fish and rice dinner she had promised him. By seven she would have spent herself. By eight Joe would be home. The counter at George's cafe was full at three. It was full most of the time. George's was about the last place left on the reservation where Becky still felt as though she belonged. It was mostly a male hangout and the males at George's appreciated Becky. They just liked the chance to enjoy her lithe body and pretty face, whether through wide-open, half-closed, and even through closed eyes when they could imagine what she looked like without her jeans and sweater. Becky hopped up onto a stool next to ever-present Tommy and punched him playfully on the arm. He was a good-looking kid, probably not more than 20 or 21, and unemployed, like most of the men on the reservation. He was tall, well-built, and not stupid. She wondered if he had ever tried a different cafe or the bar over at the big motel, maybe gone up to Thunder Bay just for the hell of it or down to Duluth for a big weekend on the town. "How's it goin'?" she asked Tommy and then slapped the counter with the flat of her hand. "Right here!" she demanded of old George. He obligingly put a mug of hot coffee in front of her. “Hey, Babe,” Tommy said, returning her little punch. He looked her up and down and up again with the utmost appreciation. “You know,” he observed casually, switching his attention from her to himself by staring straight ahead into the mirror behind the counter, “you got the best ass in town – maybe the whole reservation.” “Yeah, and it belongs to Joe,” she replied. “Someday when he's out of town gettin' rich you'll be ripe. You can call me then. Ain't nobody better'n me, girl.” He adjusted his hair to a more flattering configuration. “Joe's better'n you,” she replied. She waved to Peggy Gordon at the other end of the counter. Peggy was a nice kid. She thought Joe was terrific. She was one of the few people around who thought so. It hadn't been like that when they first came back to the reservation. Joe had been gone for many years and was only an occasional visitor. He was the guy who made it big down in the Twin Cities. But when they