"Oh, you think this is good, try my place."
"I know all the clubs. What's this one called?"
"You've never heard of it. It's real exclusive."
"Yeah? You need a special pass to get in?"
"You need to know the password."
"All right! Let's go."
The password was "Howdy" and the girl at the door checking IDs and stamping hands with a tiny map of Texas responded with the countersign--"How y'all doing tonight?"
They were shown into the club--which for having a four-piece swing band was incredibly quiet. Or maybe it just seemed that way after the deafening roar of Rune's place. They were seated at a small table with a gingham plastic tablecloth.
"Two Lone Stars," Healy ordered.
Rune looked at a girl sitting next to them. A tight white sweater, a blue denim skirt, stockings and white cowboy boots.
"Very, very weird," she said.
"You hungry?"
"You mean this's a restaurant too? What, you get to pick your own cow out of the pen in the back?"
"The ribs are great."
"Very weird."
"I like
d that other place," he said. "But I kind of have to watch the noise." Pointing to his ears. She remembered that bomb blasts had affected his hearing.
They drank the beers and were still thirsty so they ordered a pitcher.
"You come here much?" Rune asked.
"Used to."
"With your wife?"
Healy didn't answer for a minute. "Some. It's not like it was a special place for us."
"You still see her at all?"
"Mostly just when I pick up Adam."
Mostly, she noticed.
Healy continued. "There're books she left she comes by to pick up. Kitchen things. Stuff like that ... I never asked you if you're going with anybody."
Rune said, "I'm sort of between boyfriends."
"Really? I'm surprised."
"Yeah? It's not as unbelievable as some things, like talking dogs or aliens."
"I'd think you'd have them lined up."