Над пропастью во ржи

           Shesortofwouldn’tletmegettohermouth.Anyway,itwastheclosestweevergottonecking.Afterawhile,shegotupandwentinandputonthisredandwhitesweatershehad,thatknockedmeout,andwewenttoagoddammovie.Iaskedher,ontheway,ifMr.Cudahy—thatwastheboozehound’sname—hadevertriedtogetwisewithher.Shewasprettyyoung,butshehadthisterrificfigure,andIwouldn’t’veputitpastthatCudahybastard.Shesaidno,though.Ineverdidfindoutwhatthehellwasthematter.Somegirlsyoupracticallyneverfindoutwhat’sthematter.

           Idon’twantyoutogettheideashewasagoddamicicleorsomething,justbecauseweneverneckedorhorsedaroundmuch.Shewasn’t.Iheldhandswithherallthetime,forinstance.Thatdoesn’tsoundlikemuch,Irealize,butshewasterrifictoholdhandswith.Mostgirlsifyouholdhandswiththem,theirgoddamhanddiesonyou,orelsetheythinktheyhavetokeepmovingtheirhandallthetime,asiftheywereafraidthey’dboreyouorsomething.Janewasdifferent.We’dgetintoagoddammovieorsomething,andrightawaywe’dstartholdinghands,andwewouldn’tquittillthemoviewasover.Andwithoutchangingthepositionormakingabigdealoutofit.Youneverevenworried,withJane,whetheryourhandwassweatyornot.Allyouknewwas,youwerehappy.Youreallywere.

           OneotherthingIjustthoughtof.Onetime,inthismovie,Janedidsomethingthatjustaboutknockedmeout.Thenewsreelwasonorsomething,andallofasuddenIfeltthishandonthebackofmyneck,anditwasJane’s.Itwasafunnythingtodo.