As you can see, the best room. So what do you like? Tell me. You like yellow hair? You like younger?
I don’t want another girl, I said.
She looked pleased.
You want me? she said.
Not that way, I said.
She frowned : then she smiled.
You prefer a man? she said.
I shook my head.
Who do you want, who would you like to fuck? she said.
I don’t, I said.
You don’t want a fuck? she said. You want something else? Something special? Your friend inhere with a girl too? You want to watch? You want 2 girls? You want pain? Piss? A nun? A priest? Whips? Ties? A bishop? We can do it all, pretty much everything here.
I sat down on the bench at the end of the bed : I opened my satchel, unrolled the paper, got out my board.
Ah, she said. That’s what you are. I should have guessed.
The light in the room was candle-undulate : it was best over the bed where she now was, dark and prettily pointed of face against the bedclothes, her nose turning up at the end, her chin dainty : older than me by 10 years, or maybe it could even be 20 : the years of love had worn her eyes, I could see ruin in them : the dark of the ruin made her serious even though she’d painted herself something quite else.
I moved a candle, and another.
You’re looking at me so, she said.
I am thinking the word pretty, I said.
Well, I’m thinking the same word about you, she said, and believe me, it’s not my job to have such thoughts. Though it’s often my job to pretend that I do.
And the word beautiful, I said. But with the word terribly.
She laughed a little laugh down into her collarbone.
Oh you’re a perfect one, she said. Ah, come on,don’t you want to? I’d like to. I like you. You’d like me. I’m good. I’ll be good, I’ll be gentle. I’m strong. I can show you. I’m the best here, you know. I cost double the others. I’m worth it. It’s why your friend chose me. A gift. I’m a gift. I’m the one who costs most right now in the whole house, skilled way beyond the others and yours for the whole of tonight.
Lie back, I said.
Good, she said. Like this? This? Shall I take this off?
The sleeve-ties fell as she unlaced them ribboning over her stomach.
Stay still, I said cause the breast in and out of her clothes was now perfect curvature.
This? she said.
Relax, I said. Don’t move. Can you do both?
Like I told you, I can do anything, she said. Eyes open or closed?
You choose, I said.
She looked surprised : then she smiled.
Thank you, she said.
She closed them.
By the time I’d finished she was sleeping : so I had a sleep myself there on the bed by her feet, and when I woke the beginning of daylight was coming through the gap in the shutter through the window hangings.
I shook her a little by the shoulder.
Sheopened her eyes : she panicked : she clutched for something under her pillows down the back of the bed. Whatever she’d felt for was still there : she relaxed, lay back again : she turned and looked at me blankly : then she remembered.
Did I fall asleep? she said.
You were tired, I said.
Ah, we’re all tired in here at this end of the week, she said.
Did you sleep well? I said.
She looked bemused at my politeness : then she laughed and said
Yes!
as if the very thought that a sleep had been nice was astonishing.
I sat on the edge of the bed : I asked her her name.
Ginevra, she said. Like the queen in the stories, don’t you know. Married to the king. What elegant hands you have, Mr –.
Francescho, I said.
I gave her the piece of paper : she yawned, barely glanced.
You’re not my first, she said. I’ve been done before. But your kind, well. You yourself are a bit unusual. Your kind usually likes to draw more than one person, no? People in the act, or –.
Oh
.
She sat up : she held the picture closer to what morning light there was in the room.
Oh,she said again. Haven’t you made me look –. And yet it still looks –. Well, –. Very –.
Then she said, can I have this? To keep, for myself I
I don’t want another girl, I said.
She looked pleased.
You want me? she said.
Not that way, I said.
She frowned : then she smiled.
You prefer a man? she said.
I shook my head.
Who do you want, who would you like to fuck? she said.
I don’t, I said.
You don’t want a fuck? she said. You want something else? Something special? Your friend inhere with a girl too? You want to watch? You want 2 girls? You want pain? Piss? A nun? A priest? Whips? Ties? A bishop? We can do it all, pretty much everything here.
I sat down on the bench at the end of the bed : I opened my satchel, unrolled the paper, got out my board.
Ah, she said. That’s what you are. I should have guessed.
The light in the room was candle-undulate : it was best over the bed where she now was, dark and prettily pointed of face against the bedclothes, her nose turning up at the end, her chin dainty : older than me by 10 years, or maybe it could even be 20 : the years of love had worn her eyes, I could see ruin in them : the dark of the ruin made her serious even though she’d painted herself something quite else.
I moved a candle, and another.
You’re looking at me so, she said.
I am thinking the word pretty, I said.
Well, I’m thinking the same word about you, she said, and believe me, it’s not my job to have such thoughts. Though it’s often my job to pretend that I do.
And the word beautiful, I said. But with the word terribly.
She laughed a little laugh down into her collarbone.
Oh you’re a perfect one, she said. Ah, come on,don’t you want to? I’d like to. I like you. You’d like me. I’m good. I’ll be good, I’ll be gentle. I’m strong. I can show you. I’m the best here, you know. I cost double the others. I’m worth it. It’s why your friend chose me. A gift. I’m a gift. I’m the one who costs most right now in the whole house, skilled way beyond the others and yours for the whole of tonight.
Lie back, I said.
Good, she said. Like this? This? Shall I take this off?
The sleeve-ties fell as she unlaced them ribboning over her stomach.
Stay still, I said cause the breast in and out of her clothes was now perfect curvature.
This? she said.
Relax, I said. Don’t move. Can you do both?
Like I told you, I can do anything, she said. Eyes open or closed?
You choose, I said.
She looked surprised : then she smiled.
Thank you, she said.
She closed them.
By the time I’d finished she was sleeping : so I had a sleep myself there on the bed by her feet, and when I woke the beginning of daylight was coming through the gap in the shutter through the window hangings.
I shook her a little by the shoulder.
Sheopened her eyes : she panicked : she clutched for something under her pillows down the back of the bed. Whatever she’d felt for was still there : she relaxed, lay back again : she turned and looked at me blankly : then she remembered.
Did I fall asleep? she said.
You were tired, I said.
Ah, we’re all tired in here at this end of the week, she said.
Did you sleep well? I said.
She looked bemused at my politeness : then she laughed and said
Yes!
as if the very thought that a sleep had been nice was astonishing.
I sat on the edge of the bed : I asked her her name.
Ginevra, she said. Like the queen in the stories, don’t you know. Married to the king. What elegant hands you have, Mr –.
Francescho, I said.
I gave her the piece of paper : she yawned, barely glanced.
You’re not my first, she said. I’ve been done before. But your kind, well. You yourself are a bit unusual. Your kind usually likes to draw more than one person, no? People in the act, or –.
Oh
.
She sat up : she held the picture closer to what morning light there was in the room.
Oh,she said again. Haven’t you made me look –. And yet it still looks –. Well, –. Very –.
Then she said, can I have this? To keep, for myself I
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