an oddball collectionhed say so if asked

                                           but wisely no one did  gave him a wide berth

those who remained gathered in the livingroom fourteenfifteen  most were couple  he and two gals were stag

everyone was an appreciative guests he crossed his fingers

it was a enormous livingroom

                               a tapestry hung over the fireplace above a massive mantel objet d’art on the handhewn redwood which was retrieved from a river in northern California where it sank over a hunred years ago 

                                                                                                             he stood there most the evening fingering it crazy to feelup history old growth  more than a thousand years old 

                                                                                                        it humbled him

Jim his host  You've been standing here most of the evening.

  Yes   I don like being setup 

                               You know tha

Not my idea, Charlene’s, she thinks it’s an awful shame you’re not datingnot with anyone, she’d fuck you if you came onto her . .

. . ChristJim

Between you me the mantel, old money, family’s oldfashioned obsessions . . 

. . Which you love about her . .

. . Until I don’t.

 Thats frank

You’re frank . . saying how it is.

                                   Sometimes I'm jealous of you.

Don be

         Cost a heartbreak he looked in Jims face under his lacquered jetblack hair  But yare not likely to ever suffer a heartbreak

No I’m not.  It’s an economy you’ll never admit or understand.

Right on brother  right on

 

they were served brandy elegant cut leadcrystal glasses 

                                                            he loved the honeycolour ambersplashes coming out of them from quiveringlights out the fireplacethe huge candledcandelabra overheadthe hurricane vase candles on the massive oval coffee table end tables before and beside upholstered couches chairs

                                                                              the room felt medieval

or maybe it was the percolating esoteric conversation  heady

he kept his lip buttoned except to sip a fourteenyear Oban whisky brandy didnt appeal to him Jim didnt take exception Charlene did it was her party 

                                           whatever she wanted her friends enabled

he wasnt her friend  Jims

 

Awfuck

         if he hadnt pour himself a fresh tumbler he would have left  cant abandon Oban

Charlene prompted a conversation about souls soulmates  she passivelyaggressively stuck it to him for not submitting

they made eyecontact

he saw the points of her canines through her smile

she was carnivorous

hed be lying if he didnt believe she gave great head

he nodded to her smile held up his glass  a silent toast fuck you between them 

                                                                                     who needs words

the lobbed soul soulmates went around the room like a chubby soft balloon an atmospheric jellyfish

Joe said Charlene   Your thoughtsa penny for your thoughts.

Pennys not enough

                     This isnt a game I can playparticipate in

Pray tell.

  That either

              I cant play I havent a soul

funny how words can sound loudecho resoundingly

he slapped the mantels end

sounded like a gunshot

the room startled

  fuckin children

     NOPE  GOT NO SOUL 

                            Somebody sporting one ought carry on

he took another sip of Oban

                            Damn

                                       refreshing  like sipping from a baptismal font after an innocent was dipped

suntime,  Day-between-Two-Ts,  25  5. 22

1548,  Sunday,  5  6. 22

Jimmy Page Robert Plant  The Rain Song  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeDylD8dV7U