Read Online Women & Other Animals by Bonnie Jo. Campbell - Free Book Online
Authors: Bonnie Jo. Campbell
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usual. The fakebrick tarpaper had torn above Aunt Victoria's window and next to the porch door. Bess's mom used to enjoy working on the house, and Victoria had fetched tools for her and held window trim in place while Bess's mom nailed. Her mom used to plant flowers along the foundation in summer. Nobody had wielded a hammer or garden trowel in years.
Jimmy wasn't a badlooking guy, and he did have this nice car. Bess leaned into him and kissed him, and again he jabbed his tongue toward the back of her throat.
Maybe she wasn't going to like kissing men. Bess had kissed a few guys around school, and she especially had liked pressing against Derek Hill under the stairs last year, but Hal said he wasn't good enough for her, and anyway that memory felt distant and uncertain. Maybe she would end up like her mother, sharing a bed with some woman. Bess didn't want to face a life of being different, of being a lesbian. She felt the claustrophobic softness of that word pressing against her like another woman's breasts.
"Jimmy, have you ever had sex in this car?" she asked.
"Huh?"
"I mean, how could you with those bucket seats?" She hoped she was giving the impression she'd done this before. In fact, the few times she'd come close, either Hal had shown up, or she'd stopped herself by thinking about what Hal would say. How could it have been such a short time ago that Hal was always near her?
"Maybe the bback?" suggested Jimmy.
"It's too small." Bess gestured at the abbreviated back seat. The house was out of the question because they'd have to pass Victoria in her chain And anyway, Bess liked her bedroom to be all her own, and she didn't want anybody else in it, not even Hal, who made fun of her neatly made bed and carefully arranged and dusted dresser top. "Maybe on the hood there." She stepped around the wide door and sat herself on the car, facing the house, her back to the tracks. ''This'll work," she said.
Page 43
Jimmy got out and walked around to where she sat. "Here on the car?" he asked. "You want to do it here? With me?"
"Sure. Why not?"
"Cool." Jimmy was just about her height. He reached under her shirt, and stroked her breasts through her bra like a couple of puppies.
Bess found the sensation annoying, and after she unbuttoned her uniform shirt and unhooked her bra, it still didn't feel right. She pushed his hands around behind her, closed her eyes, and pretended she was with Derek under the stairs. Victoria's bedroom light switched on and then went out. Bess wrapped her legs around Jimmy and pulled him toward her. She wished Hal would pull into the driveway, even though she knew her future as a normal girl depended on going all the way. "You got a condom?" she asked.
"Yeah. Maybe." Jimmy opened the passenger door, and fumbled in the glove compartment while Bess unbuckled her belt and removed her shoes, pants, and panties, then perched on the hood again. Residual engine heat warmed her naked bottom. Jimmy managed to produce a condom, which he held between two fingers, away from himself. He stared at Bess's pubic hair openmouthed. Bess grabbed the condom and tore the plastic package with her teeth.
"Come on," said Bess. "Let's hurry." She reached to unzip him.
"I have to go," he said.
"What do you mean, you have to go?"
"Um, this is my brother's car," he said. "I took it without permission." Jimmy walked around to the driver's side and got in like a robot.
"You're going to leave?" Bess asked. "Right now, you're going to leave?" She slid off the car, disentangled her underwear from the pile of clothes and pulled them on.
She picked up her pants and shoes in one hand, while in the other she still held the condom. Before he closed his door, Bess glimpsed him in the dash light. His face was round and so soft he probably had never shaved. "Let's go get something to eat,'' she suggested through the window.
He revved the engine of the Camaro. "I have to go. I'll see you around." As he backed out of the driveway,
Jimmy wasn't a badlooking guy, and he did have this nice car. Bess leaned into him and kissed him, and again he jabbed his tongue toward the back of her throat.
Maybe she wasn't going to like kissing men. Bess had kissed a few guys around school, and she especially had liked pressing against Derek Hill under the stairs last year, but Hal said he wasn't good enough for her, and anyway that memory felt distant and uncertain. Maybe she would end up like her mother, sharing a bed with some woman. Bess didn't want to face a life of being different, of being a lesbian. She felt the claustrophobic softness of that word pressing against her like another woman's breasts.
"Jimmy, have you ever had sex in this car?" she asked.
"Huh?"
"I mean, how could you with those bucket seats?" She hoped she was giving the impression she'd done this before. In fact, the few times she'd come close, either Hal had shown up, or she'd stopped herself by thinking about what Hal would say. How could it have been such a short time ago that Hal was always near her?
"Maybe the bback?" suggested Jimmy.
"It's too small." Bess gestured at the abbreviated back seat. The house was out of the question because they'd have to pass Victoria in her chain And anyway, Bess liked her bedroom to be all her own, and she didn't want anybody else in it, not even Hal, who made fun of her neatly made bed and carefully arranged and dusted dresser top. "Maybe on the hood there." She stepped around the wide door and sat herself on the car, facing the house, her back to the tracks. ''This'll work," she said.
Page 43
Jimmy got out and walked around to where she sat. "Here on the car?" he asked. "You want to do it here? With me?"
"Sure. Why not?"
"Cool." Jimmy was just about her height. He reached under her shirt, and stroked her breasts through her bra like a couple of puppies.
Bess found the sensation annoying, and after she unbuttoned her uniform shirt and unhooked her bra, it still didn't feel right. She pushed his hands around behind her, closed her eyes, and pretended she was with Derek under the stairs. Victoria's bedroom light switched on and then went out. Bess wrapped her legs around Jimmy and pulled him toward her. She wished Hal would pull into the driveway, even though she knew her future as a normal girl depended on going all the way. "You got a condom?" she asked.
"Yeah. Maybe." Jimmy opened the passenger door, and fumbled in the glove compartment while Bess unbuckled her belt and removed her shoes, pants, and panties, then perched on the hood again. Residual engine heat warmed her naked bottom. Jimmy managed to produce a condom, which he held between two fingers, away from himself. He stared at Bess's pubic hair openmouthed. Bess grabbed the condom and tore the plastic package with her teeth.
"Come on," said Bess. "Let's hurry." She reached to unzip him.
"I have to go," he said.
"What do you mean, you have to go?"
"Um, this is my brother's car," he said. "I took it without permission." Jimmy walked around to the driver's side and got in like a robot.
"You're going to leave?" Bess asked. "Right now, you're going to leave?" She slid off the car, disentangled her underwear from the pile of clothes and pulled them on.
She picked up her pants and shoes in one hand, while in the other she still held the condom. Before he closed his door, Bess glimpsed him in the dash light. His face was round and so soft he probably had never shaved. "Let's go get something to eat,'' she suggested through the window.
He revved the engine of the Camaro. "I have to go. I'll see you around." As he backed out of the driveway,
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