Janine.

'Baker residence.'

'Derek here.'

'Hello.'

'Got any of that chicken left?'

'I been keeping it warm for you, Derek.'

'Can I bring Greco?' asked Strange.

Janine said, 'I've got a little something for him, too.'

They kissed for a long time, and then Quinn removed his shirt and Juana removed hers. She began to unfasten her black brassiere.

'Can I get that?' said Quinn.

'Sure.'

He had some trouble with the clasp. 'Bear with me.'

She ran her fingers down his veined bicep. 'I thought you meant may I get that.'

'No, I can do it. Here we go, I got it, right here.' He removed her bra. She let him look at her and touch her. He kissed her shoulder blade and one of her dark nipples, and he kissed the soft flesh of her breast and tasted the salt on her skin.

'That's nice,' she said.

'Christ,' said Quinn.

He got out of his jeans, and when he turned back to her he saw that she was naked now, too, and they embraced atop the blanket she had thrown on the couch. He kissed her mouth and rubbed himself between her thighs, and she moaned beneath him and laughed softly and with pleasure as his fingers found her swollen spot. Her skin was a very deep brown against his pale, lightly freckled body, and he intertwined his white fingers with her brown fingers and kissed her hand.

'You know what we're doing now?' whispered Quinn.

'Celebrating diversity?'

'I like it so far.'

'We're all the same,' said Juana, 'deep down inside.'

Strange owned a '91 Cadillac Brougham V-8, full power, black over black leather with the nice chromed-up grille, that he used when he wasn't working, only for short trips around town. He drove up Georgia Avenue, listening to World Is a Ghetto coming from the deck. Greco sat on his right on a red pillow Strange kept for him there, his nose pressed up against the passenger-side glass.

Janine and Lionel Baker lived up on 7th and Quintana in a modest red-shingled house in Brightwood. Strange parked out front, got Greco out by his leash and choke chain, and walked him to the front door.

Janine, Lionel, and Strange had dinner together in a small dining room where a print of The Last Supper hung on one wall. Janine had given Greco the bone from a chuck roast she had cooked the week before, and the boxer had taken it down to the basement to gnaw alone.

'Pass me those mashed potatoes, young man,' said Strange.

Lionel was tall like his mother, and would be handsome soon but had not yet fully grown into his large features. He held the bowl out for Strange to take.

'Thank you,' said Strange, who spooned a mound onto his plate and reached for the gravy bowl.

'Where you goin' tonight, Lionel?' asked his mother.

'Got a date with this girl.'

'What's her name?'

'Girl I know named Sienna.'

'How you gonna take a girl out on a date when you got no car?'

'Could I get yours?'

'Lionel.'

'We're goin' out with Jimmy and his girl. Jimmy's got his uncle's Lex, gold style with some fresh rims.'

'Where Jimmy's uncle get the money for a Lexus?' asked Janine, her eyes finding Strange's across the table.

'I don't know,' said Lionel, 'but that joint is tight.' He gave Strange a sideways glance and said, 'Course, it ain't tight like no Caddy, nothin' like that.'

'You don't like my ride?' said Strange.

'I like it.' And Lionel smiled and sang, 'Best of all, it's a Cad-i-llac'

Janine and Lionel laughed. Strange laughed a little, too.

'He's got a nice voice,' said Janine, 'doesn't he, Derek?'

'It's all right,' said Strange. 'Too bad no one sings anymore on the records, otherwise he might have a career.'

'I'm gonna be a big-time lawyer, anyway,' said Lionel, reaching toward the platter of fried chicken and snagging a thigh.

'Not if you don't get your grades up,' said Janine.

'You over at Coolidge, right?' said Strange.

'Uh-huh. Got another year to go.'

'So what movie you going to see tonight?' asked Janine.

'That new Chow Yun-Fat joint, up at the AMC in City Place.'

'Say you chewin' the fat?' said Strange.

'That's funny,' said Lionel.

Strange looked at the Tupac T-shirt Lionel was wearing, the one with the image of Shakur smoking a blunt. 'None of my business, but if I had a date with a young lady, I wouldn't be wearin' a shirt with a picture of another man on the front of it.'

'Oh, I'll be changing into somethin' else, Mr Derek. Bet it.' Lionel looked at the watch on his gangly wrist. 'Matter of fact, I gotta bounce. Jimmy'll be here any minute to pick me up.'

Lionel dropped the thigh bone and took his plate and glass and carried them off to the kitchen.

'See what I put up with?' said Janine.

'He's a good boy.'

'I do love him.'

'I know you do.'

Janine patted Strange's hand. 'Thank you for coming over tonight, Derek.'

'My pleasure,' said Strange.

Ten minutes later a horn sounded from outside, and they heard Lionel's heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. Strange got up from the table. He walked into the foyer and met Lionel as he was heading for the front door.

'Later, Mr Derek.'

'Hold up a second, Lionel.'

Lionel looked himself over. He wore pressed jeans and a Hilfiger shirt with Timberland boots. 'What, you don't like my hookup?'

'You look fine.'

'Got me some brand-new Timbs.'

'Sears makes a better boot for half the price.'

'Ain't got that little tree on 'em, though.'

'Listen up, Lionel.' Strange took a breath. He wasn't all that good at this, but he knew he had to try. 'Don't be drivin' around smoking herb in a fancy ride, hear?'

'Herb?' Lionel said it in a mocking way, and Strange felt his face grow hot.

'All I'm telling you is, the police see a car with young black men inside it, 'specially a gold Lexus with fancy wheels, looks like a drug car, they don't think they need a reason to pull you over. They find blunt or cheeva or whatever you're calling it these days inside the car, you got a mark on your record you can't shake. You might as well go ahead, and forget about law school then. You understand what I'm saying?'

'I hear you, Mr Derek.'

'All right.' Strange reached into his back pocket and pulled a twenty from the billfold. 'Here you go. You don't want to be taking out a nice girl without a little extra money in your pocket. Take her over to that TGI Friday's they got up there after the show, buy her a sundae, something like that.'

'Thank you.' Lionel took the money and winked. 'Maybe after that sundae, she might even give me some of that trim.'