"Come," she said. Just the smallest gesture of her hand.
I went to her and saw that there was a thin gold chain around her neck and that dangling from the chain was a stone in a handsome setting. I knew little of stones but it looked like a good one to me as did the setting and for a moment I knew, I just knew she was a thief, not just the boys in the wagon but her too. And then the moment passed and I was lost in her.
Only next morning did I remember that flash of intuition.
But she was gone by then. And my suitcase was wide open and the coke was gone too.
Staring out at the harbor over breakfast I told Tommy. "Well, Ben," he said, "you've had an expensive holiday."
"You don't think I can find her?"
"No. I don't. She'll be long gone. Forget it, Ben. Forget it."
"Then it was a damned expensive holiday."
"Cheer up. It could have been worse. I could have gotten you killed, remember? Several times."
"Tommy, I have creditors. I'm not out of Greece yet. I could still get killed."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Excuse me?"
"We're friends, right?" He tossed back the thick Greek coffee. "Listen," he said. "I suggest we go fishing. I talked to a man this morning who has a little boat. It's not much but we can get it cheap."
"Jesus, Tommy."
I could just see the water lap the pilings from where we sat.
"I don't know. It looks pretty rough out there to me. Damned rough I'd say. Exactly how good is this boat?"
Tommy only smiled.
A good deal of this story also found its way into SHE WAKES.
I think it's interesting to note that there's really no sex in the thing at all unless you count a little eyeballing on a nude beach and the brief, contact-free scene at the end. That it could appear in a small-circulation men's mag at all tells you how much things have changed since.
Too bad.
THE CHRISTMAS CALLER
The call came just as he was returning from the office party.
"Merry Christmas," she said. "What are you wearing?"
"What am I wearing?"
"Yes." Her voice was unfamiliar.
"Um, a grey Paul Stuart pin stripe three-piece suit, double-worsted. Is this some kind of survey?'
"What else?"
"Blue silk tie, black socks, black shoes. Why?"
"Knee-length?"
"The socks? Yes."
"That's cute. I bet you're good looking."
"I could stand to lose a little weight." There was something screwy here. "Who is this?" he asked.
"Never mind about that. Take them off."
"Take what off? The socks?"
"No, everything."
"Who is this?"
"Never mind," she said. "Come on. I'm already naked. I have a very beautiful body. You want me to describe myself? I'll describe myself. While you take off your clothes. Are you hard yet?"
"Hard?"
"Is your cock hard?"
"No. But I'll tell you, I'm perspiring a little."
"You are? That's wonderful. Put your hand inside your pants and I bet you get hard in no time."
He pulled at his tie and unbuttoned his collar. He really was perspiring.
"Is this some kind of joke?"
"Of course not."
"Lucy? Is this Lucy?" It was a name out of the distant past but the only one that came to mind. It had to be her. It would be just her style to pick Christmas for a gag like this.
"No, my name is Jeanette," she said.
"You mean this is really an obscene phone call?"
"Don't call it obscene. I wish you wouldn't do that."
"Lucy, is this you?"
"Jeanette, damn it. I told you."
"Sorry."
"Are you getting undressed now?"
"Not really."
"I wish you would."
"Where do you want me to start?" He was wavering. "You mean you'll cooperate?"
"I guess so." Why not? he thought. It was Christmas and she did have a very nice voice. He wondered how far she was prepared to go.
"Gee," she said. "I really didn't think you'd do it. You didn't seem as though you were going to be real cooperative."
"You'll have to pardon me. It's just that I've never had...I mean, this is all new to me. I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to do."
"You're supposed to get undressed, silly. Now you go ahead and I'll describe myself while you do. Get undressed just as though you were taking me to bed. Are you hard yet?"
"Not yet."
"We'll take care of that. Where are you? Are you sitting on your bed?"
"As a matter of fact I am."
"Okay, take off your shoes and socks and get yourself comfortable. You want to know what I look like?"
"Well, I was kind of wondering."
She laughed. "I like you," she said. "We're going to have a good time. You ready now?"
"Yes."
"Okay. You should picture me lying on my bed."
"Is that where you are?"
"Yes"
"Me too."
"Good. Okay, I have long blonde hair and green eyes, a cute nose and I guess you'd say my lips are on the voluptuous side. Wide, I mean."
"Your nose is cute?" The word did nothing for him.
"Cute, yes. Turned up a little. I mean, you wouldn't call it beautiful or anything."
"Do you have freckles?"
"No. Well, I have a few right around my shoulders. Why? Does that bother you?"
"No, I've always liked freckles."
"Oh. Well, okay. I have very slim shoulders and a long slim neck. My arms are long too and so are my hands. Do you know what my hands are doing now? Can you guess?"
"Tell me."
"Playing with my nipples. They get very long and hard when I'm excited. And I'm excited right now."
"What color are they?"
"A very light brown. And they look beautiful against my breasts which are very pale."
"You're playing with both nipples?"
"Yes."
He tried to picture it but it eluded him. "How can you do that?" he said. "I mean, the telephone..."
She laughed. "I have the phone tucked in the crook of my neck and that leave my hands free. Now can you see it?"
"That's much better."
"Good. I'm moving my hands over my body, which is very firm and not fat at all. I have big firm breasts and a flat stomach, a pale firm ass, firm thighs and slim hips. You'd really like looking at me. You really would. Now I'm moving my hands down over my breasts, circling the nipples with my fingertips, pinching both nipples, then down over my stomach and over my navel, which is an inny by the way, down along my thighs, which I'm spreading very slowly now and along the insides of my thighs. And now I have them right there at my...you say it."
"Cunt," he said.
"Say it again."
"Cunt."
"Again."
"Cunt."
"Oh, that does sound good. Are you hard yet?"
"Uh-huh."
"Are you naked?"
"Yes."
"Do you have a big cock?"
"Medium-sized. It looks pretty big right now."
"Oooooooooh," she said. "I wish I were there to suck it. Think of me sucking it for you."
"I already did."
"What are you thinking now?"
"Thinking about fucking you. What color is your pubic hair?"
"Very light brown. I'm a real blonde."
"I've never had a real blonde before."
"You've got one now. I'm a special present, just for you."
"What's next?" he said.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean what do we do now?"
"I have my finger inside my cunt. It's very wet. So I'm going to play with my clitoris. You want to hear it?"
"Sure I do."
There was a brief silence and then he thought he heard something like faucet leaking. He had never paid much
attention to the sound before but it was a delicious sound. He heard the plash of the labia as she worked the clitoris in what he imagined were fast even strokes of her finger. It was like the moist lips of an old woman preparing for speech, like ice melting in a distant cave. Soon there was another silence and then he heard her groan.
"I'm almost there," she said.
"Already?"
"Oh, yes," she said. "I'm very hot. I'm coming. Oh, oh! There I go!"
"You're coming?"
"Oh yes, Yessssss."
"Does it sound like anything? Can I hear it?"
"No! Yes! I mean no!"
"Is it yes or no?"
There was the sound of something rolling over something else and then after a short pause he heard her cry out and the receiver barked once in his ear and then began to rattle.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I dropped you."
"Is is over?" he asked. "Did you come?"
"Oh, yes."
"How was it? Was it good?"
"It was fantastic."
"I'm glad."
"Thanks. That's nice of you." There was a brief silence. Then she said, "You're a pretty nice guy. I'm going to do something for you now, okay?"
"Okay."
"Just let me catch my breath."
"Take your time."
"Whew! That really was good."
"Really?"
"It was pretty special."
"I'm glad. Tell me…Jeanette?"
"Jeanette, that's right."
"Jeanette. Don't be offended. But do you do this kind of thing often?"
"You swear you'll believe me if I tell you?"
"Of course."
"This is my first time."
"Really?"
"The very first. I'd thought about it once in awhile. A girl is always getting calls from men, you know. Anyway I thought this would be something different. Sort of a Christmas present to myself, if you know what I mean."
"You just picked my name out of a phone book?"
"That's right. Are you glad?"
"Naturally I'm glad."
"Your name sounded nice."
"It did?"
"Oh yes. Like somebody I'd like to be with on Christmas."
"Maybe we should meet. You know, get together."
"I don't know." She seemed to consider the idea. "I hadn't actually thought of that," she said. "Let's think it over."
"All right."
"Meantime it's your turn now." She laughed. "Merry Christmas."
"Do you think you'll be able to come again right away? With me, I mean?"
"Oh, sure. I get off real easy."
"Good. I want you to make it too."
"Okay, but let's work on you for now."
"Okay," he said. "But you try to make it too, all right?"
"Of course I will. Now go get a picture."
"A picture?"
"Don't you do it with pictures? I thought all guys did."
"Oh, you mean a naked girl."
"That's right. Go get your favorite picture."
He thought about it. "I don't really have one," he said. "A favorite, I mean. Besides, I don't think I really need one."
She was flattered. "You really are sweet," she said. "But it's just my fantasy, you see. I've always wanted to see a boy get off over a picture. Women don't, you know."
"Yeah, I've heard that."
"We really don't."
"But I haven't got a picture. I mean, there are no magazines at all in the house right now. No, wait. Wait, that's not true. Hold on. Will Farrah do?"
"Sure. Is she naked? I didn't think she'd ever done any nudes."
"No. It's just the cover of a TV Guide. That's all I've got."
"You're going to jerk off over a TV Guide?"
"I've never tried it before. But it's a pretty good picture."
"Well, what the hell, then," she said. "Are you hard?"
"Yeah, I'm doing it right now."
"You're masturbating right now?"
"Yes."
"Let me hear it."
"Okay."
"And let me know when you're going to come."
"I will."
He held the phone in one hand next to his cock and stroked himself with the other. He'd licked the palm of his hand so she'd have something to listen to. He looked down and he could almost imagine her head down there, as though she were watching him from between his legs. He did not tell her that in his imagination it was not the photo of Farrah but her he was fucking. Already some part of me's claimed her a little, he thought. I guess I'm just like that. He stared at the photograph but it was her description of herself he saw. Mouth open, face flushed, nostrils of the cute pert nose dilated. He heard the familiar slap of flesh on flesh, felt the familiar spread of warmth within him.
"Okay, pretty soon now," he said, raising the phone. There was no answer. "Are you there?"
"I...oh, yes, I'm here," she said. "But I'm doing it too. It sounded so good!"
"Good. Do it harder, then," he said. "I want us to come together."
"No, you go ahead. It'll take me longer."
"I can wait," he said.
"No, I want to give you pleasure."
"Don't worry, you will. Please don't argue. Pinch one of your nipples for me."
"Mmmmm."
"Now harder."
"I can't...oh, yes."
"Now put one of your fingers inside yourself."
"Okay."
"Now pinch the nipple harder."
"Wait...wait...okay."
"Now stick your finger up your ass."
"But I..."
"Go on, you'll like it."
"No, listen, I never..."
"Try it."
"I'd really rather..."
"For god's sake will you just try it!" Then suddenly he felt it beginning. "Oh, oh, oh...I'm coming. Now... now...Ohhhhhhh!"
His aim was true. He splashed her between freckled nose and toothy grin.
If he tore off the cover fast enough the pages wouldn't even stick. It was only Sunday. Just to be sure he tore off an extra leaf and crumbled the pages together.
"You have no idea how good that was," he said. "Thank you. Really. That was beautiful. This is turning out to be some Christmas."
"Yeah, sure," she said. But there was something new in her voice.
"What's the matter?"
"I'd rather not talk about it if you don't mind."
"But I do mind. I mean, I want it to be good for you too. What's the matter?"
"'Stick your finger up your ass.' How could you? How could you say that to me?"
"I just thought you'd like it," he said.
"How could you think that? You don't even know me."
"That's true. But I…"
"You were thinking of yourself, that's all. Sex is supposed to be a sharing. I mean, just whose obscene phone call is this, anyway?" she said.
"Obscene? You're calling it obscene now?"
"Obscene, yes. 'Stick it up your ass.' What else would you call it?"
"It's just a thing people do, for pete's sake. There's no need to get upset about it."
"Honestly," she said. "You men."
"Aw, come on. Let's not start that routine!"
"I'm not starting anything," she said. "Goodbye."
"Hey! Wait! Don't hang up."
"Well, why the hell not?"
"Because I don't even know who you are. I hate to have it end this way. I'd like to see you sometime. We can straighten this out. Be reasonable."
"Sure you'd like to see me," she said. Her voice was bitter. "So you can tell me what to do, boss me around, make me fit your own dumb ideas about women."
"All right," he said. "Do what you want. Hang up if you want to."
"You don't really give a damn, do you?" she said.
"No. I don't. Not if you're going to behave like this."
"Behave like what?" she said.
"Childish. Unreasonable."
"What's so unreasonable? Really, y
ou men..."
It made him suddenly angry. "Don't give me that you men crap! I'm the one who wants to make peace here. You're the one who's threatening to hang up on me. Don't give me that you men stuff."
Her voice was quiet. "All right," she said.
"What?"
"I said it's all right. Okay. I was a little out of line. I'm sorry."
"All right. Forget it."
"I really did get off on you, you know. A whole lot."
"I got off on you too."
"So what are we fighting about?"
"Nothing."
"That's right, nothing." Her voice was almost tender now. "Are you still hard?"
"A little."
We've had our first fight, he thought. There was a moment's pleasant pause while a warm sated glow moved languidly from receiver to receiver. Then all at once it was over.
"Uh-oh," she said. "I have to go now. There's somebody at the door."
"You want to get together sometime?"
"Let me call you," she said.
"You'll call?"
"Sure I will. Is Saturday a good day for you?"
"In the afternoon. Fine."
"I'll call you Saturday, then."
"You sure you just don't want to get together? For a drink or something?"
"Sure. But not right away, okay? I don't want to rush things."
"Okay, I understand."
"Good," she said. "I'll talk to you soon."
"I'll talk to you, then."
"Good speaking with you, Harry," she said.
He frowned. The receiver went dead.
Harry? Harry? His name was Charles! Oh, god! he thought, that stupid incredible woman! What a ridiculous thing to do. He got out the phone book to look for a Harry with a similar number and his own last name. It took him a hellova while. Then there it was. Harry B., 31 Elvira Street. She was only one digit off. He dialed the number. It was going to be damned difficult to explain. But he knew how to begin.
"Merry Christmas," he said.
This began its life as a one-act, one-character play. I was still dipping into that area now and again. Then the editor of Swank asked me for a Christmas story. I hadn't the foggiest idea what to do. Horny Santas or elves didn't make it for me and reindeer were probably out of the question. So, I intuited, was the sex life of the Virgin Mary.
Then I thought, Christmas is also about the spirit of giving, ain't it?
Who says it has to be socks and underwear?
EAST SIDE STORY