“Of course I can, as long as you can take it as well as dish it out.”
“Bring it on, pal.”
Before Jason walked her to the elevator, Merry had offered to talk to the noisemakers in 3B for him. She really did want a relationship based on friendship and it seemed like a small thing she could do for him. So, she kissed him goodnight at his door and took the elevator alone.
Now she stood at the door to 3B, listening to obvious moans of passion, wondering what to say. “Hey… I’m glad you two have such a great sex life, and I hate to put a damper on it, but…” No. Too direct. Maybe, “Hi, it’s just little ol’ me, dropping off a message…” At last, she decided to try letting them in on something she’d overheard the big, bad manager say. Okay—so she took the cowardly way out and stretched the truth a bit, but that seemed like the only option she could handle. So, she knocked.
A long silence followed. She wondered whether to knock again or forget it when, a moment later, the door opened. Gwyneth, the younger one, greeted her with a cheery smile. “Howdy, Merry. What brings you all the way up here?” She wore a long, bohemian-looking, embroidered black skirt and ablack crushed-velvet top. Her long red hair looked pretty yet unsophisticated pulled back on the sides with the rest of it hanging in curling tendrils around her shoulders and down her back.
“I wanted to tell you something kind of important. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”
“Oh, no. Not at all. Come on in!”
Merry stepped through the door and Morgaine rounded the corner. “What a nice surprise. How are you feeling, Merry?” Morgaine seemed to be in her thirties with the same bohemian style, but her hair hung loose and straight. A shiny eagle feather tucked behind her ear gave her the atypical appearance of a gothic Native American.
“I’m feeling much better, thanks. It was just sort of unnerving, especially since I’d only moved in the day before. What an introduction to city life!”
“Yeah, you must have felt like you were caught with your pants down.” Gwyneth gasped. “Lordy, I shouldn’t let my mouth overload my tail. What I meant was, you musta thought about turnin’ around and movin’ right out, huh?” Gwyneth’s fair completion turned bright red.
“I admit it occurred to me. But I’ve waited too long for this to just turn tail and run. It doesn’t happen a lot around here, does it?”
“No, this neighborhood is very safe, and good for you,” Morgaine said. “Your attack was the first on our block as far as I know.”
“Lucky me.”
Gwyneth added, “Now as far as people movin’ in and right out, that happens, but only in apartment 3A across the hall.”
“Hmm… Maybe it’s haunted, or something?”
Gwyneth looked to Morgaine, who nodded.
“Would you like to sit down, Merry? We can get you a beer orsomething…”
“Oh, no thanks. I have to go back to my apartment and get some sleep. I just wanted to sort of warn you that Dottie’s on the warpath about some loud noises coming from your apartment.”
The women’s eyes widened. “Noise? What kind of noise?” Gwyneth asked.
“She said, ‘hooting and hollering.’ Oh, and ‘screaming,’ I believe.”
The women looked at each other, and Gwyneth flinched.
“And she was telling you this, because…?” Morgaine asked.
“Oh, no. She was talking to Jason. She wanted him to talk to you about it, but he was embarrassed. He’s a really nice guy and I didn’t want to see him squirm, so I said I’d tell you. It’s no big deal. I mean, I think it’s great that you two are so into each other and have such gratifying sex.”
Morgaine straightened and stared. Gwyneth slapped a hand over her mouth. At last, the uncomfortable silence shattered when the two women burst out laughing.
Merry cocked her head, confused about what she had said that amused them so much. Eventually the pair settled down and Morgaine spoke.
“We’re not lesbians, Merry. We’re phone-sex actresses. Sometimes the guys want us to pretend we’re getting off too, so they can feel all pumped up about howvirilethey are.”
“Virtually virile, she means,” Gwyneth drawled.
“Oh! So that’s how you make your living?”Well, that was unexpected.
“That among other things. It’s not like we can really keep it down much. It’s what pays the rent. I don’t suppose Dottie would care, even if she knew that.”
Merry shrugged one shoulder. “Probably not. But maybe there’s some kind of soundproofing Jason could look into.”
