Aquarius Falling

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

May 24, 1964

This Beer’s Not Bad

“It sounds like you raped her,” I said.

“No, man, it wasn’t rape. I didn’t force her,” said Jerry.

Jack stepped onto the porch carrying a six-pack of Iron City beer and picked up the thread of our conversation. Jerry had just relieved me, and we were sitting on the front porch of The Sands. It was a Sunday night, and most of the guests had cleared out. There was no one in the lobby, and he and I were the only ones on the porch until Jack arrived. He was filling me in on his latest conquest. 

“Who raped who?” Jack asked as he popped the cap off a bottle of beer and handed it to me.

“Jerry, this is my friend Jack. Go ahead and tell him how you raped this girl.” I knew from the start I wouldn’t like this guy, and he was proving first impressions are meaningful.

“Nobody got raped.”

I watched Jack as he popped a cap off the second beer, put the bottle to his lips, tilted his head back, and drained half the bottle.

“Jerry, tell Jack what you just told me.”

“OK, Jack, here’s the deal. I met this chick Friday night, couple hours before I started my shift. We spent a couple hours together, and I could tell she liked me. She’s down here with some youth church group from Falls Church or someplace like that. We hung out together all day Saturday, and we were makin’ out real hot and heavy, but I wasn’t getting any. It wasn’t like she was teasing me, you know, just that her roommates or a chaperone or someone was always around. Well, they were leaving this morning, and I wasn’t gonna let her get outta town without giving me some ass. You know? So when I got off my shift this morning, I beat feet to her hotel. Everyone was packed, checkin’ out, and loading the bus. I got her in her room by herself and told her I wouldn’t let her out until she let me fuck her. Well, not exactly in those words, but you know.…She thought I was kidding. The bus was loaded, everyone was waiting, and the phone kept ringing. I told her, ‘Honey, you’re holding up the bus. Nobody’s going home until we do the deed.’ Finally, she gave it up when she realized I wasn’t letting her leave until we did it. So Jack, you see, it wasn’t rape. I didn’t hurt her or tie her up or anything like that.”

Jack finished his beer, stared at Jerry, was silent for a few moments, and then said, “Don’t pay any attention to Delaney.”

At that moment, the switchboard phone rang, and Jerry ran inside to answer it.

“This dude’s a real skuzz, Delaney.” Then Jack gave me an evil smile, unzipped his pants, and pissed in the bottle he had just drained. He picked up the cap and wedged it back on the bottle. Jerry was inside for several minutes, and when he finished with the call, he came back outside and joined us again.

“See, Delaney? Told ya.” Jerry smiled with the pride of vindication as he sat down in one of the Adirondack chairs.

“Well, Jerry, I guess you just found the secret of how to romance women,” I said.

“Jerry, can you chug?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, you bet I can chug.”

“Wanna have a chugging contest?”

“Sure.”

“Don’t put any money on it, Jerry. I’ve seen Jack chug. He’s fast.”

“No betting, Jerry. This is just for pride and braggin’ rights.”

“OK, Jack, I’m game.”

Jack popped a new beer and handed it to me. He reopened the bottle he pissed in and handed it to Jerry, then opened a new one for himself. “OK, on three. One, two, three,” Jack said, and with that we started draining our bottles.