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Sue Ellen handed him the pack； lit her cigarette； and then Hoke's。 He returned her package。
〃Who's Curly Peterson？〃 Hoke said。
〃That's the man mom's been living with…you know； the pinch hitter for the Dodgers。 Sometimes he plays center field。 She met him two years ago when the Dodgers came to Vero for spring training。 He just renegotiated his contract； and he'll get three hundred and twenty…five thousand dollars a year for the next five years。〃
〃How much？〃
〃Three hundred and twenty…five thousand a year。〃
〃That's what I thought you said。 I remember the name vaguely； but I can't picture anyone named Curly Peterson。 I don't follow baseball much anymore。 There're too many teams anyway。〃
Aileen looked at the floor and made a circle on the carpet with her right foot。 〃He's a black man。〃
〃He isn't real black though；〃 Sue Ellen said。 〃He's lighter than a basketball。〃
〃Just the same；〃 Aileen said； 〃he's a black man。〃
〃He isn't as dark as Reggie Jackson。 They both gave me autographed pictures； so I can prove it。〃
〃He's mean； too；〃 Aileen said； still looking at the floor。
〃Curly isn't really mean； he's just inconsiderate；〃 Sue Ellen argued； 〃as Mom said。 He's had a lot on his mind； renegotiating his contract and all。〃
Hoke's mind was frozen。 For a moment； he had difficulty in getting his thoughts together。
〃What's his batting average？〃 Hoke said； clearing his throat。
〃Two…ninety； and he's got a lot of RBI's。〃
〃That's pretty good for a pinch hitter。 He took you to all the games； did he？〃
〃We had passes to all the spring…training games in Vero。〃
〃Do you like baseball？〃
〃Not particularly。 And we didn't like Curly either。 But Mom's gonna marry him； not me。〃
〃Why don't you like him？〃
〃Well； one time he was having his lawyer and his agent over to dinner； and he told Mom he wanted everything just so。 Me and Aileen helped； cleaning the house and all； and Curly came over early to check everything over。 We vacuumed； dusted； and even washed the fingermarks off the doors。 Then Curly took out his Zippo lighter； got up on a chair； and flicked his lighter in the corner of the ceiling。 When he did that； the spider webs in the corner turned black and you could see them。 You couldn't see 'em before； but the smoke from the lighter turned 'em black； you see。 He didn't say nothing about how nice the rest of the house looked。 He just showed us the cobwebs； and said； 'You call that clean？' Then he went off with Mom in the kitchen。〃
〃It was a mean thing to do；〃 Aileen said。
〃That wasn't the only awful thing he did； Daddy；〃 Sue Ellen said。 〃That's just a sample。 But I didn't mind too much because； if you didn't take it personally； it was kinda funny。 I guess I didn't like Curly because he didn't like us…me and Aileen； I mean。 We were in his way。 He was there to see Mom； not us； but there we were； always hanging around。 We were just a big nuisance to Curly。〃
〃Do you girls know what's in this letter？〃
Sue Ellen shook her head。 〃No； but I don't want to read it。 On the bus ing down； me and Aileen agreed that we weren't going to be played off between you two。〃
Hoke put the letter back into the envelope。 〃What did she say to you when you left？〃
〃Not much。 Just that we were to e down here； and not to talk to anyone。 That she'd send the rest of our things down later。 She was so excited that Curly actually sent for her； she didn't say much of anything。 Mom wouldn't admit it； but I don't think she thought Curly'd ever ask her to marry him。 But when he did； she couldn't get out of Vero fast enough。〃
Eddie came down the hall from the dining room； which had been closed for years and served now as a catchall storage room。 He was carrying a folding canvas cot by its webbed handle。
〃Emilio's not in his room；〃 Eddie said。 〃I'll get you some sheets and towels。〃
〃That's okay；〃 Hoke said。 〃I'll get the sheets； and put the cot together when I get upstairs。 You'd better stay down here with the switchboard。〃
Hoke got the sheets and a thin cotton blanket from the linen room； as well as bath and face towels。 Hoke and the girls took the suitcases； the cot； and the linen upstairs in the elevator。
〃This is an awful big hotel to only have one old man like Mr。 Cohen working；〃 Aileen said。
〃It's only half full now； but even so； the Eldorado's got the smallest staff on the beach；〃 Hoke said。 〃But the dining's room closed； and so's the kitchen。 Only permanent residents live here； and if they want any maid service； they have to pay extra。 Not many of them can afford to pay extra； so we only have two maids during the daytime。 Emilio does all the maintenance； like cleaning the corridors and taking care of the yard。 He's a Cuban； a Marielito； so Mr。 Bennett gives him a free room for the work he does； but no salary。〃
〃How can he eat with no salary？〃 Sue Ellen asked。
〃Tips。 And he also has some kind of a government refugee allowance； too。〃
Hoke made up the brass bed with clean sheets and gave the bed and the cotton blanket to the girls。 He had to move the Victorian chair and two spindly tables in the sitting room to make room for the cot。 The girls； who were used to having their own beds； didn't like the idea of sleeping together。 They argued about who would sleep on the outside； neither girl wanted to sleep next to the wall。 Hoke realized that they were tired and irritable； as well as excited； but he finally told them to shut up and go to sleep。
But Hoke couldn't sleep。 There was no mattress； and the canvas cot was stiff and unfortable。 He was also too worried to sleep。 When he moved to that small garage apartment in the Grove ghetto； could he take the girls there； too？ He wanted a drink； and considered walking over to Irish Mike's； where he could drink on his tab； but he decided against it because the girls might wake up； wonder where he was； and get frightened。
It was a rotten trick for Patsy to send the girls down to him without any warning。 If Curly Peterson…Hoke's mind froze again momentarily…was making 325；000 a year and didn't want the girls around； why couldn't the ballplayer cough up enough money to put them into a private school somewhere？
Unable to sleep； Hoke slipped on his khaki shorts again and took the elevator to the roof。 There was a duckboard patio on the roof； and at one time there had been a bar as well； but very few residents came up to the roof now。 Hoke looked across the bay at the Miami night skyline； which was beautiful at this distance。 A warm wet breeze came from the ocean； and it felt good on his bare back。 To his right； Hoke saw the lights on the four small islands that made up the connecting links for the Venetian Causeway。 Straight ahead was the dotted yellow line of light bulbs of the MacArthur Causeway。 On his left； farther south； Hoke could see the lights of Virginia Key and Key Biscayne。 He lit a Kool； and remembered the old joke that had circulated after Nixon sold his house on Key Biscayne。
〃What's the difference between syphilis； gonorrhea； and a condominium on Key Biscayne？〃
〃You can get rid of syphilis and gonorrhea。〃
But more to the point； how could he get rid of these two darling but unwanted girls…at least until he got straightened out？