Good Enough to Eat
TOO HOT TO HANDLE
“Why’s it so fuckin’ hot in here?” Her Caroline moaned, and Teddy’s ears pricked in alarm. Lover never swore until she was on her last nerve.
“Didn’t you turn on the air conditioner?” The petite blonde was stomping around the apartment in short shorts and a halter top, but Teddy could still see beads of perspiration pooling at the hollow of her long, lovely throat.
“I turned it down an hour ago,” said the lanky butch, ambling over to the wall unit. She tapped it with her finger, then fiddled with the dial before proclaiming, “Looks like it’s broken, babe.”
Caroline snatched up the phone and dialed the apartment manager. She was polite at first, then firm. Finally she ended up arguing and pleading, but to no avail. It was Saturday night, and there would be no help until Monday morning at the earliest. “I’m going to die of the heat, and then I’m coming back here to chase away every new renter. It’s hard to rent a haunted apartment, you know.” Caroline tossed her curls dramatically, slamming down the receiver. She rolled her big brown peepers at her butch. “She says the air conditioning in all the apartments is out, and recommends we take cool baths. Humph!” Teddy watched her fascinating girlfriend plod over to the refrigerator. Wrenching the door open, Caroline stood in front of it for the cool breeze.
“Well, we could go out, take in a movie or something,” suggested the blue eyed butch. It was her one night off all week, their ‘date’ night, and Teddy was expecting to get lucky. Not likely now, she thought, considering the circumstances. When Caroline was out of sorts, nothing could get her in the mood.
“There’s nothing I want to see,” complained pretty Caroline, pouting. “I’m just going to die, I know it!” She stomped her slender bare foot on the kitchen tile. “Even the floor is hot!”
“Well you can’t stand in front of the ‘fridge all night,” said Teddy. She crossed the room and folded her lover in her arms. “How ‘bout we go to the bar for awhile?”
“It’s so dark and smoky in there,” countered Caroline, nuzzling briefly at the collar of Teddy’s black t-shirt. “And wine always makes me hot, anyway.”
“That’s what I like about taking you to the bar,” claimed her butch, kissing the top of her blond ringlets. Humidity always curled Caroline’s hair, which just annoyed her more. “I like you hot.”
Wrong answer.
“Well I’m hot now,” stormed the miserable femme, slapping at Teddy’s arms. “You like me now? Huh, do ya, huh?!”
Caroline jerked away from their embrace and plopped down on the couch, picking up a magazine which she used to fan herself. “I’m just grouchy, Teddy. You know I hate summer.” She sighed exhaustedly. “Just leave me be to suffer. You go out,” she ordered. “There’s no way you can fix this.”
“You sure?” clarified Teddy, impatiently running blunt fingers through her short brown hair. She’d been caught before in femme webs were you did what they said and then paid a price for it later. “You sure you don’t want to do something?” she pleaded. “It’s date night.” She winked at her lover encouragingly.
“I’m positive.” Caroline waved her out the door without rising from the couch. “I’m miserable. I’m bitchy. I’ll just drag you down, and there’s no fucking way I’m going to want sex tonight. Go play some pool with your butch buddies and get out of my wretched frizzy hair.” The blonde yanked on her curls, bringing tears to her own eyes.
Teddy knew that once Caroline’s mind was made up, she never changed it. The frustrated butch burst out of the third floor apartment and down the dark stairwell.
Her body was the only thing moving the heavy air. Outside it was little better. There was no wind, no breeze, not even the thought of one. Those dressed to go out hurried into air conditioned cabs. The rest sat listlessly on doorsteps, waving paper fans. Teddy rounded the corner and swung into the three block walk to the bar. She’d play some pool and get drunk. Just like when she’d been single.
Halfway down the street she heard the tinkle of an ice cream vendor, and watched as children came pouring out of buildings, clutching bills in their hot little hands. A brightly colored wagon pulled to the side of the curb, and the driver, a good looking young woman with shoulder length red hair pulled into piggy tails started serving up icy treats.
Teddy noted her curvaceous body, hugged by very short overalls and an off the shoulder white peasant blouse. Lithe legs led the butch’s eye up to a softly rounded bottom that wiggled as the vendor dug around inside the freezer compartment to fill orders. Teddy dug in her pocket and pulled out a bill.