The Marriage Plot - Jeffrey Eugenides [153]
Leonard proceeded on. He looked at the driftwood sculptures in the shuttered art galleries and the homoerotic postcards in the windows of a stationery store, still open. Right then he noticed a surprising thing. Across the street, a saltwater taffy shop appeared to be open. The neon sign was lit in the window and he could see a figure moving around inside. Something mysterious but insistent, something that called to his own primate nature, prompted him to draw nearer. He entered the shop, activating a bell on the door. The thing of interest that his cells had been telling him about turned out to be a teenage girl working behind the counter. She had red hair, high cheekbones, and a tight yellow sweater.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes. I have a question. Is it still whale-watching season?”
“Um, I don’t know.”
“But they have whale-watching boats out here, don’t they?”
“I think that’s more like in the summer.”
“Aha!” Leonard said, not knowing what to say next. He was acutely aware of how small and perfect the girl’s body was. At the same time, the sugary smell of the shop reminded him of a candy store he used to go into as a kid with no money to buy anything. Now, he pretended to be interested in the taffy on the shelves, crossing his arms behind his back and browsing.
“I like your hat,” the girl said.
Leonard turned and smiled broadly. “You do? Thanks. I just got it.”
“Aren’t you cold without a coat, though?”
“Not in here with you,” Leonard said.
His sensors registered an uptick in wariness on her part, so he quickly added, “How come you’re open in winter?”
This proved to be a good move. It gave the girl a chance to vent. “Because my father wants to ruin my whole weekend,” she said.
“Your dad owns this place?”
“Yes.”
“So you’re like the taffy heiress.”
“I guess,” said the girl.
“You know what you should tell your dad? You should tell him it’s December. Nobody wants saltwater taffy in December.”
“That’s what I do tell him. He says people still drive up for the weekend, so we should stay open.”
“How many customers have come in today?”
“Like three. And now you.”
“Do you consider me a customer?”
She shifted her weight to one hip, growing skeptical. “Well, you’re in here.”
“I am definitely in here,” Leonard said. “What’s your name?”
She hesitated. “Heidi.”
“Hi, Heidi.”
Maybe it was her blush, or the tight fit of her sweater, or it was just part of being a Superman within reach of a super girl, but for whatever reason, Leonard felt himself getting hard at five paces. This was a piece of significant clinical data. He wished he had his Moleskine notebook with him to write it down.
“Heidi,” Leonard said. “Hi, Heidi.”
“Hello,” she said.
“Hi, Heidi,” Leonard repeated. “Hi-de-ho. The Hi De Ho Man. Have you ever heard of the Hi De Ho Man, Heidi?”
“Uh-uh.”
“Cab Calloway. Famous jazz musician. The Hi De Ho Man. I’m not sure why they called him that. Hi-ho, Silver. Hawaii Five-O.”
Her brow wrinkled. Leonard saw he was losing her and so said, “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, Heidi. Tell me one thing, though. Do you make the saltwater taffy right here?”
“In summer we do. Not now.”
“And do you use salt water from the ocean?”
“Huh?”
He approached the counter, close enough to press his boner against the glass front.
“I just always wondered why they call it saltwater taffy. Like, do you use salt and water, or do you have to use salt water?”
Heidi took a step back from the counter. “I’ve got to do some stuff in the back,” she said. “So if you want anything.”
For some reason Leonard bowed. “Go to it,” he said. “I don’t mean to keep you from your labors. It’s been nice meeting you, Heidi-Ho. How old are you?”
“Sixteen.”
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
She didn’t seem to want to say. “Yes.”
“He’s a lucky guy. He should be in here right now, keeping you company.”
“My dad’ll be here in