Honey, turn the light out! Don't you want to see me? No, honey, not like this. Like how? Like this. He turns the light out. She nibbles his ear in the dark. He thinks of her teeth. Her overbite. Her lips move so quickly when she reads. He pushes away from her. What's wrong? Nothing, honey, I've just got a lot on my mind. You want to talk about it? No. If he talks to her she'll talk back. She'll want to turn the lights on. He'll be able to see inside her. Her lips moving so quickly. It'll drive him completely crazy. No, let's just sit in the dark. In silence. A few moments pass. He feels relieved. He doesn't have to think of her teeth. Then she starts to breathe. To breathe deeply. He imagines her chest rising and falling. H e can almost see the air moving in and out of her mouth.
;'\ Uus*.••''! ' ; •••
56
Berkeley Fiction Review
Colin Maisonpierre
57