some lavish production. She quickly glanced out the
window. She had primed him for me. I thought. How artificial. What else had she told him about me? My favorite colors, foods, movie stars, and singers? Is he
going to claim he likes them all as well?
"Really." I said dryly. "You recently read
Romeo and Juliet?"' was considering asking him
something detailed just to expose him and Mommy, "Yes. I've even seen the ballet a few times.
Have you ever seen it?"
"No."
"Of course you know West Side Story is based
on Romeo and Juliet?"
I nodded, a little more impressed. Was he
telling the truth? He did read a great deal and also
liked Romeo and Juliet?
"If a production of either the ballet or the
musical comes to Florida, I'll be sure to take you," he
said. "Do you want to be an actress or a model?" "Neither."
"You're certainly pretty enough. What would
you like to be? Any ideas yet?"
"Maybe a teacher," I said. "A college teacher. A
professor."
"I bet you can be anything you want to be." he
said.
"Why?" I challenged. He smiled and looked at Mommy. "You have a
certain je ne sai
s quoi."
"What?"
"A quality not easy to describe but nevertheless
there. Grace. A real sense of yourself, a focus. I can
see it, and my money is on you."
"I'm not a race horse."