"What?"
"Your chest has dropped so low you could almost tuck 'em intoyour belt. I don't know what a man would find attractive about youanyway."
It was such an insulting, outrageous thing to say that Rainie wasspeechless.
"You can stay, as long as you don't call me Mrs. Wilcox, that justdrives me crazy, call me Minnie."
Things went right back to normal, mostly because DouglasSpaulding didn't come in again for more than a week, and when hedid come back, he wasn't alone. He was part of a group of men --most of them in suits, but not all -- who came into the cafe walking onthe balls of their feet like dancers, like running backs. "You're all full ofsass," said Minnie to one of the men.
"Time to feed the baby!" he answered.
Minnie rolled her eyes. "I know. Jaynanne Spaulding's gone outof town again."
"Dougie's Christmas present to her -- a week with her folks up inRacine."
"Present to himself," said Minnie.
"Taking care of the kids for a solid week, you think that's apicnic?"
"Those kids take care of themselves," said Minnie. "DouglasSpaulding's just a big old kid himself. And so are you, Tom Reuther, ifyou want my opinion."
"Minnie, honey, nobody ever has time to want your opinion. Yougive it to us before we even have a chance to wish for it."
Minnie held up a ladle of her Cincinnati chili. "You planning toeat your lunch or wear it, Tom?"
One of the other men -- a mechanic, from the black stains on hisoveralls -- piped up from the two tables they had pushed together inthe middle of the room. "He's already wearing every bit of food youever served him. Can't you see it hanging over his belt?"
"Under my belt or over it, Minnie, I wear your food with pride,"said Tom. Then he blew her a kiss and joined the others.