The Arrangement

The Arrangement

It's nineteen sixty-four, I was twenty-one years old and still had never past third base.

         One reason could be that I’m still living with my parents.  Almost every night I look out the front window of the three-story walk up.  We live in the middle of the block and have a clear view of all the windows in the apartment building across the street.  Some of the occupants neglect to either close or even have curtains on their windows; resulting in some very entertaining evenings. 

It’s close to eleven and almost all the storefronts are closing.  Over to the left, on the corner is a seafood restaurant; Arnolds Crab House. 

         I watched Sandy, the waitress was just straitening up after a long evening.  Her tips were always good on a Friday night especially during Lent.  Vincent, a friend and a customer volunteered to help her put the chairs up on the tables.  The owner could see Vince’s interest in her, as he doted over her every move. 

         At a quarter after eleven on this particular Friday I decide to take a stroll down to the corner bar for a nightcap, I drank a lot at that time.  A cool breeze sweeps up Broadway carrying the smells of the city; the sounds of radios playing “Sixteen Candles” and “The Book of Love” drift with the wind.  As I approach the bar I look over and pause to watch Arnold locking the front door of his crab kitchen, Sandy and Vince are talking as they walk down toward the subway.

         Now Vince is my age and Sandy has at least twelve years on us.  She’s divorced and is raising three kids.  What could they have in common?  Curious, I decide to find out…

         “Hey Vince!  What’s up?”  I wave at them.

         They stop walking and look in my direction as I cross Broadway.  Vince comes forward and holds his hand out to me.  “Bob how are ya?  Out for a walk?”  Grabbing my hand he grips me hard and the look in his eye is telling me to get lost.

         “Actually yes, I had nothing to do this evening and thought about a drink.”  My attention is now on Sandy with that pleasant smile and cute perky nose.  “Sandy, you going home?”  She’s still wearing her uniform with it’s short skirt and a spring jacket over her shoulders.  Vince’s eyes are burning into me.

         “Why yes I am, the kids are over my moms and I have the night to myself, Vince was just going to escort me home.”  I always loved to see her grin, with her dimpled cheeks. “You want to come along?”  She flashed a glance at Vince that told me she didn’t want to get stuck alone with him. “The more the merrier!”

         I look into his eyes as I say, “Sure, I’m not doing anything special.”  Vince is mouthing ‘F...U..’ at me.

         The train ride takes us to Nassau Avenue in Greenpoint Brooklyn.  She lives in a two story brownstone on a quiet block, we stop in front of the door, “Thank you so much guys, I really appreciate you going so far out of your way.”  She hugs Vince and kisses his cheek then turns and hugs me; a shock goes down my spine when our lips meet, the aroma of her perfume is so sweet and she is so warm and soft.

         She steps back and asks.  “It’s late, but would either of you like a cup of coffee, a soft drink or something harder?”

         I could almost see Vince’s heart jump up in his chest and a light come on behind his eyes, “I really could go for a drink…” His tongue was almost hanging out of his mouth.

“You really don’t have to bother, it’s late and we don’t want to bother you.”  Vince is ready to beat my head in.  I can hear ‘Shut the F… Up’ radiating out through his small, thin skull.

         Up on one step, she’s speaking over Vince’s head directly at me. “Oh. It’s no bother, no bother at all, come on up” She turns, key in hand and climbs the steps to the front door.  Vince is right behind her, panting like a dog, almost smelling her butt.

         Now what’s going through my mind is, what is on hers?  Why invite both of us up there?

         The foyer and hall are dark; they need a paint job, the stairs creek, it smells of cabbage, garlic and stale coffee.  Her apartment is a small three bedroom with a combination living room, kitchen and dining room. 

         “So Bob, I haven’t seen you hanging out around the neighborhood lately, what have you been doing?”  She slips out of her shoes and jacket; then stretches up to hang it on the back of a closet door, her short skirt rides up dangerously close to where her legs meet her butt.

         I pull out a kitchen chair and sit at her table.  “Busy working, there’s a big push on a special project, I’ve been doing a lot of overtime.”

         Vince is still looking around, he missed her little stretching show completely.  “You said you have hard liquor, you have Rum?” 

         Looking at her soft brown eyes, “I’ll have what every you are having.”

         She opened a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Rum, looking at Vince, “You want it strait up or on ice.” 

         “Strait please with a Coke chaser, if you have it?”  She finished setting him up and started a pot of coffee.  She is a very good looking woman, with an attractive figure, brown hair piled on the back of her head in a bun and a long seductively beautiful neck. 

         Turning from the stove, she started for one of the bedroom doors, “I have to change, I’ll be out in a few.”  She pointed at me, “Watch the coffee doesn’t boil over.”  Closing the door behind her.

         “What the Fuck?  What’er you doin here?”  Vincent hisses at me in a course voice.

         “She invited me.  Remember?”  I whisper, stared right back at him.

         He finishes his shot and pours himself another one, hardly touching the Coke.  “I had plans with her!”

         “The question is, did she have plans with you?”  He downs the shot, sips the soda and pours a third.

         “She’s been givin me da eye for a long time and I figured ta’night was goin to be the night!”  He sips the soda, then holds up his shot glass, “But you had ta show up and piss on my dream.”  Vince downs the third shot and pours another. 

         I can see how fast the alcohol is working on him, his eyes are becoming tiny pinpricks and he is having a problem standing.  “Vince, you better ease up on that stuff.”

         “I’m fine,” He flops down on her couch spilling some of the shot on his pants. “Shit, see what you did!”  He laughs at himself.

         I can hear the coffee pot start to perk and I lower the flame.  Looking over my shoulder, I watch him down what is left in the shot glass and gulp down half the soda.  Followed by a long loud belch. 

         Looking through her cabinets I find cups, saucers and sugar; I set the table with both cream and plain milk.  The slow drone of the percolating seems to be putting Vince to sleep.  He is rocking his head slowly in circles; his eyes becoming heavier with every swing of his head.  Finally he is laying back, his head against the back of the couch, eyes closed and snoring to beat the band. 

         The bedroom door opens and she is wearing a housedress with a bow neck.  Bare foot, the callus’s of standing on her feet all night and red toes show her pain of working as a waitress.  Without support hose, her legs have the signs of varicose veins, she is not wearing makeup and her face shows the wear and tear of parenting.  But she is still a beautiful woman, with a vibrant personality.  Seeing that I set the table and am about to bring the coffee pot to the table, she sits down, “Thank you kind sir, it’s nice to be waited on for once.”

         As I pour her a cup she looks over at Vince, “Poor schnook thought he’d get a piece of me tonight!”  She pours some cream in her cup and sips at it. 

         I was amazed; I had never heard a woman speak like that before.  I didn’t know how to respond to her.

         “So, are you after my ass too?”  She smiles; leans back crossing her legs and folding her arms over her belly pushing her breasts up over her forearms.

         I act indifferent and pour a little milk into my coffee, and blow on it to cool it off.  ‘Just how?  What?  What do I say?’  Was all that ran through my mind.  ‘Yes, I do want a piece of you, but I’m not going to tell her that.  My father said to always be honest.’

         “To tell you the truth… I wasn’t thinking about that.”  ‘Think Bob, think fast’ The coffee is too hot but I sip it again, burning my lips and tongue.  “I was actually wondering what you and Vince had in common?” ‘Throwing the ball back in her court!’

         She cut right to the chase. “You never thought about bedding me?”  Now she’s really toying with me.

         To whit, the only response that comes to my lips is, “Sandy, are you fucking with me?”  She bursts out in laughter.

         “Yes I am Bob, since Tony cut out and left me and the kids I’ve been very lonely.  The kids are my life, but I need some adult partners.  I am way over Vince, all he’s looking for is a role in the hay, I need someone to be able to talk to.”

         I pull out a pack of cigarettes and offer her one.  She accepts and we light up.  “Listen, I’m no lover, I’ve never been in a relationship that lasted more than two weeks.  I’m probably just as horny as he is,” Pointing at Vince. “But I do know how to talk and I do find you very attractive.”

         “How old are you?  Twenty, twenty-one?”  She took a long drag on her cigarette,  “I am over thirty-three, I have a twelve year old daughter, a nine year old son and a seven year old little girl.”  She uncrosses her legs and arms, she grabs her breasts and squeezes them tight,  “These are sagging, my ass is sagging, but I still need a man.  Because I need to provide for my family and have to work every evening, I can’t afford myself the luxury or amenities of courting and I can’t stick some man with my family.”

         I sort of felt a load being piled on my back.  I was as honest with her as she is with me, but I am approaching her as a young inexperienced adult.  “I have no answers.  I feel you are smart and mature, you're at a point well beyond me.”

         She leans forward and puts her hand to my cheek, passing her thumb over my lips.  “Would you be willing to sacrifice your innocence and youth for a romp in the hay with this tired old lady?”  She kissed me and added,  “It’ll be the first time since Tony left, five years ago.  Remember there is no love here, it’s just an arrangement!”

* * *

         Saturday morning Vince opens his eyes to daylight streaming in through the back kitchen windows.  He finds himself still on the couch, covered with his coat; his tongue feeling like dry sand paper and tasting like shit.  When he lifts his head there is the throbbing of his pulse; it feels like it’s pushing his eyes out of his head.  “Where’s the bathroom?”

         I open my eyes; I can hear Vince stumbling about in the other room.  Sandy is laying beside me her arm and leg covers me, her sweet perfume still lingers in my nostrils.  The memory of our encounter last night flashes through me causing my member to stir and press against her knee.  We’re both naked and only partially covered by a sheet. 

         I hear the bedroom door creak open, Vince is poking his head in and moans, “Oh Shit!”  Then he slams the door, I can hear him stumbling about in the living room, then another door slams and he is gone. 

         Sandy moves her hand down across my abs and belly to grasp my semi erect shaft, she presses her body against mine and nuzzles my neck.  As she speaks I feel her breath on the most sensitive part of my neck, “You ready for day two?”

* * *

         From that weekend on, almost every Friday night I took her home and stayed with her till Saturday evening when her kids came home.  Sandy called that our social night, it was the night Tony had the kids and the night this kid had Sandy. 

         This went on till December when I lost my job and wound up going active duty in the Navy.  Vince finally wised up and found a real woman.  I called Sandy the day I went active and she told me to go on with my life, Tony was coming back.  She said the arrangement was over. 

         We had taken the best that each of us could give.  There were feelings of loss on my part and I’d guess on her side also, but it was a special experience that we both walked away from without regret.  I never saw her again, I think she had moved away with Tony and their children. 

         That spring of nineteen sixty-five, I met and fell in love with the woman that became my wife, my dream and to this writing have never thought back on those months with Sandy. 

* * *

         I’ve changed some of the names and locations, but the basis of this tale is true.  We will be celebrating our forty-fifth anniversary this year.