The Foreigners by Maxine Swann

Author:Maxine Swann
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9781594488306
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Published: 2011-08-01T00:00:00+00:00

fourteen

Despite my better judgment, it seemed this hunting metaphor was going to my head. It was a September evening, spring, all the flowering trees in bloom. As there was no food in the house, I went to the grocery store. Lugging the bags home, I pictured that I was dragging an animal carcass. I suddenly felt ravenous. Had I been ravenous before? Just a block or two past the supermarket, I stopped on the sidewalk, juggling one bag in my arm, the other between my legs, and tore open the cheese package. I sunk my teeth in, then threw it, half bitten, back in the bag. Still ravenous a few blocks later, I stopped again and tore open the ham, stuffing a whole wad in my mouth.

I met Gabriel in the foyer of my building.

“Come upstairs with me,” I said.

He looked good, in his gigolo mode, tight striped T-shirt and jeans.

“I just came from the doctor,” Gabriel said, following me in down the tiled hall of my apartment.

“Really? Are you all right?”

“Yeah, just a checkup.” He smiled. “A new guy. When I arrived, he went into the bathroom and changed into a white coat. Crazy. He just wanted me to take my clothes off and get down on all fours while he examined me. That was it. A hundred pesos.”

“He did nothing?”

“No, well, I mean, he felt my balls and put his finger in my butt, but he didn’t even touch himself.”

Gabriel did a little dance step. “Hey, let’s have some wine.”

We were in the kitchen. A winged cockroach flew through. “Aah, shit!” He ducked. “You live with that shit?”

He danced around again, as I poured out the wine.

“This is what I’m learning,” Gabriel said. “The problem is that people think sex is one thing. Like you have to figure it out or something. When it’s not. It can be anything. Whatever you want it to be.

“I mean, just look at the johns. They really know what they want. There was this guy—Oh, wow, that’s right”—his face opened up—“there was this guy in my elementary school. You know what he did? He would get us to come into the bathroom. He was older, like thirteen or fourteen, we were nine or so. He’d be lying there on the ground with his arms out, palms up, and he’d get us to step on the palms of his hands with our bare feet. He had his eyes closed. Then he would pay us, three pesos.”

I had handed him a glass of wine. “Isn’t that awesome?”

“Yeah, great scene.”

“That’s what I admire. That guy knew exactly what he wanted.”

He wiggled his butt a bit more, dancing. “I can’t help it,” he said. “I feel like I have a motor in my butt. Oh, but wait—” He stopped moving. “How’s the hunt going?”

“Good,” I said. “It seems we’ve got him cornered.”

“Are you serious? The great man?”

I nodded. “He’s enthralled with her. You should see the way he acts. Like he puts an apron on and cooks for us.

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