Why the Bucket?

Harvey tilted his head at the new display. ‘Why the bucket?’ he asked.

‘It’s a beach display. People use buckets at the beach.’

He looked at me. ‘Do they?’

‘I think so. Kids do.’

‘Doesn’t look like a kid’s bucket though.’ he said, clutching his clipboard to his chest.  ‘Looks like a “kick the bucket” kind of bucket.’

‘It was the only bucket they had in giftware.’ I said.

‘Huh.’ he said blandly.

I noticed I had a smudge on the toe of my right shoe.  Rubbing the toe against the back of my other leg, I polished it slowly.

‘Maybe we don’t need a beach display.’ he said. ‘That’s more for early summer.  We can think of something else. Right?’

‘Right.’ I said, knowing ‘we’ meant me.

Harvey lurched off, clipboard clutched tightly in his claws.