?You see, conchita? You see??
?I see,? she said, but her voice was gone and it came out as a whisper.
They were in the pool, just Carlos and her. She sat on the step with her lower body in the water. He was standing in the water with his arms around her and his face against her belly.
?Conchita, will you tell Carlos why you become . . . you know.?
?A whore.?
?You are not a whore,? he said distastefully. ?An escort. Why did you become an escort??
?You don?t want to know the truth, Carlos.?
?No, conchita. I do. The real truth.?
?Sometimes I think you want me to be this good girl. I am not a good girl.?
?You are. You have a good heart.?
?You see, if I tell you the truth you don?t want to hear it.?
He straightened his arms so he could look at her. ?You know what? That is not the way Carlos thinks. Look at me, conchita. I am in drugs. I have killed guys. But I am not bad. I have a good heart. You see? You can be good, and you can do things that are not so good. So tell me.?
?Because I like to fuck, Carlos.?
she said. ?That is my drug.?
?How old were you? When you fucked first??
?I was fifteen.?
?Tell Carlos.?
?I was at school. And this boy, he was sixteen. He was very beautiful. He walked home with me every afternoon. And one day he said I must come home with him. I was very curious. And so I went. And he said I had beautiful breasts. He asked if he could see them. And I showed him. Then he asked if he could touch them. And I said yes. And then he started to kiss me. On my nipples. He started to suck my nipples. And then it happened, Carlos. The drug. It was . . . It was like nothing I had ever felt before. It was
I liked it so much.?
?And then he fucked you??
?Yes. But he was not experienced. He came too quickly. He was so excited. I didn?t have an orgasm. So afterwards, I wanted more. But not with boys. With men. So I seduced my teacher . . .?
?You fucked your teacher??
?Yes.?
?And who else??
?A friend of my father. I went to his home when his wife was away. I said I wanted to talk to him. I said I was very curious about sex, but I cannot talk to my parents about it, because they are so conservative. And I know he is different. He asked if I would like it if he showed me. I said yes. But you know what, Carlos? He was just as excited as the boy. He could not control himself.?
?Who else??
?I fucked a lot of guys at university. For free. And then one day I thought, why for free? And that is how it happened.?
?Look,? said Carlos and pointed at his erection. ?Carlos likes your story.?
?Then fuck me, Carlos. I love it so much.?
Wasserman, the acclaimed playwright, Professor of Afrikaans and Nederlands. Fifty-three years old, with a soft body, bushy beard and a beautiful, beautiful voice. At the start of every session she would have to lie in the bath so he could urinate on her, or else he could not get an erection. But from there on he was normal, except for the reading glasses?the better to see her breasts. He would come once a fortnight at three in the afternoon, as he had a younger wife who ?might want something too.? He needed time to recharge before the evening. But his young wife would not let herself be pissed on, that was why he came to Christine.
They were waiting for him at precisely four o?clock. When he opened the door to leave her place at the Gardens Center, they hit him with a pick handle, breaking his teeth and jaw.
She heard the commotion and grabbed a dressing gown. ?No!? she screamed. They were wearing balaclavas, but she knew they were the bodyguards. One looked her in the eyes and kicked Wasserman where he lay. Then they both kicked him. Seven ribs broken.
?I will call the police!? One of them laughed. Then they dragged him by the feet to the stairs and down two flights and left him there, bleeding and moaning.
She grabbed her cell phone and ran down to him. She bent over him. The damage made her nauseous. She touched his broken face with her fingertips. He opened his eyes and looked at her. There was a question through the agony.
?I?m calling an ambulance,? she said, holding his hand while she spoke.
He made a noise.
?I can?t stay here,? she said. ?I can?t stay here.? There would be police. Questions. Arrest. She, Sonia could not
