The Affair

Steve Calamars

 

Victor Greene stays on the sixth floor. He lies in a low Japanese-style bed. He is beneath a black quilt in the dark. A ceiling fan spins overhead. Billie Holiday sings softly in a radio on the nightstand—

The door of the bedroom opens and a figure reduced to silhouette enters. The door is quickly closed and steps over a wood floor are heard.

Victor pulls back the quilt and a woman-sized wasp crawls into bed with him. He pulls her close and kisses her mouth. He caresses her hard burgundy exoskeleton, rubbing her slender legs and fondling her transparent wings. She kisses his chest and wraps her six legs around Victor’s muscular body. He strokes her antennae and stares into her bulbous eyes. Victor pulls her close and begins to make love to her . . . . .

Sometime later, he lies in the dark smoking a cigarette. She lies beside him with her head on his chest. Victor finishes the cigarette and discards it in an ashtray.

He gets out of the bed and takes her by one of her front legs. He walks her across the room and opens a window. It is quiet, moist and gray outside. Victor caresses her wings and kisses her mouth.

She flies from the window. Victor watches until she is out of sight. He then closes the window and gets back into bed.

 

Shortly after, the door of the bedroom opens and a figure reduced to silhouette enters. A woman walks over in high-heels and kisses Victor’s cheek. She sits on the side of the bed and massages his back. She asks very sweetly, “How was your night, darling?”

Victor does not answer. He pretends to be asleep.