4 — In Stillness
October 1/October 2, 1938
The bed seemed to still be shaking, but Ruby realised soon that it was her self that was aquiver. Nola had gotten up and disappeared into the bathroom, but she returned shortly and stretched before pouncing back into the bed.
"Welp," she asked, and snaked an arm under Ruby's shoulders, "what, my dear, do you think of this place?"
"It's a damn sight better than my little apartment, anyway."
"Mmm. I wouldn't be so sure. I rather liked your place last night. Charming, cozy..."
"This place is ten times cozier, even if it's a hotel."
The conversation was then forgotten in favor of a renewed closeness which ended, shortly after the clock sounded midnight, with both of them breathless and tired. Nola yawned and sighed, moving away for a moment, fumbling for a pen on the nightstand and scribbling something down in the small book she kept there. Ruby shifted close, resting her chin against the writer's shoulder.
"You workin' on the next big thing?"
Nola chuckled.
"Perhaps. Or it might just be nothing."
Tossing the pen down, Nola returned to a relaxed state and pulled Ruby close again.
"Can you stay a while?"
"Sure. I've got nowhere to be on a Sunday."
"Good."
They were tangled in the sheets, both of them, out of alignment with each other but too lazy really to work the mess out. Finally, Pauline felt Nunzia's arm pull tight around her hips, felt a shower of kisses near some soft places, and then there was a flurry of motion before they were lying face-to-face, the sheets more neatly arrayed and no longer impeding a more romantic sort of intimacy.
"Holy Mother of God, but you're pretty," Nunzia whispered.
"Glad you think so."
"I don't think, I know. You're one good-looking girl. Mm-hmm. One good-looking girl."
They lay there just breathing each other in for a while, until Nunzia turned a little to reach down to the floor and dig through her trouser pocket. Clicking her watch open, she pulled it close and squinted at the dial.
"Almost two in the morning."
"Do you have to go?"
"You want me to go?" Nunzia asked, putting the watch away.
"I... Not if you don't need to."
Smiling, Nunzia shifted, then kissed Pauline.
"I'll stay. I wanna stay, if you'll let me."
"Then please, don't leave me yet."
Carmine downed the last of the beer, then let the bottle thud to the floor. In another instant he'd rolled over and pressed himself up tight against Burton's back.
"We goin' to the fight tonight?" he muttered.
"If you like. Dom still on? He didn't look so together the other night."
"He'll fight. That's what he's good at. Long as Marietta lets him sleep in today and keeps him from goin' wild with the hash, he'll fight."
Quiet for a while, and Carmine thought Burton had drifted off, but...
"You want to fight again, don't you?"
"Me? No. No, course not. I haven't been in a ring in so long..."
"But you want to go back to it."
Puffing out a breath, Carmine pulled his lover over to face him.
"I won't fight anymore. You know that. I know how much it worries you."
They kissed, then kissed again.
"I swear," Carmine said, "I just wanna make you happy."
Posted Oct 4, 2019, 5:02 AM UTC · edited