by Bill Orton
Larry took a hit on seventeen and drew a three.
December handed the phone back, and looked at her cards. A nine and four. “Hit.” She pulled a picture card, and threw her cards on the table.
.
Larry adjusted the new pair of knee-length baggy swim trunks from the hotel shopping mall and then carefully carried four tall drink glasses, two in each hand, towards the pool, where Ed, Carole and December lay. “Long Island iced tea, Jack and Coke, and a mojito,” said Larry, carefully setting the four glasses onto the small table between Ed and December’s loungers. Larry handed the Long Island iced tea to Carole.
“Thank you, Hun,” she said.
“So I still wanna know about the dude from the club,” said Ed
“Sitko?” said December.
“Oh, they’re regulars,” said Carole. “They take their lunch at the club.”
“They weren’t eating anything.
“They’re not there to eat,” said Carole.
“So you used to date Sitko?”
December reached for her mojito, rubbed the mint between her fingers and dropped it into the glass. “Look, I’m sort’a tired of being interrogated, okay?”
“He’s not beating you, is he?” asked Ed.
“Ed!” said December, loudly. “First Lori, now you. Can’t we all just have some fun.”
Larry stood, set his soda glass down, and walked to the pool, making a flawless dive into the water.
“What about this guy?” asked Carole “He married? Or seeing anyone?”
“Best I can figure, nope to both,” said Ed.
“No,” said December. “He’s just a real sweetie.”
“Is he... normal?” asked Carole.
“Normal’s a relative thing,” said Ed. “He doesn’t seem completely weird or anything.” Ed paused, seeming to recheck the facts in his head. “A little slow, maybe.”
Larry climbed out of the pool and made his way to his lounger, which he covered with a towel before laying down. “Nice pool. Like Harris Ranch’s better, though.”
“So, do you have a girl?” Carole asked Larry, who appeared to miss that the question was aimed at him. “Larry?”
“Huh,” said Larry.
“You got a girl?”
“Oh,” said Larry, “no. I’m, uh... no.”
“You seem nice,” said Carole. “Do you want a girl?”
“W’ull, uh,” said Larry, laying flat, his belly rising like a small mountain. “I mean, maybe.” Larry lay silent for a moment. “Actually, no.”
“Dude,” said Ed.
“You don’t want someone?” asked Carole. “Not even someone nice? And pretty?”
“No,” repeated Larry, more convincingly. “I don’t want a girlfriend. I don’t want to get married. I don’t want babies. I want it all to end with me.”
“Aww, hunny,” said December.
“All of what to end, Larry?” asked Carole.
“The whole family line. It’s ending with me. I am not going to get weak like my dad, cuz if I do, then this awful family will keep going, and I won’t let it. The van der Bix name is done.”
“That’s a lot of anger about other people, dude,” said Ed, sipping his Jack and Coke.
“Why not live for yourself, instead of being angry over others?” asked Carole.
Larry stood up and walked back to the pool, diving in.
.
“Who’s date am I tonight?” asked Carole, stepping out from the master bedroom of the Emperor’s suite in a form-fitting, low-cut, bright floral-print dress.
“I don’t really wanna see a show,” said Larry, in a tuxedo purchased from the men’s shop in the hotel. “I feel silly.”
December snuggled up to Larry and put her hands on his shoulders. “C’mon, hunny. Let’s have some fun. And besides, what if someone messes with us and we need that arm of yours?”
Carole stepped forward, offering her arm to Larry. He slowly approached, touched her elbow and then inserted his arm to link with hers, as Ed, in a suit jacket and black jeans with a high-end tee, offered his arm to December, who ceremoniously linked arms.
.
December sat silently, smoothing down her blouse, as Sitko Bladich rowed slowly away from Cabrillo Beach, out towards his friends treading water, for the midnight swim to Fish Harbor.
“It’s a school night, Sitko,” said December. “I have dance first period.”
“You can dance for my grandfather, Sweet Pea.”
.
December and Ed, each giddy, bumped their way back into the Emperor’s suite and made their way to a leather couch. They plopped down, laughing and groaning alternately.
Larry, wearing a serious expression, and Carole entered, each sober and sure footed.
“Let’s do room service,” exclaimed December.
“That would be nice,” said Carole, looking to Larry. “Sound good?”
“Um, okay,” said Larry.
Carole sat next to Larry at the table in the kitchen, pointing to different selections and calling out items to Ed and December. Larry said less and less. When all had been agreed to, Carole placed the call, warmly running through an assortment of meals, beverages and desserts. “Do you want to join them in the living room?” asked Carole.
The two walked into the sprawling main room of the suite, where Ed and December were making out on the couch. Ed held one of December’s breasts in his hand.
“Oh,” said Carole, in a cooing voice. “Here, you think?” she asked, standing at a second sofa, in clear view of the other couple. They sat and for almost a minute, Larry just looked at the two people kissing. Neither Ed nor December broke away.
“Larry?” said Carole. “Do you wanna do that?”
“What?” said Larry, in a voice that rose and broke. He turned towards Carole, who had undone the top two buttons to her dress.
“Nothing to lose, man,” came a low voice from across the room.
Larry turned to face Carole, who smiled up to him, as she lay back in the couch, offering herself.
“It’s okay,” said Carole. “Really.” She reached for Larry’s hand and placed it on her breast. “Really.”
Larry’s phone rang and he quickly drew his hand back, pulled his cell from his pocket and saw “LORI.” He looked to the other couch. “December, it’s Lori,” said Larry. “She’s probably gonna wanna to talk to you.”
December, breaking to catch a breath, said, “Little busy here. Let it go to voicemail.”
“Larry?” said Carole, pleadingly.
Larry stood and walked to the window, away from the couches, taking the call.
Carol buttoned her dress and sat upright. Ed and December continued necking.
“Is that all you, Ed? Yer even bigger than Sitko.”
.
“What happened to meeting your grandfather?” asked December, as Sitko Bladich tied a line around one of four pilings that stood erect, protruding from open water, where once there had been docks and fishing boats. He offered his enormous hand to December, who tentatively stood, putting her small hand in his and stepping from the rowboat, onto the lowest of the four pilings.
“My grandfather drove these piles,” said Sitko. “And my father fished from these docks.”
“Dere’s no docks.” She sat as Sitko climbed to the top piling, smiled to December, and dove into the water, joining his six friends, who were swimming on their backs, circling the pilings.
“They’re all around us,” yelled Sitko. “Dance, Baby! Make ‘em see you on every boat.”
December stood a top the two tallest pilings, like giant go-go boots, and slowly moved her teenaged body in the moonlight, as Sitko and his friends swam on their backs, circling the pilings.
“Sit-KO’s girl!” the friends chanted from the water.
.
“Hello?” said Larry.
“Hey, Bix. You sound down,” said Lori. “You okay?”
Larry looked out onto the wide panoramic view of
Las Vegas, aglow in neon. “I’m okay.”
“Look, hey, just wanted you to know that I re-upped and they even gave me a promise that they’d either drop me back in as an E6 or send me to officer school,” said Lori. “Officer school. Get that. And if I make the London team, they’d allow me to compete before reporting.”
“Wow,” said Larry, without enthusiasm. “That sounds like everything you wanted.”
“It is, Larry.”
“Then you’re lucky. Guess we both are.”
“I just wanted you to know. I haven’t even told my folks. You’re the first one. My best friend.”
“What about December?” asked Larry.
In the distance, Carole and December were giggling. “My God, Ed, you are bigger than Sitko.”
“She’s a nice girl,” said Lori. “She’ll be fine.”
“Did she tell you about Sitko?”
“How do you know about Sitko?” asked Lori.
“She just... mentioned him,” said Larry, looking down the strip of lights. Tears began to fall from each eye.
“Bastard beat the hell out of her.”
“Me and Ed met him,” said Larry.
“You met him? Where the hell’d you meet him? Was she with him?”
“No,” said Larry. “She was trying to get away from him. I threw a soda can in his face.”
Lori laughed. “That great arm of yours, Bixie.”
“Two, actually.”
“But where?”
“Oh, just some club. It’s kind of a blur now.”
“And December was with you and Ed... at some club,” said Lori. “And you guys didn’t call me?”
“Actually, it was just me and Ed, but December was there,” said Larry. “Just a coincidence.”
“Okay, whatever,” said Lori, “she’s a big girl.”
The giggling continued in the distance.
“I guess so, huh?” said Larry. “I’ll miss you, in the army.”
“Could be worse,” said Lori, chuckling. “We could be at war.”
There was silence on both ends of the line.
“Joke,” said Lori.
“I know,” said Larry, freely and silently weeping.
“Hey...,” said Lori, “hey, it’s okay. The President’s winding the whole thing down. Iraq’s over and Afghanistan’s almost done. It’s not my time, yet, Bix. Still got plenty to do. But this’ll keep me on track. Bank some money. Get back among the gainfully employed. And this is what I’m good at. It’s okay, Bix.”
“I know,” said Larry, squeaking as one who tries to hide tears does.
“Don’t tell December, okay?” said Lori. “I’ll tell her when I see her, okay? Larry?”
Larry’s eyes were open, but the lights of Las Vegas were a watery blur. “Okay.”
“Thanks, buddy. I love you, man.”
“I love you, too, Lori.”
Larry sat after hanging up and looked out on the lights.
Carole put her hand on Larry’s shoulder, and he looked up in surprise.
“Food’s here, Hun.”
December and Ed were scooping from platters, pouring from pitchers and picking at their plates when Carole and Larry entered the dining room.
“Everything okay, sweetie?” asked December, biting into a slice of garlic toast.
Larry sat and looked onto the table, filled with trays, platters, plates and carafes. “Everything’s fine. Lori says you’re a big girl.”
“And Ed here is a big boy,” said December, pouring champagne into a flute. “Champagne?”
“Where’s Ralphie?” asked Larry.
“Some old joint off the strip,” said Ed. “Said to call whenever.”
.
Larry and Ralphie sat in the long line of nickel slots on the main floor of the Ponderosa, a club long past its heyday and now host to seniors seeking cheap rooms and cheap slots.
“Wanna do the dollar slots?” said Larry. “I’ll front’cha.”
“Naw, I only do baby slots,” said Ralphie, holding a coffee tin with several inches of coins. “Little ventured, little lost, in the place where they plan on you losing. They can have a few nickels. I’ll keep the dollars.”
A server, whose name badge was engraved “Greg” but had Joey written in grease pen, approached. “Drinks, gentlemen?” he said, lacking enthusiasm.
“Diet Coke,” said Larry.
“Gimme a club soda,” said Ralphie.
“Big spenders,” said Greg/Joey, walking off.
“So why ain’t’chu with the hot women and your friend?” asked Ralphie.
“I... kind’a just... didn’t feel like partying.”
“Can get’ya inta’ trouble, that’s fer sure,” said Ralphie.
“No,” said Larry. “Wasn’t even that.” Greg/Joey delivered the sodas and Larry handed him a hundred.
“You honestly don’t have anything smaller?” asked the server.
Larry looked to the server and then to Ralphie. “Actually, no, I’m sorry, I don’t.” The server walked off without a word.
“You must be new to the ‘having money’ thing?” said Ralphie.
‘‘W’ull, my family has it, but, not me, so, yeh, I guess so.”
“Not a crime,” said Ralphie. “If yer a good person, it won’t change you. It just depends on what’s inside.”
The server returned with the two soft drinks and $92 in change. Larry gave a $7 tip. “Thanks,’ said Greg/Joey.
Ralphie’s slot rang, and a 50-to-l hit paid off two-and-a-half bucks, which Ralphie dutifully scooped into his coffee can, “Well, that’s a mile I don’t have to drive.”
.
“You didn’t have to come down here with me,” said Larry, as he and Carole rode the elevator. When the doors opened, a sign reading “Pool,” pointed to the left.
“I like to swim,” said Carole, in an all-black one-piece.
“I can’t believe there’s so many people,” said Larry, as a crowd of 20-somethings stood near the pool bar, some obviously staggering.
They’re not here to swim,” said Carole. “They’re here because they look good.”
Larry dropped his shirt onto a lounger and slipped out of the house slippers provided in the suite. “I’m going to swim.”
“See ya in the water,” said Carole, laying her towel on the lounger next to Larry’s and setting her bag underneath. “I’m going to check what they have over there, though….”
Larry swam for nearly an hour. When he stepped out, Carole was gone. He dried himself off, slipped into the house slippers, put on his shirt, and headed back to the Emperor’s suite.
Opening the main doors, Larry heard silence. “Hello?” said Larry.
Carole, in a robe, entered the foyer of the suite. “Everyone’s asleep. It’s just you and me. I was going to take a bath. Wanna join me?” Carole walked to Larry, and gently guided one hand to the belt on her robe. As he held the terry fabric belt, she slowly backed up, the loose knot holding the robe together untying. The bathrobe fell open, showing Carol’s nakedness.
“Oh, um...,” said Larry.
Carole drew close again and grasped each of his hands, placing them onto her hips. “C’mon, Larry,” she said softly. “It’s okay.” She backed slowly towards the open door of the master bath, the sound of water rumbling from within. “C’mon....”
Larry was pulled magnetically, stumblingly forward.
Once inside the master bath, Carole dropped her robe, showing a body still firm and gravity-defying. She stepped closer to Larry and slowly unbuttoned his shirt and helped him to pull it off, leaving him in just his trunks, “You can wear those, but it is a bathtub...” She pulled the drawstring and unfastened the Velcro. The still-wet trunks slid down mid-thigh before bunching at the knees.
“Oh my God,” said Carole. “Larry….”
“It doesn’t work,” said Larry. “Never has.”
Carole dropped to her knees and got within inches of Larry’s enormous, flaccid penis. She sta
red at it silently, wide-eyed. Suddenly, she stood up quickly and grabbed his hand. “C’mon,” she said. “Let’s get in.” She guided Larry up the steps leading to the over-sized jacuzzi bathtub and climbed in first, putting her momentarily again at eye level with Larry’s penis. “My God.”
Larry slipped in to the bath, everything below his chest disappearing below the churning, roiling water. “It doesn’t.”
“Baby, we’re gonna make it work,” said Carole, laughing nervously. She slid, close to Larry and placed one hand on his thigh. “May I?”
Larry said nothing.
Carole’s hand wrapped around Larry’s limp member. She began talking in short, panting breaths and making soft moaning sounds, while her fingers explored Larry’s vast flaccidness. “You’re bigger than most of the men I’ve had, hard.” She kept her grip as they spoke.
“W’ull, like I say... doesn’t work,” said Larry, sitting stiffly in the tub. “Never has.”
“Never?” said Carole. “As in, never?”
“Never has.”
Carole’s hand tightened its grip and then began rhythmically squeezing and releasing. “So, does that mean… you’re a.... Oh, Larry.”
“Well, uh, maybe… kind of, but…”
“Oh, Larry,” shivered Carole, suddenly swinging her leg over his, so she straddled him, her hands on either side of his arms, her face inches from his. “Can I kiss you, Larry?”
A voice came from the doorway. Larry looked up to the mirrors surrounding the bathtub to see December, wearing a long tee-shirt, coming in to the bathroom. “Don’t mind me, sweeties. Just gotta pee.”
Larry’s face began to flush. Carole’s breasts floated in the water and rubbed across his chest. The flush roared through the room, followed by December washing her hands.
“No,” said Larry. “I don’t want this.”
“December!” yelled Carole, when December turned to exit. Carole flipped off the jets and climbed off of Larry. “He’s bigger then Ed!”
“No, stop!” cried Larry.
“Oh my God,” said December, standing over the bathtub. “You got something to show, hunny.” December turned. “Goodnight.”
Part Four – Chapter Nineteen