The door to the inside of her apartment was only six and a half feet high, shorter than standard. Seth still missed the jamb by two or three inches, even with his boots on, but he always ducked when he walked through. When he walked inside her apartment, he always did the same thing: he glanced around at Linda's second hand furniture, the Murphy bed and the kitchen bar, shaking his head. And he always said the same thing: "Jeez, this place is so small." This time he added "It looks even smaller when you've got the bed pulled down."
"Well, thanks a lot," she replied, putting an elbow on her hip, confronting him. "Making fun of my place again. And I thought I told you to call first!"
"Excuse me," Seth said, dragging out the words to sound like Steve Martin doing one of his comedy riffs on "Saturday Night Live."
Linda walked over to grab the edge of the bed and swing it upright, and push it back into its wall box. Seth helped her, making the task much lighter and quicker than usual. As she reached for the chairs, pushing them into position, along with the glass-top table, Seth said "Hey, let's go down to Willie's View. I feel like a brew and I know you don't have any."
"Well then let me get my jeans on."
"Nah, just keep your angel outfit on. You look cute in that thing."
On their way up the cobblestone street to Willie's bar, Seth glanced at Myrtle, parked by the curb. She was losing paint now but still ran admirably whenever Linda needed her. "When are you ever going to get a new car? You've been driving that piss-mobile ever since I've known you."
"Don't call her a piss-mobile."
Seth laughed. "Okay. Martha, or Mary or whatever, then. I just don't get you. You're a nurse for shit's sake. In a frigging cancer ward. You probably make more money than me. You do, don't you?"
Linda sighed, searching her mind for a quick way to change the stupid subject. She didn't even really need a car. The bus took her all the way to Jewish and it ran all day. "Listen, don't start! I'm not in the mood."
They reached the front door at Willie's and Seth opened it for her. The bar was small, with just a few tables and a counter with a full bar and a couple of burners where Willie and a couple of his employees grilled hamburgers or steamed chili four-ways. The best attraction to Willie's was the balcony out back that overlooked the city.