Falls (Pt. 10): Porch Swing

24.

We stopped by the liquor store on the way home and picked up a bottle of tequila for Bev and Marie (to my hesitation), and a bottle of gin and a box of wine for me. The liquor store was a few blocks from the house and after a while I regretted buying the box of wine. The girls laughed as we walked and I laughed with them and they knocked into each other and me and they held hands but I couldn't. Fucking wine.

By the time we got to the house the girls were quieter, hand in hand and ahead of me. They stopped on the stoop and turned back to me.

“Come on, pokey,” Marie said.

“My arm is going to fall off.”

“Oh shit. I forgot you had the wine. I could have helped carry things.”

“It’s fine.”

We went inside and I set the box and the bottle on the ground and shut the door. The girls were already in the kitchen, filling glasses. I heard the radio turn on, and up. A song I heard in a movie once. An old song. I couldn't remember the name of it. I decided to save the wine for tomorrow and took the gin into the kitchen. I was sobering after the hike and if the girls were going to be up all night I figured writing was a bust and I should try to keep up. Gin it was.

I took the bottle with me into the bedroom to change out of my wet shorts and put my cut off sweats on. I took a few deep drinks from the bottle and I hated gin in the first few glasses but by the time it hit it wasn't so bad. I threw an old Sex Pistols shirt on and took my wet shorts and threw them in the bathtub as I walked by the bathroom toward the kitchen.

In the kitchen the girls were still in their bathing suits and dancing to “Come and Get Your Love”. Swinging their hips and sort of pretending to swing dance and grind at the same time. Laughing and taking large drinks from their glasses, surprisingly not spilling.

“Dance with us,” Marie said over the music.

“No, I’ll watch you guys.”

“You’re no fun,” Bev said.

They went on and I sat at the table and put my feet up and drank from the gin until I began to feel warm and okay.

Bev would dip Marie. Marie would spin Bev. It went on and I had no idea how they had the energy for it. They refilled their glasses and resumed the dance.

Bev was a fit. Marie enjoyed her. I enjoyed her.  I knew I wasn't supposed to be thinking anything or guessing anything or trying to plan or know or assume, but I was. I knew I was a step too far and we were supposed to be living in the moment and just living but Marie and I were now actually living with this girl and she wasn't some no strings attached situation. We hung out with her. We were her friends. There were strings attached.

“Shit!” Marie slipped and down she went, and as she went she grabbed Bev’s wrist and pulled her down too. Their glasses fell. Marie’s spilled and rolled and Bev’s shattered a few feet away into a puddle of tequila and glass.

“Fuck,” Bev said from atop Marie, looking over at the glass.

Marie laughed. “Good fucking job. Where are we going to get another glass?”

“Up your ass!” Bev stuck her fingers into Marie's ribs and Marie laughed and jerked, squirming around and trying to get away and Bev kept going. “Right up your ass!”

“Stop! Stop you fuck!” Marie said, laughing.

“Make me! You fuck!”

I drank from the gin and now I was normal again. I smiled and watched.

“I’m going to pee!” Marie said.

“Do it,” Bev said. “I dare you!”

“No… Seriously! Stop!”

“I said make me!”

Marie reached behind Bev and under her bathing suit and her hand disappeared and Bev jerked upward.

“Ah! Cheater!”

“Right up your ass,” Marie said.

“God, I feel so violated.”

“Well,” I said, “she did warn you.”

Bev stood up, smiling and adjusting her bathing suit. “I think your nails ripped my asshole.” She pulled her suit and shifted her hips. “I’m not going to be able to sit right, now.”

From the floor, Marie laughed at her. “Next time you’ll stop when I say stop.”

Bev laughed. “Where’s the broom?”

"Whoa, that's taking it a little far."

"Not for that." Bev laughed. "To clean this shit up."

“Seriously?” I asked. “We've been here how long and you've never used the broom?”

“Listen, I do the dishes sometimes. And I pay the delivery guy. I contribute.”

“I pay,” I said. “You hand him the money.”

“Honestly though,” Marie said, “that’s worth it on its own.”

“See?” Bev said. “So, no, I have no idea where the broom is.”

“Maybe it’s up your ass,” Marie said and laughed.

Bev squirmed again. “Jesus Christ. Feels like it.”

“I’ll get it,” I said. I stood up, took my gin, and stepped carefully through the kitchen, not knowing how far the glass had spread.  I couldn't taste the gin anymore and I didn't feel like digging through the closet to get the broom. “Let’s just go in the living room. Take the booze. We'll clean in the morning.”

The girls got new glasses and filled them, took the radio and went to the living room. I stacked two dining room chairs in front of the doorway to keep us out and followed the girls. 

25.

I woke up on the couch and the clock on the wall said it was almost noon. My head ached like it had been most mornings and I had to piss horribly like I had most mornings. Bev was on me, nude and breathing heavily. Her hair was in my face and I pushed it off and looked around for Marie but she wasn't around. I rolled out from under Bev and she stayed asleep. As I walked quiet through the house I saw the chairs were still stacked in front of the kitchen. I went to the bathroom, then after to the bedroom. Marie was not there. I went back into the living room and through the window saw Marie sitting on the porch swing with a mug.

“Morning beautiful,” I said and sat down next to her.

“Good morning honey,” she said. She sipped her coffee and put her head on my shoulder. “Did you get coffee?”

“No, I didn't realize there was any.”

“You want me to get you some?”

“No, it’s fine. What time did you get up?”

“About seven, I think.”

A car drove down the road slow, and a breeze pushed gently through the leaves of the neighborhood. I wished I had taken a few ibuprofen while I had been in the bathroom and tried to make a note of it for later.

“Why so early?”

“I don’t know.” She sipped again. “I love you.”

I kissed the top of her head. “I love you. What’s on your mind?”

She inhaled and exhaled with effort and kissed my shoulder. “Nothing. Just hung-over, I guess.”

I put my arm around her and the rustling in the leaves would slow and pick up again and I thought the air was the perfect temperature. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Okay.”

A moment, cool and slow, passed before; “Why didn't you come to bed?”

“What?”

“Last night. Why didn't you come to bed?”

“I have no idea. I don’t really remember much.”

“Okay.”

“I’m sorry honey.”

“Did you fuck Bev?”

“What?”

“Did you stay up so you could fuck Bev?” She sat upright and moved away and was looking at me now with her eyebrows down and her jaw tight and I couldn't decide if it was worry or anger.

“Honey, I…”

“I saw you on the couch this morning.”

“Well, yeah, I know, but… Honey, I am super confused.”

“Never mind. It’s fine. I don’t care.” She looked away and sipped at her coffee again. After a few minutes she went inside and I heard her turn the shower on. I went in to get coffee. Bev was in the kitchen pouring her own.

“You want some?” she asked.

“Put some fucking clothes on, Bev.”