WHEN BELINDA has gone, and Matthew’s in bed, he lies awake, wondering what he ought to do. Should he buy the coat for her? He could have it delivered to her. It could arrive with a clever note. “Because I loved you in it and loved you on it.” Not bad. How much does a coat like that cost? Maybe it would be better not to have it delivered to her, but to have it here in the apartment the next time we go out. Spread out on the bed. Fur side up. Maybe she’d be as aroused as she was tonight. How would I get her to go into the bedroom to discover it without being obvious? “I want you to look in the bedroom.” No. Spread it out on the living room floor. There it would be, like a fur rug. What a gesture. Would it look as if I’m trying to buy her? As if I think she can be bought? How much does a coat like that cost? Would it look as if I’m proposing? I should find out how much a coat like that costs first. Then I’ll decide what to do.
IN THE MORNING, when he sits down to write his notes, he’ll remind himself to find out what the coat costs, and, sitting at his dining table, he’ll chuckle over the resemblance between the decor of Dolce Far Niente and his ripped-apart apartment. He’ll recall his thought that the only thing missing was one of the messages of the Neat Graffitist. He’ll page through his notebook, looking for one that seems appropriate, and when he finds it he’ll copy it on the wall, beside his notes on the odor, just as a joke. Why not? The wall obviously has to be repainted anyway, and writing on walls, he’s discovering, can be satisfying.
[to be continued]
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🎧 479: When Belinda . . .