Ofelia Ch. 02 Pt. 04-06

Ofelia made her little finger-man jump back down on the arm-rest, and she gave Daniel her confused hunting-dog head-tilt, her lips still pursed, her eyebrows drawn together.

"I'm kidding. It's a joke. Butterfly nets? You know?"

"Nope."

"Never mind."

"Okee-doke."

Ofelia was turned in her seat so that she was facing Daniel. He realized then that she wasn't wearing her seat belt. He also realized that he could see down her blouse. She was staring at him, looking at his hair, his ear, his nose, his mouth. She was blinking slowly. "I thought we weren't going anywhere. That's what you said today."

"Yeah I know. But then I thought that would be tacky."

"Tahqui?" Ofelia repeated the word and it sounded funny to him because she didn't know what it meant. Ofelia saw that he was very close shaved everywhere except for where his neatly trimmed mustache and beard were. Daniel reached out and took her hand as he explained what 'tacky' meant. She quickly interlaced her fingers with his and put her other hand over top of his hand. She liked that he didn't have big hands like some men. He had smallish, gentle hands, like Leonard's, even like Manuel's.

She was constantly thinking of similarities and disparities among the three key men in her life. She thought to herself that perhaps what would make her the happiest would be if she could have all three of them. Why shouldn't things turn all the way around? Men were allowed to have numerous lovers, even numerous wives, in some cultures. Why shouldn't women be allowed to enjoy more than one man at a time? Why should they be forced to make choices which will only get people hurt, including themselves?

Ofelia believed that she could love more than one man, but the love would be different in each particular case, for each man. She did love Leonard, but it was in a respectful, sedate, warm sort of way. She could imagine having respectful, sedate, warm sex with him. She loved Manuel too, of course, in a very deep, spiritual, sublimely affectionate sort of way; and she didn't have to imagine how the sex would be with him. It would be deep, spiritual, and sublimely affectionate.

With Daniel, the love she felt was passionate, excited, hot, breathless, impatient, tense, nervous, aggressive, toothy, cocky, urgent. Where Manuel would purr, Daniel would growl; where Leonard would pet, Daniel would bite. Leonard was a verse in a Hallmark card; Manuel was Pablo Neruda; Daniel was Eminem.

Ofelia giggled when she thought of that, and Daniel asked her what was funny. "I'm not hungry!" she said, and gave him an imploring hang-dog look. She squeezed his hand hard.

"Alright. Then.... is there anything you feel like doing?" Daniel responded, and he could practically taste the innuendo as the words dribbled out of his mouth.

Ofelia bit her upper lip, raised her eyes, as if in deep thought. She freed his hand of one of hers and put her finger to her chin. "Hmmmm. Let me see...."

"Are you being a bad girl?" Daniel asked, turning the wheel and changing the direction he was heading.

"Si, senior." Ofelia said, and picked his hand up from the arm-rest. She put it to her mouth and kissed it, then gave it a sharp little bite.