Чужак в чужой стране

           It’sjustthatifIevermakeapassatDuke–andImight,nowthatyou’veputtheideaintomylittlepointyhead–I’drathergrabhisshouldersandlookhimintheeyeandsay,‘Duke,howaboutit?–I’mwilling.’Idon’twanttodoitbysendinghimanaughtypicturethroughthemail,likethosenastywomenusedtosendtoyou.Butifyouwantmeto,okay.Uh,Ineedn’tmakeittoonaughty–Icouldmakeitobviouslyashowgirl’sprofessionalpictureandtellhimwhatI’mdoingandaskhimifhehasroomforitinhisscrapbook.Hemightnottakeitasapass."

           Mikefrowned."Ispokeincompletely.IfyouwishtosendDukeanaughtypicture,doso.Ifyoudonotwish,thendonot.ButIhadhopedtoseethenaughtypicturetaken.Jill,whatisa‘naughty’picture?"

           Mikewasbaffledbythewholeidea–Jill’sreversalfromanattitudethathehadneverunderstoodbuthadlearnedtoacceptintoexactlytheoppositeattitudeofpleasure–sexualpleasure,heunderstood–atbeingstaredat?plusathirdandlong-standingbafflementatDuke’s"art"collection–itcertainlywasnotart.Butthepale,wanMartianthingwhichparallelstumultuoushumansexualitygavehimnofoundationforgrokkingeithernarcissismorvoyeurism,modestyordisplay.

           Headded,‘"Naughty’meansawrongness,usuallyasmallwrongness,butIgrokkedthatyoudidnotmeanevenasmallwrongness,butagoodness."anaughtypicturecouldbeeitherone,Iguess–dependingonwhoit’sfor–nowthatI’moversomeprejudice.