The patch of loose gravel in the driveway announces her arrival. Sheiza thinks David, its Carolina. Twenty-four years old and already loose around the eyes. By seven-thirty am she has consumed eight cigarettes and three cups of coffee. “Allo darling, three times that’s right”. Carolina insists on the three-kiss exchange. David was sure this was just her way of getting attention and had gotten used to it. The urge to gag however was harder to suppress. He hated smokers.
Carolina makes a beeline for his desk in the corner. “Are you writing?” she asks. Her short skirt rides high as she bends over David’s laptop. He feels a stir in his shorts. Damn he hates this girl.
David mumbles something about the Saturday Night article but his response is irrelevant, by now he has learned that this is her show. “Come here David”, she says solemnly. His mouth begins to form an objection but he has already crossed the room. After all he had been the one to ask for help.
They had been introduced at a cocktail party. David was loaded when he told her about his ‘problem’ and she, being a women of the world, had offered, actually insisted would be more accurate, to get him past it. At the time David was just trying to get into her pants, but drunken logic argued that this girl, a passing acquaintance at best, might well be the answer.
Carolina’s ‘lessons’ usually last about twenty minutes. Thankfully after that she gets bored and leaves though admittedly the first few times were exciting. Carolina would undress David, tease him until he was ready to burst, and then sit down and smoke until the urge subsided. At first this could only go on a few minutes before David lost it but now he was able to withstand a fair bit of ‘torture’, smoke notwithstanding.
“It's like that dog Pavlov”, Carolina said from the sofa, “repetition learns behaviour”. Sickly-sweet cigarette smoke fills the one-bedroom flat and, along with David, is looking for a way to escape. “I think I am past it now” he says feebly. “Well that stain on your pants seem to be saying otherwise”, says Carolina between draws.
Her answer is meant to sting but David no longer cares what Carolina thinks. Repulsion has replaced sexual urge. He wants her gone, out of his life, and fresh air.
Posted by pike at November 8, 2005 10:19 PM