Page 172 of Glass (Crank 2)
unusually friendly today.
Not a great thing on a day
like today. She chatters
about her grandkids, only half
the time the apples of her eye.
Today, to listen to her, they’re
angels with straight A’s.
Then she moves on to diss her
retired husband, Al, who watches
television all day, every day.
He loves those damn soaps,
she says. Idiot TV. He won’t
even consider really good
shows, like Oprah or Montel.
Just before lunch, Kevin comes
in, payroll in hand. He gives
Midge her envelope, calls me
into the back room to offer mine.
Okay, that’s a little weird,
but what am I going to do,
say no? As always, his eyes creep
up and down my body.
Here it is, in all its glory,
he says of my pitiful paycheck—
$329 and change.
He pauses, assessing me in some
way I can’t put my arms around.
Finally he says, You’re worth
a lot more than minimum wage,
but I can’t offer a raise until
