“We’d go in his studio when we were supposed to be sleeping. We’d dig around, smoke his cigarettes, drink his alcohol, look at his dirty magazines. It was great.”
“Sounds great.”
Charlie took one of the sleeping bags he’d brought, unrolled it, and smoothed it out on one of the lower platforms that used to hold a mattress. He fussed with it some more and then sat down. Even though it was cool outside, it was smoldering in here. “Come on over here,” he said.
“Can we open one of these windows? I can barely breathe.”
“Sure.” He leaned over and pounded on the rusty latch a few times. He was able to get the window to pop out a few inches. It didn’t really help anything. Abby sat down beside him.
“Take your clothes off if you’re too warm,” he said.
Abby brushed away a spider that was repelling from one of the bunks. “I don’t know if I’m in the mood.”
“I’ll be on the bottom.” To prove it he lay down flat on his back.
She took off her armband and set it along with her iPod on one of the bunks. The iPod had become precious to her since she now had barely any possessions.
“It’s not very… romantic in here,” she said.
“Romance is a state of mind.”
“Yeah, I guess so. But I’m not really there right now.”
“Once we get started you’ll get into it. Come on. Take your clothes off.”
She peeled off her sweaty shoes and socks, sweatshirt, t-shirt and shorts, sports bra, and underwear while Charlie watched. She was careful to keep her hair firmly clamped in place.
“Aren’t you going to take your clothes off?” she asked him.
He unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, and pulled them down a little. As usual he wasn’t wearing underwear.
“That’s all you’re going to do?” she asked.
“Ride me,” he said.
“I’m going to hit my head on the top bunk.”
“Be careful.”
She got on him and they had sex for a while without talking. Even with the little bit of padding the sleeping bag provided, Abby’s knees hurt. After a couple of minutes, she pushed his shirt up a little, wanting to run her hands over his belly and chest. He pushed his shirt back down.
“What’s up? Can’t I look at you? I mean, I’m totally naked.”
“You’re gonna see it anyway, I suppose.” He lifted his shirt to reveal the word WARRIER on his stomach, a few inches above his belly button. That portion of his stomach had been shaved and the tattoo looked very fresh. It was really big and in a font that made Abby think of Christmas cards, but that she guessed was supposed to look Gothic.
“When all your stomach hair grows back it will be kind of hard to see it,” she said. Also, she was pretty sure it was misspelled.
“I might start shaving my stomach. I don’t know.”
“Huh. Just that spot and leave the rest?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll shave everything.”
“That’s an idea. Well, anyway, it’s a nice tattoo,” she said, lowering his shirt so she wouldn’t have to look at it.
They’d slowed down but Abby started moving again, ready for it to be over. Finally Charlie came and she got off him. She sat on the edge of the bunk, feeling him leaking out of her onto the sleeping bag edge and wooden platform. He started snoring immediately.
Abby got dressed, setting the sweatshirt aside, just as Charlie awoke with a sputtering jolt and sat up.