and watch, then you
zero in on a girl, over there, on the dance floor, twenty-three tops, not
particularly beautiful, a bit plump, but the way she dances, but the sway of her
hips, but her sensual gaze, you cannot take your eyes off her, over the next ten
minutes two twenty-year-olds sidle up to her, and she brushes them off jeering,
she keeps dancing alone, undulating her pelvis suggestively, you order a shooter
then, down it and head onto the dance floor, next to her, you dance up close,
the girl notices, the girl looks surprised, the girl smiles, then she turns her
back, not to ignore you but to thrust her butt toward your pelvis, rubbing
languorously, your hands on her hips, movingas one, she looks
at you over her shoulder, flashing a knowing smile, she turns to face you,
places both arms on your shoulders, you exchange a few words as you dance, you
learn her name is Andréane, she comes here occasionally but generally speaking
guys her age don’t interest her, all of a sudden you kiss her full on the lips,
she stiffens for a fraction of a second, then laughs, grinds her hips against
yours, the two of you keep grinding and dancing for twenty minutes, music,
lights, sweat, desire, then she murmurs in your ear that she has to work
tomorrow morning, she has to go home early, you say you’ll see her home, she
giggles, whispers that you certainly don’t waste any time, less than thirty
minutes later you enter her apartment together, you’re so drunk you’re reeling,
she leads you by the hand to her bedroom, a small bedside lamp sheds subdued
light, a clock reads shortly after midnight, a boxspring and mattress lie on the
floor, a desk strewn with paper, a small glass table covered in glass
knick-knacks, you kiss, excitement rising, clothes falling to the floor, fully
nude, you have an incredible erection, you both topple onto the mattress, you
caress her, you pant, but you get to your feet, say you need to visit the
bathroom, that it will only take a minute, Andréane laughs as you cross the
apartment in the dark, you find the bathroom, have trouble urinating because of
your erection, then hurry back to the bedroom, you walk over to the mattress on
which Andréane still reclines, Andréane reaches for a drawer, Andréane pulls
something out of the drawer, a condom, it’s a condom, and the sight of the
rubberstops you in your tracks, you stand by the mattress,
confounded, then you spit out that there is no way you’re using that, she
frowns, put off by your reaction, but she gives a nervous laugh to try to defuse
the situation, says she may be young but she’s not reckless, you assure her that
you’re “safe,” that you’ve been sleeping with the same woman for nine years,
but she won’t budge, she’s not willing to take the slightest risk, she’s still
smiling but her impatience is starting to show, she makes as though to rip open
the envelope but you lean over, tear it from her hands and throw it at
- That thing’s pointless! It’s all an illusion! A lie!
the wall, this time she’s stopped smiling, this time she gets up on her elbows,
this time she too is angry and tells you you’ve had too much to drink, you’d
best leave, you blink then, giggle idiotically and you stammer an apology, you
fetch the condom and you return to the mattress saying you will use it, fine, no
problem, you even start to bend toward the mattress, but Andréane pushes you
away, decrees that it’s too late now, you’ve spoiled the mood, she accompanies
her words with a small cold bitter laugh, avoiding your eyes, and you stand
there motionless for a moment, and you stare at her, lying right there, naked,
and your erection has disappeared, your penis dangling between your thighs, you
nod scornfully then and ask if she thinks that’s the way things work, finally
she looks at you, she’s puzzled, she doesn’t understand, you tear into
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