WHEN MAUREEN GOT BACK TO GEORGE’S APARTMENT, Fox Albert was there.
“He said he had to give you something, so I let him in,” George said apologetically.
“It’s okay. What do you want now, Fox?” Maureen said.
“I got your ticket like we promised.” He handed her an airline ticket and then tried to give her five hundred bucks, but Maureen wouldn’t take the money.
“Why are you trying to give me money, Fox?” she said suspiciously. “What am I supposed to do for that money?”
“Nothing.” Fox looked like he was about to say more, but then he looked at George standing next to Maureen and asked, “Maureen, is there somewhere we can speak privately?”
“Whatever you wanna say to me, you can say in front of George. He’s my friend,” she said, realizing it was the truth.
Fox looked uncomfortable. “The five hundred bucks is for the baby,” he said.
Maureen didn’t know what to say.
“Well, you know,” Fox said, and nodded his head, just once, with intent.
Maureen was still not getting it.
“The baby. The baby? You and me—Montreal? Oh Maureen, even you cannot possibly be this stunned. The baby. Your baby could be . . . you know . . . my baby.”
A tiny scream erupted from Maureen’s mouth as she looked at Fox’s flaming red hair and saw that dream again, of that little tuft of red hair all wrapped up in bunting being carried out of the delivery room in the nurse’s arms.
George grabbed Fox by the arm and spun him away from Maureen. “Hey, bud, don’t you think it’s time for you to bounce?”
Maureen was grateful for the interruption.
Fox took a threatening step toward George and said, “I’m talking to Maureen, and I don’t think it’s any of your business.”
“Yea,” said George, “but it turns out you’re gumming up my day, bud, ’cause you’re not in some hash house now; you’re in my joint. And I’m this close to throwing an ing-bing and getting the bulls on the blower. ’Cause ever since this whole jam started, I got the coppers on standby.”
Fox shook his head in confusion and turned on his heel. As he left, he pushed the five hundred dollars into George’s hands and said, “What is it with you two? Neither one of you are making any sense. Make her take this with her to Montreal.”
When they heard the apartment door close behind Fox, George put his arm around Maureen and said, “What was all that about?”
Maureen tried to say, “Nothing,” but she was voiceless. What was there to say? The baby was hers, nobody else’s, and that was that. Silently, she reached out and took the five hundred dollars from George, grabbed her coat and walked decisively out the door. She didn’t even turn around when George called out after her, “Maureen, where are you going? Maureen? Maureen!”