she said persuade
she was fit vivacious
single which in her vernacular meant never
married
If
I divorced I’d say I was divorced.
he liked her candor
several mutual friends decided they
would make a nice couple
they suggested to him first
he said No Why so
square they were couples
Nowadaysif Im not mistaken men neednt carry the ball womenif interested can ask
they must have put the screws to her
trying to put them to him theyd strip out
screwheads
one couple calledinvited him to a small
party they were throwing
It’s a pool party, to celebrate summer.
she laughed gayly I’m calling it Let’s Get Wet!
he always enjoyed her enthusiasm
they dated
she did
You’ll come, won’t you?
he had no reason to sniff anything out
he believed it was understood he made his own bed
owed that to his mother
a no-nonsense gal
when relationships veered badly after sheunsolicited warned it would
she was cucumber cold
Made your own bed, now sleep in it.
Persuade he asked
she wasnt coy
she relented she said that they
were convinced she could bring him out of his shell
I could persuade you.
feeling his mothers pale steelblue eyes
at the back of his head coolly Seduce
me
Except for the C the letters to seduce are in persuade
See Si
she wrote the words on a cocktail napkin
with the red Bic pen he notoriously carried everywhere tucked over his ear
Ohyes. They are similar, look
similar.
Are similar
Youll not try to seduce
me
handing the pen back she smiled great
dimpleswere a plus in her column Has anyone everprior to now, uttered those
words?
I don believe in one-offs
they hit it off
evening came surprisingly fast
there was a pool table in the couples
home
You play
I do. I’m quite good.
Good enough to bet on your game I can
As can I.
Wanna play
How much?
Not money Clothing
Clothing?
Im wearing twothree
five five articles of clothing
You
Six.
Eightball for clothing
Nineball?
Well alternate
Let’s do that.
Now
When one of us has lost their clothingupstairs well go to one of the bedrooms strip in order of our losses
Youre game
Not askinagin
I’m game.
flipped a coin for the break she won
The first of many. she said chuckling soft
dimples
called nineball promptly beat him a keen combination to sink the nine early
on a cocktail napkin with the Bic he
wrote his name
she beat him in eightball a fine carom off his eleven into the side
pocket
wrote his name again
he returned the favour an equally early nineball combination
wrote her name
then wrote her name a second time
wrote his
hers
four straight
while they played people wandered into
the room
however witnessing their
intensitytheir silent only sound the knockcollision of the balls they left without remarks
took to watching them from outside through windows that ran the length of the room
they returned the cues to the rack
he followed her upstairs
the bedroom had horizontal Venetian
blinds a door that lead to a private
patio
Before we begin
he crossed the foot
of the bed to the door to the lightswitch on the wall
turned it on
Would you please turn off the overhead
light
pliantly she did
he saw anger build
in her face during the last two games competitive
anger though it dissolved as he ran the
table during the final nineball game accepting her fate
he adjust the blinds striped the room
he estimated fiftyfive percent dark slats
This okay
You’re generou . .
.
. Not so quick
When your naked the overheads on again
I intend to thoroughly enjoyno doubt my winnings
a lighted slat ran across her mouth
big grin
enormous dimples
0018, Monday,
28 4. 25
1141, Monday
