grabbed more beers for the four of them. “So,” she said, fishing a tin cookie box out of a kitchen drawer,
“now that the grannies are gone, anybody want some weed?”
“You know I do,” Mick said.
“And you know I don’t,” Jack said just as decisively. “Can’t get myself too muzzy-headed. I couldget a farm call in five hours.”
Honey laughed. “Well, you could never smoke no how. The one time I did manage to get youstoned, you kept getting up to look out the window, to see if there was cops outside.”
Jack laughed along with her. “Dyke or not, I guess I’m pretty much a law-abiding citizen.”
Honey took out a packet of rainbow-striped rolling papers. “These are so cool. Mick found ’em upin Chattanooga.” She folded a tissue-thin paper in half and began distributing pinches of green flakesacross its length. “How ’bout you, Lily? Can I offer you some homegrown hospitality?”
“Not tonight, thanks. I think I’ll just stick to beer.” Lily had liked pot back in college; it wasarguable that she had liked it too much. And now, when Honey offered it, she felt a tug of temptation tosurrender to the weed’s friendly, familiar oblivion. But with the trial coming up, there was no way shewas going to have the dregs of an illegal drug floating around in her system. What if the Maycombs’
deranged right-wing lawyer ordered her to take a drug test as evidence of her debauched lifestyle? Anyrisk that might cost her Mimi was a risk not worth taking.
Getting stoned, as Lily remembered it at least, wasn’t boring. But watching other people getstoned sure was. Mick was already the silent type, but under the influence of marijuana, she waspractically a mute. The only phrase she uttered for thirty minutes after smoking the joint was, “Honey, wegot any of them Chee-tos left?”
Apparently sensing that the evening was slowing down, Jack said, “Well, I reckon I’ve sobered upenough to drive.”
“Yeah, I guess I ought to be heading home, too.” Watching Mick and Honey laughing and feedingeach other Chee-tos, Lily surmised that they would like to be alone together — that as soon as thecompany left, they’d be making a beeline for the chenille peacock-covered bed.
Honey switched back to hostess mode. “Well, Jack, I know we’ll be seeing you soon, but Lily, Ihope you’ll be coming back, too. I’m sure this is pretty boring compared to what you’re used to in the city
—”
“Not at all. Actually, this is one of the most pleasant evenings I’ve spent in a while,” Lily said,meaning it.
In the tattoo shop’s gravel parking lot, Lily suddenly shouted, “Goddamn it!”