The Sportin' Life Read Online Free PDF

harbored thoughts of disappearing with Liana to some island paradise where they could wriggle orgasmically in the sand together.
    In may ways, my memories of Liana are pretty amusing, for I remember her as a hot, wild babe, and I bet that although she would love that description of her, no one else on the planet would perceive it in her, because she was subtle and in no way did she dress like a hot babe. I look around now at all these California women and Liana would be rather prim and understated compared to them. No — it wasn ’ t over sexuality or exhibitionism that she represented but rather freedom to respond honestly and sometimes that scared me.
    Everyone I ever introduced her to, including members of my family, who ’ ve seen me with the whole parade of women through the years, adored Liana. They made a point of telling me how much they liked her, how intelligent she was, how savvy, how funny, how delightful. And then they ’ d say something like, “ Where did you meet her , ” as though I was some poor slob who ’ d happened on this treasure that in no way did I deserve. To this day they shake their heads in dismay if I should reminisce about her to them, as if I let my one shot at happiness get away, as if she gave me the heave-ho instead of the reverse.
    I think it was the socks that finally did it. Liana insisted on wearing these sweat socks to sleep. Sometimes she ’ d sleep naked, and sometimes in some silky thing she ’ d put on for my amusement, but always those socks. At first she left them on to make love, but when I complained, she lay them on the floor beside the bed and pull them on after we ’ d finished. She said she couldn ’ t sleep with cold feet. I just thought it was tacky and kept after her about it. Finally she said, “ Honey if you want to suck on my toes, just say so and I ’ ll leave them off. ” She knew I didn ’ t want to suck on her toes, and I knew it too. But I could see her making an off-color comment like that in public if that was where we happened to be when I was teasing her about the socks. I just didn ’ t care for the image.
    By that time I had met Paula and had been seeing her on off nights when I wasn ’ t with Liana, so I drifted away as I usually do. I like to stagger my women, so that when I leave one, there is usually another to take up the slack. Actually, I don ’ t go out of my way to do it, but that ’ s the way it just works out. Things were different then — a lot less complicated and a lot more romantic. You could meet a woman and spend the night with her all in the same day without exchanging sexual resumes or medical reports. Being single now is much harder. Even if I wanted to remember each encounter I ’ ve had, it would probably be impossible. I didn ’ t get my first computer until ‘ 85.
    I met Paula at Poukipsie ’ s on Third. I had gone there with an old girlfriend and some of her chums. She had called to say a bunch of them were going dancing and would I want to meet them there. I have strict policies about old girlfriends. It ’ s OK to meet socially in a group, but there must be no contact or things can get really messy. You know the singles ’ scene in bars — it ’ s all spider and the fly. Once I mentioned this to Liana and she laughed and asked me if I were a good spider. What can I say — I told her the truth — I ’ m usually the fly.
    The music was playing and this blonde came up to me and began talking. It was Paula. At first I told her I was married, because I was with Jamie and her friends, plus I was seeing Liana and one other woman on a real occasional basis and I really wasn ’ t looking for any action at the time. But she didn ’ t seem to care and she sighed a sigh of desire that women often emit when they ’ re around me and said, “ Ooh, I want to dance with you. ” Then she was in my arms and I began to respond to the closeness of her and what could I do but decide to change my story. The make believe