she said her name was Paris
off her lips it sounded audacious his mind prattled
London Chicago Miami Seattle
she saidlike she was reading his
mind her mother knew it was audacious she consciously spitefully chose it After she named me,
had my name committed on the live birth certificate, she gave me up for
adoption.
I think she didn’t love the man
who impregnated her, I am fatherless; but she loved me enough to give me away
because she couldn’t raise me by herself.
The story is my birthmother told
the doctor, the nurses, appropriate staff, whoever adopted me couldn’t change
my name. First, you see, she said, Paris will know they did; and when I find
out, and I can, I will, if they change her name I’ll come after them, find
them, and cut their heads off.
You tell them that.
It’s not an idle threat.
Paris, obviously, will have been without
a mother before; she’ll survive being motherless again.
My birthmother, I never met, although I seem to take after her. I’ve been a handful for my mother and father. They have often told me that I
know too much for my own good. I remember them telling me that even as a small
girl.
I was a handful.
she took the words out of his
mouth but he saidoverwriting it so she
wouldnt read his mind again she was a handfulhandfuls happy handfuls My folks didnt tell me until I was a teenager
she mused as she looked
at him
maybe she picked up on his blatant thoughthappy handfuls overtly sexual he wouldnt mind playing with her if she wanted If
yare reading my mind
spookily she smiled
simultaneously
Jesus
Im fucked he thoughtthen he thought he
heard a thought raised in his head not in his voice Maybe.
she was still smiling
he took her for a drink The Black Ram
Is this your watering hole?
Watering hole I like ithadnt thought of it in your vernacular Yes mebbe now that I think of it my
watering hole Have you one
How do you mean?
Bar tavern restaurant his face screwed uppleasant confusion Whadaya mean how do
I mean
Good, on your toes, maybe you
won’t bore me.
Yare not afraid youll bore me
No, I am not afraid.
her fearlessness got the better of
him
he got his arms around herinside of
hers and hugged her tightly fullbodied
she hugged him back
Man you feel good
You feel good too.
Whaya having this evening
he got the bartenders attention sealed it hugging Paris Sammy
Sammy Joe called out she began making
her way over to where they stood at the bar he liked to taking his drinks at the bar tip Sammy directly then hed take a chair a table or went out
back outside where the Ram had a seating area tables under trees hanging
lanterns candles on the tables nice
melon coaxing confessionallike
What should I have? What would
you order me?
Id love ordering you
Sammy this is Paris Paris Sammy
as the women shook hands he
realised they were nearly spitting images tall athletic wellbuilt Sammy
dark Paris light
Paris, it suits you, what will have
tonight?
Ask Joe, he’s ordering.
Sammy laughed she had a big laugh
Ordering? Because he’s here he doesn’t have to breathe a word, I can
read his mind.
I can too.
You can? very good. Strange
place, huh?
Yes. In a word, strange.
Hey gals Im standing right here
It talks.
Sammy, I like you, I really like
you; it talks.
An right off I think I like you
too.
You’ll excuse me, I’ll be back
if Sammy hadnt been engaged when
they met he would have made a play for her
sometimes he thought he should have
he heard her marriage lasted a year and a half two by then they were too deep into their
friendship sex would have been incestuous
but had she not been engagedmarried
had they played she was an ample playgroundlikely an adventurous playmate had they played those two
years foreplay would have been fierce climaxes mindblowing
There you go, kids, Joe’s patent
chilled double Dirty Bird martini, three olives. Starting a tab, Joe?
Yesplease Sammy Have something on me later this evening awright Ya look parched
I might, I might, mebbe I will.
You’ll have to excuse me again, gotta go; nice
meeting you, Paris.
Wonderful meeting you too, Sammy.
She’s quite a girl; very
attractive, dark, statuesque.
Got a head on her shoulders too this
is a part time gig
When I feel Id like to have a drink if shes not here I don Nobody makes a Dirty Bird like Sammy
It’s the secret ingredient, Joe.
Secret ingredient
Yes. Love.
She loves you.
We go way back
Ah, so four words, not the
standard tried-an-true three?
he smiled
Maybe once upon a time My ardor was forged into adore I love her like a sister
That’s incest.
You been listening
You’re funny, I don’t have to
listen; you’re an open book, you're not selfconscious, you don’t care, you
don’t give a damn.
Paris I definitely wanna get to know you better
I’d like that.
she held her glass up they tapped glasses vodka bright olives greenslightly trembling To what
may come.
To unexpectedness
they sipped
Ohshit this is delicious! This
is delicious, Joe; Sammy’s a goddess.
Yah shes perfected it but not too loud itll go to her head
So tell me a story.
they were having a third
martini
unexpectedly Sammy brought them their second and had one with them under
the trees and sky My break, thought we’d
get caught up, and I could get to know Paris better. she pointed at Paris I shouldn’t have a reason, but I like
you.
I think it has something to do
with Joe introducing us; he’s a good calling card.
he chuckled
Im sitting right here
Shh, Joe, Paris is talking. I
like her voice, how her mouth moves.
turning her full attention to Paris You strike me as a woman one
shouldn’t fuck with.
Sammy, you strike me as a woman
one shouldn’t fuck with also.
Mirrored minds . .
. . You want to shut up, Joe; no one’s talking to you. they said it together
Jesus Christ excuse me
Sammy said to Paris You or me?
May I?
Please.
they laughed togetherbright
laughter neither covering their mouths
Paris said There’s no excuse for you, Joe.
Ohfunny a couple of comedians
Lemme know when I can come into
the water and play Ill sit tightlisten enjoy my delicious drink
Sammy reached overput her hand on
top of his Good boy, you’re such a good
boy. looking over at Paris Isn’t he a
good boy?
Paris said I’m counting on it.
You
were saying, Sammy.
So tell me a story.
What kind of story
Intrigue. Sex. Maybe mayhem, the
threat of mayhem; threats are delicious, will he, won’t he, will she, won’t
she.
Elaine
Sun ray, Greek origin.
I didnt know that
Tell me something I don’t know.
Elaine
She was engaged to be marriednot a year out
of high school A yearcouple years
younger than me Id seen her around she
was a looker
Blonde like me, I think.
No ones like you Yes
Blonde
Ran into her at a bowling alley her
fiancé was there Those days we bet on bowling She was hanging all over him I can see his facecant remember his name now We played
softball a mens league A big deal in the Midwest Some retired Major League players played in
the league It wasnt for fun It was money
Her fiancé wanted to know what I
wanted to roll a gameplay for money Elaine
was making eyes at me She wasexcuse
me a piece
He said a hundred dollarshe
could have said two hundredthree He was
a jewelerworked for his old man He was
moneyed as a teenager She was attracted
to money a nice piece on his arm An attractive coupletruly though venial
I said twohunred
He wanted to see money upfront
Ya know me Im good for it
Yawanna show your money
Jokingly he took Elaine by the
armpushed her forward pushed her hard
enoughunexpected she stumbled a bit I caught her by the ribcageshe jiggled
It was a close game I expected it
to be he didnt Lost his lead in the
ninthlost in the tenth frame
I walked up to Elaine put my
arm around her squeezed her firmly bunched her tits she was too fetching
Mighty
sportin of ya Ive wondered what it
would be like to make out with Elaine
Up
for that Elaine ya worth two hunred dollars
She delivered a lecherous smile I am. Warmed
the cockles of my heartdid wonders for my cock too
Which to my surprise she
noticed
Of course she’d notice.
To my surprise youd notice
I would.
Ill keep that in mind
I’ll hear you.
Before we go furthur with that
Lets finish this
Then well
return to that
I hadnt realised there was a bar behind us Id given Elaine some money to wet our
whistles Id join her at the bar were
several guys who were friends of his
I was fuckin with himplayin out
the ridiculous skein
He threatens mehe sets his
eyes to the bar over my shoulder I could
hear bar stools squeal on the wood floorpushed rather than picked up set
down Who the fuck do you think you are? I'll kick your ass if you think youre walking
out of here with Elaine.
You put her up you not a man of your word
I said two hundred dollars
Oh man shes easily worth two
hunredI cant wait But in the meantime
were having a drink a little foreplay Youll excuse me
I turned within fourfive steps I walked through his knot
of friends it was a rude pass
Elaine was oblivious of whawas
transpiring
I had been jokingbut when he brought his buddies in on it I got serious Anshe smelled awfully good I hadnt ever been that close to her
Your boyfriend lost
My fiancé. she corrected me
Your fiancé lostlost his bet He bet you
Me?
You Instead of two hunred
I asked ya if you were worth two hunred
That’s a bargain, a basement
bargain.
She was peevedlooked up the alley at the congress standing at the mouth
of the bowling lane
Lets drink to a bargain betcha I can make you feel you were in the
penthouse
Had to flirt we sipped whiskysipped beer
The bartenderthe owner caught the
drift he kept a couple of pins behind
the bar
There a problem? he asked
I don think so
Aw, don’t have to think, there’s a problem
coming up behind you.
Cant have that
I turned an stood
One of the muttsI knew these
guys one said You’re not leaving here
with her.
Why you talking to me You her fiancé
We’re talking for him.
Such mooks
Over my shoulder I
said Bobby a pin please an reached back with my right Bobby pressed a cold wood pin into my
hand
Odds went upsoared in my favour They had numbers but they also had to reckon if they were the one that was going to get hurt
Knew Id be hurtso no matter Powerful leverage
They mulled a bit
I also knew I had Bobby on my
side
They mulled then back off
When they went backup the aisle
to lover boy I reached
back blind and Bobby slipped the pin out of my hand
I turned back to Elaine our
drinks Thanked Bobby Bought him a drink
Not necessary. he said
Necessity is the mother of pins Thank you
Please Bobby
Awright, if you're buyin I’m having a
double, an not the cheap stuff.
If thats the case pour one for
Elaine and me too please
Please, please. Elaine, this guy
is so fuckin polite; what a silver tongue.
Elaine looked at me as if to ask
if I had a silver tongue
I cut her off Mine feels like mink
The clique hung out
Finishing our drinks I settled up with Bobby Elaine said she was going downstairs to her carshe drove
a classic ’68 Olds babyblue Toronado sweet fuckin ride she said she was across the train tracks in
the parking lot
I dug it she arrived separate from lover boy
I guess he saw her leavethought
the gambit was over
Maybe he didnt think I could heat
Elaine up or thought maybe I had I
did
He walked up beside me asked if he could
buy me a drinkbuy me a drink end the confusion
No confusion I told him
Elaine’s gone.
Shes waiting for me
You think you're gonna fuck my girlfriend?
Girlfriend Girlfriend Yamean fuck your fiancée
Im thinkin about it
Guys eyes begin tearing up
Let me buy you a drink, talk about this. He choked
I don want a drink I donwanna drink with youya got your buddies buy them drinks Way I see it you owe themsaved
a couplethree of them from serious injury Im not drinking with you Im up an out of here
He grabbed me by the shirt as I
turned towards himturned in between the stools
He whines Shit waterworks
commenceroll down onto his cheek I mean
cinema quality tears on his cheeks Please,
he said please don’t fuck my fiancée.
Gotta go man happy you were able to grasp the keen distinction
between your girlfriend and your fiancée
I turned an left the bowling
alley
What happened?
Ah the intrigue
Youll have to read my mind Paris
Paris fit well inside our small
town
it really liked her presenceher aplomb Hell Sammy liked her she was one
of its daughtersborn and raised there Paris circulated its air gave it atmosphere
he dug her light
0749, Twosday,
1 6. 21
1428, Wednesday, 2 6.
21
