Chapter 14

“Want me to go?” Moira asked, stepping in front of Nigella. Afraid of Joe’s answer. As she stood in the hotel room unexpectedly. With Cheryl sitting behind him at their impromptu desk. Cheryl, whom he fucked to soreness, in both holes, not long before. And Joanna, his other woman lounging in bed.

“Why would I want that?” he asked sincerely. “I’m sorry for being a complete dickhead.”

“Apology accepted,” she smiled. And relaxed. A little. “And in case it makes any difference, I still love you.”

“I love you, too, Moira.” He opened his arms.

“I don’t envy you,” said Cheryl. “If I don’t love him as much as you do, it’s pretty damn close. Maybe trying to get his head out of his ass might make you a step up. I guess I’d take him head in ass and all.”

They laughed. The sadness made it heartbreaking. “It wasn’t my smartest move,” Moe said.

“Except you were right,” he said. The embrace finally ended. They sat on the edge of the bed, him between Moe and Cheryl.

“But it cost me you,” Moe added.

“Did it?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re here.”

“I...”

“Why are you here?”

“Uhm...”

“I insisted” said Nigella, sitting on the bed near Joanne. “But only because you weren’t downtown. Why weren’t you downtown?”

“Because Cheryl needed me. And more, she needed a typewriter.”

They laughed.

“I did,” said Cheryl. “I needed both. And as usual, Joe came through.”

“So you decided to jump the barrier,” said Joanne.

“I did,” she smiled. “And it was fucking glorious.”

“Isn’t it?” said Moe. “You going to break our hearts, Joe?”

“You got two hot women, and you know where we live,” said Cheryl.

“Three actually, and there’s the problem.”

“Joe,” Joanne objected.

“Quiet woman. I’m thinking.”

“Yes Joe.”

“That’s so fucked up,” said Nigella.

“I think it’s kind of hot,” said Cheryl.

“Did I say I didn’t? Joe even said I could take care of his little slut.”

“Not so little compared to you,” said Joanne.

“Quiet, slut.”

“Yes Nigella.”

“Call me Nigel.”

“Yes Nigel.”

“Ooh, I’m buying me a nice fat strap on cock. Would you like that, Slut?”

“I would, Nigel.”

“God you’re hot.” Nigella tackled Joanne onto her back on the bed and commenced making love to her.

“Well, that takes her out of the conversation for a while,” Joe said.

After they chuckled, Joe asked, “So. Moira. You plan to quit school for me?”

“I...”

“Just quit your passion for me. So I can go to school.”

“Passion? It’s just school.”

“Not according to Nigella. Or your dad.”

“That bitch.”

“What about your friends you were going to show my play to. Will that work if you’re not in school?”

“We’ve been trying to create an independent project. Putting a show together. Promised the Public to present it. But no scripts. It doesn’t have to be student written. Just new.”

“And what would you do?”

“It’s like creating a troupe. Like Shakespeare or the more recent actor producers here and in England. We’d all share acting and working on the set. People would have their specialties. Mine would be the music and movement.”

“Movement?”

“Dancing. If there would be fights, I’d choreograph them.”

“There is a fight.”

“Yeah.”

He laughed. “And you’re giving that up?”

“What’s the point?”

“The point of school? To learn things. To expand your mind. To have a life while you’re young before all you’re doing is making a buck. And accomplishing a degree. I’ll probably have to have three of the damn things before I get any work.”

“You’ll be writing,” Cheryl said. “You’re already published.”

“Really?” asked Moe.

“Yeah. Look.”

“Wow. Cool.”

“Five hundred bucks,” he pointed out. “I am going to need to fall back on something. I like the idea of having it be a professor.”

“Joe Solomon, Doctor of Philosophy,” said Cheryl. “Sounds right.”

“I just thought...” Moe stumbled, “You needed to establish residency if you want to go to a decent but affordable school here.”

“Let me worry about that, if that’s what I decide. Okay? I mean, all the sacrifice, and in a flash, we split up.”

“I shouldn’t have...”

“Yes you should have. I was being a complete dick as you pointed out. Relationships end, Moira. Even ours.”

“Is it ended?”

“I don’t want it to.”

“Me either.”

“Okay. Cheryl?”

“Yes dear?”

They laughed.

“Well he is dear.”

“I agree,” said Moe.

“This photographer.”

“The one at Max’s?”

“Yep.”

“What about him?”

“You going to fuck him tomorrow?”

“He is cute, maybe a little smarmy, but...”

“Any man who realizes what you hide beneath your clothes will act smarmy if they’re not intimidated. But why wouldn’t you put out?”

“You mean why not give him some favors for cheap photos, or free ones?”

“You’d whore yourself?” Moe asked.

“Not as a habit. But he seemed fun, and it would have its advantages.”

“Jeez.”

“Don’t be so high and mighty, Moira. So it’s not your thing. Cocaine’s not your thing. Maybe fucking around on Joe’s not your thing. You’re a fucking vegetarian. Does that mean everyone should be?”

“Well, meat is murder,” Moe smirked.

“Bitch.”

They laughed.

“I get your point,” said Moe.

“You may have lost Joe because of your absolute values.”

“I respect them, Moira,” he butted in. “Just tell me. Men are pretty thick, especially when led by their dick.”

“Too true,” Cheryl agreed.

“I learned my lesson. Hopefully.”

“So what’s your point?” Cheryl asked him.

“Well part of it is where it went.”

“Yeah,” said Moe.

“But I just wanted to know if you were serious or pulling Eddie’s chain.”

“Maybe both? That boy’s really got to grow up.”

“Tell you the truth I don’t know if he ever will. Maybe that child’s view of the world is part of what makes him brilliant. That unabashed, unfiltered view. But do you know why Eddie wants you?”

“My gorgeous ass?”

“He’s a tit man, and that works too for you, babe. For a normal man that might be true. The ones who pop as soon as they see your hot bod.”

“Really?” said Moe.

“Yeah,” Cheryl nodded. “Except stud boy here. Boys never lasted before him. I never got an orgasm before him, except self-created or with a woman. Eddie was the same before we sort of trained him. It why I’m willing to try some cute guy, whore or not. Maybe he knows what a girl needs like Joe does.”

“But you have Joe.”

“Do I? Do you? He’s a stud, Moira. He’s charming and he knows how to fuck. And he’s way too young to chain down.”

“Don’t you think I realize that? But I can’t help it if I’m a one man woman. I’ve only had three boyfriends in my life. I’ve only fucked three men.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow.”

Joe nodded. “But you’re a bit more promiscuous with women.”

“True,” Moe laughed.

“So ... what would be perfect for you?” Cheryl asked. “Joe lives with you. You vet other women, because you’d enjoy it as much as him.”

“Actually that would be perfect.”

“And if we shared him?”

“You mean you live with us?”

“Because you wouldn’t want Joe to be fucking me on the side?”

“I ... I don’t know.”

“I’m already sort of vetted. Can’t put the horse back in the stable.”

“But ... if you love him the way I do...”

“Yes?”

“Why would you choose not to live with him?”

“Now there’s the perfect question. Joe?”

“Three bedrooms or one?” he asked.

“Dick,” they both said, laughing.

Moans broke through the laughter. Nigella was fingering and sucking Joanna. “I need a fucking cock.” Joe stepped up. “No, Joe. I need a fucking cock. You know that all night sex store Moe.”

“On it,” said Moe. “Come on guys. Get dressed. This is an emergency. And I know tonight’s not our night Joe. I can see how Cheryl’s walking.”

“True,” both Cheryl and he said. Hers with a giggle. His with a chuckle. They dressed quickly. Nigella pointed to her purse before they left. They found a wad of money similar to Eddie’s. Busking money. “Just take it all,” she told them. Mostly ones with the occasional five and a rare twenty, it wasn’t as much as it looked. Still, it was a significant wad.

On the cab drive downtown he finally asked Moe what she thought of Joanne.

“I like her. She’s sweet. And real. Why couldn’t she be a bitch?”

“People have trampled all over her because of her sweetness,” he said.

“And you don’t want to,” she finished.

“I don’t know what I want. Everything would be nice, but that seems impossible. If we all ended up in Minneapolis, that would be perfect, but I’m just being selfish.”

“You love it here,” Moe pointed out.

“True. I mean it’s obviously a major tourist destination, but I really could see myself living here.”

“We could too,” said Cheryl.

“I know, Firecracker,” he sighed.

“Is it the hair?” Moe asked.

“And the attitude,” said Cheryl.

“Of course,” Moe chuckled.

“Any chance of a quick meal?” he asked.

“Pizza!” They both exclaimed.

“Ray’s?” Moe suggested.

“Wrong side of town. Cabbie?”

“St Marks and 2^nd,” he said in his Middle Eastern accent.

“Perfect,” said Moe.

“Gem Spa!” Cheryl exclaimed.

“Egg Cream,” they said together.

“Hunh?”

They enjoyed the sloppy wide triangle authentic Manhattan pizza slices and loved the chocolate egg cream.

“This looks familiar,” he said as they munched and sipped outside the corner newspaper store.

“The New York Dolls’ first album,” Moe smiled.

“Johnny Thunders wearing that cool red leather jacket,” he remembered. “Is he playing in town?”

“Let me grab a Voice,” said Moe, darting back into the store.

“Not that I care,” he said to Cheryl. “Eddie’s the fan. We saw the Dolls at the Minnesota Fair.”

“No shit?”

“I know. Maybe eight years ago? At the Young America pavilion.”

“Shit. I bet I was at the fair and missed them. I used to go all the time. I was probably tossing my money away in the Midway maybe fifty fucking yards away. I bet I wouldn’t have got it back then. I probably had a crush on Keith Partridge.”