Gazelle (19 page)

“
Do you guys think
I’
ve changed any since I started working for him
?
”
              Will and Chris look to one another as if thinking about it for the first time and not an ongoing topic of theirs for a while. 
 “
No, hon. Why
?
”

“
I do
n’
t know.  Trina says
I’
m different.  I do
n’
t see how
.
”
“
Well
,
” Will says innocently
,“
if I had to like, say how you were different in any way, and tha
t’
s like, in the slightest way, I would maybe say that you were a little mor
e
…”
“
Distant
,
” Chris finishes, Will nodding vigorously.

“
Distant?  How distant
?
”
“
I do
n’
t know, like, before, you would share everything.  All the time.  Now, maybe i
t’
s because we do
n’
t see you much but I do
n’
t kno
w…
you just seem really quiet
.
”
              She frowns and tears at the crust with her teeth.
 “
I have a lot on my mind, I guess
.
”
“
Listen, hon, if yo
u’
re happy working for him, and h
e’
s not a dick, and yo
u’
re happy with the work you do, then tha
t’
s all that matters
.
”
“
It beats the fucking store
,
” she says.

“
Oh, tha
t’
s a given
.
”

“
‘
AK-47!  When you absolutely, positively have to kill every last motherfucker in the ROO
M…
accept no substitutes
!
’” Anthony shouts, stepping through the front door and startling them all.

“
I found this creep lurking in the halls, peeking through windows
,
” Trina laughs, pushing past him and curling up beside Alice, handing Will the hot sauce.

“
You made it
!
” Will beams, clapping his hands.
 “
Get a slice and sit down
!
”
“
Thank you, thank you
,
” Anthony says, his eyes glittering as he smiles down at Alice.
 “
Hi everyone, especially Alice
.
”
“
Hi everyone,
including
Anthony
,
” Alice says drily, turning to the TV as Anthony peels off his leather coat and moves to sit on the end nearest the girls.

“
We were just talking about Alic
e’
s new job
,
” Will says, handing Anthony a beer.

“
No, no we were not
,
” Alicelaughs.
 “
We were talking about Wil
l’
s new show
.
”
“
No, we were talking about bent, old lad
y’
s left hook
,
” Chris says.

“
Wow, you guys have been really verbose lately
,
” Trinasays.
 “
Now, can you shut up and put the movie on!  I wannasee my man
!
”
“
How can you be in love with Robert De Niroin this movie?  Seriously, h
e’
s so old and this was like, decades ago!  H
e’
s got a total cabbage face
!
” Alice says.
“
I do
n’
t care!  He could be 80
-
”

“
I think he is
-
”

“
And I would love him
.
”
“
Based on what?  Please, tell me, because I look at him and all I see is saggy, gray old man balls in my mouth
.
”
“
Fine!  Based on Taxi Driver.  Based on Mean Streets
.
”

“
‘
Big Shot
!
’ Will quotes loudly, spitting bits of pizza from his mouth.

“
He was fucking Vito Corleone for fuc
k’
s sake!  Forever timeless.  There will never be a more gorgeous man alive and, based on that fact, I will forever be willing to put his penis in my vagina, with or without his assistance
.
”
“
Wait a minute
,
” Alice says, holding up a finger.
 “
Marlon Brando was Vito Corleone first
.
”
“
Ew, gross.  He was like, in his sixties in the firs
t‘
God Father
.
’” Trina scrunches her nose.

“
Yes, true.  However, I would argue, and I would be absolutely right, that Marlon Brando, as a young up and comer, was about a gazillion times ten hotter than Robert De Niro
.
”

“
No way!  Yo
u’
re on drugs if you think Brando was hotter than De Niro!  Like, at any point in time, ever
!
”
“I’
m not saying De Nirowas
n’
t totally gorgeous in his day
,
” Alice says, holding up her hands in surrender
,“
but Brando was
god-like
.  The man was completely chiseled to perfection.  And he could act, just as well as De Niro, if not better, because he played a greater range of characters.  De Nir
o’
sdone mostly criminal or gangster movies his whole life.  H
e’
s the iconic gangster, for fuc
k’
s sake
.
”
“
Yo
u’
re full of shit!  Name one movie he was hotter than De Niroin!  One
!
”
“
’
Kay
,‘
Streetcar Named Desire
.
’”

“
Eh, he was great in that movie, but hotter?  Hotter tha
n‘
Mean Street
s’
?  Hotter tha
n‘
Johnny Bo
y’
?  No way
.
”
“
Fine
,‘
The Wild One
.
’”
“
Gay out fi
t…
no offense, Will and Chris
.
”

              Will and Chris exchange looks and roll their eyes.

              Alice frowns and glances at Anthony, who studies her intently.  Her eyes widen and she smiles a slow, deep smile.
 “
Fine.
 ‘
Guys and Dolls
.
’”
              Trina frowns.  She opens and closes her mouth, running the movie through her memory.

“
OOoo, she got you, girl.  Ai
n’
t no way De Niro gonna fuck with Sky Masterson!  He was pure fucki
n
’
silk
in that movie
!
” Will laughs.

“
Seriously
,
” Chris nods.
 “
Not only was he absolutely beautiful, but he was good boy gone bad, then a bad boy gone good.  Ca
n’
t fuck with that combo character arch, tha
t’
s pussy 101.  Quoting his daddy and the Script, he was so cocky and confident, and then he was in love, and suddenly he was a sweet little, lost puppy.  And, on top of that all, he fucking
sang
.  That Nazi bitch did
n’
t stand a chance
!
”

“
She was
n’
t a Nazi!  She was like, part of the missionaries
!
”
 
Will laughs.

“
Really?  Are you sure
?
”
 
Chris frowns.
“
Wait, seriously?  You thought she was a Nazi?  Why would Nazis be parading in the streets of New York
?
”
 
Will stops laughing and stares at Chris in disbelief.

“
No!  Well, I mean, I just assumed with the hideous unifor
m
…”
“
Not everyone in a hideous uniform is a Nazi
!
”
“
Not only the uniform but also the-I remember she was super frigged, too
.
”
“
Because she was a
missionary
!  They all have to stay virgins in case they have to be sacrificed to their angry god, duh.  Everybody knows that
,
” Will says. 

“
I do
n’
t remember that movie
,
” Trina says, narrowing her eyes.

“
Oh, how convenient!  She ca
n’
t remember
!
” Alice laughs.

“
I have
n’
t seen it since my grandma put it on when I was a kid during Easter
!
” Trina protests.

“
So, okay, so what?  You have
n’
t seen it since you were a kid.  Are you telling me you do
n’
t have some sort of impression of him, that you did
n’
t
feel
something about him watching it as a kid?  Because,
I’
ll tell you right now, I watched that shit when
I
was a kid and I never forgot that man, ever. That character was designed to burn into little gir
l’
s brains and set their expectations t
o‘
whacke
d’
.  He was a cluster bomb of fuck and love, designed to destroy our control and self-esteem by making our ideal man someone who does
n’
t exist, making us always look to change the impossibly gorgeous bad boy to good, while keeping our frigged, Nazi hymen intact
!
” Alice says.
“
Jesus, you really thought that out
,
” Chris laughed, somewhat nervously, looking at the others who are equally impressed.

              She blinks at them, also stunned, and then frowns, turning back to the TV and getting another slice of pizza.
 “
I really loved that movie
.
”

              By the end, Will and Chris have fallen asleep against one another with Trina softly snoring at their feet.  Only Anthony and Alice remain awake.  Alice sits on the floor between his feet, her arms resting over his legs.  He idly plays with her hair in tender, long strokes.  As the credits come up, Alice looks around the room and then leans her head backwards towards him with a smile.  He smiles down at her and hunches forward, kissing her quietly, softly.  She pulls away, turning her head to look at the others who do not stir or wake.

“
I need to get home.  He comes back tonight and I have to be up early tomorrow
,
” she whispers, pushing herself up on his legs.

“I’
ll walk you out
.
”
              The night is quiet and damp with the late hour.  Far off, sirens wail and dogs howl, but nothing penetrates the calm atmosphere around them.  He wraps an arm around her as they walk slowly to their cars.  She hits the alarm on hers and stretches.  Anthony catches her in mid stretch and draws him into her, sliding her arms around his neck.  He leans, his dark, heavy eyes locked on hers, and kisses her again.  His tongue moves over hers, pushing it down, twisting around it and tugging gently.  Her body quivers with a stampede of chills that run from her stomach to her knees and back again.  He is almost suffocating in his girth, like a hot blanket of muscles tucked around her.  His lips move to her neck and ears, his hands down her back, squeezing her and drawing her up into him.  She moans and runs her hands along his great arms, up to his black, short-cropped hair, pulling it as he bites sharply and presses her into her car.