"Douglas is a decent man with a happy family."

Now Rainie understood. In her own way, Minnie was just like theguy who rented her the room over the garage. Always assuming thatbecause she was a good-looking woman, she was on the make. Well,she wasn't on the make, but if she was, it wouldn't be any of Minnie'sbusiness or anybody else's except her own. What was it about thisplace? Why did everybody always assume that sex was the foremostthing in a single forty-two-year-old woman's mind?

"I'm glad for him," Rainie said.

"Don't you make no trouble for that good man and his goodwife," said Minnie.

"I said something that I thought maybe offended him and Iwanted to make sure everything was all right, that's all. I was trying tomake sure I hadn't alienated a customer." Even as she explained,Rainie resented having to make an explanation.

"Do you think I'm a fool? Do you think I'm such a fool as tothink you're a fool? Since he first laid eyes on you he's been in hereevery day. And now you're going over sitting at his table arguing withhim and then making him laugh. I've got half a mind to fire you rightnow and send you on your way, except I like you and I'd like to keepyou around. But I don't like you so much I'm willing to have youmaking things ugly for people around here. You can make a mess hereand then just walk away, but me and my customers, we'll have to keepliving with whatever it is you do, so don't do it. Am I clear?"

Rainie didn't answer, just furiously wiped at the table. She hadn'tbeen reamed out like that since ... her mother was the last one to reamher out like this, and Rainie had left home over it, and it made her somad to have to listen to it all over again, she was forty-two years oldand she still had some old lady telling her what she could and couldn'tdo, laying down rules, making conditions and regulations, and claiming