Maria occasional would blow into town like a storm. This time was no different. She had called when she had stopped for gas outside of town to ask if I could make time for her. It was New Year's eve and a bit unexpected, but I had no serious plans and welcomed her to ring in the new year together. About an hour later she knocked on the door.
"George, it's so good to see you," she exclaimed as she threw her arms around my neck.
"You're looking good Maria", I said leaning down into her grasp. As I straightened, her heels came off the ground with her arms around my neck and mine around her waist. We didn't kiss, but as we hugged my mind flashed back 10 years earlier to that summer when we first met. My mind was a sea of images and feelings as the memories swept over me.
When she pulled away from me, I was dragged back into the present. "So what brings you to town", I asked.
"Oh, I'm on my way to Florida to visit my crazy father," she said releasing me fully as she closed the door behind her to keep out the cold December air. Her father really was crazy. He wasn't institutionalized, but he kept spinning stories about how he worked with the CIA years past and was instrumental in the Kennedy assassination. Maria was sometimes a bit loopy herself, but no worse for the ware. "I'm supposed to meet him tomorrow and thought that I'd stop in Atlanta and visit you first. You don't mind, do you?"
"No, no not at all. As a matter of fact my plans for New Year's fell through. This is good timing. Say do you want to grab a bite to eat? It's lunch time."
"OK. Let's got out. You drive. I've been driving all day."
"How about a burrito?"
"OK, but not that place around the corner. The last time I went there I got food poising."
"Really? I hope it wasn't bad. There's a new place down the way. Let's go there."
As I drove, Maria started to unload. She complained about almost every aspect of her life. She didn't like her job. She wasn't getting paid enough. Her boy friend didn't understand her. It went on and on. I felt like a blanket was covering my body, suffocating me. Throughout the meal, she continued to complain. She liked the food where she got food poising better. Sure it made her sick, but it was better than this shit. I felt compelled to at least acknowledge her comments with the occasional "Uh huh," or the "Is that so?" It got really old. I was seriously regretting her visit.
On the drive back to my house I had reached my breaking point. I was fed up with her bellyaching and asked her what was wrong with her attitude. I don't remember my exact words. But I do remember that she got very quite and said that she was sorry.
We were not home 10 minutes when there was a knock on the door. "Mary!" I said as I opened the door and saw my old roommate. "Come on in."
"Hi George. I just thought that I'd stop by to see how things are at the old homestead".
It was such a contrast in mood. Mary was happy and bubbly while Maria was sullen and quiet. I tried to engage Maria in the conversation with Mary, but she took her first opportunity to make a getaway. When Maria saw her opening, her mood picked up as she collected her things and said her fair wells. I felt bad about her leaving in a bad mood, but I found myself distracted from the guilt of my previous comments to Maria by Mary's presence.
After Maria left, Mary and I sat on the sofa talking about her life in NYC. We were stretched out on either side of the sofa facing each other. We had taken our shoes off, but it had gotten cold so we pulled the afghan over our legs. Even though our stocking feet were nestled against one anther's legs, the contact did not have any overt sexual over tones. We were simply people who had shared a house for six months about 4 years ago. I had had lots of house-mates and Mary was just one that I hadn't seen in a while.
The conversation paused and Mary said, looking into my eyes. "You know George. While I was living here I sometimes wondered if you were a good kisser?"
Startled, I responded, "Really now?", not moving.
"Really."
"Well, I've wondered about you too... but you know I'm still seeing Sharon."
"I didn't think that that was going very well," she said.
"It's not. But I,... you know,...," I trailed taking the easy way out. I wasn't sure that I wanted things to go very far with Mary. I knew she really was in town probably to visit an old lover. I also had some concern about her as an AIDS risk since I knew she once took an ex-felon and heron addict as a lover. Mary was not above living for the moment. I wondered if I was also.
She simply nodded knowingly. Somethings you just don't have to speak.
"Well, what about you? Aren't you here to see Jayson? I thought you two had a thing," I inquired.
"We don't really, but I'm afraid that he still thinks so. We had sex a few times, but it wasn't very good. He's too fat."
"You mean Woody Allen wasn't right? He said, 'Casual sex is a meaningless experience. But as far as meaningless experiences go it's one of the best.'"
"No bad sex is just bad sex."
When I get the chance, I really enjoy talking about sex with a woman so I thought I'd see where this line would go. "What is the difference between good sex and bad sex?" I asked.
"Ha, ha", she chuckled. "You're old enough to know the difference, George." Pausing momentarily while she collected her thoughts, she continued, "Sex is pretty gross when you really get to it. But if it is good sex, then you don't mind doing anything for pleasure's sake. But when the sex is bad, I'm just thinking, 'When is it going to end,' and 'Hey, get that thing out of my face! Ha Ha", she said as the laughter peeled.
"So it all depends on mood and perspective. That's fair. So when you're in the mood, what sort of things do you like to do?" I asked, hoping to get some details.
"Oh, you like dirty talk", she said looking at me with a sideways glance. "I like this and that," she coyly responded smirking. "If you want details you have to ask better questions."
Starting in safe territory, I asked "Well, do you like back rubs? I once met a woman who said that a good back rub was like good sex."
