Над пропастью во ржи

           "Youhaveshoeson,"shesaid.

           "I’lltake‘emoff.C’mon."

           Shepracticallyjumpedoffthebed,andthenshewaitedwhileItookmyshoesoff,andthenIdancedwithherforawhile.She’sreallydamngood.Idon’tlikepeoplethatdancewithlittlekids,becausemostofthetimeitlooksterrible.Imeanifyou’reoutatarestaurantsomewhereandyouseesomeoldguytakehislittlekidoutonthedancefloor.Usuallytheykeepyankingthekid’sdressupinthebackbymistake,andthekidcan’tdanceworthadamnanyway,anditlooksterrible,butIdon’tdoitoutinpublicwithPhoebeoranything.Wejusthorsearoundinthehouse.It’sdifferentwithheranyway,becauseshecandance.Shecanfollowanythingyoudo.Imeanifyouholdherincloseashellsothatitdoesn’tmatterthatyourlegsaresomuchlonger.Shestaysrightwithyou.Youcancrossover,ordosomecornydips,orevenjitterbugalittle,andshestaysrightwithyou.Youcaneventango,forGod’ssake.

           Wedancedaboutfournumbers.Inbetweennumbersshe’sfunnyashell.Shestaysrightinposition.Shewon’teventalkoranything.Youbothhavetostayrightinpositionandwaitfortheorchestratostartplayingagain.Thatkillsme.You’renotsupposedtolaughoranything,either.

           Anyway,wedancedaboutfournumbers,andthenIturnedofftheradio.OldPhoebejumpedbackinbedandgotunderthecovers."I’mimproving,aren’tI?"sheaskedme.

           "Andhow,"Isaid.Isatdownnexttoheronthebedagain.Iwassortofoutofbreath.Iwassmokingsodamnmuch,Ihadhardlyanywind.Shewasn’tevenoutofbreath.