Getting
Laid?"
Laura described
the cigar-smoking episode and James' interest in her as a
would-be lesbian. June was so taken with this idea that she set
down her spoon.
"No wonder he was
turned on," she said. "How come you never told me those stories about
college?" she said.
"I don't know. I
guess I haven't thought about them for ages. I had almost
forgotten."
"But this Ellen
Porteous... maybe you should be with her instead of James."
"She's beautiful,
but I can't imagine it. Too complicated. And anyway, James is
the one I think about at night."
"What about in
the day? Don't you want to see him every day?"
"No. I like
having time to myself, and I have a great deal of work to get
done while I'm here. As long as I know I'll be with him again, I
can concentrate. We never agreed in so many words to see each
other only on weekends, but somehow that's how it's worked out.
I like the anticipation."
"And when is the
Day of Reckoning? Any time soon? Honestly, it's been weeks. I
think you're being a tease."
"Well, he said
something about my having dinner at his place on Saturday, which
would mean sleeping together, but nothing's been confirmed yet."
"Hallelujah!"
said June, tracing a cross shape with her hand. "Bless thee, my
child, and may thy Rapture be of the multiple variety."
When Laura picked
up her post that evening, there was a card from James with his
address in Bethnal Green. Come
at 6:30 on Saturday and bring your next day's knickers.
10.The Bookshelves
of Bethnal Green
On Saturday,
Laura felt nervous. She checked the tube station map several
times and estimated that it would take her about a half hour to
get from her flat in the Kings Cross area to Bethnal Green. She
found his street online and printed out a map, but decided to
allow extra time. She often got lost in London when visiting
unfamiliar areas.
As the afternoon
wore on, she debated what to wear and considered stepping out to
buy something new, but she hated shopping under pressure,
especially in the noisy bustle and traffic of London. She ought
to have considered her clothes sooner, she thought, mentally
kicking herself. Going to her meager closet, she decided on a
casual outfit: a chocolate brown cotton skirt with box pleats
and orange and yellow embroidery around the hem. There was an
orange scoop neck tee to match, and sandals. She had a light
jacket in case it rained, which seemed likely. She laid out her
best lingerie, which consisted of panties in a leopard print
with lace edging and a matching underwire bra.
In the bath, she
considered her body and wondered whether James would find it
unattractive compared to the more nubile bodies of the younger
women he dated. She was neither tall nor short, and her weight
was about the same as in her college days, for in spite of the
restaurant meals, she did not always indulge her appetite. She
never skipped a meal, but she ate small portions, and the
dinners she cooked for herself consisted mostly of vegetables
and small amounts of cheese, with a glass of wine. She hadn't
given birth, so her belly was unmarked, though gently rounded.
Her waist was still small, but her body fat had begun to
redistribute itself, resulting in a less girlish figure. Her
breasts were large enough to fill a man's hand, and firm. But
they didn't sit as high on her chest as before, and she had
begun to notice creases and loose patches in her skin where
before it had been smooth and tight--on her neck, and on her
inner arms at the elbows.
Was James equally
concerned about his body as it aged? He must be in his early or
mid fifties, though his hair was still mostly black. Sighing,
she finished styling her hair and put on some extra makeup--a
bit of eyeliner and mascara, then her red lipstick. Then she
gathered together a
Laid?"
Laura described
the cigar-smoking episode and James' interest in her as a
would-be lesbian. June was so taken with this idea that she set
down her spoon.
"No wonder he was
turned on," she said. "How come you never told me those stories about
college?" she said.
"I don't know. I
guess I haven't thought about them for ages. I had almost
forgotten."
"But this Ellen
Porteous... maybe you should be with her instead of James."
"She's beautiful,
but I can't imagine it. Too complicated. And anyway, James is
the one I think about at night."
"What about in
the day? Don't you want to see him every day?"
"No. I like
having time to myself, and I have a great deal of work to get
done while I'm here. As long as I know I'll be with him again, I
can concentrate. We never agreed in so many words to see each
other only on weekends, but somehow that's how it's worked out.
I like the anticipation."
"And when is the
Day of Reckoning? Any time soon? Honestly, it's been weeks. I
think you're being a tease."
"Well, he said
something about my having dinner at his place on Saturday, which
would mean sleeping together, but nothing's been confirmed yet."
"Hallelujah!"
said June, tracing a cross shape with her hand. "Bless thee, my
child, and may thy Rapture be of the multiple variety."
When Laura picked
up her post that evening, there was a card from James with his
address in Bethnal Green. Come
at 6:30 on Saturday and bring your next day's knickers.
10.The Bookshelves
of Bethnal Green
On Saturday,
Laura felt nervous. She checked the tube station map several
times and estimated that it would take her about a half hour to
get from her flat in the Kings Cross area to Bethnal Green. She
found his street online and printed out a map, but decided to
allow extra time. She often got lost in London when visiting
unfamiliar areas.
As the afternoon
wore on, she debated what to wear and considered stepping out to
buy something new, but she hated shopping under pressure,
especially in the noisy bustle and traffic of London. She ought
to have considered her clothes sooner, she thought, mentally
kicking herself. Going to her meager closet, she decided on a
casual outfit: a chocolate brown cotton skirt with box pleats
and orange and yellow embroidery around the hem. There was an
orange scoop neck tee to match, and sandals. She had a light
jacket in case it rained, which seemed likely. She laid out her
best lingerie, which consisted of panties in a leopard print
with lace edging and a matching underwire bra.
In the bath, she
considered her body and wondered whether James would find it
unattractive compared to the more nubile bodies of the younger
women he dated. She was neither tall nor short, and her weight
was about the same as in her college days, for in spite of the
restaurant meals, she did not always indulge her appetite. She
never skipped a meal, but she ate small portions, and the
dinners she cooked for herself consisted mostly of vegetables
and small amounts of cheese, with a glass of wine. She hadn't
given birth, so her belly was unmarked, though gently rounded.
Her waist was still small, but her body fat had begun to
redistribute itself, resulting in a less girlish figure. Her
breasts were large enough to fill a man's hand, and firm. But
they didn't sit as high on her chest as before, and she had
begun to notice creases and loose patches in her skin where
before it had been smooth and tight--on her neck, and on her
inner arms at the elbows.
Was James equally
concerned about his body as it aged? He must be in his early or
mid fifties, though his hair was still mostly black. Sighing,
she finished styling her hair and put on some extra makeup--a
bit of eyeliner and mascara, then her red lipstick. Then she
gathered together a
Similar Books
