Lets play a game  he was being off the cuff

                                                  needed to distract himself

he was invited to a pool partyhadnt expected that a younger woman was coming with her boyfriend hadnt thought shed be as attractive as bodacious as she was and was wearing a revealing twopiece   g-string bottom

she had the kind of ass to pull it off 

                                        was an esthetician   had esthetician friends

YEOW

for whaever reason the party moved inside the house leaving him alone by the pool with her

smartly

        he was in the pool

they made small talk

hit it off

         she said she knew of him through their host who had been threatening a pool party the whole summer

she was the hosts esthetician he enjoyed her giving him facials  manicures

she suggested he might like to partake

he said no

Not manly?

Not only not manly I cantwoudnt afford it   Priceyyah

she admitted it was

he thought then that maybe the conversation was a business pitch things might end there

he was wrong

               gratefully

What kind of game?

Originally I thought strip poker  but youre nearly there

she laughedblushed

                     I didn’t choose to wear this suit, Mike did. He said I’m not going to look like this forever so I ought to flaunt it.  This isn't me.        

Looks like you

her blush compounded

   Colour looks good on you Like the suit

                                              Mike likes to flaunt you

I wouldn't say that.  He treats me wellreally well, and, well, as I said, he picked it out for me.

Ill have to thank him

she laugheddidnt cover her mouth had really sweet dimples matched her personality I think at this gathering you might be the only one who will, as I understand who you are, at least as Jerome describes you.

                                                                                           I have to admit that another reason for coming today was for the opportunity to meet you.

he almost thought it was his turn to blush but withheld it

                                                        Thank you  Thas kind of you

Like you say, or I understand you to say, I’m not kind.

You look kind

Thank you. Actually I’m kinda bitchy . .

. . A perfectionist Kinda goes with the job yes

   Yes. You get it.

I get it An Im sure your clientele demands it

Yes. They keep me on tenterhooks.

Tha Id like to see

                   Id bet youd look good tied up in knots

There you go. Just as Jerome said.

Said

You’re . . . your delivery is charmingdespite . despite its content. He says you say things he’d never say.

No Hes a nice guy

He is.

          So what game?

Free Association

That is . . .

We say a word the other responds immediately verbalises without censorship whaever it is no matter how illogical irrelevant

Embarrassing?

I woudnt say embarrassing  Are you embarrassed easily

I may be.

            You arent though. 

Im not

      No   I am not

Are you a psychologist?

Im nothing

What do you do?

I read

       Youre welcome to ask me what Im reading Ive never identified myself by wha I didall the different things I did  Though perhaps to satisfy you  I can say I eluded a career

Wanna try the game

Who goes first?

You can if youd like

Okay.

No rules  Why rules

Yes. Good. I like this game already.

Awright

Girl.

Boy

Girl.

Papaya

Boy.

Mango

Papaya.

Banana

Mango.

Peach

Banana.

Ovary

Peach.

Stone

   she smiledbemused   Because boys have . . stones?

Girls have ovaries

This is very sexual.

Youre not blushing now

Are we still playing?

Apparently we are

I may have to join you in the pool.

Comon in Ive heated it up its  just   right

afternoon,  Monday – Labour Day,  4  9. 23

1343,  Thursday,  26  10. 23

Van Halen  Eruption/You Really Got Me  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCwigPhpiXs

casual phone call catching up with a friend been friends since high school

                                                                              dated briefly

preferred their friendship more

he was the instigator 

hed decide

after a third degree

questioning himself

                     How longs it been since we talked  realised how shabbyCalled

Hey dude!nice surprise.

Isnt it Howya been

Been laidup. Three days ago went to the Walgreens to get my CoVid shot and the gal recommended I also get the RSV and Shingle shots.

Whas RSV

I know this . give me a moment . . . Respiratory . . here’s a humdinger . syncytial . .

. . Easy for you to say

I had to think hard.

                      Respiratory syncytial virus vaccine.

   Thas a mouthful good thing its an injection rather than a pillyoud choke on it

Yeah. she laughed  You’re right there.

If it were a pill whaflavor ya think it might be Or woud you prefer

It’s an injection.

If it were a pill  woud it be tasty or taste like assI think medications ought to taste like shit to incentivise us to maintain our health

Sometimes we get sick.

Infected by someone else

Yes.

Incentivise us to have incentivised friends

Really?

Kind of a dog chasing its tail huh

Kind of.

Three shots in a sitting

Yes.

Howd she convince you of tha

She saidinsisted . that’s how they were doing it at Walgreens.

All in one arm

No.

One each in the arm and the third in the ass

It’s Walgreens.

Didya ask

Ask?

Take me in the back an give it to me in the ass

   No.

Thas how Id take it In the ass

                                     he coudnt help himselfno straightface  burst out laughing

Cracking yourself up huh?

                              Pretty suggestive.

Yathink

I think.

                 finally she giggled

Thank Gawd

             Was thinking Id never play strip poker with you  Great pokerface over the phone

You’re terrible.

I get tha a lot

                So two in the left one in the right  Yare righthanded  So either the RSV or Shingle in the right

You’re good, you’re right.

I get tha a lot too  I am good 

At taken it in the ass?

Ooooh  Listen to you

                        An I thought you were a prim an proper young woman

You know I’m not.

I do

     Otherwise we woudnt have gotten along all these years

I’ve thick skin.

Tha create an issue at Walgreens Bend any needles

STOP.

Awright

           So  I gotta ask   The gal said thas how Walgreens was doing it three at once

Yes.

Didnt tha seem unlikely   Odd

I thought it was odd.

But she convinced you

She did, well, not convince me, informed me that’s how they were doing it if someone was having the three shots, saved them from returning again or againanagain

Makes sense

Made sense to me

So

     Did it occur to you tha after she gave you the injections she went back into the Pharmacy an closing the door behind herselfleaning against it began laughing  quietly  gave thumbs up to the staff tha she stuck another sucker three times theyre having a contest among themselves  maybe a pumpkin in the offing for Halloween for the winner

   You’re . .

. . If I was running the Pharmacy Id make it a contest

You cut me off. You’re sick.

No

    I like making work fun  Id bet theyre not but if I said so in any pharmacy in any drugstore theyd be WOWed by the idea

No.

Oh Sorry the clinician laid you up for  three  was it three or just two days 

Three.

        No sooner than I got home.  Sick.

Sorry

        Not going to do tha again arya

Nope.

      the nope came out of her musically  she was a singer

Nice nope

Thank you.

Yare welcome

               Whaelse is new

Hung out with my friends a week ago.

Your rich friends

   Yes. My rich friends.

Don say it like tha I happen to know aside from yourself Im the only friend you have who isnt

   You’re right.

I know it

Anything new in the world of wealth

They insisted, because they thought we looked so good at the luncheon to take a snobshotsnapshot . .

. . You said snobshot

   I did.

Thas clever Make tha up all on your own

I did.

Im proud of you

Are you?

I am

      Why did we quit dating

Maybe because I wasn’t clever then.

Possibly

          Or you werent willing to put out

OH COME ON . .

                                     

1101,  Thursday,  19  10. 23

1150,  Thursday,  26  10. 23

Stones  Gimme Shelter  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeglgSWKSIY

   activationaggravation

                          thas how his morning beganhis motor flipped ON or rather how he awoke from dreamingdreamed rightsmackdab up to the edge of consciousnessAwake  commencedcommiserated the wake thall trail his boat the hemplines heaveduntethered gathered on the bow an stern pushingoff the dock pulling on the oars  the sinuous wake thall follow him through his day give him something to look at  admireappreciate as he moves forward unhurriedly  his back to the action  ahead the intentions hes pulling towards  no accuracy needed until the final few pullsaugments to dock

activated

           sometimes he feels hes a machine

aggravated

              sometimes he feels like a machine  an automaton  rote   routine

usually though

                 only when waking from a night that didnt restorereplenish him  the water table stingy  denying him not filling his well

he was of the habitritual of taking deep draughts during the day investigations  then seemingly too many questions too few realisations

                 an going to sleep  irritated  didnt have the time the endurance to plumb everything that occurred to him

he kept notes

coudnt keep up with them

closing one eyelooking he realised the benefit of having an abundance keeping a pantry

closed the other eye looked  he realised he was inept desperate tha one day he woudnt be wakened activated or in the middle of a day be extinguished

                                      leaving  aggravated

   

0640,  Thursday,  26  10. 23

0858,  Thursday,  26  10. 23

Stones  It's All Over Now  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb1Z7UOkzOI

Katahimikani  Shimmer  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtCByTuJ8xY