Battery Park “Beach”
New York City,
1983

Sandra McAllen waves at the man who stands on an impromptu mat spread put over the sand, dressed in blue swimming trunks and wearing sunglasses. They both hug, with Sandra squeezing up against him, she places her tote bag down.
“Good to see you Henry,” she says, still smiling as she removes her white t-shirt, pulling down her shorts. Revealing a dark red bikini bottoms and matching top.
“Likewise Sandra, you’re looking well. In fact, beaming…” He also sits, reaching onto a small bag, lifting out a miniature bottle of wine and two plastic glasses. “...with a radiance. You’ve been a good girl?” He says, pouring the wine into the ‘glass’ handing it to Sandra.
“Of course, I’m always a good girl...” she replies, placing her sunglasses on as she takes the cup with her right hand, having a sip. “...And what about you? You been a good boy?”
The man has a sip “Nope. Always bad.” Both of them leaning back onto the laid out mat, looking up a the blue sky.
“At least you’re happy...” she says, releasing her blond hair from its ponytail. Propping herself up with her elbows, looking down at her tanned legs and torso. “...I need some sun.”
“Dry spell huh?” The man says, sipping the wine looking ahead.
“Oh, your intuition…” Sandra replies in a sardonic manner, also sipping the wine. “...But, you could say that.”
“What happened to the dentist?”
She sips from the wine again. “He called it off…” With her left hand, she brushes off sand from the top of her thighs. Sandra turns to the man lying beside her. “...Didn’t want to take it any further…” She looks ahead at the sand piles around the foreshore of Hudson River. “...So, that’s it.”
“He has a wife and kids. Right?” The man asks, as Sandra nods, without replying to the question. Aware of her own infidelity and that she also has two children and a husband.
“Yep, so…” She sits upright, reaching into her bag and taking out some sun lotion, squirting some onto her left hand she applies the oily mixture to her legs and upper thighs. Turning and looking at the man beside her. “...What ya gonna do?”
“Us gays, do not have such problems,” the man replies smiling, as Sandra chuckles at his sarcasm.
After applying the sun lotion, she lies back down.
“That stupid governor, this is a fuck up right? All this sand here.” Propping herself up again, with her right hand angling her sunglasses down onto her nose, staring at the surreal sight of masses of sand left by a failed redevelopment project. Which, but not its intention, had created a proxy beach in front of the World Trade Center.
“Sure is, but hey! Only in New York could this ever happen. A beach out of nowhere. Lets face it…” The man sips from the cup of wine. “...The say he died of a heart attack fucking his maid, with some…” Closing off his left nostril with his right index finger he sniffs. “...snow.”
Sandra chuckles again.
“Love your sense of humor. Gonna be hot today.”
“What are you doing later on?”
“Gotta pick the kids up from school, few hours from now. You wanna get a coffee after this?” Sandra replies, eyeing her cleavage, wondering if it would be inappropriate to remove her top so that she can get some sun on her naked breasts.
“Love too, but I got a client at 2:00pm…” He sits up, taking off his sunglasses, with his right hand reaching out to Sandra hair. “...I did a good cut here...” he says, admiring the way he had cut her hair. “...Color is still holding. Maybe due for another cut in two weeks or so,”
“I wouldn’t go anywhere else. I trust you...” Sandra replies, as she looks around the impromptu beach setting, eyeing a couple walking in the distance. “...Do you think would be ok to remove my top, sun bake topless?” She asks, having a sip from the wine. The man also looks around.
“I wouldn’t risk it, apparently city officials and plain clothed cops are patrolling down here. For that very thing, nudity. You’ll get a fine sweetie. And they might fine me too! Like I was the boyfriend, that said, ok go ahead!”
“Yeah right...” Sandra replies, shaking her head, she then looks at her wristwatch seeing that it is 1:00pm, she the looks down at the outline of her vulva through the red bikini, briefly turning and looking at the man lying beside her crotch, imagining him with an erection. Sitting up right, she takes out her shorts and t-shirt from the tote bag. “...I’m going to head off. Shout myself a coffee and pastry.”
“Alright gorgeous Sandra...” the man says, as Sandra stands, placing her shorts and t-shirt on. They both embrace again. “...You be a good girl. I’ll call you soon,”
“Thanks Henry for the wine and company. Speak to you later.”
Sandra walks back towards where the Twin Towers are located.

___

Reading: "Rituals of the Antithetical" from RITUALS of the ANTITHETICAL (A.Glass 2023)

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