"So far you haven't proved that Santa Claus was fake, you justproved that he wasn't good enough for you. If Santa Claus couldn't beperfect, you didn't want any Santa Claus at all."
"Why are you getting so mad at me?"
"Did I invite you to sit at this table, Ms. Johnson?"
"Dammit, Mr. Spaulding, would you call me Ida like everybodyelse?"
"Dammit, Ms. Johnson, why are you the only person in town whodoesn't call me Douglas?"
"Begging your pardon, Douglas."
"Begging yours, Ida."
"All I was trying to say, Douglas, when I brought up Santa Claus,Douglas, was that in your car I saw a father being easy with hischildren, and the children being easy with their dad, right in front of astranger, and I never thought that happened in the real world."
"We get along OK," said Douglas. He shrugged it off, but shecould see that he was pleased.
"So for a minute in your car I felt like I was part of that and Iguess it just hurt my feelings a little when you shut me down back then. It didn't seem fair. I didn't think my offense was so terrible."
"Like I said. I wasn't punishing you."
"All right then. More coffee?"
"No thanks."
"Pie? Ice cream?"
"No thanks."
"Well then why do you keep calling me over to your table?"
He smiled. Laughed almost. So it was all right. She felt better,and she could leave him alone then.
After he left, after all the lunch customers had gone and she waswashing down the tables and wiping off the saltshakers and emptyingthe ashtrays, Minnie came over to her and looked her in the eye, hardand angry.
"I saw you sitting down and talking with Douglas," she said.
"We weren't busy," said Rainie.