Chapter 3:

Simple Matters of Appetite

Pops Pizza was open until 4 A.M. on Friday and Saturday nights. They did this for the sake of the local economy, by sifting money from drunken clubbers into the hands of a few part-time students and one entrepreneurial owner. Located in the heart of Cityopolis, Friday and Saturday covered the operating costs of the week with a sizable profit. The only real competition was the deli down the street. Of course, there was also an assortment of franchise fast food joints, but Pops Pizza was considered good food, gourmet food by 3 A.M. standards, and thus, it stood alone.

This is where Julia brought Nathan. The two of them sat over a pesto chicken pizza in a far corner of the eatery. Julia did the talking, jamming pizza into her mouth with little ceremony as she talked about this and that. Nathan ate the pizza slowly, half full of chicken tendies, far more hungry for his new companion. Her stories were mostly shenanigans and misnomers, and surprisingly not as dramatic as precedent would suggest.

As Julia talked, Nathan realized she was easy in a good way. She didn’t care about their differences. She didn’t care that he had little to say and didn't know about any of the people she mentioned—even the famous ones. She cared only that he listened. She exhaled words as quickly as she inhaled pizza.

Why was this girl was in the club? Making friends would be a breeze for someone so light and quick in conversation, and attracting a lover would be nearly as easy. She was the sun, drawing all the plants up and open, and he was just some reticent bloom, slow to warm, lucky to have caught her attention. He would not realize that she lived for people like this, people who let her shine, people who allowed her to be the center of things. With half the pizza gone, she admitted this is what she liked about him. He was cool, laid back, collected. She took his detachment and turned it into a positive, telling him all the ways it was good—and he couldn’t help but smile back.

When the pizza was gone, Julia did not dawdle at the table, but grabbed Nathan by the hand and dragged him out of the pizzeria as she joked and prodded at a couple of the other customers. She stood outside the eatery, and in the middle of another story, asked, “Which way are we going?”

Again, Nathan was excited, and yet, slightly disappointed. This is what he wanted, right? Yet, something was missing, something vital.

Nathan pointed, Julia took his arm, and they were off. They walked several blocks, into the historic residential district. He led her onto Willow Drive, heading for the hills, towards Marvelous Mansion. Where else could he take her? He considered a hotel, but that felt sleazy.

Several blocks away, Nathan heard the smooth rhythm of footsteps intruding on Julia’s words. He lost the thread of her comments as the steps quickened. Marvelous turned, nonchalant, even as he expected someone to try to mug him, or snatch at Julia’s purse. Considering it, he relished the idea of a physical confrontation, of a chase, or a fight. He knew exactly how to go about such an incident. There would be no confusion as there was with Julia.

Julia did not notice the footsteps until Nathan turned. She followed his gaze—back down the way they came—but unlike Nathan, she tensed when she realized someone was there. Indeed, it was a man, tall and well-dressed. Certainly not a mugger. As he got closer he slowed, and Nathan doubted there would be any fighting, even though the other guy was a fair bit larger and taller. His dress was urban, and he wore it well. His shoes, shirt, and pants—not to mention the styling of his hair—suggested he was well off.

The figure stopped several feet from Nathan and Julia, breathing a bit heavy after running. Apparently, he was not as fit as he looked. He stared at Julia, and Julia stared back at him, shock and fear on her face.

Nathan stood there, uncertain what was happening. He could tell the two knew each other, it was a question of how and why.

“What the hell are you doing, Kenneth?” Julia’s voice shook.

“Julia, don’t do this. Don’t make this mistake,” Kenneth replied, soft, conciliatory.

Julia shook her head. “Kenneth…” she began.

“I know you’re doing this to hurt me. But you don’t have to, Julia, I already hurt. Don’t compound our problems with—with this,” Kenneth waved a hand at Nathan, but still didn’t look at him.

“Damn it, Kenneth! We’re not like that anymore! This has nothing to do with us! No, fuck that! There is no ‘us!” Julia yelled, with a sudden rush of emotion.

Marvelous watched, intrigued. The two were lovers, that much was obvious. But what was it now? Was she simply goading him, making him pay for his indiscretions with indiscretions of her own? Was she simply trying to get away from him? It could not be total contempt on her part, because here she was trying to explain it to him, and he couldn’t believe his presence was simple revenge. Julia seemed too genuine, too open. She seemed above petty revenge.

But then, one never knows…

Kenneth tried to convince her away from Marvelous. “Please, please come with me,” he begged, reaching for her hand.

“Go home, Kenneth. You’re drunk and embarrassing yourself,” Although she meant it, she said it in a tone of defeat, as if the statement hurt her more than it hurt him.

“Please?” he paused, hope in his eyes, that she might change her mind. She stood firm and the realization struck that she would not go with him. Anger erupted in Kenneth. “Fine! You want that son-of-a-bitch?! Fine!! Fuck him! Roll in the mud and gutters for all I care! But when you’re done, and you realize how stupid you are, don’t come running back to me! I won’t be around!” His rage foamed about his mouth, spittle launched on these words, assaulting every direction.

How pathetic, Marvelous thought to himself. He knew despite Kenneth’s strong words that he would indeed be around.

“Who is this son-of-a-bitch anyway?!” Kenneth asked stepping up to Marvelous, and giving Nathan a shove.

Nathan put his empty hand out so the man wouldn’t try to shove him again.

“Damn it, Kenneth!” Julia tried to separate the two, but Kenneth nudged her slight frame aside.

“What’s your name, stud?!” Kenneth demanded, the reek of alcohol washing off his breath, as he closed in.

“I don’t want to fight you,” Nathan said with his hand out and open. “This isn’t what you want,” he said.

“Nobody’s getting what they want,” Kenneth said as he pushed at his arm. “You too good to answer me?! Huh?! You think you’re better than me?! A better man?! Is the better man refusing to fight?! You think you can take my girl without a fight!?”

Julia was nearing hysterics. “Stop it, God damn it! Kenneth! I’m not yours to lose, you fool!” She cried as she tried to intercede.

“A fool, huh?” Kenneth asked. He looked her in the eye, contempt on his face. He placed both hands squarely on her shoulder and pushed her back against Nathan.

Instinctively, Nathan caught her. He didn’t see Kenneth pull back at the same time. The punch landed solidly against Nathan’s left eye. He dropped the meteor and pulled his hands to his face, surprised by the assault, stars bursting in his head, as he stumbled back.

The pain evaporated, and although Nathan wanted to strike back, he simply held his hands to his face, commanding himself to breathe, to relax, to forget the attack, even as adrenaline pumped through his veins and soared his heart rate. He forced himself to forget Julia, who was berating Kenneth, and to forget Kenneth, whose attention was once again solely on Julia. He turned, picked up the meteor, and stepped away. He decided he didn’t want anymore to do with this base drama, the uncertainty of these ex-lovers. He wanted the stink of the evening off of him. He wanted a hot shower and a glass of orange juice.

Julia realized Nathan was leaving her. The last thing she wanted was to be left alone with Kenneth, so she turned and ran after him.

Kenneth grabbed for her wrist but his hand glanced dumbly off hers, his reflexes still a bit thick with the night’s alcohol. As she moved away, he called after her, “Come on, Julia! Let him go! He doesn’t really care about you!”

The irony of the statement was how much everybody agreed. Marvelous cared about company, but it didn’t have to be hers, did it? Julia assumed like most men she met in clubs, the only interest Nathan had in her was easy interest, physical interest—but unlike most, she’d left with him anyway. Kenneth alone feared there might be some hidden, deeper connection between the two; that it was love at first sight, or some other chicanery. The night's alcohol had him miscalculating. He didn’t realize that Julia wasn't running to Nathan, she was simply running away from Kenneth. “Julia...” he called and pushed her on.

Julia caught up to Nathan and started making a fuss about his face, which he insisted didn’t bother him. Kenneth approached, and Julia turned on him. She drove her finger at him, pressing it hard against his chest. “Who do you think you are, running after me, hitting people?! You don’t run my life! You can’t tell me who I can and can’t be around! You don’t determine my friends! You assume I’m in love with you but I’m not!”

“You think for a second that I don’t know what goes on between you and your friends?! You bragged about Brian!” Kenneth boiled over.

There was such longing between these two, such aversion and hurt, sadness and hope. Oh how they loved each other—how they loathed each other. Nathan had always known a pure love. He didn’t understand this convoluted mess. It was what he had with Kelly, and he only knew that it was sad.

“Is he an old boyfriend?! Is this Brian?!” Kenneth ranted as he turned to insinuate Nathan.

Kenneth ran after Nathan, jumping on his back. Hearing the footsteps, Nathan was ready for such an assault. He ducked and shrugged off his attacker, dropped the meteor once more, and turned. Kenneth landed soft on his feet and took another swing. Nathan caught his right arm and placed a fist in Kenneth’s gut.

Kenneth was relaxed. He wasn’t expecting a retaliation, and although Marvelous pulled the punch, the impact was still too much. Kenneth doubled over, and crumbled to the sidewalk.

Nathan took a step back. One strike and the war was over. Julia looked at the two, utter shock on her face. It turned violent so fast—and yet it was already over. She had no idea what to do.

Kenneth started retching, vomit spilling from his lips, reeking of acids and alcohol. Nathan took another step back as the puddle grew.

Julia rushed to Kenneth’s side. She stroked his back, keeping her feet as far from the growing pool of snot and puke as she could, and still maintain her balance.

As quickly as he had started retching, Kenneth stopped. That’s when the crying began. Kenneth wept into his own hands, knowing Julia had witnessed his pompous machismo and swift defeat at the hands of a much smaller man. There was nothing left for Kenneth but his own impotency and grief. He could not believe there was any way he might still have Julia’s heart. If he noticed Julia’s comforting hands, he gave no sign.

The weeping stopped. Red-eyed and ashamed, Kenneth stood, Julia helping him as she could. Slowly, he walked past Nathan, paying the stranger no mind.

As always, Nathan felt guilty. He stepped into the street among the sparse traffic and flagged down a chance taxi.

“Julia,” he called. She turned back and Nathan nodded at the taxi. Slowly, Julia turned Kenneth to the street and into the taxi. Nathan pulled the remaining cash out of Davies’ wallet and slipped it to the driver, just over a hundred bucks. “Sorry for the mess,” he said. He turned to Julia. “Where should he take him?”

“1212 Paper Street,” Julia told the cabbie.

“Did you want to go with him?” Nathan asked.

She looked him in the eyes, annoyed that he should ask. “No,” she answered as she closed the door.

"Julie…" Kenneth whined.

The taxi pulled away. Nathan and Julia stood on the sidewalk regarding each other.

“Sorry,” Nathan said as he picked the meteor out of the pull of gross and wiped it in the grass.

She laughed—but it was as much a cry as anything. Not knowing what to say, she curled herself and leaned into him.

It took a moment for Julia to cry herself out. When she was done, Marvelous led her down the street once more heading for home.

Before getting out of midtown, Nathan flagged another taxi to take them the rest of the way. The drive was short and uneventful as Julia stared out the window. She held Nathan’s hand, but had nothing she wanted to say.

Nathan had the cabbie drop them off at the end of the street. Thank god he was able to take a card.

There was only one protester in front of his house, one of the skater kids. The kid started to say something as Nathan poked at the gate’s keypad. “You shouldn’t be messing with that, you don’t know who...” he said, then stopped short when Nathan turned and smiled. The kid stared back, confused and uncertain.

“It’s okay,” Nathan said to the kid and put a finger to his lips. He took Julia in a side door so she wouldn’t freak out about the extravagant entrance.

Once they were inside, she started talking again, her voice a waterfall of words. She stepped into Nathan’s bedroom still apologizing for Kenneth and rattling on about inappropriate behaviors, which Nathan figured should include her running commentary on an ex-boyfriend. He said nothing, sinking into a plush chair, and watched her move about his room as she spun her words.

Julia kicked off her shoes, one sliding underneath the bed, the other flopped next to a chair. She pulled off her cream colored skirt, first unbuckling her belt and stripping off her nude colored leggings. She removed her leopard-print shirt, stretching her arms up and over her head. She wore nothing but panties and a black strapless bra, standing next to Marvelous’ bed, one hand on the mattress to steady herself. She looked about, somewhat lost in this setting, but self-reliant. She kept her eyes off Nathan, however, barely glancing at him, her eyes speaking uncertainty and trepidation as they glanced about the massive room.

Nathan watched her, barely catching her words, distracted by the amount of skin she showed. Dressed, she was very pretty. Undressed, she was downright beautiful. Why did she wear that terrible shirt?

Julia poked about the furniture of the vast room, getting her bearings, rambling on, slipping through several themes; the days on her high school’s swim team, her “somewhat complicated” relationship with Kenneth, how good a cup of coffee would be in the morning. Nathan wondered how beautiful she’d be if she’d just shut up for a minute. He hoped she’d approach, allow a touch and beg for the kiss that would start everything. Instead, she walked into the master bath, poured a glass of water, and was quiet for the first time since they’d arrived at the mansion. Setting the glass aside, she resumed her commentary, now onto the similarities between Kenneth and her friends on swim team.

Julia moved from the bathroom to the closet where she pulled off her bra and flicked it at the bed. “I hope you don’t mind...” she offered as she rummaged through his closet. She was unconcerned that she was a pink lace thong from naked, all while divulging the schoolyard secrets of her past.

Nathan watched amused at Julia’s casual style, and rather piqued at the sight of her. Her skin was a butter cream with freckles across her shoulders that gently faded down her back. He sat wondering at the strangeness of the circumstances, that Julia should be naked without any prompting, and yet, she seemed to have no eagerness for sex. Her only motivations seemed to be comfort and sleep. Come closer, he wanted to say, but felt there was no room for his words.

Julia selected a baby blue tee with a bright red star on the chest. Over the star was written the word Marvelous. It was a fan shirt marketed years ago by some apparel company looking to make a few bucks off Nathan’s name. When Nathan caught on to the gambit, they sent him a check for ten percent of the profits and a box of complimentary shirts, most of which he’d worn to threads, ripped to rags, or simply forgotten in his closet. He hadn’t seen the design in years and was surprised he still had any.

Julia pulled the shirt over her head, covering her bare chest, and stepped back into the bedroom, continuing on about her friends, as she crawled across the foot of the bed, and up to the headboard. She pulled down the covers and slipped underneath them. On her side, and with her back to him, she continued her tale.

“Jacquelyn read a lot. She went through a black phase… I don’t know… I thought she was gay for a while…” was as far as Julia got before she conked out.

Marvelous sat in the chair for sometime, listening to his guest breathe. Finally, he stood and walked to the bed. He sat next to Julia and leaned close, curious to see if she was really asleep. He stroked her hair and wondered at her youthful beauty. After a minute or two, he stood and walked out of the room.

A few minutes later, Nathan walked back into the room, a glass of orange juice in hand, and walked straight through to the bathroom. He locked the door, double-checked it, and flicked on the shower. Peeling off his own clothes felt good. He looked himself over in the mirror. The deep tan of his skin was unnerving. Gone was the milky luminosity, replaced by a Cherokee hue. He sipped the orange juice and allowed the heat of the shower to wash over his body. The water soothed, and Nathan played with the temperature. He turned it up, and although it stung his skin, it was nothing close to the searing, screaming pain of reentry. He turned it down, but again, it wasn’t anything compared to the absolute freeze of space.

After the shower, Marvelous moved quietly out of the bathroom. He stopped at the side of his bed, wrapped in his towel, staring down at Julia; happy she was there, that he was not alone yet again. Her breathing was calm, rhythmic. Her chest lifted and fell with each breath.

What was it he was feeling? There was such a mix running through his soul: pity and longing, admiration and sadness. He hadn’t felt so much in such a long time. Gone was the malaise, the apathy, and although he wasn’t sure what to make of this mess of emotion, he was happy to have it.

Nathan thought about crawling into bed next to Julia, thought about curling up against her, longing to feel the heat of her body once more—but this time against bare skin. He hadn’t shared his bed since Kelly. Such a natural impulse, man and woman. Yet he felt that such an act would be sneaky and dishonest. Instead, he gathered another blanket from his closet. He shut off the lights, then pulled back the curtains, and opened the window, before stretching out on the bed. Nearly naked, he laid on top of the other covers with his own blanket to cover him. He stared through the window at the city below. His mind went quiet and the universe crashed in and out with each breath. The heat and sounds of Julia filled his heart to bursting. Smiling, Nathan stared out at the world until his eyes were too heavy to lift.

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