Mindbridge by Joe Haldeman Page B

“. . .”
    three diminishing
    “. . . Oh.”
    radiate tingling
    “. . . Oh, Jacque.”
     
    “Oh, Jacque.” She rubbed her forehead against his chest, wiping off sweat. He let go of the bridge to hold her tightly.
    He swallowed twice. “You don’t need much warming up, do you?”
    She giggled into his chest. “It’s been over a week. Can’t touch yourself in a suit.”
    “You had all day,” he said.
    “Saved it.” She resumed rubbing him. “Is this all right?”
    “Fine.” He glided the edge of his hand down her backbone, skin slick and cooling. “That was something.” His fingers rested lightly at the top of the crevice between her buttocks, his thumb making little circles in a lumbar dimple. “It’s different than with men.”
    “Better?”
    “Different.”
    She stopped panting. “It wouldn’t be so fast. . . but the bridge! It’s like. . . it’s like. . . being both people. Not quite that, something like that. Exciting.”
    It wasn’t like that for Jacque. “Good, good.” For Jacque, it was like being watched.
    “We don’t have to hold on to the bridge with our hands,” she said. “How about this?” She rolled over so her back was toward Jacque. “Take me longer this way.” She reached over her shoulder and slipped the bridge between her back and Jacque’s chest.
     
      JACQUE                         CAROL
      “If I try think          soft nest “God!
      about something          crawly bug trapped
      else” feel of him        spider get it
      wilting on her           away!”
    “CRAWLY TRAPPED
    SPIDER”
     
    He almost pushed her off the cot, squirming away from contact with the bridge. “I’m sorry, it. . . let’s just hold on to it with our hands. Then we can drop it if-“
    “You felt trapped.”
    “It was trapped.”
    She reached back to hold him. “Jacque, you aren’t afraid of me, are you? Afraid to let me inside-“
    “No. No, I like it.” Not a complete lie. “Just let’s keep the bridge . . . at arm’s length. I don’t like it touching me. I don’t like it so close.”
    “All right.” She set the creature by her abdomen. “Can you reach it here?”
    “Yeah.” They touched the bridge and with her free hand she guided him into her.
     
      JACQUE                         CAROL
      “There” pushing          Quick shiver good
      back him warm            going in then slight
      against her “Tell        resistance overcome
      now Maria”               buttocks surprising
      NO CAN’T staying         cold “No I can’t”
      then slow then           staying then drawing
      fast, holding            back slowly and
      tense                    quick thrust holding
    tense “All right”
    “All right.” Both of them eyes closed, faces flushed. Carol stroking him gently, “I trust you,” he said:
     
      JACQUE                         CAROL
      Hot wet Trust            “Trust you” SITTING
      “She is like me          ON MY BLANKET DRY-
      with hair-“              ING HAIR LEGS APART
      slick cold outside       SHE LOOKING AWAY
      going in slow hard       THEN LOOK DOWN
      HARD out quick           AND SEE ME HARD
      in slow                  THEN WHAT REALLY
      out                      HAPPEN SHE LAUGH
      in                       AND SAY YOU GROW-
      “But Jacque              ING UP JACQUES AND
      you not here”            PAT MY KNEE AND
      in, out in, “Feel        RUN AWAY DOWN THE
      ME Jacque,” out in       SAND LAUGHING BUT
      SHE ON TOP               I ALWAYS
      I LOVED SHE              REMEMBER THERE’S
      DIED                     NOBODY ELSE THERE