I found a bar across the street, went in, sat down. I ordered a bottle of beer. The bar was full of young men mostly under 25. The were blond and slim, or dark and slim, dressed in perfectly fitting slacks and shirts. They were expressionless and undisturbed. There were no women. A large television set was on. There was no sound. Nobody watched it. Nobody spoke. I finished my beer and left.
I found a liquor store and got a 6-pack. I went back to the car and sat there. The beer was good. The car was parked in the lot in back of the antique store. The street to my left was backed up with traffic and I watched the people waiting patiently in the cars. There was almost always a man and a woman, staring straight ahead, not talking. It was, finally, for everyone, a matter of waiting. You waited and you waited-for the hospital, the doctor, the plumber, the madhouse, the jail, papa death himself. First the signal was red, then the signal was green. The citizens of the world ate food and watched t.v. and worried about their jobs or their lack of same, while they waited.
I began to think about Debra and Tessie in the antique shop. I really didn't like Debra, but there I was entering her life. It made me feel like a peep-freak.
I sat drinking the beer. I was down to the last can when they finally came out.
"Oh Henry," said Debra, "I found the nicest marble top table for only $200!"
"It's really fabulous!" said Tessie.
They climbed into the car. Debra pressed her leg against mine, "Have you been bored with all this?" she asked.
I started the engine and drove to a liquor store and bought 3 or 4 bottles of wine, cigarettes.
That bitch Tessie in her short red skirt with her nylons, I thought to myself as I paid the liquor store man. I bet she has done in at least a dozen good men without even thinking about it. I decided her problem was not thinking. She didn't like to think. And that was all right because there weren't any laws or rules about it. But when she reached 50 in a few years she'd begin to think! Then she'd be a bitter woman in a supermarket, jamming her shopping cart into people's backs and ankles in the check-out line, her dark shades on, her face puffed and unhappy, her cart filled with cottage cheese, potato chips, pork chops, red onions and a quart of Jim Beam.
I went back to the car and we drove to Debra's place. The girls sat down. I opened a bottle and poured 3 glasses.
"Henry," said Debra, "I'm going to get Larry. He'll drive me down in his van to pick up my table. You needn't endure that, aren't you glad?"
"Yes."
"Tessie will keep you company."
"All right."
"You two behave yourselves now!"
Larry came in through the back door and he and Debra walked out the front. Larry warmed up the van, and they drove off.
"Well, we're alone," I said.
"Yeah," said Tessie. She sat very still, looking straight ahead. I finished my drink and went to the bathroom to take a piss. When I came out Tessie was still sitting quietly on the couch.
I walked along behind the couch. When I reached her I took her under the chin and tipped her face up. I pressed my mouth against hers. She had a very large head. She had purple makeup smeared under her eyes and she smelled like stale fruit juice, apricots. She had thin silver chains dangling from each ear and at the end of each chain hung one ball-symbolic. As we kissed I reached down into her blouse. I found a breast and cupped my hand on it and rolled it around. No brassiere. Then I straightened up and pulled my hand away. I walked around the couch and sat down next to her. I poured two drinks.
"For an ugly old son of a bitch, you've got a lot of balls," she said.
"How about a quickie before Debra gets back?"
"No."
"Don't hate me. I'm just trying to enliven the party."
"I think you stepped out of bounds. What you just did was gross and obvious."
"I guess I lack imagination."
"And you're a writer?"
"I write. But mostly I take photographs."
"I think you fuck women just in order to write about fucking them."
"I don't know."
"I think you do."
"O.K., O.K., forget it. Drink up."
Tessie went back to her drink. She finished it and put her cigarette down. She looked at me, blinking her long false eyelashes. She was like Debra with a big lipstick mouth. Only Debra's mouth was darker and didn't glisten as much. Tessie's was a bright red and her lips glistened, she held her mouth open, continually licking her lower lip. Suddenly Tessie grabbed me. That mouth opened over my mouth. It was exciting. I felt as if I was being raped. My cock began to rise. I reached down while she was kissing me and flipped her skirt back, ran my hand up her left leg as we continued to kiss.
"Come on," I said, after the kiss.
I took her by the hand and led her into Debra's bedroom. I pushed her down on the bed. The bedspread was on. I pulled off my shoes and pants, then pulled her shoes off. I kissed her a long one, then I pulled the red skirt up over her hips. No pantyhose. Nylons and pink panties. I pulled the panties off. Tessie had her eyes closed. Somewhere in the neighborhood I could hear a stereo playing symphony music. I rubbed a finger along her cunt. Soon it got wet and began to open. I sank my finger in. Then I pulled it out and rubbed the clit. She was nice and juicy. I mounted. I hit her a few swift, vicious jolts, then I went slow, then I ripped again. I looked into that depraved and simple face. It really excited me. I pounded away.
Then Tessie pushed me away. "Get off!"
"What? What?"
"I hear the van! I'll get fired! I'll lose my job!"
"No, no, you WHORE!"
I ripped away without mercy, pressed my lips against that glistening, horrible mouth and came inside of her, good. I jumped off. Tessie picked up her shoes and panties and ran to the bathroom. I wiped off with my handkerchief and straightened the bedspread, fluffed up the pillows. As I was zipping up the door opened. I walked into the front room.
"Henry, would you help Larry carry in the table? It's heavy."
"Sure."
"Where's Tessie?"
"I think she's in the bathroom."
I followed Debra out to the truck. We slid the table out of the van, grabbed it and carried it back to the house. As we came back in Tessie was sitting on the couch with a cigarette.
"Don't drop the merchandise, boys!" she said.
"No way!" I said.
We carried it into Debra's bedroom and put it by the bedside. She had another table there which she removed. Then we stood around and looked at the marble top.
"Oh, Henry… just $200… do you like it?"
"Oh, it's fine, Debra, just fine."
I went to the bathroom. I washed my face, combed my hair. Then I dropped my pants and shorts and quietly washed my parts. I pissed, flushed, and walked back out.
"Care for a wine, Larry?" I asked.
"Oh no, but thanks…"
"Thanks for helping, Larry," said Debra.
Larry went out the back door.
"Oh, I'm so excited!'1'' said Debra.
Tessie sat and drank and talked with us for 10 or 15 minutes then she said, "I've got to go."
"Stay if you want to," said Debra.
"No, no, I've got to go. I've got to clean my apartment, it's a mess."
"Clean your apartment? Today? When you've got two nice friends to drink with?" asked Debra.
"I just sit here thinking about that mess over there and I can't feel relaxed. Don't take it personally."