“Well …”
“You think all she’s looking for is a great lay? Not that you’re all that great.”
“I could offer her a pretty good life,” Stone said.
“Yeah, sure. You’re traipsing all over the country, doing this very strange but oddly entertaining work. You think she’s going to like that? You going to take her along when you have to drop everything and go to Podunk, Somewhere?”
“Why not?”
“Because women get rooted in their homes. I guarantee you, a month after you’re married, you’re going to find that your house has been totally redecorated.”
“I like the way my house is decorated,” Stone said. “I did it myself.”
“Yeah, but Callie doesn’t like it.”
“She hasn’t even seen it.”
“You think that matters? She doesn’t like it because you decorated it, dumbo. She won’t think of it as her home until she’s changed all the wallpaper and carpets and had a big garage sale and sold everything you love most in the house.”
“You really know how to make marriage attractive, Dino.”
“I’m telling you the truth, here.”
“Did Mary Ann redecorate your place?”
“No, she sold my place one day when I was at work, and I had nothing to say about it. Then we bought one she liked.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“This conversation is making me tired,” Stone said.
“I don’t blame you. Reality is always tiring.”
Stone drained the last of the wine from his glass. “I’m going to bed.”
“Good idea. The very least you should do about this marriage idea is to sleep on it. For about a month.”
“I think I could sleep for a month,” Stone said, yawning. “I could do that.”
“Then go do it, pal,” Dino said. “I’m going to finish my wine and look out at the night.” He settled himself in a big leather chair and turned on the TV.
“Good night, then.” Stone went to his cabin, undressed and got into bed. He stared at the ceiling, thinking about Callie redecorating his beloved house, until he fell asleep.
Then, seconds later, it seemed, Dino was shaking him.
“What?” Stone mumbled sleepily.
“Get up. You gotta see something.”
“Jesus, Dino, what time is it?”
“A little after two.”
“Don’t you ever sleep?”
“I was sleeping, in the chair in front of the TV. Then I woke up.”