Threesome - Lawrence Block [23]
I was worried at first that perhaps you would not like it. A stupid fear. It was very important to me, though, that you like this, and I traced your secret parts like a palmist reading a hand, and caught your rhythms, and knew it was all right; it would always be all right.
College days.
It was the big game, it was homecoming week.
I can’t describe any more of it. I don’t really see the point, anyway. A couple of pages back I got myself so worked up that all I had to do was put one hand in my lap and touch myself for a few seconds and I came in my pants. Just like that.
We just didn’t leave that bed, but as far as who did what and with which and to whom is concerned, I don’t suppose it matters. Nor do I have that precise a memory for what followed. If you insist, Rhoda, I suppose I could sort of make things up to extend the scene when we put the final polish on the book. But I would rather leave it as it is.
We did at one point stop long enough to bring in cups of coffee from the kitchen and smoke a few cigarettes. And I said, “Well, I guess we still have it for each other, don’t we?”
“Does that surprise you?”
“No, it doesn’t. The only question is where we go from here.”
“Isn’t that up to you, Priss?”
“Why me?”
“Well, to be crude about it, it’s your house. Also it’s your life.”
“Why my life and not yours?”
“Because you’re the only one of us with a stable life. I could go in virtually any direction right now without disrupting anything. You’ve got a good marriage going.”
“So?”
“So you could decide that the best move all around would be for me to pack my suitcase and get the fuck out of here.”
“If you do, you’d better figure on taking me with you.”
“I’m serious, Priss.”
“I’m kind of serious myself.”
“Not really. You wouldn’t leave Harry. Christ, there’s no earthly reason for you to leave Harry.”
“I know.”
“So you could send me on my way—”
“I could never do that.”
“—or we could just see what happens.”
“You mean just keep on keeping on.”
“I haven’t heard that phrase in a while. Yes, that’s what I mean. We were never that exclusive about our love. We went on dating, we had sex with boys.”
“But what I had with you was always so special.”
“Yes, for both of us.”
“The thing is that I really love you.”
“We love each other, Priss. We always did.”
“Yes, we always did. And always will. This isn’t going to wear off, you know. I did think yesterday, it did occur to me in the car, it occurred to me that maybe this was something we were going to have to do just once in order to get it out of our systems. But that’s just not true, is it? I could have you forever and not wear out what I get from you and give to you.”
“And likewise I’m sure.”
“‘Likewise I’m sure.’ I wish I could do accents.”
“Just be glad you can’t do imitations.”
“He’s a sweet man, though, isn’t he? You like him, don’t you? And I know he likes you very much.”
“Yes, I like Harry. Of course.”
“Actually the two of you have a lot in common.”
“Now that’s the kind of line you always come up with that makes him fall on the floor laughing.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Well, the thing that Harry and I have in common is you.”
“Oh.”
“You nut.”
“Yeah. That’s me. There’s something I know that you don’t know, I think.”
“There are probably many such things, pudding.”
“Harry knows about us.”
“What?”
“Oh, wait a minute. No, not about us now. About us then.”
“You mean in school.”
“Yes, of course. You didn’t think—”
“Right, I didn’t think, I absolutely did not think at all. What I very nearly did do, though, is have cardiac arrest.”
“I’m sorry.”
“When did you tell him? That’s what happened, right? You came out and told