The naked world of Hawthorne Strip.
"Ava, who's jacket is that?" Bill hangs his jacket
over the chair back. Mission worries someone left it.
On their stools Mission and Bill have a long discussion
about feet and Effexor. Seems Bill has a fetish he can
talk to her about without shame. Also they discuss
Effexor. Bill takes pills for depression which takes
from him the mechanics of sex. The bar gets longer the
more Bill drinks.
"No sex.", says Mission. Mission's nipples stare at
Bill as she dresses at the end of the bar. Bill
adjusts his butt on the stool.
The guy and girl play pin ball on the 2 machines. Ava
pulls the Hamms cans from their captors. Ava digs in
the drawer for change. She counts out ones. "Are you
sure?" Bill gives her something to buy boots. Bill
grabs candy, Ava just filled the jar. Bill's ready for
another beer. The music plays. Customers come and go.
Players dribble the ball back and forth on the court on
the 2 TV's. "Any tennis?", Bill asks Ava. Bill spent
3 semesters at college learning the correct way to play.
Ava lives behind the bar.
From Canada and Maine, introducing Daphnie. Daphnie
radiates alure on the stage, spinning on the pole.
Taking what little she has on, off. Bill leans on the
bar. He's been to Daphnie twice. She wraps her legs
around the pole and twirls to the floor. The ones keep
coming. The big guy throws a five. Daphnie introduces
herself to the 2 chinamen at the tip rail. She sits
with an old gentleman at a table. She moves close to
him, a white flower in her hair.
"This is not Starbucks music." Mission goes up to dance.
"Do you want another beer?", Ava asks. The 8 o'clock
dancers file in. It's Bill's cue to leave. Mission
spreads her legs.
Feather plays a game at the end of the bar.
The first sign of Bill's anemia is blindness in the morning
walking out the apartment building. His sight returns only
to go again at the Yamhill/10the Avenue streetcar station
beside the new coffee shop. He imagines his way in,
sight coming and going, barfs in a bag and asks the
clerk to summon an ambulance. He climbs on the
strtcher. At the hospital, he gets an infussion of iron and
he's okay. Thereafter he's on iron pills life-long.
The Max takes Bill home. His back is killing him. He
plans the next 3 days leading up to the Hawthorne
Strip visit. He's out of money, so their is no airport
trip tomorrow. The Max makes it's way to Gateway.
He needs a mouse for the netbook. He'll buy a case
and speakers Saturday. He plans to put away $20 for
Ava's dance. :)
The $12 haircut by Bree turned out well. Jessica was
not there, so they couldn't talk about things. The
Portland Outdoor Store web page is ready to copy/
laminate and offer to Red at the store. Bill still cannot
right click on his computer. :(
Saturday, if all goes well, Bill plans to cash his check at
Safeway, eat a steak at Dancin' Bear or Lucky Devil and
buy a case and speakers and, finally visit the
inestimable Hawthorne Strip for fun and entertainment.
If Ava will let him in.
The crowd of men, homeless and unfortunate mingle
outside St Stephen's Parish. Bill passes through them
on the way home. He's spent an hour and a half on the
computer at the airport until it died for lack of juice. He
and Holly talked on the phone, she called him. Dinner
at the center was sloppy joes.
He texted his brother and son one text today:
"Carnal Ambitions". The interchange with Holly reminds
Bill of the training he has drilled into him all his life to
avoid getting chummy with the infidal. But Bill is beginning
to abandon the idea and see what is hopeful in
everyone.
Bill is imagining the juicy burger at Lucky Devil tomorrow.
Hopefully he will get 2 checks in the mail. He may have
enough to get a computer mouse in addition to the
speakers and case. He was going to get a new doctor
at OHSU today but he is putting it off, feeling better. He
sees Daphne on the bus going to a comedy show. She
raises her eye lids and says, "Bye Bill.", as she leaves
through the back door at the MLK/Bridge stop.
The Hamilton West newsletter is taped to Bill's door. He
pulls it off and puts the key into the door. It's late, will he
watch his Detective Morse DVD?
Holly asks Bill: "Can you get yourself off?" Bill's been on
pills 5 years and cannot perform sex. They arrange trips to
Walmart and OSHU over the phone. Bill is at the library in
an aisle his computer on a table within sight. Bill tries to
make his own link/icon on 8.1 Start page. No can do. Bill
stops again at Lucky Devil for a beer and Mishen but
Mishen worked the early shift. A stripper stands on one
arm and holds the pole with her other hand.
For 14 dollars Bill gets dinner, a beer and 3 dances. It's
French, Ruin La Roux. The bathroom is quaint, it has
graphity all over on the walls. Bill sees Ava on the other
side of the bar but she's not there. Ruin asks Bill, "Have
you been here before?", wearing no top. The bartender
snips a picture on her phone of Ava's web site address
Bill writes on the sheet he's writing on.
Ava's Story
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