Betty’s

upscale lounge fella couldnt walk in without an invite or unattended

                                                                          hed been invited

over the telephone Meet me there. I’ll leave your name at the door.

Are there eunuchs  Doormen  bouncers

                                          she gasped Eunuchs?

Although, not a shabby idea, evenif in name only.

As long as it isnt mine Aaron

Oh but it is.

Is not Youre cute

                     Castratos woud be mine

Both yours same difference.

Ah by any other name a rose woud smell as sweet

You’re being awfully playful.

You bring it out of me

                        Anwhile Im being awfully do notas you have before introduce me as your escort your gigolo

she giggled water coursing in a brook  I tease. I must. 

                                                     I'm coopting your language . . it’s so colorful so entertaining . awfully hard to resist.

You do I shall parry

                       Courtesan

Goodness. Their heyday, the Renaissance, Enlightenment, correct?

It was Why I dig you

                        Your beauty your brains

I love your words. You’ve unearthed some real gems.

                                                        Gigolo tickles mereminds me of Jell-O.

Frost lime

Frost?

Sometimes when my Maw made it somehow edges were agitatedaerated looked like frost  hoarfrost

   You know it

Frosty whore. Methinks not.

he chuckled

              Maybe not  You woudnt grewup in Miami

I did.

Family ever traipse north

No. If not the Caribbean, we were sailors, Europe.

I don think I knew tha

                        Growing up in Minnesota winter lotsa hoarfrost   Quite magical

Maybe . . someday.

You don do winters

I don’t.

Too bad Youd be a complete knockout wearing goosebumps

Goosebumps? Really?

   Two in particular

                       Ill meet ya

You say the sweetest things.

                                  I'll see ya there. Bye.

after Saturday,  18  1. 25

1421,  reggaefriday – Pi Day,  14  3. 25

walking into the restroom he immediately thought Whas wrong with this picture

                                                                                 couldnt put his finger on it

   however

            he urgently needed to move his bowels

swung the stall door open checked that there was toilet paper only had to screw that pooch once to NEVER make that mistake again talk about the kindness of strangers in a stall beside you

                                                                                          An guys  Well

Skating on thin ice

it was a healthy purge  noisy

                               over itcouple of stalls to his left  he heard another

wiped

stood  turned

faced the music

                     Ohyes he mused aloud quietly A good one

dressed  flushed the toilet

unclasped the door swung it open crossed to the sinks to wash his hand

                                                                                                  Wha is wrong with this picture

he heard the toilet flush over his left shoulder  fumbling

                                                            he lathered his hands  rinsed them

reaching for paper towels he heard the door swing open  sharp footsteps

                                                                                               Sharp  Hmmm

tossing a look in the mirror at them their footsteps stopped

                                                              she looked nearly as confused as him

Whas wrong with this picture

                           there were no urinals

G’afternoon

she stood speechless

Appears in my discomfort I went right rather than left

                                                          tossing the paper towels away  Have a fine day

I hope youre feeling as rejuvenated as me

                                              It sounded like it

   day one jury duty selection new County Courthouse

after Saturday,  18  1. 25

1211,  reggaefriday – Pi Day,  14  3. 25

absently  Say kiddo    Woudya listen to this

she closed the book she was reading on her finger set it in her lapher legs were across his   tipping her glasses down her nose she looked over at him

often weekend afternoons theyd build a fire pour a drink sit on the couch and read together

You got something?

I think I do

Think?   You rarely ever . . think . you know.

Sppose I do

               Its a beaut

Tell me who it reminds you of

What’s the book? 

                    the coffee table before them was stacked with her books his books  they read like others watched television changed channels

The Metaphysical Club

Ah, you were awfully excited to get your hands on it.

Yah

       I cant believe it was immediately available from the library

An older book?

Lemme look

                                  Published Twothousandone

Not that old.

No

    Excuse me for interrupting you

My story’s transitioning, good timing. she took her whiskey from the coffee table sipped

                                                                                                                   Ohmy  This is so good. Redbreast? 

Yes I broke out the fifteenyear

Really? What’s the occasion?

You

she smiled Gawddamn those dimples

                                     You tryin’ to get in my pants?

Always

             Forever

   Day’s young but enough about your cock. Let’s hear whaya got.

sipped his whiskey cleared his throat

                                             A quote regarding Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Junior

Holmes. Turn of the Twentieth Century?

Youre good . .

. . Of course I am.

He was named to the Court in Nineteenohtwo

This ought to be a kick.

Here we go

              He was not afraid, in conversation, to flirt with taboos, but it was the flirtation he cared about, not the suggestion that there was anything wrong with propriety.

 

   Well

Well . . . shit.

                 I’m in lovesleeping with Holmes reincarnated.

he tipped his head towards her

Excuse me.

              Reincarcerated.

Ats my grrl

1023,  Sunday,  9  3. 25

1110,  reggaefriday – Pi Day,  14  3. 25

Enough enoughenough already

                                  You can be blownaway by menus at the various restaurants you go to

You might remember

Remember?

   Jeez

          Rare occasion I eat out  I relishunlike you  preparing  making my own food

Also pennywise

Being pennywise compels you?

Part of it

           I don have to wonder the quality of the product or if someone spitpissed in my food  I work hard for my money an Ive been disappointed too many times be it the quality of food temperature portions or having to contend with poor servers

Ive served

I refuse the risk of not being treated as I woud treat someone

   Those sound like excuses to me.

Awright  Sure

                 Lets put it another way  Disposal income   Id rather spend it elsewhere something substantial  rather than shitting it out the next day

Jesus.  You got to eat.

I do  My shit cost me five bucks

                                   Your meal cost fifty or more  Knock yourself out       

But . . if you read a menu . .

. . I don read menus

Hypothetically . . . if you did.

I don do hypotheticals  You know tha

But if you didplay along would you?

Play

     Go

If you did.

What on a menu would attract youmaybe even entice youwhat kind of dish, steak, fish, Italian, why eat something you can make at homeright?

   Awright

              Lemme think   I had thought we were going to discuss politics

I think food is a nice change up.

Must have forgotten youre talkin with someone who considers food fuel

                                                                             Who also lacks the delicate sensessensibilities to appreciate fine thingswhy  I don drink wine or woudever go to a French restaurant

Alright, alright.

                 That aside . . . what menu item would tempt you?

Tempt me tempt me tempt me

                                                      Hmmm

Come on.

Don be brusque

                   I have no idea what are on menus  Youll recall

You have a long memory. Remember the restaurant you served at.

                                                                         It had a menu.

It did  Thank you   Thas a big helpthank you

You’re welcome.

   Id   say       Warm   And viscous

                                              If tha were on a menu Id order it

What’s warm and viscous?

The item

What’s the item?

   Warm   And viscous

Jesus. shook his head disappointed

No thanks all for you

                        Not tha Id be opposed to cannibalism

1600 at least,  Tuesday,  11  3. 25

1617,  Thursday,  13  3. 25

he laughedhowled

standing across from him waiting on a break in the action                         

                                                               Aww come on, man, you can’t laugh like a hyena and not say.

Gimme  he saidwiping tears from his eyes with the heels of his hands  Gimme a   startedup again laughing hard again

whatever it was was really tickling him

Whoooah   Whooo  Jesus

                               sloowly gathered his pieces his wit

Hilarious

   Can you say?

wiped his eyes his with knuckles

                                       I . . .    he crackedup again

When youre ready.

HOWLed

   cleared his throat  Ahfuuck  Hilarious

                                               now he was able to use his fingers to wipe his eyes without gouging them out

So fuckinfunny

What? trying to be patience

Felon 

        Hes a freakin scream his eyes crinkledchoke emitted from his throat 

Please. Please.  pleading    Don’t startup again.

Whooah

               No  Think Ive gathered myself

   Felon.

Yes

Not F forwardslash Elon?

No  The real McCoy

Yes?

        What of him?

Imagine

What?

Man has a minimal vocabulary not fifthgrade  Doesnt read

Yes.

Americas First Ever Presidential Video Library

   

   he squealed  lost it again

after 1440hrs,  Tuesday,  11  3. 25

1237,  Thursday,  13  3. 25

   Where

What?

Youre a peach

                      Terre Haute

Yeah.

   Wasnt Terre Haute  Not higher ground

                                                 French

Not haughty tits

What . . what are you talking about?

Adjectives after nouns Postpositive Languages  French Italian Spanish Portuguese Hebrew Romanian Arabic Persian Vietnamesewhew been dying to get tha off my chest

Why would you know that?

Growingup I flirted with French and Spanish Italian woud follow  Liked Latin hence Hebrew interest Romantic languages  Nearly romantic as I can be

Stop.

       You strike me as a romantic.

Not reallyunless    unless  well   I made good money in college writing love letters for guys who acted badly miffed their girlfriends  Moneyback guarantee

   And?

And

Give money back?

OhHellno word got around  Made a nice little niche for myself

                                                                   Between them writing term papers selling hash grass college career covered my bills an then some  education bore the bruntI didnt graduate  Ahwell  My experiences were goldpriceless

Wasnt Terre Haute

What was it then?

You said I didnt

                   Ive no idea wha city youre talkinbout

It’s a back East city.

Because Im from the Midwest you never left California doesnt make me an urban expert  Need more rope to hang myself

   It’s back East.

What is

What I was thinking.

Jailbreak

   What?

Escaped your mindyoure doing tha  kinda   regularly

Regularly? Not really.

How so

How often we hangout?

Once a weekten days

Not so regular.

Awright  Ill concedeI love it

he laughed

              Then when we do we get high.

Highness effects my short-term memory.

Aint memory ifya say it an its gone in a nanosecond

   I think so.

Theres tha  Terre Haute

                              This might have been the first time Ive ever said it out loudIve read it

Haughty tits.

   Thaya remember

1419,  Tuesday,  11  3. 25

1201,  Thursday,  13  3. 25

Stevie Wonder  Higher Ground  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1esf0efHbjM

Listen to you woudya

   What?

incredulous You didnt hear whaya said

What did I say?

Seriously

What did I say?

This some kind of unconscious reflex

Like breathing?

Mebbe

You really havent any idea what passed out of your mouth

                                                               he turned to the third You believe this guy Yaheard himyah

Clear as a bell.

There  Clear as a bell

                        Whas with you yaspeak without thinking

he turned to the third What did I say?

What you said. wasnt giving him any leeway either

What the hell did I say?    

   You

No you, you called him out.

I appreciate that

                  turned to him  Look me in the eyes

Don’t make a production out of it.

Oh I will The fondes . .

. . Fondest hope.

Thank you

You’re welcome. Excuse the interruption.

                                              You're killing us.

Aint he

          Look at me

rolled his eyes then he looked

                                   I’m looking at you.

Hear me

I hear you.

Good  Work on hearing yourself

                                     Yasaid  I don always do anything

I don’t.

Always implies absolute

Which I don’t believe in.

But which doesnt provide or allow you to disconnect from what comes out of your mouthhow  you say things

You can be a rude motherfucker.

I’m not rude.

Not knowing what you said . . . ?

                                        Some day you’ll say without thinking an someone’s going to bust you in the mouth. Anif I’m there . . you’re on your own.

You’ll be due.

   I coud punch him now

No.

      We’re going across the street, have several drinks, he’s got the tab.

he went to speak they shushed himsimultaneously put fingers to their lips

                                                                 made them harhar

I like how you think   Absolutely

1419,  Tuesday,  11  3. 25

1032,  Thursday,  13  3. 25

. . . Im finding myself homing on Holmes

Holmes?

Junior  Served as a Supreme Court Justice

Seriously?

Gettin hooked on history

                          Whoya reading

Fritof . .

. . Capra

           Tao of Physics

Yes.  You know him?

How many Fritofs rise to literary published heights

Good point. Not Tao though, his Web of Life.

Ah

He’s a physicis . .

. . Yes Im familiar

                     Why I was blownaway when I found out he wrote Tao of Physics

I saw the title among the books inside the Web of Life.

                                                           You recall when you read it?

It wasnt out long Id say   midSeventies 

Saw it was published in Seventyfive.

There ya go

              Science does not need mysticism and mysticism does not need science.

His words

That’s stuck with you all these years?

Profound an intriguingpowerful concept woudntya agree

Ohyes yes, definitely.

Hence my increasing appreciation of Holmes

Has he sai . .

. . Wrot . .

. . I meant . . wrote.

Yah

        I believe youll agree with his sentiment probably as much as I

Truth

Look at you intriguing me.

I knew I woud

                 He wrote All I mean by truth is the path that I have to follow.

 

Amen, brother.

   Please  Lets not demean his words

2236,  Monday,  10  3. 25

2058,  day-between-2-Ts,  12  3. 25