he couldn’t help it.
Georgia went to the stereo, put on a Burt Bacharach album, and turned it down low. The words and melody fell on Ruben’s ears like a maiden’s touch.
“What do you get when you fall in love….”
She walked over to Ruben, grabbed his lapels, and pulled him gently to his feet. “You don’t need this,” she said, bringing her lips very close to his as she slid the blazer off and put it on the arm of the couch. She pulled his shirttails out of his pants and unbuttoned his shirt.
“I’ve always wanted to do this,” she said. Georgia kissed him with lips so soft they felt like tiny heated pillows. He tasted her breath and then felt her tongue enter his mouth. Her arms encircled him and urgently pulled his body into hers. He put his arms around her and felt the smallness of her waist. She suddenly broke away and pushed him so he fell back on the couch. Ruben knew he was in way over his head.
“Georgia,” he whispered.
“Shhhhhh,” she said. “Don’t say anything.” She kneeled in front of him and took his left hand. “Let me touch those great hands.” She felt the calluses on the ends of his fingers and kissed each tip. “I love to watch you play.”
Ruben felt like he was floating above the couch, like he was outside of his body looking at what was happening, like he was slowly being electrocuted with sex.
“Ever done this before, Ruben?”
Ruben couldn’t even begin to lie. “No,” he said
“Thought so. It’s OK, I have.”
She moved her lips to his ear and softly whispered, “Let me take care of everything. I really like you, Ruben. Do you like me?”
“Oh, yes. I’ve never met anyone like you before.”
She laughed, “And you never will again.”
She stood up and, putting one knee on the couch, began to swing the other leg over to straddle him. Ruben jerked forward.
“Wait! I can’t do this. I can’t, Georgia.”
“What?” Her voice changed to a surprised question. “What do you mean you can’t?”
“I mean I can’t. I want to. Believe me, I want to. But I can’t.” Georgia sat back with one foot underneath her. Her voice told Ruben she was not happy.
“Why not? I don’t understand.”
The only response that came to Ruben’s mind was the truth. It all came out about twice as fast as normal. “I can’t. I know this sounds crazy, but I promised my father before he died that I’d wait until I was married. I’m sorry, I just can’t.”
“So, you’re going to stay a virgin until you get married?”
“I promise you, Georgia: if I didn’t give in tonight, I’m never giving in. One day I’ll probably look back at this and hate myself.”
She snorted a short laugh and stood up. She walked over to a drawer and opened it. “You want a cigarette?”
“No, thanks.”
Georgia came back and sat down, put the cigarette in her mouth and gave him the lighter. Ruben lit her cigarette and put the lighter on the table. She inhaled the smoke and flicked the fingernails on her thumb and third finger, making a click-click noise Ruben knew was from aggravation.
“You know,” she said, “I don’t appreciate being built up and then let down like this.” He knew exactly what she meant.
“I didn’t mean for this to happen, Georgia. I’m sorry. I think you’re great.” Georgia moved until her back was resting against the arm of the couch and her legs were stretched out across Ruben’s knees.
“Pour us some drinks.” Her eyes never left Ruben as he poured the cokes over the ice.
“You want some brandy?” he asked.
“Just a little,” she replied. Ruben poured a little in each cup and handed one to her. She motioned to put it on the table.
“Tell me about your father. I’m curious. No one has ever told me no. I’m the one that usually says that.” She smiled and slowly shook her head. “You’re something else, Mr. Guitar Man. Your Dad was killed by a cop or something, wasn’t he?”
“A CHP plowed into him and he died three days later.”
“My dad left us when I was six for some slut back East. We haven’t seen him since. He never writes or anything. I’d say you’re the lucky one.”
“Oh? How’s that?”
“Because you had a great father and he died. But you know he loved you. My father is alive somewhere in New York and doesn’t give a flying fig about me. His accountant sends us a check every month but he never writes or calls or anything.” She took a drag off her cigarette. “I hate him.”
Ruben thought about that. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. I’m sorry, Georgia. That has to be tough.”
“Yeah, well, mom and I do alright.” Georgia took another drag and French-inhaled the smoke very slowly. She leaned over and flicked the ashes in the ash tray.
“Why did he want you to stay a virgin until you were married? And don’t tell me this is the first time the issue has come up. With all the girls you must meet? You’ve probably had a thousand chances like this.”
“Actually, this is the first time it’s gone this far. I was never this tempted before. But I think he wanted me to understand how special making love can be between two people who are totally committed to each other. And I mean no offense to you. Believe me, if I hadn’t made that promise, I’d be on you like love on a puppy.”
Again the French inhale. She stared at Ruben like he was under a microscope. “What did your father tell you about girls?”
“He said that there was good news and bad news about women.”
She smiled. “What’s the good news?”
“The good news is there are only two things you need to know about women.”
She let out a short laugh. “And what are those?”
“Well, that’s the bad news. Nobody knows what they are.”
Georgia thought that was the funniest thing she had every heard. She threw her head back and laughed and Ruben laughed with her. They laughed hysterically and when they calmed down, they started again. They talked until three in the morning, laughing and telling each other secrets.
When he finally got ready to leave and was standing by the door, she said, “I want to give you something.” She pulled him down and kissed him long and hard. Then she attached her lips to his neck and sucked until it hurt. “A Georgia trademark,” she called it.
The last thing she said to him was, “I would be your girlfriend in a hot second, but I don’t know if I could live without sex. Let’s talk from time to time, I really enjoyed this.”
Chapter 2
By the time he was ready to leave his house for the dance, it was two in the afternoon. He had to go over to the lead singer’s house and work out a couple of new songs the band wanted to learn. The band would meet early at The Mag and rehearse them.
He called the lead singer, Mark, and told him he would be there in twenty minutes. Then he called Mike, his brother, who attended UCLA on a football scholarship, to see if he was in his dorm. Mike was there. He told him about Georgia and his brother whistled over the phone. “Close call, little brother.”
After hanging up, he checked his wallet and saw, after getting his share from last night’s gig, he had about two hundred dollars. He took out one hundred and fifty and went back in his room to retrieve the money can off his shelf.