Earl walked into his third and maybe his last session or interview with the mad Sex Therapist. Everybody called Forsythe T&A for short. For all his strange nature(his feet always touched ground) he was probably the best for the job. Best east of Pasadena, and if you did not understand Forsythe, the truth about men and women in America will always be a mystery. He'd say It is best to decide on a good beer or liquor you like. There's your companion, mate, the sex "analyst" would say. There are always good table wines like merlot and burgundy. They hit home better than a Chablis. If you wanted to get hammered, there are others choices. Ibuprofen and headache powder is a suggestion for later if one for later if you really like fortified wine. But the point of the alcohol example is that hanging with the babe takes a little more than internal strength.
They sat down and Earl went straight to business. Earl was looking at his left hand where a Winston should be. It wasn't there. The U.S. government took his tobacco and nicotine salad away for the duration of Earl's visit. If Proposition 19 actually passed, the grass would not pass either. Earl started the conversation. He turned 20 on Columbus Day.
"Well, when or if somebody gets married, I mean for a guy, it must be a lot easier to get some at home."
T&A looked out the window. "You just keep thinking that way, buddy roe. I would not count so heavily on that thought."
Earl thought some more. "Well, after high school, then."
T&A looked at Earl and said "What do you have to offer?"
Earl coughed, looked down. "Women like men who like TV shows about the dark and light side. I saw almost every episode where Sarah Jessica made rude little remarks about men. Which was probably all of them."
Got a live one here, but no future I know of. T&A returned "But no one really listened to her character. And why is that?"
Earl simply said "I was focused on Miss Parker's boobs. I guess."
T&A was starting to get restless. "Tell me about second base, then."
Earl rubbed his chin. "Oh. I know." So if I can get my hand down her blouse, is a woman going to let me do anything?" T&A now had the head of a huge dinosaur. He looked like a T-Rex. Earl did not seem to be surprised or scared. He figured it was all part of the method. And that worm in the bottle of mezcal Earl put so much importance on.
"You don't get out very much, do you Earl?" The omnivorous lizard made a dull roar. "You stand there between two mounds, weighing them."
"Mr. Forsyth, women cannot all be the ones who have the key. She opens the door, says come on in. She says to wait on the couch while she rinses off and says she can see me now in the bedroom. I must be Lancelot. Riding around bedding down royal wenches. And its always her idea?"
Now T&A looked like Merlin. "You can try Love Potion #9 or do some Adam Sandler impressions. But yeah, it's always her idea. Unless you trick her. Lie to her, you squirmy dog."
Earl was thinking of a very mild but potent cigar in a messy drawer at his place. Earl had a date...sooner or later. The cigar was for later. Then the college freshman said "Between the time I propose and our first kid, that's when I can just get a transfusion whenever I like. What do you say, T&A?"
The man being asked the question looked over at the paper on his wall, the one that turned him on in the mornings. He was now himself again. He had on his 60 dollar denims and and a nice polyester blend shirt mused over the latest question. He did humor his clients, all of them males. Finally, T&A says to his last case of the day "Are you planning to disarm this woman? Or just suck the blood out of her neck?"
Forsyth got home finally at about eight that night. It was comfortable. The thermostat was on 74. His wife was in the kitchenette, having After Shock and wearing absolutely nothing. Except sunglasses. Everything was okay in their roomy little efficiency apartment. A man living on T&A's salary can only have so much.
They had the little houseboat on a cove, not far from Albemarle Sound. The couple paid a respectable fee to keep their love nest from being taken out to sea or smashed against the rocks. They knew the guy who takes care of it, and he was married. Still, the professionals had fun together at home. Forsyth knew it was Thursday night and so did the missus.