Hide and Seek

sat in a booth at Harmon's together drinking Cokes. She, too,

suspected Steve had made a move on Casey.

She thought he had reasons, though.

"We're alike, Casey and I. The both of us wear a kind of sign, like one

of those sandwich boards. The sign says Sex. Now, I don't figure

that's so bad. A lot of women wear it. And plenty of us aren't after

anything particular except some fun, some pleasure, a little

give-and-take. I figure that all things being equal, we're just about

the best kind of woman there is. A whole lot better than some dried-up

and sad-assed type like Steve's sister. Because we can switch it over

to love at the drop of a hat.

"But sometimes I think that Casey uses it, you know? Like it's some

kind of dynamite she has so she can blow loose whatever she wants out

of life. And I think that's not so good. Dangerous, even. I know

that Steve's wanted her since they were kids, even though he wants me

too. But I think I'm good for him, basically. And she isn't.

"Maybe she's good for you I don't know about that. But not Steve. Not

ever. Though every now and then, he keeps trying.

"And I can't help but thinking that it's not good for her, either, to

be that way. What's it for, anyway? Pleasure. Pleasure and

affection. But for Casey I think it's something else, something it

shouldn't be. Like conquest.

"Or hunger."