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“I'll get the car”, Jim called from the side of his mouth as he sprinted ahead of Phyllis and Dino. “Wait in the bus stop”, he said, pointing to a little shack on the side of the road.

Phyllis and Dino ran under the roof of the shed and “whewwed” with relief from the rain and from exhaustion.

“It's really coming down”, said Phyllis looking out toward the rows of parked cars with rain bouncing off their hoods.

Dino put the bundle of blanket and clothes on the bench and walked to the front of the shed, standing next to Phyllis. Water ran from his curly hair down to his nose and cheeks. He blew his breath upward and dislodged a drop from the tip of his nose.

“Oh, look”, said Phyllis, “some guy forgot to put his top up”. A Pontiac convertible was being rained into.

“Now he's got a real convertible”, said Dino, “converted into a swimming pool”. Dino shook his head; drops of water flew off his hair.

Phyllis laughed at what Dino said and was looking at Dino's profile. Dino was aware of her staring at him but didn't turn to face her.

“Oh, you handsome guinea, you”, she said as she put her hand in his hair and touseled it.

Dino turned quickly toward Phyllis, anger in his eyes. “Listen, Phyllis, I told you about calling me that once before”.

“I didn't mean it, Dino”, she said, “honest”.

“Alright, forget it”, he said, turning forward to look for Jim's car.

“You're still great looking”, she said.

Dino turned his head half way toward Phyllis and smiled. As he caught sight of her, she had a soft smile on her lips, but her eyes were given to abandon, … as if she couldn't control her look, and that she was fascinated by his appearance. Dino continued to look at her now, more from curiosity than from attraction.

Phyllis continued to look at him; as she did, her hand groped her way into his, squeezing it with a steady pressure. “You're a nice guy, you know, Dino … I think you're great”, she said, moving a bit closer, not moving her eyes from his.

“I think you're great, too … I think Jim's a great guy, too. You make a great couple”, he said as he dislodged her hand, catching sight of Jim's car exiting from the parking lot. “C'mon, here's Jim”, he said, not looking at her.

“Get soaked, baby?” Jim asked solicitously.

“Kind of”, she said, looking over at Dino who got into the back seat.

“Excuse me, pal”, said a man behind Dino, “you can't stand here in the doorway, but … people gotta come in”.

“Sure, okay”, said Dino shaken from his musing about the beach. He flipped his cigarette from his mouth into the street where a stream of water floated it away. “Might as well go”, he thought to himself as he pulled the collar of his coat tighter around his neck and headed for the brick building across the street.

“Come on up”, said Phyllis's voice into the house phone.

“Okay”, said Dino. He hung the phone on its cradle and walked to the elevator and got off at Phyllis's floor.

“Hi, Dino”, she said with a tremendous smile as she opened the door.

“Hi. What's up …?”

“Nothing … yet. Come on in”.

“I'll leave my coat here—it's wet”, said Dino as he took off his raincoat.

“I'll take it”, she said. “I'll hang it in the tub. Make yourself at home, have a drink”, she said as she walked toward the bathroom which was in the back in a small hallway between the living room and the bedroom—which Dino could see through the doorway. “She has a nice little body”, he thought to himself as he followed her as far as the living room door.

“Nice place you have here”, he said, settling down on an antique sofa covered with a red velvet.

“You making drinks?” she called from within the bathroom.

“Sure … where's the mixings?”

“In the cabinet against the wall”.

“What do you want?” Dino called as he found the bottles.

“Whatever you have”.

“Sidecar?”

“Fine”, she said as she came into the living room.

“Ice?”

“I'll get it”, she said, walking into the kitchen.

Dino looked up as she passed him. She smiled and went into the kitchen, consciously shaking her little rear end which Dino didn't care for because it was flat. He also noticed that she utilized her trip inside with his coat to fix her make-up and comb her hair.

“Here's some ice”, she said, handing him a bucket of cubes.

“What did you want to tell me that you asked me over?” said Dino.

“Let's sit down”, she said, taking her drink and sitting on the couch. Dino sat on the opposite end of the couch and turned to Phyllis.

“Well, it's about Jim and about us”.

“Oh? Tell me about it”.

“Well, … oh, I don't know. It's just, well, I'm not sure if I love Jim anymore … That's it. I don't know what to do. I mean, he's a nice guy and all, but sometimes I feel that I don't want him near me. I don't want him to even touch me, … and then, when he wants to stay over at night …” She took a cigarette from a box on a side table. Dino took a book of matches from his shirt pocket and lit a match for her cigarette.

“Thanks”.

“What about when he wants to stay over?”

Phyllis was sipping her drink, her eyes fixed on Dino.

“Well what can I say to him … I can't refuse him, but I don't want him … I don't even like the way he does it. I can't stand it, … he perspires and he smells”. She took another sip from her glass.

Dino was dumbfounded. He sipped his drink.

“What can I do, Dino … help me”.

“I don't even know what to say to that. Tell him, of course. Tell him how you feel, that's about the only thing I can think of. If he's not your kind of man, tell him. That's only fair. Don't play games”.

“That's what it is. He's not my kind of man. He doesn't excite me or anything. It's like dead. You're the kind of guy I like and Jim's not like that. I could be crazy about you”.

Dino sat apprehensively serene. He didn't want to get involved in this sort of problem. Phyllis slid over and sat right next to him on the couch.

“Oh, Dino”, she said, her arm sliding under his, taking his hand in hers. Her head rested on his shoulder. “Dino, I'm crazy about you, … you know that”. Her breathing was becoming deeper. She twisted her head to kiss him.

“Listen”, he said, holding her away from himself, “you like me, … that's your problem. As far as I'm concerned, you're my buddy's girl, and that's it. It may not mean much to you, but it means something to me … it means a lot, … and I don't need you or don't want you, especially because you're a fickle little chick, and I don't need that. And I don't need you to go to bed with. I'm not that hungry that I'd put down my friend … If you don't love him, tell him. But don't bother me”.

Tears welled up in her eyes and she began to cry.

“If Jim means nothing to you, he means something to me”. Dino was speaking through anger-clenched teeth. “So forget about us. There's nothing to it”. Dino got up and walked to the bathroom to get his coat.

“Don't go, Dino, … please stay with me”, Phyllis pleaded hanging onto his arm.

“Leave me alone, will ya”, he said angrily, shaking loose of her grip. He put on his coat and walked to the front door.

“Please Dino”, she called as he slammed the door shut behind him.

Dino took the elevator down and walked, mindless of the rain, to the candy store across the street. “Pack of viceroy”, he said to the proprietor. “… rotten little …” he thought angrily, “regular little unfaithful whore type”.

“Twenty-six cents”.

“Here you go”, Dino handed the man a dollar bill, “and give me some dimes for the phone”.

Dino got into the phone booth and dialed.

“Smith and Warren”, said a female voice.

“Mr. Plaser, please”.

“Thank you”.

“Plaser”.

“Hello, Jim, Dino”.

“Hi, boy, what's happening”.

“Listen, I gotta tell you something and maybe you won't like it. I know I'd want to know if it happened to me. You're my buddy, so I gotta tell you”.

“Tell me, what's the matter?”

“Alright. I was just at you girl's …”

“Yeah”, said Jim slowly …

“Well, I don't know how to say this, but your girl gave me a big line of nonsense … listen, I'm only telling you this 'cause you're my friend and I don't want you to be hurt …”.

“Go on, go on … what happened?”

“Well, she puts her head on my shoulder, and she wants me to kiss her, and tells me not to leave when I walked out, and I'm calling you to tell you …”.

“You're kidding me, aren't you …?”

“No, Jim, I'm not”.

“I can't believe it.… You're kidding”.

“God damn it, what kind of a joke is that. Believe me, I'm not trying to hurt you. I just don't want you to get stuck … well, I just wanted you to know”.

“Jesus Christ, you're not kidding, are you?”

“No, I'm not kidding”.

“But we're so great together, … tells me she doesn't need anyone but me, says she loves me”.

“I don't know anything about that”, Dino lied.

“Listen, I'll call you tonight”, Jim said shakily. “I'm going over to her place right now. Where ya' gonna be tonight?”

“Bob and I are going out. We'll probably be at Pete's Place later on”.

“Okay”. Jim hung up and Dino heard the click on the other end of the line. He shrugged his shoulders and walked out into the nice clean rain.

“Oh, Jim, Jim, how could you even think that of me”, cried Phyllis vehemently.

“Dino called me …”

“Dino! That's rotten, low-life bastard … He came here today … sure, he came with one thing on his mind. And when he couldn't get it, his conceited pride was hurt. Oh, Jim, how could you, … how could you believe that rat”, she cried, throwing herself in Jim's arms.

“You didn't … baby, I mean …”

“Nooo”, she wailed. “Nobody but you, Jim. You're the only one. I wouldn't even look at that greasy bastard. If I see him again, I'll kill him. I'll kill him”, she screamed.

“There, there, take it easy, baby”, said Jim, holding her closely in his arms. “You cry if you want to. I'll take care of Dino”.

Phyllis cried and cried, and soon she couldn't cry anymore. She just sobbed for a long time as Jim held her, and kissed her head. “I'll get him for this baby, for all of it”, he said.

“Please don't do anything, … please, let him go. Don't fight. He isn't worth it. And I wouldn't want anything to happen to you …”

“But baby …”

“Please, Jim, no fight. If he's capable of this, he's capable of anything, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to you”.

“Don't worry baby, … I'll get him”.

“Please, Jim, please”, she began to cry again, “please promise you won't fight”.

“But …”

“Please. I don't want anything to happen”, she looked up at Jim and kissed his lips softly.

“All right”, he said softly, resignedly. I won't … Don't cry anymore”. He held her tightly and she rested her head on his shoulder again.

“Hey, Dino, Jim wants ya on'a phone”.

“Okay, baby, thanks”, said Dino getting off the bar stool. “Order another round will you, Bob?” He walked into the back dining room and picked up the receiver off the shelf in the phone booth. “Hello, Jim …”

“Listen, you rotten son of a bitch bastard, … I got the whole story from Phyllis and if I ever see you near her or me again, I'll kill you. I'll kill you”.

“Hold it. What the hell is this? What'd I do?”

“Did you really expect to get back at her for not going to bed with you by telling me that … you miserable low life …”

“Now wait a minute …”

“No, you wait a minute … I've got to get back to her. She feels bad about this whole thing … That's another thing I'll get you for … making her cry … Just keep out of my way, punk”.

Dino sat in the phone booth dumfounded, holding the dead receiver in his hand. Finally he got up and walked absently back to the bar.

“What's up, man?” asked Bob. “Somebody slip you a Mickey?”

“Kind of. The guy's chick makes a pass at me and I tell him, because he's my buddy and I don't want him stuck with a chick that's on the make. So she tells him I tried to make her, and now he wants to kill me … I thought he should know and he believes her lying mouth and he wants to kill me”.

“They shouldn't make handsome guys with feelings. It's a contradiction of parts. Don't you know the guy wouldn't believe you no matter what you told him, no matter if you went to bed with her or not. Phyllis can wrap Jim around her finger, and you expect him to believe you?”

“So what are you supposed to do—let him get married to a tramp?”

“So what did you do? You told him and where'd it get you. He didn't believe you and he never will, … and you missed out on a good lay … So what did it get you—nothing. You even lost on the deal. You told him because you cherished your friendship, … and you even lost that”.

“That's right, you know. If I went to bed with her or if I didn't, if I told him or not, it wouldn't have made any difference. I could've gone to bed with her and he still would believe her. Maybe I should've”, Dino said, laughing hollowly.

“Yep”, said Bob smiling a deep meaningful smile, his eyes twinkling slightly. He nodded his head and laughed softly.

TENNIS, ANYONE?

Earth had been spinning in orbit for eons. Its internal fires were cooling from the original burst of energy infused at the inception of its journey through space. Its course had been regular, peaceful, and uninterrupted. Suddenly, on a fine Spring morning, without rhyme or reason, the earth shuddered, almost shattered, stopped, its houses and people scattered as twigs, buildings collapsing, glass shards flying, rivers overflowing their banks. All the elements of nature were transformed from an ordered system of existence into a polyglot mass of rubble.