"All right, Tessie, you go now. We'll forgive you."
"All right, darling…"
They kissed in the doorway and then Tessie was gone. Debra took my by the hand and led me into the bedroom. We looked at the marble tabletop.
"What do you really think of it, Henry?"
"Well, I've lost $200 at the track and I've had nothing to show for it, so I think it's all right."
"It will be here next to us tonight while we sleep together."
"Maybe I ought to stand there and you can go to bed with the table?"
"You're jealous!"
"Of course."
Debra walked back to the kitchen and came back with some rags and some kind of cleaning fluid. She began wiping off the marble.
"You see, there is a special way to treat marble to accent the veins."
I got undressed and sat on the edge of the bed in my shorts. Then I lay back on the pillows and on the bedspread. Then I sat up. "Oh Christ, Debra, I'm messing up your bedspread."
"That's all right."
I went and got two drinks, gave one to Debra. I watched her working on the table. Then she looked at me:
"You know, you have the most beautiful legs I've ever seen on a man."
"Not bad for an old guy, huh, kid?"
"Not at all."
She rubbed at the table some more, then gave it up.
"How did you get along with Tessie?"
"She's all right. I really like her."
"She's a good worker."
"I wouldn't know about that."
"I feel bad that she left. I think she just wanted to give us some privacy. I ought to phone her."
"Why not?"
Debra got on the phone. She talked to Tessie for quite some time. It began to get dark. What about dinner? She had the phone in the center of the bed and she was sitting on her legs. She had a nice behind. Debra laughed and then she said goodbye. She looked at me.
"Tessie says that you're sweet."
I went out for more drinks. When I got back the large color television was on. We sat side by side on the bed watching t. v. We sat with our backs to the wall, drinking.
"Henry," she asked, "what are you doing on Thanksgiving?"
"Nothing."
"Why don't you have Thanksgiving with me? I'll get the turkey. I'll have 2 or 3 friends over."
"All right, it sounds good."
Debra leaned forward and snapped the set off. She looked very happy. Then the light went off. She went to the bathroom and came out with something flimsy wrapped around her. Then she was in bed next to me. We pressed together. My cock rose. Her tongue flicked in and out of my mouth. She had a large tongue and it was warm. I went on down. I spread the hair and worked my tongue. Then I gave her a bit of a nose job. She was responding. I climbed back up, mounted her and stuck it in.
… I worked and I worked. I tried to think of Tessie in her short red skirt. It didn't help. I had given it all to Tessie. I pumped on and on.
"Sorry, baby, too much to drink. Ah, feel my heart!''''
She put her hand on my chest. "It's really going," she said.
"Am I still invited for Thanksgiving?"
"Sure, my poor dear, don't worry, please."
I kissed her goodnight, then rolled away and tried to sleep.
91
After Debra left for work the next morning I bathed, then tried to watch t.v. I walked around naked and noticed that I could be seen from the street through the front window. So I had a glass of grapefruit juice and dressed. Finally there was nothing to do but go back to my place. There'd be some mail, maybe a letter from someone. I made sure that all the doors were locked, then I walked out to the Volks, started it, and drove back to Los Angeles.
On the way in I remembered Sara, the third girl I had met during the reading at The Lancer. I had her phone number in my wallet. I drove home, took a crap, then phoned her.
"Hello," I said, "this is Chinaski, Henry Chinaski…"
"Yes, I remember you."
"What are you doing? I thought I might drive out to see you."
"I have to be at my restaurant today. Why don't you come down here?"
"It's a health food place, isn't it?"
"Yes, I'll make you a good healthy sandwich."
"Oh?"
"I close at 4. Why don't you get here a little before that?"
"All right. How do I get there?"
"Get a pen and I'll give you directions."
I wrote the directions down. "See you about 3:30," I said.
About 2:30 I got into the Volks. Somewhere on the freeway the instructions got confusing or I became confused. I have a great dislike both for freeways and for instructions. I turned off and found myself in Lakewood. I pulled into a gas station and phoned Sara. "Drop On Inn," she answered.
"Shit!" I said.
"What's the matter? You sound angry."
"I'm in Lakewood! Your instructions are fucked!"
"Lakewood? Wait."
"I'm going back. I need a drink."
"Now hold on. I want to see you! Tell me what street in Lakewood and the nearest cross street."
I let the phone hang and went to see where I was. I gave Sara the information. She redirected me.
"It's easy," she said. "Now promise you'll come."
"All right."
"And if you get lost again, phone me."
"I'm sorry, you see, I have no sense of direction. I've always had nightmares about getting lost. I believe I belong on another planet."
"It's all right. Just follow my new instructions."
I got back in the car, and this time it was easy. Soon I was on the
Pacific Coast Highway looking for the turn-off. I found it. It led me into a snob shopping district near the ocean. I drove slowly and spotted it: Drop On Inn, a large hand-painted sign. There were photos and small cards pasted in the window. An honest-to-god health food place, Jesus Christ. I didn't want to go in. I drove around the block and past the Drop On Inn slowly. I took a right, then another right. I saw a bar, Crab Haven. I parked outside and went in.
It was 3:45 in the afternoon and every seat was taken. Most of the clients were well on the way. I stood and ordered a vodka-7. I took it to the telephone and phoned Sara. "O.K., it's Henry. I'm here."
"I saw you drive past twice. Don't be afraid. Where are you?"
"Crab Haven. I'm having a drink. I'll be there soon."
"All right. Don't have too many."
I had that one and another. I found a small empty booth and sat there. I really didn't want to go. I hardly remembered what Sara looked like.
I finished the drink and drove to her place. I got out, opened the screen door and walked in. Sara was behind the counter. She saw me. "Hi, Henry!" she said, "I'll be with you in a minute." She was preparing something. Four or five guys sat or stood around. Some sat on a couch. Others sat on the floor. They were all in their mid-twenties, they were all the same, they were dressed in little walking shorts, and they just sat. Now and then one of them would cross his legs or cough. Sara was a fairly handsome woman, lean, and she moved around briskly. Class. Her hair was red-blond. It looked very good.
"We'll take care of you," she told me.
"All right," I said.
There was a bookcase. Three or four of my books were in it. I found some Lorca and sat down and pretended to read. That way I wouldn't have to see the guys in their walking shorts. They looked as if nothing had ever touched them-all well-mothered, protected, with a soft sheen of contentment. None of them had ever been in jail, or worked hard with their hands, or even gotten a traffic ticket. Skimmed-milk jollies, the whole bunch.
Sara brought me a health food sandwich. "Here, try this."
I ate the sandwich as the guys lolled about. Soon one got up and walked out. Then another. Sara was cleaning up. There was only one left. He was about 22 and he sat on the floor. He was gangly, his back bent like a bow. He had on glasses with heavy black rims. He seemed more lonely and daft than the others. "Hey, Sara," he said, "let's go out and have some beers tonight."