Chance
He was relieved the line at the ATM was short, only a blonde in white shorts, sunglasses in hand, top as red as her lipstick, sandals. Her short hair was perfectly coifed. She had the look of money. She turned as he neared, perhaps leery of assault. Her eyes registered a mix of recognition and bewilderment and quickly looked away. He too thought she looked familiar. Was she a minor actress? A movie buff, he was miffed at being unable to attach a name to the lovely face. She looked great for her age, which he assumed was at least 60. He thought about asking if he knew her but was sure it would sound like a lame pick up line.
She turned and said: "Do I know you?" Her voice was husky, sexy.
Relief flushed through him. "I was thinking the same thing."
She smiled beautifully. Her teeth were strong if a bit yellow. His acute sense of smell detected that she was a smoker. She didn't have blue eyes.
"You're up," he said, nodding.
"Oh," she chuckled, reaching into her chic bag for reading glasses.
He smiled as, transaction complete, she pivoted and looked at him. He moved forward and did his usual "Fast $100" and quickly counted the bills. To his surprise, she was waiting, sunglasses in place, making her look much younger and even more fetching. He was tongue-tied, unable to fathom what she wanted.
"How 'bout coffee?" she said.
He shrugged. "Sure." Was she a scam artist?
"I'm Louise."
"Mike. You live around here?"
"A few blocks away."
"That must be it. I've probably seen you walking along 86th Street. You're easy to pick out."
She smiled and lowered her gaze as if she were harboring an inside joke. She linked arms with him.
Pinch me, he thought, wondering if he were dreaming. Nothing like this had ever happened to him. He loved that they were approximately the same height, five-nine. Suddenly he stopped. "BBC," he said, "the sex acronym, not the TV network."
"Bingo." She looked into his brown eyes. "Does that turn you on or off?"
"Lean toward off."
"Then why'd you watch?"
He shrugged. "I'm fascinated by the ease with which you people do what you do, seemingly without a trace of guilt."
She smirked. "Guilt about what -- consenting adults getting off? Please. This's the twenty-first century."
They resumed walking, crossing 23rd Avenue and threading their way through the throng navigating past and toward the fruit and vegetable stands and stores. A train passed on the el above them.
"Do you look at a lot of porn?"
He was visited by that slight queasiness he experienced each time he entered the site. "Couple of times a week. I don't want it to become an obsession. I am a curious Sicilian."
Now she stopped in her tracks. "That's you? What a great tag. Why didn't you answer any of my messages? I sent you so many."
He was stunned. "Really? I couldn't respond because I'm not a full member."
She deflated. "Are you a cheapskate?"
"I prefer frugal, and I'm very careful about credit card use."
"That's understandable. I've been victimized. What a pain in the ass to get things straightened out."
He stood perplexed. "Why would a woman like you troll such a site? You could have any guy you want, not to mention the risk of hooking up with a creep or psycho."
"It's fun. You must share the same sense of adventure, since you're a member too. If not for that, we wouldn't be here this minute."
He nodded acknowledgment. "Not even porn is enough?"
"I don't do that many shoots, once a month, twice if I'm lucky. I'm not in demand like the young girls. Listen. Life's short. Let's not beat around the bush -- at least not here. Wanna fuck?"
He felt as if he were in an old stag flick, before the internet made them passé with its cut right to the chase videos. All that was missing was a guitar plunk soundtrack. "I'd love to, but at this stage of my life I'm not sure what you'd get, delayed ejaculation and all. It might kill me to disappoint you. I'm seventy-one."
Even behind the big sunglasses he could see her eyes spread in surprise. Her mouth opened.
"You are not!"
"Wanna see my driver's license?"
"I thought you were younger than me."
He was delighted. "I spend a little time at the gym, always have."
"Obviously." She pinched his butt.
He blushed and lowered his head.
"What about Viagra?"
"Great for the ego, but it diminishes sensitivity, at least for me. I use an organic powder, add it to smoothies."
"Does it work?"
"Yes, but it hasn't been properly tested. I've been on the sidelines a long time." He lowered his voice, about to say something he would never have expected from himself in a million years. "I don't think I can deliver the pounding a woman like you needs, but my fingers and toes are all intact and I have a nimble tongue."
She laughed. Here they were on a busy stretch of Brooklyn, talking sex while people brushed past them. Fortunately, many did not speak English.
"I'll take the risk," she said, pulling him along. "I love guys who can talk for real, no bullshit. Are you married?"
"Sort of."
She glanced sideways. "What's that mean? Not that I give a shit. I bang married men all the time."