Американские боги

           Ishouldhavesaidsomethingwhenyougavethemtome,shouldn’tI?"shesaid."Theyarelovely.Thankyousomuch.Butwouldn’tredhavebeenmoreappropriate?"

           Theywereroses,theirstemswrappedinpaper.Sixofthem,andwhite.

           "Ididn’tgivethemtoyou,"saidNatalie,herlipsfirming.

           Andneitherofthemsaidanotherworduntiltheyreachedthemovietheater.

           WhenshegothomethatnightSamputtherosesinanimprovisedvase.Later,shecasttheminbronze,andshekepttoherselfthetaleofhowshegotthem,althoughshetoldCaroline,whocameafterNatalie,thestoryoftheghost-rosesonenightwhentheywerebothverydrunk,andCarolineagreedwithSamthatitwasareally,reallystrangeandaspookystory,and,deepdown,didnotactuallybelieveawordofit,sothatwasallright.

           Shadowhadparkednearthecapitolbuilding,andwalkedslowlyaroundthesquare,stretchinghislegsafterthelongdrive.Hisclotheswereuncomfortable,althoughtheyhaddriedonhisbody,andthenewbootswerestilltight.Hepassedapayphone.Hecalledinformation,andtheygavehimthenumber.

           No,hewastold.Sheisn’there.She’snotbackyet.She’sprobablystillattheCoffeeHouse.

           HestoppedonthewaytotheCoffeeHousetobuyflowers.

           HefoundtheCoffeeHouse,thenhecrossedtheroadandstoodinthedoorwayofausedbookstore,andwaited,andwatched.