Chapter 12: Paul

“I’m sorry to disturb you, but I have been required to come and talk with you. My name is Paul Daniels, and I’m told your name is Nora.”

“Yes, I’m Nora Vinke. Why do you have to talk to me?”

“It’s my fault, I’m sorry. I saw you in the pool, and I pointed you out to my mother.”

“Because of my face?”

“No, it was something else. But I can’t tell you.”

“You can’t tell me? So it is my face. This is a birthmark. They call it a port wine stain. Now you can go back to your mother.”

“Oh, no, I’ve fucked up already. I’m sorry, Nora, I’ll leave you alone now.”

“Wait. How do you know my name?”

“I promise you. It was not about your birthmark. Please, please, believe me. What happened is that my mother, Laura, found your mother and they had a little conversation. (She’s over there watching us, in the black tank suit.) My mom is always after me to be less shy. And talk to girls. I guess your mother said you were shy, too, and that was enough to send my mother into overdrive. So here I am. And I am so sorry to have bothered you with my ridiculousness.”

He stood up to leave. I put out my hand.

“Paul, wait. Please. Don’t go. And for shit’s sake, stop apologizing to me. I’ve heard ‘I’m sorry’ five times from you in the last 3 minutes. Quit it!”

“It’s true, Paul, I am shy. Because of my deformity. I have endured so much abuse that I just withdrew from other people as much as possible. I spent every school lunch period in the library. I never had any regular girlfriends just to hang out with. Certainly not a boyfriend. I have never been out on a date with a guy; not even just for ice cream. When you get told enough times how hideous you are, you believe it.”

“In the fall I’m going to UCLA, where I’m hoping the students and faculty will be less critical of my face.”

“Thank you, Paul, for pushing through your shyness enough to talk to me. You’re a good looking guy; you speak well. I’m sure one day an attractive normal girl will be so appealing that you can’t resist talking, and even maybe start a relationship. For now, you have done your assigned task. You can go report back to our mothers now and tell them we talked.”

“No.”

“What do you mean, ‘no’?”

“I mean, Nora, that I would rather stay here and talk with you. I think we have more to say to each other. And, I think, tomorrow evening, I would like to have dinner with you. Please. Will you still be here?”

“I’m sure I will. My Dad, unfortunately, is hospitalized at the UC Medical Center after a severe work injury. Are you sure about this? We just met. And tomorrow night, out in public? I will still have this face.”

“Please. That face has those two brilliant and fascinating gray-blue eyes. I want to know more about you. And, please forgive me, now I have to explain why I noticed you and nudged my mother. You were climbing out of the pool using the side ladder. I saw about two-thirds of the most beautiful bottom ever. I’m surprised your mother let you out of your room wearing that tiny scrap of fabric.”

“So now you know, it wasn’t your birthmark. And, after I saw your face, your whole face, and talked with the young woman behind it, that mark is a non-issue for me. I really think you have a beautiful face to go with that wonderful body.”

“Please, Nora, have dinner with me. Don’t allow the taunting of vicious schoolyard brats to limit your adult life.”

“Oh, Paul, you have given me so much to think about. I promise, tomorrow night at 5:30 I will meet you in the hotel lobby for our dinner. Steak would be good. And thank you for your kindness. And thank your mother (Laura?) for twisting your arm. Go now, before I completely lose my shit.

I sent him away with a smile. Then, I wrapped two towels around my (allegedly) world-class ass and returned to our suite.