Pulp-Noir.
She was sitting the bathtub. My one-armed girl. The water was clear and throughit I could see the distorted/lovely features of her body. The nice thing about hot weather isthat it turns all the flesh pink and rosy. Great for the pores. The radio played in thecramped bathroom. It was jazz night, and the sad muted horns and the pack a daynear-stars that crooned into the darkness made me want to get a bottle and cry. I was standing in the door frame, watching her sleep, bag in hand. A shift on mypart and the girls eyes shot open like a cats. Green eyes. Dark green, like a forest floor.Like a foggy stroll through a dense jungle.
You get it? she asked. I smiled and set the bag down.
Yeah, I got it. I put the toilet seat down and took a seat.
The bathroom was small enough thateven though I was on the toilet and she was in the tub, I could still reach out and touchher. I resisted the urge and, pulling out my poison started rolling myself a smoke.
Can you roll me one? she asked, languidly submerging herself below the water.
Youre a woman of needs you know that? I chuckled slightly at this, But I guess youcant help it. What gets me is that youre so seemed so damned independent when we first met. So unwilling to be looked down on. But here you are, asking me to go out at three in the damn morning on your errands. Toughing the mean streets to fetch you your sundries.
And then she gave me that look. Wide eyed and coy. Slight bite to the lower lip topull up the chin. Eyebrows curled up to arches. I hate that look. Its a look that has a question in it thats already been answered. She uses it. She uses every inch of her to get what she wants. And me? Im just glad she wants me.
You run into trouble on those mean streets baby? she asked me.
A little, I said There was a pimp wouldnt take no for an answer when he pushed this little slip of a girl at me. When words got exchanged about certain territorial, jurisdictional, and moral issues he decided to show me his knife.
You show him yours?
Nah, just broke his arms.
Both of em?
Yeah. The girl started kicking him after I got done with the cracking, and I just left her to her work.
Youre a good guy Jean.
Eh...so...you ready for this?
Been ready for hours.
I reached over and fished out the first of two items she had requested.
Hit me baby! she said, excitement raising her voice an octave or two.
I dropped it in. One of those big two gallon bags of ice. Dropped it into the bathtub and just listened to the peals of delight and sensation. Watched her writhe and coil and harden and coo. It was worth the price of admission. I fetched the second item, a bottle of vitamin E, and went back into the bedroom. It was going to be a long night.
You get it? she asked. I smiled and set the bag down.
Yeah, I got it. I put the toilet seat down and took a seat.
The bathroom was small enough thateven though I was on the toilet and she was in the tub, I could still reach out and touchher. I resisted the urge and, pulling out my poison started rolling myself a smoke.
Can you roll me one? she asked, languidly submerging herself below the water.
Youre a woman of needs you know that? I chuckled slightly at this, But I guess youcant help it. What gets me is that youre so seemed so damned independent when we first met. So unwilling to be looked down on. But here you are, asking me to go out at three in the damn morning on your errands. Toughing the mean streets to fetch you your sundries.
And then she gave me that look. Wide eyed and coy. Slight bite to the lower lip topull up the chin. Eyebrows curled up to arches. I hate that look. Its a look that has a question in it thats already been answered. She uses it. She uses every inch of her to get what she wants. And me? Im just glad she wants me.
You run into trouble on those mean streets baby? she asked me.
A little, I said There was a pimp wouldnt take no for an answer when he pushed this little slip of a girl at me. When words got exchanged about certain territorial, jurisdictional, and moral issues he decided to show me his knife.
You show him yours?
Nah, just broke his arms.
Both of em?
Yeah. The girl started kicking him after I got done with the cracking, and I just left her to her work.
Youre a good guy Jean.
Eh...so...you ready for this?
Been ready for hours.
I reached over and fished out the first of two items she had requested.
Hit me baby! she said, excitement raising her voice an octave or two.
I dropped it in. One of those big two gallon bags of ice. Dropped it into the bathtub and just listened to the peals of delight and sensation. Watched her writhe and coil and harden and coo. It was worth the price of admission. I fetched the second item, a bottle of vitamin E, and went back into the bedroom. It was going to be a long night.
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