Untitled - CSUN ScholarWorks - California State University, Northridge

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Esther experimented with the various ways one could
swallow fizzy alcohol: heavy gulp, slow; slow, airy slide;
sucking through teeth; swish around in the mouth ... Her
fingers rubbed each other, looking for rough spots to pick
at. She saw a dark heaviness in the air, and she laughed
silently at the prospect of burping up snorts of whiskey at
her next client. It could be good for business. It didn't matter
anyway-the drink would make her strong and clean. She
would march back to work with expert ease and give that
girl the arm-waxing of her life, several swift yanks, no do­
overs. And then she'd rub scented oil into the tender
follicles, rub the tired muscles into life. They would become
super-arms. What couldn't they do? She would massage the
hands and make the fingers free. Every tendon and muscle
would be made light and new, anointed with oil. The
whiskey would give her the power to do this. What might
wine do? She sipped and watched the arms in her head,
saw herself send electric strength into the girl's arms, and
saw the energy speed through the rest of the body-think
yellow laser beams to the head.
Sam listened uncomfortably to the Shania Twain song
that filled the salon. Why country music? But curiosity
started talking, and louder than the radio. He washed his
hands. What bothered him about that girl? He called
himself a damn idiot for being so awkward with the
situation. He was just gonna have to not care. But she was
so silent, at least at work. He couldn't help unloading
feelings and mysteries onto her image. Her presence
seemed to collect his barely-conscious wishes. Every day
they didn't chat he admired her and her deep awareness a
little more. She can understand. He wanted to break through
the tension that had built around him in her presence before
they got stuck in permanent isolation-the strange
unspoken acknowledgement that there was a barrier
between them, an established relationship of
noncommunication. He would ask her some questions
today.
Esther walked through the doors at 3:00. Her face looked
bright. Sam was talking to an old blonde. His head turned
to watch the aesthetician. The word felt scientific to him, a