most Americans are soft. It is my fault, I wanted to protect my children from the hardness I grew up with. But you must respect him. Ok?”
“I’ll try, for you Manny.”
“Good. Now I have to go home. Junie is waiting up, and after thirty years I know better than to keep her waiting long.” With a laugh Manny walked out of the back of the club. He was living proof that the American dream was alive and well. Turaj danced in jerky motions with Taylor, who had given up her grief and was now seeing if seducing the manager could get her better shifts.
It didn’t take long before the wheels came off the affair. It turned from a memorial to a wake to a party. I sank into one of the leopard print couches and let the room swirl around me like an Impressionist painting. The whiskey washed up and over me, leaving me beached on the couch in its warm glow. The room was all light and color, Florence Welch was singing Kissed with a Fist . The girls danced and laughed drunkenly. China pulled the new girl, Roxanne, into an embrace slipping her tongue into her mouth. Roxanne looked surprised at first, but she didn’t pull away. If I knew China, they’d be bumping rugs before the end of the night. Somewhere in the haze, a Marilyn Monroe cookie jar sat silently in a spotlight.
“He looks so sad, don’t he look sad, Ronnie?” Lupita swayed at the blurred edge of my vision.
“Pitiful baby, just pitiful.” Ronnie’s ebony form slipped up. Her face soaring high in the distance above me. They were both a step past tipsy, one shot shy of drunk.
“Let mamacita make you feel better.” Lupita slid her soft fingers over my forehead.
Ronnie giggled, filling my vision with the sloping valley of her cleavage. “I hate to see a good man down.” Swinging a leg over mine Ronnie sat on my lap, facing me, she started to gently grind to the beat. Lupita crawled onto the cushion beside me rubbing herself against me. Somewhere in my reptile brain the blood started to rush. “Give it up baby, you’re in Queen Ronnie’s house now.” She moved her lips close to mine, our whiskey-laden breath mingling in the tiny space between our lips. Looking deep into my eyes she rubbed her breasts against my chest. I could feel her thighs rub against me, pelvis against mine. Lupita was all over me with hands and body. Like that Hindu goddess with all the arms, I couldn’t tell where one woman stopped and the other started, but it all felt soft and good. The music changed and Sinead O’Connor was wailing out Nothing Compares To You . Past the blurred girls working to get my attention I saw the stage. In the spotlight I saw Kelly spinning around the pole. She looked down at me; a laugh rippled from her. Suddenly, my erection and desire were gone. I felt shame drift over me. This was my friend’s memorial. What was I doing? “Just people, doing people things.” I heard Kelly say.
“What’s wrong mi amore?” Lupita purred in my ear, her hand fumbling on my limp member.
“It ain’t you girl…I just… I don’t know. Maybe I’m just getting too old for this…” If they heard me they didn’t react. They stepped up the rhythm drunkenly laughing while they stroked me from all sides.
“Off.” They both froze at the sound of Piper’s voice. She stood planted firmly in the swirling room. “I said off.”
“Shit girl we weren’t doin’ nothin’.” Ronnie stood up, swaying on her feet.
“We just want to make him happy,” Lupita slurred. “Tell her, Moses.” I reached out for words, but only found a thick tongued mumble.
“Scram. Go on, I’m not playing.” Piper said shooing them off with a wave of her hand. Sitting down next to me she patted my thigh, looking out at the building debauch.
“You wan’ a drink?” I fumbled the words.
“No. I drink for boredom, tragedy I take straight up.” Drifting her fingers over my face she spoke quietly, “You’re going to be ok, you know that don’t you?”
“Sure, I’m going to be
“I’ll try, for you Manny.”
“Good. Now I have to go home. Junie is waiting up, and after thirty years I know better than to keep her waiting long.” With a laugh Manny walked out of the back of the club. He was living proof that the American dream was alive and well. Turaj danced in jerky motions with Taylor, who had given up her grief and was now seeing if seducing the manager could get her better shifts.
It didn’t take long before the wheels came off the affair. It turned from a memorial to a wake to a party. I sank into one of the leopard print couches and let the room swirl around me like an Impressionist painting. The whiskey washed up and over me, leaving me beached on the couch in its warm glow. The room was all light and color, Florence Welch was singing Kissed with a Fist . The girls danced and laughed drunkenly. China pulled the new girl, Roxanne, into an embrace slipping her tongue into her mouth. Roxanne looked surprised at first, but she didn’t pull away. If I knew China, they’d be bumping rugs before the end of the night. Somewhere in the haze, a Marilyn Monroe cookie jar sat silently in a spotlight.
“He looks so sad, don’t he look sad, Ronnie?” Lupita swayed at the blurred edge of my vision.
“Pitiful baby, just pitiful.” Ronnie’s ebony form slipped up. Her face soaring high in the distance above me. They were both a step past tipsy, one shot shy of drunk.
“Let mamacita make you feel better.” Lupita slid her soft fingers over my forehead.
Ronnie giggled, filling my vision with the sloping valley of her cleavage. “I hate to see a good man down.” Swinging a leg over mine Ronnie sat on my lap, facing me, she started to gently grind to the beat. Lupita crawled onto the cushion beside me rubbing herself against me. Somewhere in my reptile brain the blood started to rush. “Give it up baby, you’re in Queen Ronnie’s house now.” She moved her lips close to mine, our whiskey-laden breath mingling in the tiny space between our lips. Looking deep into my eyes she rubbed her breasts against my chest. I could feel her thighs rub against me, pelvis against mine. Lupita was all over me with hands and body. Like that Hindu goddess with all the arms, I couldn’t tell where one woman stopped and the other started, but it all felt soft and good. The music changed and Sinead O’Connor was wailing out Nothing Compares To You . Past the blurred girls working to get my attention I saw the stage. In the spotlight I saw Kelly spinning around the pole. She looked down at me; a laugh rippled from her. Suddenly, my erection and desire were gone. I felt shame drift over me. This was my friend’s memorial. What was I doing? “Just people, doing people things.” I heard Kelly say.
“What’s wrong mi amore?” Lupita purred in my ear, her hand fumbling on my limp member.
“It ain’t you girl…I just… I don’t know. Maybe I’m just getting too old for this…” If they heard me they didn’t react. They stepped up the rhythm drunkenly laughing while they stroked me from all sides.
“Off.” They both froze at the sound of Piper’s voice. She stood planted firmly in the swirling room. “I said off.”
“Shit girl we weren’t doin’ nothin’.” Ronnie stood up, swaying on her feet.
“We just want to make him happy,” Lupita slurred. “Tell her, Moses.” I reached out for words, but only found a thick tongued mumble.
“Scram. Go on, I’m not playing.” Piper said shooing them off with a wave of her hand. Sitting down next to me she patted my thigh, looking out at the building debauch.
“You wan’ a drink?” I fumbled the words.
“No. I drink for boredom, tragedy I take straight up.” Drifting her fingers over my face she spoke quietly, “You’re going to be ok, you know that don’t you?”
“Sure, I’m going to be
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