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forth letting the dildo touch her as she chooses. "Please, please
leave the room, Noel. Do me a favor and get the hell out of here.
Go away. Get the fuck out of here."
I go downstairs and pour myself a scotch. The phone rings.
It
is my younger sister. "Can you hold the line for a sec?" I go into
the kitchen and put more ice in the glass, go back to the den, put
an old Beatle record on, wait for it to drop, lower the volume in
the left speaker, take a deep swallow of scotch and pick the phone
back up. "Hi."
"Is someone there?"
"No."
"How's the family?"
"You must be kidding."
"Are you all right?"
I love that question. Of all the questions in the world I love
that one best. "Yes, I'm O.K."
"Are you going out?"
"I went to a Met game."
"Don't be a smart ass. You know what I mean."
My den is right below my bedroom. I hear a thump and look
up at the ceiling.
"Hello, hello, are you there, Noel?"
"Yes, I'm here."
"Are you alone?"
"For the second time, yes, I'm very alone."
"When is camp visiting day?"
"Next week."
"It's been almost a year, Noel."
"Yes, I know."
"Look, what I'm going to say now you're going to get angry
at, but just for once I want you to listen without flying off the
handle."
"I'm very calm."
"My temple has a singles group for you know, divorcees and
widowers. They meet once a month at someone's home, usually
one of the women. It's very relaxed, very casual, no pressure. You
just sit around and have drinks and they send out for Chinese or
Italian food. They asked me if you would be interested?"
