Mindbridge by Joe Haldeman Page A

no problem. She ran her finger down the seam and shrugged it off, folded it neatly and set it on the table by the aquarium. She smiled at him, groped through the murky water and fished out the bridge. It was wet, but not slimy.
    “This should be fun.” She sat down next to him on the cot. He stroked her gently, made no move to touch the bridge.
    She stretched out on the cot, put her head in his lap, lifted her mask enough to kiss him, then lick.
    He ruffled her short hair. “You don’t waste time.”
    “I don’t feel like wasting time.” She urged him down. While they were shifting, making room on the narrow cot, they touched the bridge:
     
      JACQUE                         CAROL
      Disconcertingly          “But quick so
      accurate closeup         quick. . . “Blurred
      of his face, then        picture of various
      genitals super-          parts of her body,
      imposed “So              shifting “Skin
      nervous he is,           hot.”
    so solid.”
     
    “I’m not nervous,” he said in a hoarse whisper.
    “Of course not.” She ran a finger down his chest.
    “Hair’s growing back.”
    “Have to-hey!”
    “Sorry, ticklish?”
    “Only the navel, never could . . . that’s better.”
    “I should hope.” She put his hand on her breast and touched the bridge again.
     
      JACQUE                         CAROL
      Her eyes closed          Her face the sudden
      he sees dark red         curve of her hip “So
      feels fingers            hot, soft, so like...
      bump over hard           so like. . . not to
      nipple pleasure          think, not to think. . .”
      two places               His hand moving over
      “Think something         her breast A BEACH IN
      sexy”. . . NOT           BRIGHT SUN A SLENDER
      THINK See her            GIRL “Not to think
      mind see his             Maria not to think...”
    hand “What not
    think?”
     
    “Don’t censor yourself,” she said softly. “She looks like me? In your mind she does.”
    “Did.” He traced a line with his finger, down her ribs, waist, hard bump of her hipbone.
     
      JACQUE                         CAROL
      Warm wake of             Sliding down hot
      pleasure follows         damp skin “See her
      his finger belly         jump” and
      jumps in nervous         over sand papery
      reflex “O hurry O        stubble down along-
      hurry” over the          side it stop then part
      little tendon            lips from bottom so
      corner and down-         hot so wet slide up
      “There O now             and find it MARIA
      hurry” lips part-        RUNNING UP FROM
      ing wet sound            THE WATER SHE SITS
      breath holding           ON MY BLANKET DRY-
      “There O no too          ING HAIR LEGS APART
      hard O-here              PINK MYSTERY IN
      BAD BOY here!”           BLONDE HALO “No
                              bad boy” slippery
                              here “Too hard?
                              I...”
     
    “Here.” She let go of the bridge for a second to position his hand.
     
      JACQUE                         CAROL
      “Still now” she          “So ready!”
      thrusts against          “Don’t press
      him twice breath-        she knows still now.”
      ing once deep            “I ...”
    anus tightening
    “O.. Oh” away            “How can...”
    and back again
      slow featherlight        “?”
      circling touch           “Jesus!”
      “. . .”
    hot pulses two