I told her to paint her face. Put on mascara, eye liner, and red lipstick. Powder your nose. And wear sexy undies. I want to tape this, I said. I built Doc another martini, and we sat in my tiny apartment parlor waiting. Eventually she came out. She tottered on her heels. "I'm just a doll," she said. "I'm just a doll." I told her to shut up. I had had enough of her act. She had been a pain all evening. We had gone out to dinner at a nice restaurant. She had picked at her food. We stopped at the Waikiki afterward and had a couple of fish-bowl size drinks. Rum and God knows what else. When we left, Doc and I were in high spirits. She didn't say two words all the way home.
When we got back to my apartment, I took her into the bedroom, and we had a little talk. "Be nice," I said. Then she started up again, and I got mad. I barked at her. She looked at me with big eyes.
Afterward she was in a better mood. She sat in Doc's lap and played with his tie. Her brown eyes danced. Doc sat there with a grin on his face. I rewound the tape and hit the play button. I told the girl she ought to get an Academy Award.
Jack Swenson
swenjack@comcast.net
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Just a Doll
Labels:
drunkeness,
misogyny,
short story
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