lostgenone

I.
              Laying, submerged from bottom to top she floated just under the surface. Her creamy legs stuck upright abruptly and lead back into the depths of the tub that was a shimmering aqua blue with the assistance of the rose scented bubbles that were beginning to dissolve. She closed her eyes, water circling her face and leaving her a mask of damp skin that hit the coolness of the air as her ears filled with water. Her chest moved in coverage, each heaving breath covering and uncovering the soft silky skin that was adorned with bubble residue. She adjusted and sat more upright, her arm hanging over the ivory curve, her bobbed hair releasing tiny drops that rolled down the back of her neck and onto her shoulders.
             "Really, my dear, I don't understand how you can spend so much time in here" a well dressed man said, curling his lips to hold his cigarette as he undid his zipper and began to urinate in the pot next to her. She looked at him and smiled, her body making the water lick the sides of the tub. He flushed quickly, washed his hands and sat on the edge of the tub looking at her body through the cream and aqua reflections. She looked up at him and moved forward taking the cigarette from his lips and slipped it into hers.
             "Really, my dear, I don't understand how you can spend so much time out there" she said raising her arm and pointing to the door of the bathroom, water falling from her elbow as she smoothed her jet black hair and pushed it behind her ears.
             "You were never fond of groups," he said running the top of his hand along her jawbone.
             "I was only fond of you." She slid back lethargically into the warm water and let out a subtle moan of pleasure.
             "Won't you come out though? Just for a final drink? It is getting terribly late." He asked standing up and flattening the creases on his slacks. He plunged his hand into a towel and rubbed it roughly to expel the water he had accumulated while tracing soap bubbles with his index finger. She closed her eyes and handed him the finished cigarette. He took it and threw it in the toilet where it sizzled, quickly commanding her attention. She sat up and smiled at him and drew her legs close to her chest and hugged them warmly, looking up at him batting her eyes. He grabbed her robe from the back of the door and held it out as she stood tall, water rushing down in streams and trickling onto the rug below, and some onto the floor. He kissed her neck as she tied the sash and he grabbed her around the waist and began dancing to the music that slid under the bathroom door and echoed on the tiles softly.
             "Come dance with me," he said quietly in her ear, kissing her neck as he pulled back. He walked out with a quick jump and she slid out the other door and stood before her closet searching for something simple to wear before his company. She stood before her mirror and pinned her hair back tight, the curls beginning to crumple the smoothness the water created. She powdered her face softly and dabbed a little pink on her cheeks and bit her lips to promote a little color. Her dress was simple: dark blue and fitted, buttons all the way down the front. It fit softly over her freshly washed skin and floated serenely as she walked out of the room in her bare feet, nails colored red, to greet the people milling throughout her apartment.
             "I did not suspect you would grace us with your presence this evening," said an older man in a gray suit as he exhaled smoke into the center cloud of the room. It surrounded the hanging light and made a spectrum of dark and light grays that reflected against the light in an almost green color that was streaming to reach below.
             "Well, your surprise Mr. Walker," Val said smiling coyly.
             "Quite so Val-we haven't seen you in ages" said his wife as she rushed from his side to hers, stopping quickly at seeing Val's bare feet. Her smile drew dim and she swallowed any remark she wanted to make as Val walked away from the corner and linked arms with the well-dressed man from the bathroom.
             "Ah, there you are darling," he said kissing her cheek. "Gentlemen, this is my Val."
             "Good evening miss," they each said in turn as they continued to drink gin and smoke their cigarettes. Val looked them over and laughed as they continued to talk amongst themselves about money and stock.
             "What is it?"
             "Oh nothing, Frank. Nothing at all." She said biting her lower lip. Frank smiled at her and slid his arm around her waist as guests began to excuse themselves. The men he was speaking to looked at the two of them and smiled.
�Frank and Valentine,� one said. �How did you manage to end up here?�
�We met in school,� Frank said. �And once the talkies came out we never left one another�s sides!�
�Do you have any sisters, Valentine?� the other asked with a sly grin. Val giggled to herself and smiled at him with batting eyelashes.
�I don�t,� she said. �But there is enough of me to go around.�
The three of them laughed, Frank�s arm pulling her against him tightly. Valentine carefully left the group as they began speaking about work again. She began across the room when Gloria Walker stopped her with a complaint.
             "If you continue playing such outrageous records you'll have no one left to subject them to," the sour faced woman said as she slipped in the distance between Val and Frank. Frank turned and entered the conversation before Valentine could say a cross word to her.
              "Oh now, Gloria. You know Val loves to find the sounds of every moment. I always have to make her promise not to go to the 'block beautiful' without me," Frank said grinning.
              "Harlem! You surely would not go there alone!" Gloria said taking Val's hand and looking again at her bare feet and their blood red polish. Val took it back, smoothed her hair and looked at Gloria with giant green eyes.
              "Why surely YOU would not Mrs. Walker," Val said. "But I would." Gloria looked at her horrifically and gathered her brown fur shawl around her neck.
�Has she always been this way?� she asked, taking Frank�s arm. Frank smiled at Gloria sweetly and assured her that Valentine was well behaved and meant well. At the last words from his mouth Gloria excused herself from the area.
              "Val, darling, why do you always ruffle that old hen's feathers?" Frank asked between his teeth and out the side of his mouth as he waved good-byes to exiting guests.
               "Surely you would not enjoy it any other way," Val said walking into the empty room and to the record player. Her pale wrist bend slightly as she changed the large black disk and dropped the needle upon it with a muffled thump.
               "You still owe me a dance." Frank walked to her and smiled as he met her hands and body and they began rock to the soft sounds.
              "Mmm�don't you love this?" Val asked Frank as she put her hand against her head as though the beauty of enjoyment was excruciatingly painful. "I heard him play two weeks ago in that smoky hall we visited last summer�it was just fantastic."
              "You really should not have been born the way you are," he said taking her fingers as they tapped the beat on his shoulders, and kissing them.
              "I suppose your fancy friends could buy me some dark makeup and I could be fully what they expect me to be."
              "They only expect you to be you. It would be boring if we were all the same."
              "But still, I do not understand how YOU mix with them." She said looking at him seriously as they still danced in the middle of the floor under the dim light. "Do they know that we listen to jazz and dance up and down Lenox? That we have black friends? That we do not like America and intend to move to Europe? That we are not married?"
              "I'm sure they know dear, they just don't want to know. They cannot comprehend the truth."
              "I suppose you are right," she said kissing him softly. "You always are, you know."

              "Val?" Frank said quietly in their moonlit bedroom, the crisp white sheets camouflaging her cream skin and leaving her a mess of dark hair on the top part of the bed.
              "Yes?"
              "You still dream about going to Europe?" he asked. She faced him warmly and kissed his nose in the dark.
              "Of course. Don't you?"
              "Yes," He said quickly. "I was only curious�I had not heard you mention it for some time before tonight."
              "Because I don't vocalize things does not make their passions any less." She said.
              "I suppose you are right." He said. "You always are, you know." Her hand brushed his striking dark features as they radiated against the dim window light and warmed his cool cheek with her soft palm.
              "Franco darling," she said. "I want to go soon."
              "I know my sweet Valentine, I know." He said kissing her hand softly and slipping his arm around her silky nightgown, raising it slightly and arriving at her waist. "We will. Soon." His lips met her ear and whispered "Soon" again and she let out a gasp of air as he buried his face in her neck and pressed against her more fully.

�Oh Val, your dress is just beautiful,� Anna said as they walked side by side up the gusty street, through the multicolored masses, watching the windows.
�Why thank you Anna,� Val said. �I do have to try and compete with your radiating beauty sometimes.�
Anna laughed and drew her bags close in her tight fists; her hands rough and turned inward to avoid running into anyone.
�Can I buy you an iced tea?� Val asked. Anna looked at her as their walking slowed and Anna smiled and looked at the crowds with her dark brown eyes, the whites standing out prominently against her cinnamon skin.
�That is truly a sweet gesture dear, but I must be getting home,� Anna said kissing Val�s cheek.
�Will you be out tonight?� Val asked, squeezing her package between her ankles and smoothing her hair.
�I don�t know�James don�t like me going out so much.� She said.
�If you do look for Franco and I�he would love to see you.� Val said. Anna pulled her hat tight against her head and the rim framed and shadowed her face perfectly.
�Goodbye dear�thank you for the afternoon!� Anna said walking away with a side sashay that made all the men look. Her hips rolled from step to step and made her look strong.
Val picked up her package and began to walk, adjusting her bags in her hands while trying to remain lady like as she began towards her apartment.
�Now dear, let me get us a taxi!� Mr. Walker said coming behind her and taking her arm in his hand. Val looked at him with alarm and chuckled when he stepped in front of her, his large frame bending any inclination she had to run.
�Mr. Walker�you really should not surprise people so!� she said. �Though, I must say, I am happy to see you.�
�Let me get you a taxi?� he asked.
�No�I am almost home!� she said smiling at him, her green eyes lined darkly sparkling through his round glasses. He smoothed out his suit jacket and then his hair and looked her over closely, from her shapely legs to her highlighted waist, and to her chest.
�Then let me accompany you, at least�you�ve bought more than you can carry.� He said.
�If only that were true,� Val said as they began to walk. �One can always carry food home�like an ant.�
Mr. Walker began to huff and puff as they approached Frank and Val�s front step and Val smiled at him and his flushed cheeks.
�Come inside for a drink, George.� She said. He smiled at her and moistened his lips with his tongue indiscreetly. He followed Val�s saunter wide eyed and felt his heart race as her skirt lifted slightly with each step and revealed a little more leg, and a little more line. Val opened the door and lead him to the kitchen where they put down their bags. Val took Mr. Walker�s jacket and hung it on the rack next to the door and encouraged him to take a seat facing her as she began to gather her drinking supplies.
Val bent down to pull out two martini glasses and came back up with Mr. Walker behind her, pressed against her behind. She gasped and tried to step forward but his large hands grabbed ahold of her waist and pulled her back roughly.
�Gloria does not like you�she thinks you are wild,� he said hotly against her neck. �I want to see how wild you are.� His mouth moved from her ear to her shoulder and left a slightly damp trail. Val inhaled quickly into her tight chest and tried again to move forward. He had her pinned against the counter, pressed behind her harder and harder as he began to lift the bottom of her dress. Val�s eyes opened wide as she felt his hand rub against the lace of her stockings, high on her thigh.
�George�what are you doing?� she asked.
�Exactly what you want,� he said, breathing heavily. His fingers wrapped around her leg, pulling her skin taunt.
�I want to face you,� she said. He grunted against her hard and laughed, and turned her around and began immediately to press against her and undo the top of her dress. She looked at him and at the crazed passion in his eyes and watched his fat fingers clumsily push her tiny white buttons through the holes.
�You are so beautiful,� he said. �So alive.� He had her dress half undone and her bra was sticking out, her breasts heaving. He raised her dress again and looked at her legs closely, crouching down and running his tongue from their lace tops to the edges of her panties. He pressed against her again and she gasped feeling his excitement stab against her as he began to pull her panties down at the hips.
�George, what if Frank comes home?� she asked slightly intoxicated by the event.
�Frank is still at the office�I just saw him.� He said, his mouth full of her skin.
Val looked at him and undid more buttons, watching his smile grow as he began to slide out of his pants.
�Look what you do to me Val,� he said pulling her close and making her gasp. He pulled her over to the chair he was sitting in and sat down pleased, looking at her as she sat on his lap, facing him. He kissed her neck and onto her breasts and she rubbed softly against him until she was brave and grabbed his attention wholly.
�Oh Val�� he said. �You�are so delicious.� She rocked on his lap and watched his face contort as he grabbed her butt roughly and pulled her closer. �What am I doing with Gloria! I need a girl like you�.�

�Frank, darling�I am really quite ready to go.� Val said walking toward him in her robe, her long cigarette sitting between her fingers, her lips in a small pout. He pressed his head against her silken belly and kissed her, his hand rubbing along the inside of her leg.
�So soon, baby. So soon.� He said. �I discussed the possibility with the president today and he said there might be a place for me in an office in London and Paris.�
�Oh!� Val said, running her hands through his black hair.
�I should know by the end of next week.� Frank said. Val smiled at him and crawled into his lap grinning, and kissed him.
�I do hope so,� she said.
�Did you get the things I asked you to?� he asked. �George and Gloria are coming over the day after tomorrow.�
�On their own or with their entire entourage?� Val asked.
�Just them,� Frank said. �It is a kind extension.�
�I did get everything you wanted,� she said, �But I might schedule a bath for that night.�
�Val�do be kind. Gloria is rather hopeless but George rather likes you, I think. And it is of the utmost importance that he thinks well of me�us, because he has a rather large say in whether we can go abroad or not�but I�ve told you all of this before. I don�t need to keep threatening you that way.�
�Yes�� Val said feeling the smoothness of her lips with her first two fingers. �I do know the importance a man like George Walker carries in our situation.�
�Now Val�you don�t need to be so serious,� Frank said. �Are we going out tonight?�
�I asked Anna if she would be out and she said something about James not wanting her out so often,� Val said. �I did not press the issue in case he was being hot headed. I did not want to see the results on her gorgeous skin like last time.�
�Yes�poor Anna. I wish she could come with us.� Frank said.
�I don�t know if she would be happy in Europe.� Val said. �She is happy here�surrounded by a world she is creating. I only wish I had her power and stamina still.�
�But you do, darling. You do.� Frank said. �You are just tired. You need change. You get tired swimming upstream so often.�
Frank extended his legs and leaned back in his chair comfortably. Val looked at him and kissed his forehead and removed herself from the room and sat down at the writing table and began to plan the meal for the Walkers. She stared at the blank paper for a few moments as Frank drifted to sleep: when he woke up abruptly he startled the both of them. Val slid into the next room and under the crisp covers while Frank lit a cigarette in the dim light and stared at the wall, ignoring her action. After three, and heavy sighs he retreated.

�Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Walker, I�m glad you made it,� Val said as she opened the door and stood against it. Frank stood beside her and took their coats and extended a firm handshake and mild kiss on the cheek. George Walker looked Val over and grinned out the side of his mouth and looked at Frank and began to talk loudly about publishing. Gloria Walker entered the kitchen with Val and stood against the counter.
�Can I get you a drink?� Val asked.
�No dear�if I start drinking now I�ll be in a coma the rest of the night.� She said. �I do hope you don�t mind me being in here�I�m simply sick of listening to George ramble on about publishing today.�
�It is fine. I like to have a little company besides Frank.�
�You say that as though you don�t have people running in and out of here at all hours of the day,� Mrs. Walker said with a quick retort and slight gasp.
�I don�t.� Val said. �And more importantly WE don�t.�
�I see.� Gloria said.
�I don�t expect you to live my life Mrs. Walker, but at least respect it when you are in my home.� Val said straightly as she continued to slice cucumber. Mrs. Walker turned to leave but heard her husband rambling on and turned back towards Val and pursed her lips.
�Is there anything I can help you with?� she asked.
�I�m quite fine, thanks.� Val said.
Eventually Mrs. Walker slipped out and joined the men�s conversations. As Frank and Gloria began to talk George slipped into the kitchen and Val looked at him slightly surprised.
�Good evening George,� Val said.
�Good evening Val,� he said walking closer to her and breathing her hair in deep. He stood over her from behind and whispered into her ear with hot breath and she stopped cutting.
�I want to see you again�I must.� He said.
�But what for?� Val asked coyly, wanting to laugh at seeing him so flustered.
�For you�� he said. �I�ve been craving your skin for days now.�
�How lovely,� Val said. She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow and smirked.
�When can I see you again?� he asked.
�Why should I see you again?� Val asked, her stomach burning with nervousness. She looked at the door repetitively and listened for breaks in Gloria and Frank�s conversation.
�Let me fuck you again, Val�oh Val�.� He said pressing against her hip. �I want to taste you again.�
�And beyond that what is in it for me?� she asked. �You are married. I don�t expect this affair to go far.�
�Anything you want, Val�just let me in you again.� He said. She looked at him and turned toward him pinning him to the counter, pressing her waist against him. She could feel his heart beating in two or three different places, not to mention the little droplets of fog that were forming in his glasses. She pressed hard and he put his hands on her lower back and rubbed softly down lower until he met the top of her legs.
�There are only two things I want,� Val said. He looked at her as she bit her lip and breathed heavy. Her words came out slow and hissing from down deep, and she looked at him with sultry lips and eyes.
�What do you want, Val?� he asked. �All I want is you.�
�I want you�� she said stopping to listen for footsteps, �to make sure Frank gets transferred to Europe.�
George looked at her confused for a moment and thought a second longer than Val�s nerve expected or liked. He looked at her and pulled her close with a grunt and rubbed his lips against her with a warm and sexy kiss.
�You give me you, and I�ll give you that.� He said. �We are having a meeting concerning it Wednesday. You deliver and I�ll deliver.�
�Then good,� Val said licking his ear and nibbling his neck. She cupped him in her hand and squeezed softly and pressed her chest against him. �I�m looking forward to it. Let me know the details.�
�You tell me when and where and I�ll be there.� He said.
�Get a room�and I�ll meet you.� She said.
�When?� he asked excitedly.
�Tuesday night.� She said. He nodded at her and tried to go in for another kiss when she pushed him away quickly as Frank and Gloria suddenly joined them.
�Are you two chatting it up in here, too?� Frank asked.
�All about zucchini, if you can imagine!� Val said. �Apparently Mr. Walker likes zucchini considerably. � She looked at George and saw he was flushed and uneasy.
�More than anything, Frank.� He said slightly muffled. �More than anything.�

�I haven�t had a meal this good since we stayed at the Waldorf Astoria.� Mr. Walker said, eyeing Val.
�Yes dear, that was lovely.� Gloria said as she cut her food into tiny pieces and picked through them like a bird.
�Is that a nice place?� Frank asked.
�Quite so,� George said. �It can make dreams come true.�
�They have a superb evening meal�starting at 7,� Gloria said. �They feed you clear til 10!�
�That sounds lovely,� Val said, rubbing her foot against George�s pant leg under the table.
�Yes,� he said nervously. �But I like the evening drinks best. At 11.� He looked at Val and she nodded.
�11 is a wonderful time for drinks,� Val said. �I can imagine why it was so charming.�
�We�ll have to go there sometime,� Frank said.
�Sometime.� Val said.

�Waldorf Astoria, please.� Val said as she sunk into a taxi and pulled out her face powder. It was 10.45 and she had experienced more trouble getting out than she had originally imagined. Frank was nervous about the meeting at work that would decide his international fate, and wanted to stay in. That she had predicted. What she didn�t expect is that he wanted her to stay in, too.
Val tapped on the glass and licked her lips so they were shiny as she handed the taxi driver money and got out of the car in her long jacket and scarf. She walked carefully in her heels and entered the hotel�s main floor, clicking against the marble as she head to the bar. Her hair was pinned back perfectly and her makeup was bright�her lips and eyes could be seen from 100 feet away, and then you saw her body. She let it peek out of her coat from time to time, her breasts pushed high and her skirt riding just above her knees.
�Val,� George said peeking out of a corner. Val smiled at him automatically and sauntered to him, moving her hips carefully. She bent over and grabbed him by the tie and his jaw dropped, as did his eyes, which were stuck looking down the top of her dress. He stood up quickly leaving his half glass of whiskey on the table and walked Val to his room with one arm around her waist, carefully moving down and squeezing, then moving up and cupping her breast.
Val walked inside the upscale room and drooped her jacket over the sitting chair against the wall. She looked out the window and felt George breathing on her neck. She turned and smiled at him and walked to the door and made sure it was locked. George watched her walk across the room from where he was and followed each movement closely as she slowly took off her dress.
�Would you help me?� she asked. George raced over and fumbled with the back zipper until he revealed her lower back, and her pantiless bottom strapped with her garter belt.
�It is a little cold�I do hope you can warm me up,� she said playfully as she slid the dress to her ankles and stepped out of it

�George, I must go.� Val said gathering her clothes and slipping inside them. He reached for her and rolled over sleepily.
�Do you have to?� George asked. �I�m trying to muster the energy to take you again.�
�I held up my end of the deal, George.� Val said looking at him sternly. �You hold up your end and we�ll talk.�
�Fair enough.� He said. �Can I help you get a taxi?�
�I�m fine. I can fend for myself.� Val said. �It is only 3am.�

�Val?� Frank said jerking his head up in bed. He walked into the kitchen groggily and looked at her getting a drink from the juice pitcher.
�Go back to sleep baby,� she said. He smiled at her and looked at the clock and laughed.
�You were out late tonight,� he said.
�I got a late start, remember.� She said.
�Did you see Anna?�
�No�I didn�t.� Val said replacing the pitcher and walking towards Frank. His body was glowing an olive hue and the dark hair on his legs and belly were standing out in the dim light. She ran her hand across his furry stomach and took his hand and saw him back to bed.
�I�ll be in shortly. Get some rest�you have a big day ahead of you.� She said. He kissed her cheek and climbed back into bed and buried his head in his pillow.
Val went into the bathroom and washed her face with hot steaming water and scrubbed at it roughly until it glowed red in the mirror. She drew a bath and brushed her teeth while avoiding her face while by looking at her body in the mirror. She could not wait for the water to fill the tub and hopped inside, beginning to wash profusely: she was done before the water was at the usual filling line, standing tall and shivering slightly as her water dripped down. She pushed her hair behind her ears and climbed into bed with a sweet smell and hugged her pillow, just after kissing Frank on his forehead with a smile.
�Sleep tight sweetheart. Good things are going to happen to us.�

�So you think you�ll be moving soon?� Anna asked as she and Val sat across from each other and sipped coffee.
�I certainly hope so,� Val said. �We should both know soon�Frank is supposed to meet us here as soon as his meeting is over.�
�How wonderful. I�ve missed him.� Anna said.
�He asks about you all the time�he is sad he can�t come out as often because of his job.� Val said.
�At least I still see you,� Anna said. �Sometimes I worry everyone will go away.�
�You have a whole city that loves you,� Val said. �And countless poets that are just dying for you to look their way!�
�Oh please Val, don�t kid me like that.� Anna said her complexion turning pink.
�It is true! I see the way they look at you�� Val said.
�I ain�t never noticed.� Anna said. �Must not be true then.�
�You don�t notice a lot of things, sweetie.� Val said. �You are a very beautiful girl.�
�Thank you Val�you always pay me so many compliments I don�t know what to say.�
�Just swallow them down and let them soak in your belly until you need them,� Val said.
�I�ll do that.� She said.
�And how is James?� Val asked.
�Busy working,� Anna said. �He is so beat tired when he gets home he wants nothing more than a little hot food and a bed.�
�Not much for going out anymore either, I see.� Val said.
�I suppose so, but what is worse is he don�t want me to go out anymore either.� She said. �And I love him�but I don�t know if I love him THAT much, you know?�
�I know.� Val said. �You can�t let him compromise what you want. He�s just a man�there are 12 more waiting for a chance at you, Anna. 12 more, and 12 after that!�
�I told him that once�and he knocked me down. I walked funny for a week.� She said.
�Don�t take it baby, don�t take it. You are too wonderful to be hurt in any way�and if you can�t defend yourself you come tell me and I�ll defend you.� Val said. �But you are the strongest woman I know to start with so the offer is pretty dead.�
�It�s a kind offer darling--I do appreciate it�but if I brought you into it he would breathe fire and it would all get worse.� She said shaking her head. �We�d end up dead at his feet.�
�What? Why is that?� Val asked angry at Anna�s words. Anna looked at her sideways and swallowed.
�Well, cos you are white, Val. No black man wants a white woman messin� in his business.� Anna said.
�I suppose you are right.� Val said. Anna took her hand and smiled.
�I tell you though�you are the best friend I�ve ever had no matter what color you are.�
�I�m glad Anna. I feel the same about you.� Val said. �I wish you would come to Europe with us.�
�Honey�I wouldn�t feel right there. I�m just finding my place here.� She said. Both lit a cigarette and sat back in their seats and sat up abruptly as they saw Frank walk over toward them quickly. He smiled at them and gave Anna a kiss on her cheek and hugged her tightly. He sat between them and smiled.
�So?� they both asked excitedly.
�I�m scheduled for transfer next week!� he said. �Paris.�
�Paris!?� Val asked. Frank nodded and they both smiled unable to contain themselves.
�You�ll be gone in a week,� Anna said. �I can�t believe it.�
�Me either, sweetie. Me either.� Val said, in shock that it had actually worked out as she planned.
�I�ve already got our tickets,� Frank said. �George let me onto a tip and got me one.�
�I�m glad you got a deal,� Val said.
�He seems excited to see me go. If it wasn�t for him I don�t think I could have landed the transfer position.�

�Mr. Bresson?� Val asked, her skirt lined perfectly with her stance, her waist squeezed tight and her eyes standing out brightly. The suited man turned away from his focal point, a sculpture in the corner, and faced her.
�Ah, Val!� he said smiling at her. �To what do I owe this occasion?�
�I am leaving town,� Val said. �I was curious as to how much longer you were going to allow my work to collect dust in your gallery.�
�Leaving town? Where to?� he asked.
�Paris.� She said. He looked at her and slid his hand into his suit pocket smoothly.
�Paris!� he said. �How spectacular. Your art will benefit, I suppose.�
�I expect it to, yes.� She said. He looked her over and rubbed his chin, and pushed his glasses higher on his nose.
�I only have one piece left,� he said. �I do have a few people who I am expecting to see things privately but I cannot guarantee sales.�
�I see.� Val said.
�Val�how about you sell me that work. I will give you a respectable sum for it and when I sell it the profits should cover the gallery fee.� He said.
�Of course, Mr. Bresson. If you would like.� She said, holding her handbag between her legs front and center.
�Val, it would be my pleasure. You have brought me some successful business with your paintings.� He nodded to her and pulled out his checkbook from his front pocket.
�I thank you for giving me the opportunity at all,� Val said trying not to seem too interested in his scribbles. Breaking contract was not something to negotiate: money was money.
�Val, I expect you to visit me when you come back.� He said. �If you come back.�
�I will,� she said. He handed her the check and she slipped it inside her bag without looking at it.
�I think Paris will be good for you,� he said. �The influence will be delightful.�
�Thanks again. Good luck with your shows, Mr. Bresson.� Val said turning and walking out of the room.
�You too, Val.� He said waving behind her.

Val walked down the street with as much composure as she could stand. When she got to the staircase of the apartment she flew up three steps at a time and burst into the door.
�So?� Frank asked, packing things into boxes.
�It went well,� Val said unbuttoning her sweater, out of breath. �He even cut me a check.�
�For how much?� Frank asked. Val handed him her bag and urged him to look first. He carefully pulled the check from the bottom of her bag and sat back, looking at the scribbles.
�The writing�I can�t read,� he said. �The numbers though�I can.�
�So what do they say?� Val asked slightly annoyed but enjoying the tease.
�One hundred thousand,� Frank said lifting his eye at her.
�Oh shut up,� she said grabbing it from him and looking herself.
�Two fifty,� she said. �Two hundred and fifty dollars.�
�Not too bad, Val,� Frank said.
�Not quite what it was worth though,� Val said. She sat down and stretched out in her seat.
�If you need money, you can ask.� Frank said, his hand cupping her knee. Her skirt flowered out and creased together in its width.
�I don�t need money,� she said. �I have some.�
�But if the time ever came�� he said. �You don�t have to live poor.�
�I don�t.� she said. �But who knows what will happen in Paris.�
�I don�t. But we�ll know soon. 4 days, in fact.� Frank sat down in his soft chair and lit a cigarette. Val walked over and sat on his lap and hugged him softly, her cheek against his.
�I love you Frank,� she said. �I really do. I just don�t know how to tell you so you�ll understand.�
�Oh Val,� he said. �I know.� He smoothed her hair with his large hand and kissed her forehead softly.

�Martin, Roland,� Frank said. �This is my Val.� The two men looked up at her and smiled as she hung on Frank�s arm getting nearer to their drinking spot.
�Val,� Roland said. �I�ve heard so much about you. Fantastic to finally meet you.�
�Same,� Martin said. Val smiled at them and kept her hands near Frank as he stood tall and smug.
�Gentleman, it is my pleasure.� Val said. They each fumbled their hands in and out of their pockets as they began talking about the Paris office and the intensity of the literature they provided.
�They�ve been publishing horrible things,� Martin said. �Certainly not something a writer could show his mother.�
�They are much more laid back there,� Frank said. �What is shocking here is hardly eye raising there.�
�Perhaps,� Roland said. Val pulled from Frank�s arm and excused herself, floating towards a drink tray on the opposite end of the room. Frank watched her as she passed by Gloria, who looked down at her as she walked by quickly, as though she was racing to get away from a bug on the floor. Val watched her shuffle across to a small group of ladies who were all over 45, their hair was getting gray and their hips were widening. They each held their row of peals across their necks as though it was their final claim to beauty. Val laughed to herself briefly and continued toward the center drink tray when George stepped in front of her and grabbed her shoulders to help her regain her balance.
�Val,� he said smiling at her with a crooked grin. She looked up at him and took a deep breath. Her cheeks were a stressed rose color and turning white with cold.
�Geor�Mr. Walker,� she said. �Good evening.�
�We did it,� he said. �This is Frank�s farewell party.�
�Yes,� Val said looking around at all the people. �But you really must keep this quiet.�
�What are you going to give me to keep my lips shut?� he asked running his finger against her elbow. �I can think of a few things that would work splendidly.�
�I naturally cannot discuss with you tonight.� She said.
�I see. But you can, of course, invite me for drinks the afternoon of Frank�s departure.� He said, his hand in his pocket flopping incessantly. Val opened her mouth to correct him and bit her tongue in a daze.
�I�suppose I could,� she said looking at Frank carefully. �He leaves early.�
�Then there will be no worries any longer,� George said to her. �And I can take you when I please.�
Val gasped behind her drink and her eyes remained on Frank. He smiled her way and she felt at ease as he slowly walked toward her, understanding her distress call. His dark features throbbed through the colored light and reflected against the gloss in Val�s eyes when he approached closer.
�George,� Frank said. �How are things?� George looked up at smiled nervously as Val hooked onto Frank�s arm with immediate intensity.
�Well� he said. �Fabulously well.� George licked his lips and looked at Val with steamy eyes.

�Do you have your trunk ready?� Frank asked. Val nodded happily and pulled it with all her might to the door of the apartment. Frank grabbed her around the waist and buried her in his arms with a hug and kiss.
�We are finally going, sweetheart. Finally!� Frank was elated and walking with light steps, sliding from one end of the empty apartment to the next.
They stacked their things at the door and listened for the taxi to come as they carefully brought down one thing at a time. They didn�t have much, but the things they had were heavy. Each a trunk of clothes, and each a trunk of belongings. They had moved much of their things to Frank�s brother�s house a few miles away in an effort to travel lightly. The taxi came and honked its horn and the driver walked around to their things as Frank helped him fit them into the trunk.
�You might need a second taxi,� the driver said. Frank stepped into the street and watched for a few minutes and came back, helping the driver move things around in an effort to make them fit.
�We will, I fear.� Frank said. Val walked into the street and called for one and it came quickly. Frank smiled at her as she spoke to the driver and he quickly ran around and began to move the trunk on his own. Frank walked over to help and he was flustered a bit at the enormity of it. The taxi drivers spoke as Frank kissed Val and they got into separate taxis.
Each watched out the window closely as New York City began to pass by. The roads to all their favorite places, clubs, cabarets, the gallery shot by in a blur of sooty lines and silvery windows as they bounced carefully to the docks. Frank paid them both when they arrived and the men moved their trunks to a rack allocated near the boat.
�Thank you gentleman,� he said. �Have an excellent afternoon.�
Val smiled at them both, raising and dropping her hat and turned and grabbed ahold of Frank�s arm. There were quite a few people milling around the landing site, both as passengers and as workers. The rainbow of classes could be seen reflecting against the water and permeating in and out of the boats.
Frank spoke briefly with a few people and discovered their specific port and carefully guided Val and their trunks that direction.
�Brest, 8 am,� a man called out. �Please load.�
Frank pulled their tickets from his front coat pocket and smiled at Val as a man began to load their trunks onto the boat. They walked up the steep ramp and a man in a blue suit with gold buttons smiled at them and looked at their tickets.
�Welcome aboard,� he said as they passed through, the people behind them forcing them down the narrow entrance and hall. Val held her bag tightly under her arm as Frank led her quickly down the corridor. It was musty, closed in and dark and then suddenly they were in a large open area and it was cold and fresh. Multiple couples were walking around, some in very fancy clothing with parasols, smoking and looking down on the other people.
�Dear god, it is a boat of Gloria Walkers!� Val said, her hand over her mouth. Frank looked at her and pulled her close for a kiss.

George Walker strut down the sidewalk, winking at the girls he passed by. His dark blue suit was just a little tight but he held himself tall and sucked in his stomach the best he could. He breathed freshly through the sidewalk population and arrived at Val�s at 11am, just in time for an afternoon romp and some lunch. He went up the stairs and leaned against the door with a grin and knocked.
�Oh Val darling,� he said, waiting for the door to open. He watched the door, holding his breath to listen. He looked at the neighbor�s doors and checked to make sure it was the right one. He tried the door and it opened, and he stepped inside shocked by the dark and empty shape he found it in. He flipped on a light and looked around in a huff. The hand that had been hanging from his waistband now produced a fist that he held against his hip tight. He turned to leave and found a letter with his name on it pinned to the back of the door. He pulled it off, ripping the top inch of it and opened it roughly, walking to the light in the hallway and reading it.

Dear George,
�don�t be cross. You knew it wasn�t going to last. Thank you for everything you did for us. For me. Best wishes to you and Gloria.
With love, Val.

He walked downstairs, the letter crumbling in his hand, and he threw it into the street gutter where the ivory paper turned green and then black, the ink running. George walked with his head down, his jaw clenched, and stormed home.

�What is your problem today, George? Bad day at the office?� Gloria asked. �I thought you would be ecstatic that you finally got Frank out of there.�
�Leave me alone, Gloria.� He said. �Bring me some scotch.�
�Well, which is it?� she asked.
�Scotch,� he said roughly, looking at her with a hard stare.
�Really, George. What are you so cross about?� she asked. He stood up and closed in on her, cornering her near the bar. She looked up at him as he growled and grabbed her arm and moved her out of his way, flinging her a few feet away from the bar. He threw ice into his glass and clanked the bottleneck against his glass. He took a large swig and threw the glass at Gloria�s feet and it shattered, making her scream abruptly. She began to walk out of the room, somewhat paralyzed with fear, and made it into the doorway of her sitting room when George grabbed her arm and brought her against him. She cried out and tried to loosen his grip on her frail upper arm when he let go of her and stared at her with a dirty grin. She slapped his face and he grabbed her again, one hand at her neck and the other at her shoulder and backed her against the wall and undressed her before throwing her on the bed, and him over her. He held his hand over her mouth as she tried to scream and shout, tears streaming and her teeth trying to bite: he smothered her while he took open advantage of her body and left her gasping for air when he was done. She was afraid to move�stuck to the position he had left her, her undergarments ripped and pale skin bruised.
�I�ll have you how I want, when I want,� he said in her ear, his fist full of her hair, pulling softly. She looked at him with glossy eyes and let out a simple quiver from her chest. �And you�ll do what I want, when I want.� She looked at him as though he was not there�she could see the wall behind him and not his aging face anymore.
�Like now. Again.� He said putting his mouth against her breast and bringing her hand to him. �And act alive this time.�

�Oh Val, baby�� Frank said, his mouth smoothing a trail of moistness across her shoulders and along her neck. �You are so good to me.� Val kissed him softly and pulled his hair softly in her hands as she climbed over him and rested against his throbbing body. She smiled at him, wiggling a little in her seat and smiled when his hands grabbed her hips and guided them where he wanted them.
�Do you want me?� she whispered in his ear, nibbling it softly.
�More than anything,� he said pulling on her hard and listening to her gasp in his ear. He let out a moan and pulled her against him even harder this time and she let out a cry. He felt her shake in his hands and he smiled, throwing her against the bed and climbing over her, taking her ankles in his hands and leaning down for the prize. She still had his hair in her hands, and she watched as he kissed and caressed her body gently, but forcefully. She kissed him warmly and grabbed around his waist and tried to pull him closer and closer. They both shook and the bed banged against the wall of the cabin as they heard the people next door talk through the thin walls.

Dearest Anna,       November 10th, 1933
It has been only a few days and I�ve already missed you terribly. Our daily walks and talks have been sorely craved in this vessel of rich white folk.
Frank and I have spent some great time together, mainly looking off the side of the boat as the ocean floor passes below us. There were whales! And Porpoises! He�s stood behind me, keeping me warm as we watch the sunset each night. After our evening meal we return to the deck and recline on chairs and point out the constellations to one another, daydreaming about Paris.
We are docking in Brest tomorrow, where I will post this missive to you. I hope it arrives in your hands with the warmth and love in which I sent it and that it finds you well, healthy, and happy in New York.
I would trade in all the nights in Harlem for one hour with you today.
        With all the love in the world,
         Val.

�Trunks and bags to the left,� a man from the boat yelled out as Frank led Val down the steep staircase to the dock below, streaming with people of all types, from the boat and who lived and worked in the Brest streets lined with cobblestone that twisted the ankles of foreigners.
�We will get directly onto the train for Paris,� Frank said. �We are only 580 kilometers away.�
�By morning, then!� Val said. �All through tonight.� Frank smiled at her and hailed a taxi to take them to the train station. His French needed practice but worked and met their needs. The taxi drove them quickly, their trunks fitting tightly, Val sitting mostly on Frank�s lap. The train station was 20 minutes away and cost them a few Francs they were willing to spend to get one step closer to their destination.
The train was warm, and Val and Frank sat across from one another both looking out the windows. People looked different here, the storefronts and streets, and the signs. Val smiled each time she saw a sign in French and tried to figure out what the translation was before asking Frank.
�Not too bad, dear� Frank said, when she knew what they meant.
�It is really not that bad,� she said. �A lot of it is common sense.�
�Yes dear,� he said. �But you�ll need more skill than that to live.�
�Most Americans don�t know French when they come here,� Val said. �I suspect it will be a delightful challenge.�
Frank took and kissed her hand and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes and began to doze on and off like he did the entire route. Val gave up looking out the window when it got dark: all she could see was her reflection. Eventually she tired of reading and sat next to Frank and curled into his arm and slept against him.

�Val�� Frank said, rubbing her knee softly to rouse her from sleep.
�Hmm?� Val asked drowsily as she opened her eyes a little and looked out the window.
�Look at it,� he said. �It�s beautiful.�
Val sat up and rubbed her eyes. She moved closer to the window, moving seats and facing Frank and looked at the ground as it passed by. There were endless green fields that were beginning to show as the sun came up and made them glow orange and red.
�Breathtaking,� she said. �How far are we?�
�Almost there.� He said. �We stopped in Le Mans not too long ago.�
�I didn�t expect to sleep so long,� she said.
�It was good to rest. We have a big day tomorrow�well, today.� He smiled. Val nodded and he stood up and kissed her forehead and stood up.
�I�m going to find us some coffee,� he said. �I�ll be back in a minute.�
Val kept her nose pressed to the glass and smiled each time she passed by something wildly different from back home, which most of it was--country side and farm lands. All of it was lovely. No tall buildings, smoke, or streaming people�until Paris began to unravel before her.

The novelty of Paris quickly took it�s toll on English only speaking Val as she walked the streets while Frank spent extended hours in the offices. The weekdays were always the same�early to rise, boredom until dinner, and then an abrupt trip to bed with tired company. Val tried hard to take the city head on but it was not as easy as New York had been�Paris was daunting. The weekends were filled with publishing parties and authors she had never heard of, and was expected to suck up to�especially the Americans.
�The American�s living abroad are in great conversational circle, Val,� Frank said watching her get ready for a party, late Saturday night.
�I don�t care for a conversational circle unless they are having decent conversation, dear,� Val said turning her pale neck just enough to make her stark black hair fall in her face slightly.
�These fellows really do have lovely things to say,� he said. �Even if it is often anti-American.�
�I can�t imagine it wouldn�t be!� Val said lining her eyes with a drastic, dark charcoal color, eyeing Frank in the mirror as she spoke. �Any American living abroad is escaping America on some level.�
�Even us?� Frank asked, tying his tie.
�Most especially us,� she said. �You know that is how they see us, Americans?�
�I�m not sure,� Frank said. �But you are always right.�

�The women are absolutely exquisite!� Val said trying to smooth her hair behind her ears.
�They are lovely, yes,� Frank said kissing her cheek. �But none as lovely as you.�
�Oh Frank, you flatter me so,� she said. �Keep it up.� She winked at him as she departed from his side and began to take closer looks at the numerous conversational pairings throughout the room. They had arrived fashionably late and were among the prime numbers the party had drawn from the seductive Parisian night sky. It was fairly obvious who the artists were�the writers in particular because they did not bend backward to mingle with the publishers. Their onlook was devouring as they practically licked their chops and smoked furiously among their loudly dressed companions, all hoarding the corners of the room.
�Pardon me,� Val said bumping into one of them at the bar as she carefully saved her martini from sloshing out the side of the glass.
�Ah�no�pardon me!� the man said smiling up at her making sure none had spilled on her burgundy dress. He took her free hand and kissed it and smiled a very dirty grin and faced her confidently.
�Very well,� she said smiling, and drinking a large sip. The man smiled at her with large eyes and fumbled his cigarette pack and lighter out of his pocket and flashed them before her.
�Can I offer you a cigarette?� he asked.
�Yes, please.� She said.
�Come over here so you can put down your drink,� he said leading her to one of the smoky and dark corners of the party.
Val sat down carefully between a very masculine dressing woman with beautifully radiant features who was smoking, and a man who spoke loudly in French with his hands. His audience laughed often.
�Ah, here�� the man said lighting the white stick bouncing in her lips.
�Merci,� she said. He smiled at her and sat across from her.
�How long have you been here in Paris?� he asked.
�Only a couple of weeks,� Val said leaning in so he could hear her. The man nodded and smiled.
�And you?� she asked. He took a deep breath and thoughtfully exhaled smoke in large quantities.
�It feels like forever,� he said. �The days and nights on the streets and in the dregs make time run slow.�
�But you don�t live that way now do you?� she asked, alarmed.
�No�no. I�ve a friend who provides shelter,� the man laughed. �Frankel.�
�I don�t know him.� She said. �But I wouldn�t expect to.� He laughed at her and watched her ravenously.
�Of course.� He said.
�What kind of�work, or trade are you in?� she asked.
�I�m a writer,� he said. �Sometimes.� He chuckled heavily and grinned at her sideways.
�I see.� She said.
�And you?� he asked. She shrunk back in her seat softly as the woman beside her looked at her with a raised eyebrow and at her breasts that peeked from out of her dress. Val sat forward quickly and answered with the same speed.
�Nothing.� She said. �It�s a lovely life.�
�Nothing! I don�t believe that.� He said.
�Well, I do paint,� she said. �I do a few different variations of visual art. But I don�t make much money. I had a small gallery exhibits in New York that only went moderately well.�
�And is that why you�ve come here?� he asked. �To bump elbows with the great artists at their core? To uphold the European life that everyone makes into some exquisite romance?�
�Not specifically, though it would be delightful. I did see a few recognizable faces amongst the crowd.� She said. He nodded. �It would be far too awkward to approach them casually and beg conversation of them.�
�I understand,� he said.
�I feel very out of place,� Val said. �I thank you for your conversation. It helps.�
�You should feel out of place,� he said. �You are.�
Val looked at him with a slight blush and swallowed hard.
�You are in France�not New York. There is a big difference. Everything is different. You can�t pretend you are still in the States�you aren�t.� He offered her another cigarette when Frank came strolling by, surprised to see her sitting and talking. Val smiled when he walked up, swallowing the words she had just heard, and introduced him to the man.
�This is Frank, my�modern equivalent to a husband,� Val said.
�That�s a new one Val,� Frank said. He looked to the man and shook his hand.
�And it�s nice to finally meet you,� he said to the man. �I hope to be working with you someday.�
�Is that so?� the man said. �In what respects?�
�Frank is the latest publishing transfer from New York,� Val said excitedly, with pride. The seated crowd in the corner each stopped talking and gasped for air before letting out a gigantic, bleeding burst of laughter at her expense.
�You think so, huh?� the man asked, looking at his writing counterparts seated around him, now watching. They each made comments between bouts of laughter.
�He has superb talent as an editor and has great power as a publisher,� Val said standing up, angry at their ridicule of them.
�I have not met a man yet beyond my companions who would dream of publishing my work,� he said.
�But can you not possibly imagine that HE could be one of your companions? Or the fact that he knows you at all! Or that you are here! Is that not some source of progression to you?� Val asked, nearing his face. He snickered at her but let her have the last word as Frank wrapped his arm around her waist and lead her to the center of the party. He got her a new drink and kissed her forehead.
�Do I have to supervise you at all times, dear?� he asked. She shook her head still trembling with anger and frustration. Her cheeks were pink with embarrassment.
�No dear,� she said sipping her drink quickly, not allowing its burning path appear in any grimace or discomfort on the external.
Frank walked away, beginning to speak with some business looking men on the outskirts of the dance floor. Val put her drink down hard on a passing waiter�s tray and stomped her foot stiff in an effort to get rid of the last gulp she had taken. A hand wrapped around her upper arm and ushered her to the middle of the dance floor when she was faced with the striking woman who had been sitting next to her moments ago. The music was so loud they could not hear each other speak unless they were close, and they danced among the mixed couples, their hands around their waists, Val in a dress and the woman in brown slacks, a dress shirt and tie.
�Do not let him get under your skin,� she said. �He is only angry he is not Joyce.�
�There is only one Joyce,� Val said. �Speaking of which, do you believe he is here?�
�Do not allow yourself to be fooled by a name or appearance,� she said. �Stay with me and avoid any possible meeting until the proper time presents itself.�
�And you?� Val asked looking into her giant eyes and at her crystal cream jawbone, trying to focus on the faces she saw beyond them as they circled around.
�And me?� she asked looking at Val�s pouting lips, still mildly surprised she was dancing with a woman she did not know.
�What do you do?� Val asked. The woman�s hand rested just below her waistline and slid from side to side as they moved, making Val stand straight up, pressing her chest against her.
�I,� she said with heavy breath into Val�s ear, �search the streets of Paris. Scour them in an attempt to make my words true.�
�So you are also a writer?� Val asked.
�Everyone is a writer,� the woman said. �Which is why you must not allow us to get under your skin. Why you cannot allow you allegiances be known to anyone.�
�I see.� Val said.
�No�� the woman said with her lips so close to Val�s cheek she could feel her hot, alcohol distilling breath drop on her lips. �No, you don�t see. But you will.� The woman raised her hand and ran her thin fingers through the hair falling from behind Val�s ear. Val pulled back with discomfort and turned directly into Frank�s tall body and pressed against him in an attempt to camouflage herself into his jacket.
The woman looked at them and walked away unfazed, and seated herself among the same crowd in the corner, watching Val out the corner of her eye, her legs crossed tightly and a cigarette dangling seductively out of her mouth.
***

�My dear, what are you pouting about?� Frank asked as he brought coffee to Val who was seated, hidden in her robe, against the cold wall on their bed.
�I don�t like it here,� she said. Frank chucked at her, watching her dainty hands reach out and hold the large mug and bring it close to her extending neck.
�But we�ve only been here 2 months!� Frank said.
�And it has only gotten worse!� she said. Frank sat alongside her and rubbed her leg through her robe.
�You don�t want to leave, do you?� he asked. She looked up at him and bit her lip uneasily.
�I am not comfortable here. Everything is new and never changes,� she said. �But really everything is old, and I just don�t know what to do.�
�Well�where do you expect us to go Val?� he asked. �I had to work on getting here for you for so long!�
�I don�t know Frank, but this isn�t the place for me� She said. �I miss New York but I don�t want to go back there.�
�Then where?� he asked. �America?�
�Yes, America,� she said. �There is so much we haven�t seen yet.�
�That is true,� he said. �But I do not know how probable another move is.�
�I know,� she said, her face buried in her hands. �It is disgusting to have said anything at all.�
�No,� he said, pulling her hands from her face and holding them to his heart. �I want for you to be happy. I can have my publishing hell anyplace.�
�I just want to be happy,� she said. He kissed her forehead and brushed her hair back carefully.
�You think about where you would like to go and we�ll make a plan� he said. She nodded with a grin and sipped her steaming coffee as she avoided looking out the window at the top of Parisian buildings she had waited to long to be among.
�The grass is always greener on the other side,� she said. �I cant help I�m addicted to that dream.�
�It is what makes you beautiful,� Frank said. �And besides. You�ve not painted ANYTHING since we�ve come here. It is most obviously bad for you.� She smiled at him with a small giggle and buried her face against his shoulder and closed her eyes in peacefulness, her temple speeding to meet his pulse.

Dearest Val,        February 3rd, 1934
I miss you ever so much! New York has certainly not been the same without you, though life has continued forth and the days continue on. James has finally left, my existence causing him too much trouble and worry to be worth the lay he gets occasionally. He still comes around regularly, trying to push me back onto the submissive side of things but I�ve carefully avoided his contact on numerous occasions by staying out late and bribing the companionship of various men at the clubs. I did meet one man, (a white man if you can imagine!) whom James would murder if ever he saw us together. He thinks me absolutely beautiful, and far superior to his wife, who�ve I�ve discovered to be a snooty bore like the women you used to mention Frank worked with. He�s got money and a strong taste for me�he bought us a room at the Waldorf Astoria to meet up in when he doesn�t come to my place, practically knocking down the door and licking his lips. His name is George, and though he can be rough with me, he treats me good�rough with craving is all. Finally someone who treats Anna good, Val�finally. Like you�ve always hoped for! You�d be happy for me Val�you should be. What is life like for you? Do you intend on coming back? If you came back you could see how my white daddy whispers against my neck when we�re out and you can smile along with me�oh do come back! I�m dying to see you. Give Frank my love.
         ---Anna.

Frank had perfected his route to the office: he passed by the local patisserie and indulged in the baked goods he saw steam up the morning windows. His long gray coat moved with him as he walked with cold feet to the second floor office just a few blocks from Notre Dam cathedral. The river and the cathedral were a spectacle that never became monotonous, and he would raise his head and allow a puff of smoke mixed with hot breath fog into the cold air to begin his trying day at the publishing office.
The office was stuffy: the owners were very fond of heating, but had no such comprehension of too much heated air recirculating. Frank never complained because he was, at least, not cold like the poor fellows on the street below. He avoided watching out the window for that very reason�and then there was Val, who would never show up.
Frank would put his coat down once he got home, excited to finally be with someone with substance: someone he could talk with and ramble his day away at. It always started the same way.
�You should have seen the cathedral today�it was stunning.� He would say. Val would sit across from him smoking, unamused, and perched on the couch like a sphinx. �I do wish you would come with me some morning Val��
�I�m not interested in being abandoned in a populated area for a few minutes of attractive scenery.�
�Abandon? You live here Val�you could get home.� He said. She shook her head and pursed her lips and watched out the window as Frank sat back with an exhausted stretch, and sighed.
�Have you begun to make plans for returning?� Frank asked, his eyes closed, head resting against the back of the chair.
�No�but I�ve begun to elect possible choices so you can see where you can be transferred.� She said.
�And where are those?� he asked.
�San Francisco and Chicago�� she said.
�And no New York?� he asked.
�I�m ready for a break from New York,� she said, blushing. She brought her hands to fists and hid them at the sides of her legs. Her jaw clenched.
�Fine then,� he said. �I�ll put in for something�but don�t expect it to happen too fast.�

"Oh, Claudette�" Frank said, brushing the blond hair from her face smoothly, revealing her rouge cover cheek. He still had her hand as they ducked into an alleyway just outside of Pigalle, just outside of the crowds.
              "Franco," she said with a thick French accent. "You look as though something is wrong."
              "I'm leaving," he said. "The company has approved my transfer just today, and I'm to ship out in 5 days."
              "Five days?" she asked, pressing against him warmly-her cold nose against his warm neck.
              "Yes," he said, his heavy breath hanging above their heads in the foggy streetlight. She took his hand into hers and he followed awkwardly, his hat hanging from his free hand.

               "I had hoped to get in touch with your husband," the writer said as Val opened the door and found him standing before her. "Is he here?"
               "No," Val said looking at her watch. "He is late tonight." She looked at him with contempt.
               "Oh, I'm sorry then." He said. "And I did want to see you also�to apologize."
               "For what?" she asked. She pulled on his sleeve and he came inside, and she shut the cold hall out with the door. He unraveled his scarf and smiled at her in a charming way.
               "I didn't mean to anger you," he said.
               "It takes more than that to anger me," Val said, putting a small pot of coffee on the burner.
          "I don't like to make beautiful women blush unless I'm doing something terribly dirty to them," he said with a smirk. Val looked at him with her eyes raised, slightly shocked, and turned back to her kettle.
          "Very well." She said.
          "How is the painting coming?" he asked.
          "Not well," she said facing him. "I was dreadfully mistaken about this place. I don't like it at all."
          "No?" he asked.
          "Not a bit." She said. "It is not altogether unlike New York, but so�.not right."
          "New places are always like that." He said.
          "I can't bring myself to subject myself to it any longer. We should be getting word any day now about a transfer back to the states."
          "Shocking," he said. "And sad. I'm sorry you didn't have a good time. I have some excellent places I could have taken you."
          "I doubt it would have helped any," she said. "I've been around some�but I much prefer to be here. Alone." She poured them coffee.
          "Come out then�before you leave. And when we come back Frank will be here." He said. Val looked at him suspiciously and agreed, drawing her jacket tight and locking the door.

           "What is your name, anyway?" she asked. He smiled at her and laughed softly.
           "You don't know?" he asked. She shook her head.
           "My name is�John. And you�Val, right?"
           "That is correct." Val said. He smiled at her and she linked her arm into his and they strolled toward Parc Montsouris.
            They spoke as quickly as they walked in the cold, and finally rested at a hidden caf� that was dimly lit and draped in sensual red fabrics. They sat, sharing a very small table and watched as people came in and out of the light, leaving, arriving, and situating.
            John rambled on about his experiences in Paris, and his experiences before then.
            "So you've been married how many times?" Val asked.
            "3," he said. Val laughed and looked him over.
            "That's incredible." She said. "I can't even manage one."
            "Why is that?" John asked. "Does he not want to?"
            "The opposite," she said. "Though I intend on marrying him eventually. I just think we will last longer if we wait longer."
            "Perhaps," John said. Some people he knew walked in and sat nearby, and let their conversation bleed onto Val's and John's, and soon their tables were pushed together and they were all laughing joyously.
            "So I says to her," the man with a bad Brooklyn accent says, "I don't got the money�" Val watched him intrigued by what he would say next. John stood up suddenly, bumping Val as he went, and she turned to see him walk over to Frank, who was walking into the light on his way out. Val stood up quickly just as John took a step to the right and revealed a small blonde following Frank out of the dark, their hands melted together and cheeks red. Val put her hand on the chair to stable herself as her eyes met Franks, and John turned around to catch the slow motion reaction she had to the couple. Frank let go of Claudette's hand immediately and Claudette looked at him shocked, and moved closer, bringing her mouth close to his open collar. Val grabbed her bag and rushed past them, opening the door hastily and leaving a cool breeze to hit their face. Frank looked at John dumbfounded and pushed Claudette away from him violently. She left and walked quickly down the same street.
             Claudette didn't recognize Val as she walked cold and without a jacket down the damp street in the dark. Val alternated between crying and growling in anger, her eye makeup rubbed all over her face and her nose red from the cold. Claudette passed by her, stinky perfume lingering in the air and a heated rush fell over Val as she began to speed up and follow her closer. Her shoes clicked and echoed in the alleyways, and she shook her ass like she was trying for attention. Val muffled her heavy breathing as she got closer and closer and reached out for a handful of her hair.
              "Dear, come get warm," John said grabbing Val by the arm, making her reach fall just short of its goal. Val looked at him angrily and fought to get away from him, only to press against him harder.
              "She's not worth it," he said. "She's a whore. Look at the way she walks."
              Val snarled at him without saying a word, her red nose blowing steam into the cold night air. John wrapped her jacket around her shoulders as she eventually went limp and rested her head against his shoulder. His stomach was warm, and she wrapped her hands around it inside his jacket as he rubbed her back. She looked up at him breathlessly and caught him by surprise as he looked down at her frozen. Val looked at him carefully and pressed her red lips against his and felt the warmth of his hot tongue in her mouth. He backed her against the wall and brought her leg around his waist on the inside of his coat and pressed against her hard. She wrapped her hands around his neck and licked his ear as he kissed down the inside of her button down dress, undone by 6.
              "Take me home," she said, her hands fumbling against his belt buckle. He pressed against her hard and growled in her ear, his hand on her butt, squeezing tight. He pulled away breathless and took her hand as they raced down the street.

"Val?" Frank asked softly his face pressed against the door of the bathroom. She gave him no reply but the water clucked like an angry tongue and invited him inside. She was smoking with her eyes closed, her head resting against the back lip of the tub, her knees poking above the water and goose-pimpling with the breeze created by the opening door.
               "Valentine," he said. His voice was hoarse and his clothes smelled like sweat and the dampness of the Parisian streets: Part dirt, part scum, part rain. His hair was disheveled, sticking to his face and curling behind his ears while his hands floated above his thighs with tight knuckles and white in his fisted hands. Val looked over at him after a particularly exasperating sigh and rolled her eyes back closed.
              "Where is your girlfriend?" she asked. She put her cigarette out in her bath water and promptly lit another. She had a bottle of vodka propped against the back foot and reached for it silently taking sips that made her gag.
              "She is not my girlfriend," he said. "Yes�we had a small affair. But it is nothing. I love you."
              "Ah." She said. "And what makes me less than a small affair?"
              "I do everything for you, Val. I'm in France for you." He said. "And you never give me a break."
              "You are busy breaking your girlfriend, that's why" she hissed. He clenched his jaw and grabbed her arm and stood her up, dripping onto the floor as she stepped out of the tub forcefully. He threw her robe at her and roughly placed her in the chair facing the bed and sat across from her.
              "Don't fucking mess with me Val�" he said. "What the hell is your problem? You are the one running around with JOHN!"
              "Who?" she asked.
              "John Thursday!" he said. "The pornographic writer. Like I am supposed to believe that nothing happened with that!"
              "Would it even matter?" she asked. "What you think is more true than the truth to begin with."
              "Exactly." He said. His hands nearly covered his face by now and he was turning red and white with alternating glances.
              "I don't fucking understand," he said. "We're not married."
              "This is why." She said.
              "Because of my infidelities!?" he screamed. "MY infidelity?"
              "I suppose so." She said.
              "My one for your half dozen, right?" he asked. "I am supposed to let you run your ass all over the place but if I even kiss a girl I'm a prick!"
              "I do not run my ass all over the place." She said.
              "I got a letter from Anna telling me something about George�something that he told her." He said.
              "And?" Val asked.
              "AND!?" he asked turning bright red and growing more hasty and violent in his gestures.
              "You think I was in love with George?" she asked looking at him nauseously.
              "It doesn't matter," he said. "You did it."
              "So the fact that I fucked our way to France? That I landed you your transfer job means nothing?" she asked.
              "You didn't think I could do it myself?" he asked.
              "That has nothing to do with it. It happened because I wanted to come here." She said.
              "I can't believe you," he said. "I can't believe I am living for a two-bit whore."
              Val stood up and slapped him in the face leaving a fine imprint of her hand in red and white marble.
              "Get out of my house," he said. She stood tall and looked at him sternly and raised her eyebrows seductively. Her hand touched his cheek and she bit her lip softly, bringing her breath closer to his lips with each second. She kissed him sweetly, and carefully brought her body against him as he pulled her closer with his hand around her waist. He threw her on the bed and crawled over her roughly, pulling her hair and kissing her so hard her lips felt as though they would burst and bleed.
               In the dark of the pale moonlit room Frank nudged her softly and she looked at him. She batted her eyes sweetly and brought her hand to his warm belly and rested it. He moved her hand and sat up a bit.
               "Now get out."

Val picked her jaw from off the floor and stood with a sour look, facing Frank as he lay intertwined in the crisp sheets. His naked legs peeked from the pale bedding and begged to be pet--something to fix it all. She reached out for a moment, and drew her hand back quickly and placed it over the sudden shooting pain she had in her abdomen. She took a deep breath that felt like shards of glass and silently as she opened the closet and grabbed her things. She left the house with a bang and walked into the street as the gentle gray haze of dawn filled the air. It was crisp and slightly cold, and for the first time she felt at peace inside Paris. She walked down the uneven road with great weight pulling on her left side and tried not to look at the old men on their morning strolls down the road, en route to the park. The first taxi she saw she yelled after, unable to lift her hand fast enough, and missed. She was prepared for the second, and it delivered her directly to the front step of John's place.
               The morning chill made her hand shake as she rang the bell and breathed uneasily�her breath just floating around her head as the sky grew lighter and lighter. There was no answer and she let herself into the hallway that gave access to his flat; cheap doors and unlawful entry were a standard acceptance. She struggled to remember the right door and picked one by chance and knocked upon it in the wee hours of the morning to find a swollen eyed John open the door. He looked at her with surprise and opened the door wide and allowed her to step inside and drop her bags with a pathetic slump that her spine mimicked.
               "John," she said. "He kicked me out."
               "John? And he what?" he said, taking her and sitting her down in the chair as he crouched before her.
               "Yes, John. He left me. Or�I left him. He made me leave." She said. She was distaught, rubbing her face, hair falling in front of her eyes. Her knee bounced in a constant beat that must have matched her heart.
               "First, I'm sorry. Second�I'm not John," he said. She looked up at him with an argument brewing on her lips.
               "Frank told me your name was John," she said. "John�Thursday." He laughed heartily and quieted himself when he heard a cough from an adjoining room.
               "It proves it! He knows nothing!" he laughed. "My name is Henry, doll. Henry. John is something I use in my writings sometimes."
               "So he didn't get it right," she said. "His mistake."
               "He'll pay for it eventually," Henry said. "So�what now?"
               "I need to go home," she said. "Or�at least�back to the states and find a home."
               "When?" he asked.
               "As soon as I can get my hands on the funding," she said. "I have to contact my account in New York."
               "I see."
               "Henry�can I please stay here until that happens? I promise I won't be any trouble�" she said. He sat down in another chair and pulled her hand toward him and made her sit in his lap.
               "For a few days�but that's all." He said. "I don't exactly control the place." Val looked at him closely and laid her head against his temples.
               "Thank you," she said. "I really have no where else to go."
               "We'll pretend I don't get your company by default," he said. She chuckled at him and took a deep breath.
               "Did I wake you?" she asked, looking at his tired face.
               "No�No...I haven't been to bed yet," he said.
               "What have you been doing?" she asked.
               "Writing, my dear. That is all I can do," he said. She closed her eyes and nestled against him softly as his hand held onto her waist tightly.
               "Lets get some rest," he said taking her hand and leading her to his small, dirty bed. She didn't look at him or the bed and curled up against the edge and closed her eyes tight. He put his arm around her for comfort and drew her close, and with a kiss on her head, they both fell asleep.

                Late that afternoon Henry and Val walked to the nearest shop and wired for her money back home. They priced tickets and ate on what money they could scrape together. They returned around dinnertime and shared a bottle of wine and laughter on the floor while reading through random pages of typewritten rambling. Henry spoke loudly about his plans, and what had happened while he was writing. Val read them with slight comprehension-it was unlike anything she had ever read before. It was even radical for the contemporary movement. Her heart beat loudly as she continued to be reminded of Frank as she shuffled through his papers and various writers came to the door and invited them out for a drink. Val shook her head at the invitations and Henry agreed with her for her sake.
                 "You can lose yourself in Paris, Henry," she said, "but you'll never lose your clientele."

Henry tipped his hat as Val walked away from him and stepped onto the shaking platform. His goodbye was swallowed by the intense roar of big metal, moving figures, which only emphasized the fact that Val didn�t look up to see his lips move. Her hands were trembling and her feet scuffed against the ground in an effort to keep her balance in the surreal exit she had decided to embark upon. Henry turned to go, sliding around the corner with a moderate strut, slipping a cigarette into his mouth as he squinted at the daylight at the end of the corridor just as Val looked back.
�Always too late,� she sighed, looking up and finally boarding the train.

Val sat isolated from the other passengers and pulled the shade of the window with an extreme distaste at both the daylight, and having to see Paris consume her eyes again. To insure anonymity she closed her eyes and, with her eyes shut tightly, and her hair pulled tight in rows behind her ears, clenched her jaw and tried to look mean. Her chin quivered as the train began to move, which preceded a full pout and eventual bawl. The porcelain demeanor of her face was shattered�as was her heart.

Part One.