Nobody's Fool

must have because the telephone woke him up and the water in the tub that had been as hot as he could stand it when he climbed in was now cool.
    â€œI just wanted to say I was proud of you last night,” Ruth said, skipping the preliminaries, as was her custom when she called Sully. “The old Sully would have started a fight.”
    Part of their relationship over the long years, part of the way Ruth dealt with the guilt of cheating on her husband, was by reminding both herself and Sully that she’d been a good influence on him, which in fact she had been. Still, he found her references to “the old Sully” mildly irritating. That as a younger man he’d been prone to barroom brawls, that he’d been in need of reform might be true. Still, this old Sully/new Sully stuff was predicated on her assumption that she’d performed this needed service, a point he’d never officially conceded. “The old Sully could have won it, too,” he pointed out.
    â€œSo could the new one,” Ruth said. “The new one’s mature enough to walk away.”
    â€œI didn’t walk away,” Sully reminded her. “Zack walked away. I couldn’t even get out of the booth.”
    â€œYou know what I mean.”
    â€œLike hell. I never know what you mean.”
    There was a momentary silence. “All right, have it your way,” Ruth finally said. “Screw me for bothering you on Thanksgiving.”
    â€œI’m glad you did,” Sully relented, because he was glad, profoundly glad, to hear her voice. “I’m just standing here dripping, is all.” After a moment’s silence, he said, “Why don’t you and I get married?”
    â€œBecause.”
    â€œOh,” Sully said. “I’ve always wondered what the reason was.”
    â€œThere’s a different reason every time you ask me. They’re all good ones, though.”
    â€œWhere are you calling from?” it occurred to him to ask.
    â€œHome. Guess Who is fast asleep on the couch. You know how food affects him. He’ll wake up in time to make a turkey sandwich and then go to bed.”
    â€œHe’s got a good life. You work two jobs, cook his meals. In his shoes I’d do the same thing.”
    â€œNo, you wouldn’t.”
    â€œWhy don’t you come over for a while? My landlady’s out having Thanksgiving dinner someplace. You could bring me a drumstick.”
    â€œZack ate both drumsticks,” Ruth said. “Also a thigh.”
    â€œYou’re ignoring my invitation.”
    â€œI don’t think so, babe.”
    Sully flexed his knee. Jocko’s pill had still not kicked in, which made Sully wonder if Jocko was experimenting with placebos. “Well, I guess I’ll have to go over and see Vera, then,” Sully said, in the hopes of getting Ruth to change her mind. The mere mention of his ex-wife had been known to do this. “She’ll feed me, at least.”
    When Ruth didn’t respond, Sully realized she was crying, though he hadn’t any idea why. “Why don’t you come over?” he said. “We could go someplace, if you want. Have Thanksgiving dinner out. Drive into Schuyler.”
    â€œI’ve already eaten, Sully,” she reminded him. “Besides. I don’t really want to see you. Desperate as I’m feeling right now, I might agree to marry you, and then where the hell would I be?”
    â€œHappy?”
    â€œ
You’d
be happy, you mean.”
    In truth, Sully doubted either of them would be happy, though he would have married Ruth if she’d consent. “At least one of us would be better off,” he said.
    â€œRight,” she agreed, her voice steadier now. “Zack would be better off.”
    â€œThen I withdraw my proposal,” Sully said. “I’d hate to think Zack was better off because of me.”
    He heard Ruth blow her nose. “Have a nice dinner at Vera’s.”
    â€œThey’ve probably eaten already. What time is it?”
    Ruth told him almost four.
    â€œI’ll probably end up at The Horse later. Stop in if you feel like it.”
    â€œI need to talk to you, Sully,” she said.
    â€œAren’t we talking right now?”
    â€œNot on the phone.”
    Sully suddenly had a bad feeling. “Are you okay?” Had she been to the doctor and been told something? “You aren’t