she had startled him
standing on the bluff above the
beach he looked down expecting its golden sand but instead saw that the whole
of it was covered up asif cloaked in a quilt rectangular panels cornflower blue pale yellow and dappled with white
asterisks
a theme yet none of them alike
they followed the beach down to
the water and went under the slush of the surf broken by a natural coral
breakwater that mothered a broad emeraldblue lagoon
he doubledback down the bluff
picking his way through sticky shrubs to take a worked path at its base which opened
onto the beach
entering a cleaved coralblock
bathhouse to change into his swimsuit he pulled aside a halfopened curtain hanging
in the mouth of a stall and interrupted a woman who stood concealed to the side
wrapped in a terrycloth robe
she had a high intelligent brow short curly blonde hair that kept to her head
like a cap almondshaped green eyes supple mouth which naturally hued towards a
bustedcherry colour and a jaw that looked like it could take a punch
she didnt startle
she startled himhe certainly hadnt expected
anyone to be inside or not protest his sudden intrusion
she pursed her lipsremained
silent then with an intense countenance
that brightened the stall she frankly unclothed pulled
the robe open with her small handsshrugged it from her shoulders and let it
fall to her feet
and in that instant her bisquecoloured
bodythe honeycoloured robe she looked asif she was thoughtfully carved from old
ivory fashioned from fine sand
she held his eyes with hers
and because she assumed her
pose a cool unruffled demeanor he challenged her he let his gaze wander and was pleasantly
astonished by her hairlessness the quiet
fuzz on a peach she was exquisitely
proportionately rounded though did not
break five feet not at all then tantalisingly she dipped her shoulder
and turned and turnedturning an entire threehundredsixty degrees then facing him again she parted her feet shoulder width her arms relaxed at her sides
It appears, friend, you like what you
see.
when he went to speak he croaked his voice hadnt caught up to him
a smile broke across her face
she pleased herself
he wrestled his voice clearing it finally
I do Yes I
do
My gratitude to your parents
My parents? a not-uncomfortable expression stirred her
face rose into her eyes My parents?
Yes Dont you think
Your
attributes genetics appealing
she stepped back over her robe
and sat on a cantilevered woodslat bench supported on chains creeping with verdigris
she crossed her legs demurely
rested her hands at her thighs
she sat erect
My parents? she was bemused
Yes. I see.
he stood at the stalls threshold
the ball was in her court
while she worked on whatever it
was that moved behind her eyes he admired her relished this
unexpectedness
scarcely worried it
she was working at it hard presentyet absent
he quietedcleared his throat
Im Joe Since were familiar now
Familiar seemed to connect or at least humour her
Joe.
Yes A common Joe
Joe. Do you really think this is
common?
Common is relativeis ones
experience Think what you may This
is common
now the smile that crossed her
face was predatory
her mouth opened slightly her tongue ticked her canine
Joe. What name would you give me?
her question barely escaped her mouthSeafoam
he could see the word work in her
mouth unsaid again and again
finally Seafoam.
Yes
And why?
Because youre not here
I her hands went to her breastsshe cupped them I am not here.
No Youre not here
Joe. If I’m not here, where am I?
he put an indexfinger like a
barrel of a gun to his temple Here
he ate several psilocybin in the
parking lot before descending to the beach for a long quiet swim sunbathing ruminating pen and pad should something shake out
it was recommended
to him
he won a Kewpie Doll for his
girlfriend that she didnt want at a street carnival in Santa Cruz earlier that
year
he told her he won either a Kewpie Doll or a Kewpie Doll
she left it in his car
he named her Rosie OKneel bent
her legs at the hips and sat her naked on the dash his windshield was cracked by a fallen branchdislocated by an excellent wind
and rain he told Rosie to watch it so it
didnt so it didnt crack furthur
it hadnt
Seafoam. I like it.
It suits you
An I imagine when you leave me youll
simmer away as seafoam does
We have time. Come in and change
and we’ll go down to the water.
it was her turn to admire
he wasnt going to turn in
circles
the male form is rude compared to a females
hard angles versus
rounds and curves
earlier AM, Reggae Friday, 23 10.
20
1134, Saturday,
24 10. 20
