beach bums (completed)

Spanky

I blast off and do a quick circle around the block and can't find the Agent. My equipment takes me back to Dall's place before I can adjust it.

She's leaving. Not moving out, though it wouldn't surprise me if she was. Back to Bookmin's room. My bet is she's after that money he told her about. I have no doubt he doesn't have it.

She knocks on the door. No answer. She tries the door, which opens.

Bookmin in his chair. Passed out. When she pads in, he jerks alert, staring at the harsh lights of nothing. Stands, still staring at nothing. Like a zombie. Turns to Dall and animates, wrinkles rearranging themselves around his soft boiled eyes."You back."

Dall takes this as an invitation. Has a seat on his bed.

Bookmin crumbles back down into his chair. "Must be a dream, have you back in here." Looking around for his booze. Just enough left in the bottle to make you wish you had more. The truth is I've had more than my fair share too. The truth is I'm surprised I'm not watching myself – what I mean is my life wasn't as poor, or as harsh as these people, but I was close. If I hadn't gotten this meaningless gig I easily could have ended up in it, if that makes any sense. I don't know why I didn't admit this sooner. Maybe I had to really get to work on this blog in order to really believe how truly unnoticed it will be.

Dall says, "So it turns out I'm in a position where I need what you were saying."

Bookmin staring sadly at his bottle. "What you say?"

"Trip money. Um mm. If that was like, you know, whatever. Then that's cool."

Bookmin drinks from the bottle, takes it all in a splash, spilling some on his wife beater. Rubs his teeth with the back of his hand. Grins a little, and then back to that nothing stare.

Dall says, "There are things I want to do. You need things that you want to do, otherwise you're just a zombie and I know cause I've been zombie. I was an excellent zombie for years. But. There's stuff I gotta take care of right now. That's what I need. For real."

"Need..." His face blooms with joy.

"I just need to move. You know? Just move and lie low." Dall can see the something else in his face. She says, "But."

Bookmin staring off into some personal bliss. "You gotta be truthful. Before, you was coming here on wicked business."

"I was?"

"Guy ain't never get no pussy. Never throw it over this way."

"No. Oh shucks..."

Bookmin digs into his trousers and produces a collection of cash and trash. Sorts it. My gear can go Asperger at these times, lets me get real exact if I want, calculating, tabulating. Bookmin holds four Mars bars wrappers, five receipts, exactly thirty-seven bucks, and forty-two cents. Bookmin takes back five and leaves the rest on the table.

"There it is. Right here. You still want it. You want it, just take it."

Dall eyes the money. Hesitantly inches over and scoops it up. Disappears it. Doesn't bother counting. Back to her chair, back to wrist gazing. "There's a dude wants to talk to you. I don't think you wanna talk to him. I don't think it's like serious serious, but I don't think you wanna talk to him."

"I don't give no fuck about that."

Dall says, "I just thought you should know."

"I wanna know what you say."

"What?"

"Wanna know what you say when you getting punished, being wicked."

Dall looks up."You wanna punish me? Are you gonna hurt me?"

Bookmin motioning – choppy arm jerks – for Dall to join him at his chair, on his lap. Dall does, resigned. There's the business plan, and then there's what happens. Dall makes it clear with her dates she does not tolerate being disrespected. But then she does.

"Come on now. Come over here."

"Dude, I'm here."

"Thank you, honey." He's even happier than he was before, purring, "Uh huh, sweet child... Been a little wicked haven't you? You let me give you a little spanking. How bout that?"

Dall says, "Sure."

"Don't matter. Cause you ain't real."

"I know... Nothing I say is real. I really wanna show you my bare ass. Can I show you my bare ass?"

"Bitch, I wanna see that bare ass. I sure do."

She bends over his lap, sticking her rump up. Starts pulling her dress back. "I also want that five dollars so I can get dinner."