With an acute dog-type of sensitivity to tone, Bunny detects the catch in Albie’s throat when he says to whomever is on the phone, “Not at the moment.” The catch gives way to artificial buoyancy. “She’s right here. Hold on. I’ll ask her.”
“It’s Trudy.” Albie covers the mouthpiece with his hand. “She wants to know about tonight.”
It’s like a muscle contraction, the way Bunny pulls in on herself, tight, like a pair of pursed lips. She is intent on control, on refraining from the desperate need to hurl the coffee mug across the room or to bite off a hunk of her pillow. When the flash of rage has passed, she asks, as if she did not know, “What about tonight?”
“If we’re still on. She wants to know what our plans are. Because, you know, we’re not sure.”
“Yes, we are sure,” Bunny says. “We’ll be there.”
Again, with the calculated and calibrated enthusiasm of a pep squad captain, Albie tells Trudy, “We’re on. We will see you at eight.” Then, after a pause, he says. “I have no idea.” He returns the phone to the cradle, taking care that it is perfectly aligned the way you would take care when hanging a painting on the wall, and Bunny asks, “No idea about what?”
“Oh.” The word come out like a gulp. “If it’s going to snow.” Albie knows that he’s a lousy liar—he has little experience with the art of prevarication—but he forges on. “Because they’re predicting snow, and Trudy asked what I thought. If it was going to snow or not.”
Bunny pulls at the blanket, wrapping it tighter around her shoulders, and she asks, “What is it you think I am going to do?”
Albie doesn’t respond, which is the worst answer possible. Bunny rolls over, facing the back of the couch, and as if the sky were falling, she presses her hands flat to the top of her head, tucks her chin, and brings her knees to her chest. What’s that animal, the one that curls up into a ball? Jeffrey also repositions himself, cozies into the nest made by the curve of her legs. She wishes she could bring herself to push him off the couch, kick him away from her as if that stupid, sweet cat were an empty soda can.