Read Online Bad Behavior: Stories by Mary Gaitskill - Free Book Online Page B

to see you tonight,” she said as she clacked into the room with the sheet.
    “Are you? Why?” He stood to let her crack the sheet above the bed.
    “Oh, it’s been sort of a bad night. I couldn’t stand to deal with another idiot.”
    “I’m sure you get some pretty undesirable people in here.”
    “You said it.”
    “Nobody violent or anything, I hope?”
    “No, just stupid.” She floated the sheet down and turned to curl against him.
    Later, they lay folded together, listening to the sad gurgle of the fish tank. “Look at those poor, dumb things swimming around inthere,” she said. “They haven’t got any idea of the filth going on in here.”
    “What did you mean about the men who come here? When you said they’re … just stupid.” He’d said “stupid” too loud.
    “I don’t really mean they’re stupid. A lot of them are businessmen. They must have some kind of brain to do that. But they’re dumb about women and they’re dumb about sex.” She rocked him over on his back and lay on him, her fingers perched on his shoulders, her face right against his. “They actually think they can buy you for a hundred and fifty dollars. Like you’re going to become sexually excited because they give you money. I mean they can pay you to do certain things. But they can’t buy anyone for a hundred and fifty dollars.” She rolled off him and flopped on her back. “It’s so retarded. They don’t have any idea of what good sex is, so they wouldn’t know you can’t buy it.” She turned her head to him. “I hope I’m not insulting you. I’m not talking about you.”
    He stuck his body up on one elbow so he could look at her. “No. No, I think it’s very interesting. I’m flattered that you choose to tell me these things.” Her stomach was sticking out like a little bread loaf. He tickled it lightly.
    She scratched her stomach. “Why did you come back so soon?”
    “Don’t you remember last night? I find our, uh, sex highly erotic. Not because I pay for it, but because it just is.” He paused to let her react. She stared at him and blinked. “Besides, I like you. I think there’s something between us. I think that if I were a few years younger and we met under slightly different circumstances, we might even have what’s now called a relationship.”
    She smiled and looked at the happy lions snoozing on the designer sheets. He put his hand on hers. “The first night I came here, you were uncertain, kind of shy. You came out and admitted it, you asked me questions. You trusted me. Tonight when you were mad, you didn’t put on a phony smile. You let off steam, told me how you felt. You didn’t treat me like a customer. That’s nice. There’s hardly anybody that’ll be real with you like that anymore. Sometimes even my wife isn’t honest with me.”
    She looked up from the smiling lions. “You shouldn’t come to prostitutes looking for honesty.”
    “You’re not a prostitute. Don’t say that about yourself.”
    “What do you think I am?”
    “You just happen to be a pretty, sexy girl who, uh—”
    “I have sex for money.”
    “Well, all right.” He slapped her thigh nervously. “You’re right. You’re a prostitute.” It sounded so horrible. “But you’re still a wonderful girl.” He grabbed her and snuggled her.
    “You don’t know me.”
    “You’re wonderful.” He squeezed her like he wanted to break her ribs. She shoved her pelvis against him, threw her arms and one leg around him and squeezed with all her slippery might. She smiled with half-closed eyes, and bit her grinning lip. He squeezed harder. She jammed her elbows into his sides and he made a meek “whoof” noise.
    He dropped his arms, panting. “God, you’re strong. How did such a small person get so strong?”
    She grinned like a wolf. “I dunno.” She let go and rolled off, and padded into the bathroom.
    He followed her. “Are you a gymnast? A dancer?”
    “No. I used to work out with weights in