Cliche Assignment

     George looked up from shoeing the horse to see the outline of Curley's wife in the doorway of the barn. They were alone. She was dressed to the nines in her usual sausage curls, red mules with the ostrich feathers and a nice cascading cotton dress.
     "Look atcha, all dressed up but nowhere to go" George announced.
     Curley's wife blushed as though she was fishing for compliments, "To each his own" she says with a flirty tone in her voice. She stood there for a few brief moments, leaned against the opening to the barn. "I was just lookin' for Curley, ya seen 'im?"
     "Curley? Ya don't say, he was in here jus' a minute ago. Said he was headin' into town" he replies casually. "I got a question for you" George inquires. "Lennie says he been hangin' around you lots, say what's he been doin'?"
     "Well I met with 'im while he was playing with the pups, I seen one layin' there motionlessly, it was dead as a door nail." Curley's wife explained to George.
     Georges face became filled with distress. "He done it again dammit, I thought for sure we could do it, give 'im and inch and he takes a mile. Shoulda known not to let 'im play with them pups."
     Curley's wife's face became worried for them "hey now George, it'll be our little secret, I'll put a cork in it" she promised with a wink of her eye. George suddenly looked reassured. They sat there in the silence for a moment when finally Curley's wife spoke. "George, what really happened to Curley's hand?" she probed.
     George felt unsure whether to trust her but he spat out "Lennie... Curley was beatin' on 'im and I told Lennie to let 'im have it" he said with his head down.
     "Good," she laughed "he had it comin' for a long time. But that's water under the bridge, no need to feel sorry for 'im." Curley's wife cracked a smile "I thought you'd be infuriated that Lennie and I have been talking. Now theres no monkey on my back."
     George gave a slight smile back "Now why would I be mad? You can talk but I'm scared he gon' do jus' what he did in Weed. But either way we will stick together, come hell or high-water."
    "Lennie says you guys have a dream of ownin your own ranch, is it true?" Curley's wife inquired.
    George contemplated whether or not to tell her for a few brief moments "Yea, we's jus' lookin' to start a fresh life, somewhere Lennie can't get in no trouble" he said. "If we just keep our shoulder to the wheel, it'll happen, we will get our ranch. Lennie will get his rabbit's but that's just icing on the cake."
     "Well I'm gonna make like a tree and leave, before I get caught talking to someone, cause god forbid I talk to someone but Curley" she announced and walked out slowly. "Bye now."
     George sat there realizing that Curley's wife may have been a flirt but only because she's lonely and has no one to talk to.