sat in the middle of the couch, and during the scary parts she didn’t leap into my lap for protection or grab my hand. I thought it would be most unbecoming of me to leap into hers, though I found myself pulling my feet up onto the couch, in case any floor sharks drifted by.
Between the movies we took a coffee break, and Florida took off her shoes, then we watched
Gunga Din.
I loved it again. About midnight the movies were over and we talked about them for a while, then Leonard went out on the porch to smoke his pipe.
I stood up from the couch and found I didn’t know what to do with my hands. I didn’t know what to do with my mouth either. Should I say “Good night?” How about “What about them Mets?”
Florida didn’t help. She kept her seat and smiled up at me. She said, “I’m sleepy.”
“Yeah, well, it is late. You need me to drive you home? You can get your car tomorrow.”
“I’m not that sleepy. I would like to stay here, though.”
“’Cause you’re tired?”
She smiled at me again. This was the sort of smile you reserve for the feeble-minded. “You want it spelled out?”
“That would help,” I said. “I think I know what you’re saying, but if I’m wrong, boy, am I going to be embarrassed.”
“You’re not wrong. Let’s go to bed. Together.”
“One minute.”
“One minute?”
I went out on the porch. Leonard was sitting on the glider. The smell of his cherry tobacco drifted back to me.
He said, “Well, what’s the score?”
“Can I use the bed tonight?”
“Yeah, but you do the laundry tomorrow. I don’t want the wet spot.”
“Right.”
Back inside I tried not to look too much like I was waiting for dessert. “Well, you ready?”
She laughed at me. It was a nice sound. Like bells tinkling. “Where’s the bathroom?”
I showed it to her. Before she went inside, she said, “Go out and look in my car and bring my overnight bag, will you? Keys are in my purse.”
I got the keys out of her purse, went out and got the bag. She knew she was going to stay all along. I began to feel a little taller. When I walked past Leonard, he said, “I hope you still remember what to do.”
“It’ll come to me,” I said, and went inside.
* * *
The overhead fan moved moon shadows and stirred the hot air. The shadows fluttered over me and the sweat on my chest dried slowly and comfortably.
I was lying on my back, naked. Florida lay beside me, on her stomach, sleeping. I had my hand resting on one of her smooth, dark buttocks. I couldn’t resist playing my fingers over her flesh. I replayed what we had done time and again in my head. It was a good picture show no matter how many times I rewound it. I liked it better than
Jaws
or
Gunga Din.
The bedroom window was up, and from where I lay, my head propped on a pillow, I could see out clearly. Across the way there was some laughter and some lights and shadows moved between the windows and the laughter moved with them.
I rolled on my side and put my arm across Florida’s back and kissed her ear. She smelled of sweat and sex and perfume. She moved and made a noise I liked. I ran my hand down the small of her back, over her buttocks, down one of her legs, letting my hand hydroplane over the beads of sweat. She spread her legs and I ran my hand between them. She was soft there and moist, and she moved like she thought she might do some business, but then she went still again and started snoring like a lumberjack.
That was all right. After all we’d done, my ambition might be bigger and better than the tool I needed for the job. And I was thirsty.
I rolled away from her, eased out of bed, and untangled the sheet from my ankles. I stretched, got the sheet off the floor, shook it out silently and tossed it over Florida, taking a good look at her before I did.
I found her panties on the floor, along with the little nightie she had worn so briefly. I folded them and put them at the foot of the bed, went to the
Between the movies we took a coffee break, and Florida took off her shoes, then we watched
Gunga Din.
I loved it again. About midnight the movies were over and we talked about them for a while, then Leonard went out on the porch to smoke his pipe.
I stood up from the couch and found I didn’t know what to do with my hands. I didn’t know what to do with my mouth either. Should I say “Good night?” How about “What about them Mets?”
Florida didn’t help. She kept her seat and smiled up at me. She said, “I’m sleepy.”
“Yeah, well, it is late. You need me to drive you home? You can get your car tomorrow.”
“I’m not that sleepy. I would like to stay here, though.”
“’Cause you’re tired?”
She smiled at me again. This was the sort of smile you reserve for the feeble-minded. “You want it spelled out?”
“That would help,” I said. “I think I know what you’re saying, but if I’m wrong, boy, am I going to be embarrassed.”
“You’re not wrong. Let’s go to bed. Together.”
“One minute.”
“One minute?”
I went out on the porch. Leonard was sitting on the glider. The smell of his cherry tobacco drifted back to me.
He said, “Well, what’s the score?”
“Can I use the bed tonight?”
“Yeah, but you do the laundry tomorrow. I don’t want the wet spot.”
“Right.”
Back inside I tried not to look too much like I was waiting for dessert. “Well, you ready?”
She laughed at me. It was a nice sound. Like bells tinkling. “Where’s the bathroom?”
I showed it to her. Before she went inside, she said, “Go out and look in my car and bring my overnight bag, will you? Keys are in my purse.”
I got the keys out of her purse, went out and got the bag. She knew she was going to stay all along. I began to feel a little taller. When I walked past Leonard, he said, “I hope you still remember what to do.”
“It’ll come to me,” I said, and went inside.
* * *
The overhead fan moved moon shadows and stirred the hot air. The shadows fluttered over me and the sweat on my chest dried slowly and comfortably.
I was lying on my back, naked. Florida lay beside me, on her stomach, sleeping. I had my hand resting on one of her smooth, dark buttocks. I couldn’t resist playing my fingers over her flesh. I replayed what we had done time and again in my head. It was a good picture show no matter how many times I rewound it. I liked it better than
Jaws
or
Gunga Din.
The bedroom window was up, and from where I lay, my head propped on a pillow, I could see out clearly. Across the way there was some laughter and some lights and shadows moved between the windows and the laughter moved with them.
I rolled on my side and put my arm across Florida’s back and kissed her ear. She smelled of sweat and sex and perfume. She moved and made a noise I liked. I ran my hand down the small of her back, over her buttocks, down one of her legs, letting my hand hydroplane over the beads of sweat. She spread her legs and I ran my hand between them. She was soft there and moist, and she moved like she thought she might do some business, but then she went still again and started snoring like a lumberjack.
That was all right. After all we’d done, my ambition might be bigger and better than the tool I needed for the job. And I was thirsty.
I rolled away from her, eased out of bed, and untangled the sheet from my ankles. I stretched, got the sheet off the floor, shook it out silently and tossed it over Florida, taking a good look at her before I did.
I found her panties on the floor, along with the little nightie she had worn so briefly. I folded them and put them at the foot of the bed, went to the
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