drag on the joint and stepped toward him, smiling.
She exhaled and motioned to the hall, but he didn’t move.
“Do you know if Ella ever comes out of her trance? Does she ever make sense?”
“Information will cost you.” She wriggled into his comfort space.
She reeked of weed. “I think you’ve been watching too many movies.”
Her laugh echoed in the sparsely furnished apartment. “I have some of those. You can be the pizza man and I’ll be the woman who doesn’t have any money.” She pulled him into her arms and leaned forward for a kiss.
He hesitated, then folded his arms around her, lightly. He leaned away from her mouth. “What about Ella?”
“Later.” She put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss, her tongue thrusting into his mouth.
He terminated the kiss. His knees nearly buckled. The joking, the passion. Not only did she look like Eugenia, she acted like her, too. “Do you have a name?”
She giggled as she rotated out of his grip. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the hallway, then into the bedroom. She took a long drag on the stubby joint and tossed it into an ashtray on a bedside table. In a quick motion, she pulled the purple tunic over her head. No bra.
His eyes locked on her breasts. But he needed to talk about Ella and then get out of there. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. All he saw was Eugenia.
She flopped on the bed. “What’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
He never could say no to Eugenia.
She smiled. “Like I said, information will cost you.”
“I don’t think so. I don’t even know your name.”
She reached over to the table, pulled open a drawer, and removed a square condom packet. She waved it in front of her. “Hey, I’m clean. I have to go through all kinds of testing for my job.”
“What about the weed?”
She giggled again. “There are ways around that.”
He took a step back. “Good to know.”
She stood and slipped her white pants below her hips. They slid to the floor revealing a pale pink thong. She waved the condom wrapper again. “If you want to talk about Ella, I’ll talk. But I need something from you first. You won’t regret it.”
Her grin and her playful pout screamed Eugenia, and the woman’s near nakedness fought against his hesitation. Maybe this was a way to begin easing Eugenia’s memory. Maybe meaningless sex could erase the bond he had shared with her. But why wasn’t he stepping forward? “Can’t we just talk?”
“Yes. After.” She slinked over to him and unbuttoned his shirt. She massaged his bare chest. “Nice,” she exhaled.
His feet no longer shuffled backward.
She undid his belt, yanked open the buttons of his Levi’s, and pulled the jeans off his hips.
He looked down at the bulge in his boxers, before her hand found it.
“Guess you’re not ready to talk just yet.”
He barely had time to roll on the condom before she pulled him into a coupling. Her animated movements created a challenge to stay in the union, and with each of his thrusts she gasped a loud, “Uh huh.” He closed his eyes tight and Eugenia appeared.
As his tempo increased, her volume matched, and his thoughts jumped to the surrounding apartments. He pictured neighbors with ears pressed to the wallboard, laughing at the auditory performance.
“Uh huh … uh huh … uh huh …”
Despite the distraction, Eugenia returned, and he lost himself in one of his more memorable conclusions this side of his former fiancée. But as soon as he fell off of her, the vision disappeared, replaced by the woman without a name. Unsure of the proper etiquette in her universe, he reached out to pull her into a hug.
A quick roll and she was off the bed. In the dim light he watched her jog out of the bedroom, naked. The sound of the refrigerator door opening and closing signaled her return, another can of beer in hand. She flopped on the bed, outside of the covers, and jiggled her right leg in
She exhaled and motioned to the hall, but he didn’t move.
“Do you know if Ella ever comes out of her trance? Does she ever make sense?”
“Information will cost you.” She wriggled into his comfort space.
She reeked of weed. “I think you’ve been watching too many movies.”
Her laugh echoed in the sparsely furnished apartment. “I have some of those. You can be the pizza man and I’ll be the woman who doesn’t have any money.” She pulled him into her arms and leaned forward for a kiss.
He hesitated, then folded his arms around her, lightly. He leaned away from her mouth. “What about Ella?”
“Later.” She put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss, her tongue thrusting into his mouth.
He terminated the kiss. His knees nearly buckled. The joking, the passion. Not only did she look like Eugenia, she acted like her, too. “Do you have a name?”
She giggled as she rotated out of his grip. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the hallway, then into the bedroom. She took a long drag on the stubby joint and tossed it into an ashtray on a bedside table. In a quick motion, she pulled the purple tunic over her head. No bra.
His eyes locked on her breasts. But he needed to talk about Ella and then get out of there. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. All he saw was Eugenia.
She flopped on the bed. “What’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
He never could say no to Eugenia.
She smiled. “Like I said, information will cost you.”
“I don’t think so. I don’t even know your name.”
She reached over to the table, pulled open a drawer, and removed a square condom packet. She waved it in front of her. “Hey, I’m clean. I have to go through all kinds of testing for my job.”
“What about the weed?”
She giggled again. “There are ways around that.”
He took a step back. “Good to know.”
She stood and slipped her white pants below her hips. They slid to the floor revealing a pale pink thong. She waved the condom wrapper again. “If you want to talk about Ella, I’ll talk. But I need something from you first. You won’t regret it.”
Her grin and her playful pout screamed Eugenia, and the woman’s near nakedness fought against his hesitation. Maybe this was a way to begin easing Eugenia’s memory. Maybe meaningless sex could erase the bond he had shared with her. But why wasn’t he stepping forward? “Can’t we just talk?”
“Yes. After.” She slinked over to him and unbuttoned his shirt. She massaged his bare chest. “Nice,” she exhaled.
His feet no longer shuffled backward.
She undid his belt, yanked open the buttons of his Levi’s, and pulled the jeans off his hips.
He looked down at the bulge in his boxers, before her hand found it.
“Guess you’re not ready to talk just yet.”
He barely had time to roll on the condom before she pulled him into a coupling. Her animated movements created a challenge to stay in the union, and with each of his thrusts she gasped a loud, “Uh huh.” He closed his eyes tight and Eugenia appeared.
As his tempo increased, her volume matched, and his thoughts jumped to the surrounding apartments. He pictured neighbors with ears pressed to the wallboard, laughing at the auditory performance.
“Uh huh … uh huh … uh huh …”
Despite the distraction, Eugenia returned, and he lost himself in one of his more memorable conclusions this side of his former fiancée. But as soon as he fell off of her, the vision disappeared, replaced by the woman without a name. Unsure of the proper etiquette in her universe, he reached out to pull her into a hug.
A quick roll and she was off the bed. In the dim light he watched her jog out of the bedroom, naked. The sound of the refrigerator door opening and closing signaled her return, another can of beer in hand. She flopped on the bed, outside of the covers, and jiggled her right leg in
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