kiss and then her questions, and how I had described the changes a girl experiences as she matures. I explained that I had even given her some information about making a baby. And then I told him what had happened between me and Uncle Jacob when May, brought up something I had said in front of him and
Aunt Sara.
"I can't wait to see Uncle Jacob's face when he
sees Neptune's Daughter," I said, still unable to keep
the laughter from my voice.
"Jacob's a horse's ass," Kenneth said. "He
always was. He never had many friends and he was
always the object of jokes and ridicule because of this
high-and-mighty moral attitude of his, as if he were
some sort of Old Testament prophet. Haille teased
him a lot, too," he added with a small laugh. "She did? Will you tell me about it?"
He sighed.
"All right. Here's the deal. I'll tell you about the
old days when we break for lunch or rests, if you
promise not to ask any questions, not to talk while I
work. Deal?" he offered.
; This time I seized his hand so fast, it brought a
real laugh to his lips. Then he grew serious. "We'll do this slowly," he said, "as slowly as I
envision it in the work itself. Just take off that sweatshirt for now. I want to see you up to here this morning," he said indicating just above my breasts. "Your face, neck, and shoulders. Model, take your position," he ordered with a smile and wave of his
hand.
I went behind the papier-mache wave and
pulled off my sweatshirt. Then I crawled through the
opening and sat on the pillows, just my head
emerging. He began to work, and as he did, I saw his
face become so intense, his eyes so riveting, I couldn't
keep mine off him.
After a while he said, "Another pillow." I understood he meant for me to put another
sofa pillow under myself so I would come up a bit
more. When my head was as high as he had indicated