an older local couple of mainers strolls past looking at us with poker-faced curiosity. i wonder if she can smell john's mary jane and wonder if what she thinks of it if she can. she catches me watching her and i give her a big genuine smile. she has won me over with her new england poker face. she sees my smile is genuine and smiles back. i see her husband notice my smile peripherally but he doesn't turn his eyes or head to investigate further. not out of unfriendliness, more of a no-nonsense hurry to get to the motel office to get some kind of thing squared away.
