Far Horizons: Tales of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror. Issue #13 April 2015 | Page 34
“You could take me with you, next time.”
“No, I couldn’t.” In my best Bogart—which still
wasn’t very good—I added, “Where I have to go, you
can’t follow. What I’ve got to do, you can’t be any
part of.”
work is to you. It’s even more important to you than I
am.”
I took Janet’s hand. “Not true. I’ve known you almost
all my life. You’re family to me.”
Janet laughed. “Is that where you go? Casablanca?”
Janet rolled her eyes. “I know, I’m just like your little
sister. You still see a little girl when you look at me,
don’t you?”
“No, not exactly.”
“Janet—”
“You won’t tell me?”
“I’m not a little girl anymore! I’m almost nineteen
years old! I can vote! I can love. And so can you.” She
began to unbutton her blouse.
“I can’t tell you. Someday, maybe.”
Janet kicked off her heels. “You are so frustrating,
sometimes.”
“What are you doing, Janet?”
“I don’t mean to be, Janet. Ask me something I can
answer truthfully.”
“Just watch and see.” She slowly slipped her skirt
down around her ankles and stepped out of it. She
kicked and the skirt landed on the sofa beside me.
“Alright, how did you sprain your ankle?”
“You do that very well,” I said.
I smiled. “I already told you that. I missed a stair
while chasing after a girl who probably isn’t half as
wonderful as you, anyway.”
“I’ve rehearsed this in my mind many times.” She
now wore nothing but her blouse and underpants. She
turn ed her back to me and removed them both.
“That’s a good answer. Your turn. Ask me a question.”
“Oh, Janet, you are most definitely a woman.”
“I don’t know what to ask.”
She turned around. “Do you like what you see?”
Janet stood up. “Okay, then, I’ll just answer the question you asked me earlier. Watch closely.” She quickly
made a series of movements, and her bra was in her
hand.
Her figure was, in a word, perfect. But then, up to that
point, her body was the only one I had ever seen up
close. “You have a beautiful body, Janet.”
“How does one learn how to do that?”
“This body is yours for the taking. I love you. I’ve
always loved you.”
She laughed. “Well, first, you need a bra.”
“I know. I love you, too, Janet.”
“I guess I’m disqualified, then. You know we could
have been arrested, don’t you? That could have led to
expulsion for both of us.”
She sat beside me and began to unbutton my shirt.
“I’ve waited a long time for this, Wayne.”
“Then it’s good that you stopped me.” Janet sighed. “I
knew you would. I know how important your school-
PAGE 34
I closed my eyes as she began to undo my belt. In
my mind, I began to see images of a figure wearing
an orange bodysuit and high-heeled boots. The figure