The Trouble With Eden - Lawrence Block [147]
For a long time she held a portion of herself in reserve, kept part of her being from letting go. But Karen’s mouth kept assuring her in silent speech that there was no hurry, there was no rush, there was all the time in the world. There was no urgency in this. No one had to catch a train or keep a lunch date. There was time, worlds of time, and all you had to do was float on the wave, float on the wave—
Until without knowing it she let go, let go all the way, and she was there.
“Oh, how wonderful. How perfect.”
“You’re so fantastic, Melanie.”
“Me? All I did was lie there.”
“Oh, no. You don’t understand.”
“I mean, what did I do?”
“Never mind. You’re beautiful.”
“Am I?”
“Oh, come on. You can’t not know it.”
“I know I turn men on.”
“You turn girls on, too.” Karen touched her breast, stroked it not with passion but with admiration. “You must have had girls come on to you before.”
“I don’t think so. Not that I was ever aware of. I suppose I was never looking for it and might not have known. Is that possible?”
“It’s possible.” Karen curled up next to her. Melanie closed her eyes. She was almost asleep when she heard Karen speak her name. She opened her eyes.
“It’s your turn, Melanie.”
She had known this. The knowledge was what made sleep such a temptation. She rolled onto her side and covered her hesitation with a smile. “I suppose fair is fair, huh?”
“Oh, Melanie!”
“I was kidding, honey, I—”
Karen’s eyes were wide. The girl’s hands fastened on Melanie’s shoulders, drew their bodies close together.
“You don’t understand,” Karen said.
“Sure I do.”
“No, no you don’t. Oh, wow! I mean, doing it is the whole point. That’s what it’s about. The other part, you’ve had that before.”
“I told you I never—”
“I mean with a man.”
“It’s not the same. You must know that.
“It’s not the same, no, of course it’s not, but it’s the same idea. It’s the same act. But when you do it, you get to be on the other side of the mirror. You can’t do it for me, Melanie, baby. You have to do it for yourself.”
“I don’t know if it’ll work that way.”
“I know more about this than you do.”
“Yeah, I’ll buy that.”
“It’s better to give than to receive. Better because it feels better. That’s absolutely what it’s all about, just have to get into it.”
“But I don’t know how.”
“Just do what you like doing. Just start and See what happens. Do what you’d like if it was your body. As if both of us were you.”
“Oh.”
“Did I find the right words? Does that put it together for you?”
I
I
I
“Yes, of course it does.”
Afterward she felt a kind of peace she had never known before. She had found herself in Karen’s body and knew herself in a wholly new way. She remained still for an indeterminable period of time, curled up at Karen’s feet. Then she got up from the bed.
“Where are you going, Melanie?”
“I need a drink, and not a Pepsi. Can I get you something?”
“Do you have scotch?”
“I’m pretty sure all we have is applejack.”
“What’s that?”
“Brandy made from apples.”
“What do you mix it with? Does it go with soda?”
“It might, but we don’t have any. Water?”
“Sure.”
She poured the drinks, Karen’s with ice and water, her own neat. She drank hers straight down and poured herself another before returning to the bedroom.
Karen said, “I think I like this better than scotch. It has a cider taste along with a booze taste. What’s it like straight?”
“Try some.”
“It’s not bad. I’d have to get used to it.”
“Yeah, some things take getting used to.”
“And some people get used to certain things pretty quickly. You’re blushing, Melanie.”
“I know it and it’s crazy. I shouldn’t be able to blush in front of you. You’re my sister.”
“That’s what it’s like, isn’t it?”
“That’s exactly what it’s like.”
“You came, didn’t you?”
“God, did I ever! I never thought.”
“I knew you would. But I couldn’t tell you, I couldn’t, because you had to find your way there by yourself.”
“I never dreamed you could come from doing it.” “Don’t you with men?”
“Sometimes. Once in a while. Not