“No thanks, Young. I’ve got him.”
“Yep, you’ve got me,” I said as we got in the elevator and it started down.
“I do, don’t I?” I felt his lips in my hair. “Did you come in the Corvair, Theo?”
“Huh?” I had to give that a little thought, and then announced, “No. Never had sex in the Corvair. Had sex in the Dodge, but not the Corvair.”
“How did you get here?”
“Took the Corvair.” My lover choked on his laughter. “Like when you laugh.” I nuzzled his throat.
“I like when you laugh too, Theo.” The elevator stopped. “Okay, we’re on the first floor. I don’t want you tripping over the plate as we get out. Big step.”
“Need some help, Mr. Matheson?”
“Why’s everyone askin’ ‘f you need help?”
“I can’t imagine. No, we’re fine, Sanford. I’m driving Mr. Bascopolis home. See to it that his car doesn’t get towed? It’s a yellow Corvair. Where’s it parked, Theo?”
“Hell ‘n’ gone,” I said absently, suddenly fascinated by the bulge under his arm. I reached into his jacket to touch it. “Why you wearin’ a gun, babe?”
“I’ll explain when we get home, okay?” He gave Sanford my car’s plate number. “I’ll come pick it up sometime this weekend.”
“Very good, sir.”
“Was he laughin’?” I tried to turn as Wills urged me toward the door. “‘re you laughin’?”
“Come on, Theo. We have to go home.”
“Why? Wanna know why he’s laughin’.”
“He must have thought of something funny. Now let’s go. Miss Su needs to get fed.”
“Oh. Okay. Want me t’ drive?”
“No, that’s okay.”
“‘s right. No one drives the Dodge but you.”
“Right.” Wills got me into the passenger seat and buckled me up.
“Wait a min’te.” I grabbed his tie and tugged on it. “A’ready fed Miss Su.”
“We’ll find something else to do.” He freed his tie and cupped my cheek. “Watch your hands. You don’t want to get them caught in the door.”
“Nope.” I folded my hands on my lap, and after he straightened and shut the door, I put my head back against the headrest and was out like a light.
* * * *
The next thing I knew, something hard was pressing into my gut. I opened my eyes, looking down toward the floor and Wills’s legs, and realized that somehow I was upside down. His palm was on my ass, holding me steady.
“Wha…” The ground looped-the-loop, and I quickly closed my eyes.
“Don’t wiggle around. You’ll make me drop you.” Wills was a little out of breath by the time he reached our apartment. He fumbled for the key, let us in, and got us to the bedroom, where he eased me down onto the bed. “No, you don’t!” when I would have tipped over. “Stay put.”
I heard the water run in the bathroom, and then he was back.
“Okay, I’ve got a couple of Tylenol for you. Big ‘ah.'”
I opened wide and swallowed the tablets once they were in my mouth.
“Now drink this.” He held the glass to my mouth, and I swallowed obediently. “No, finish the whole thing. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.”
After the last swallow, he took the glass away, and I collapsed back on the bed. Vaguely I felt his hands on me, unbuttoning my shirt, wrestling me one way and another to get it off, then undoing my pants.
“Gonna fuck me?” I mumbled.
“Later, babe.”
“Want you to fuck me now.” I wrapped my fists in his shirt. I should have been ashamed of the pouty tone in my voice, but I was too aggrieved that he wouldn’t give me what I wanted when I wanted it.
“Okay. Just give me time to get out of my clothes.”
“‘kay.” Naked Wills was a good thing. “Hurry.”
“Sure, Theo. You just lie there and relax. I’ll be in bed with you before you know it.”
“Good. Want you.” I opened my eyes and looked into his face. “Love you, Wills.”
“Oh, babe. I—”
But I fell asleep before I could hear the rest of his words.
Sleep started to recede. I tried to entice it back, and groaned when I couldn’t. Memories of the last few hours returned with a vengeance, the drive to Huntingdon, the videotape, the glass of whiskey. I didn’t bother opening my eyes. I didn’t get drunk often, but when I did…I knew what I was going to face. My head pounding, ready to roll off my shoulders and spin around on the floor, my stomach taking bets as to whether it would stay put or spew in an eruption that would rival Vesuvius, and this time, my ass aching, having been fucked thoroughly and without a condom for the first time in thirteen years. That was the one that pissed me off the most—that I’d been out cold and unable to enjoy it.