part three

.....He didn't notice that he was shaking her, and the adrenalin made the blood pound in his ears as he said "We can take this elevator to heaven and make love among the clouds and the twinkling stars."

....."Really?" she said, stepping onto the lift. "Let's do it right here, like in Fatal Attraction ."

.....Just like that, thought Gordy. That easy.

....."Okay," said Gordy, joining her. "We can do that."

.....He began to peel her clothes off as the lift soared rapidly into the air with a rhythmic metallic clank that echoed in Beth's ears as if it came from the other end of a long hallway. She had many clothes to peel off. First her winter coat, which Gordy threw over the side of the open lift. The air caught it as it flapped its sleeves and flew off into the starry sky. Then her vest, which dissappeared without Gordy having to go through the effort of unsnapping the six snaps. Beth became distracted by the glorious sight of the dancing buildings receding below her, and when she returned her eyes to Gordy, she suddenly realized she was on drugs, naked and very cold on the top of a building under construction with a man she didn't know at all. A wide smile spread across her face. She looked grinning into Gordy's eyes. "So this is the wild life." Her voice sounded funny to her in the rarified air, thin and tinny.

.....A familiar joyous, buoyant hollowness rose in Gordy's throat, but he forced his face to stay calm-- for effect.

....."Yes," said Gordy, rolling her over the edge of the lift and watching her rapid descent to the ground far below. "This is the wild life."

.....On his way to the car, Gordy encountered the pile of damp concrete beside the huge circle of blood. In the concrete she had written "Gordy+Beth?" in a heart. He erased it with his foot and lit a cigarette, kicking aside the snakelike fence-post. It didn't want to kiss him anyway.