Part 22 (1/2)
”You know, like weightlifters or bodybuilders or whatever you are.”
”I'm not any of those.”
”That body built itself?” She kind of sneered, as she cupped one of her b.o.o.bs and jiggled it.
I closed my eyes. Kept chewing and swallowing, chewing and swallowing.
”I hurt your feelings?”
”No,” I told her. ”But you're a bad listener.”
”How do you know?”
”Because you answer your own questions.”
”That's what happens when n.o.body else will.”
”You actually want to know? You really give a rat's a.s.s about me not being a weightlifter or a bodybuilder?”
”I always always want to know things. New things, I mean.” want to know things. New things, I mean.”
More f.u.c.king word games, I thought. But I figured, if I want to ever get a look at Albie's books, see if the one Solly wants is in there, I have to go along. So I told her: ”A weightlifter, he's trying for the most he can lift. He don't care how he looks. Could have a belly on him like a wrecking ball, it wouldn't matter. Power-lifters, they're pretty much the same, only they do different kinds of lifts. It's all about how much weight you can rack up, not how many times you can do it. But bodybuilders, all all they care about is how they look. Weightlifters, they talk about leverage, position, they care about is how they look. Weightlifters, they talk about leverage, position, driving driving the bar. Bodybuilders, it's all about definition. The look. How you're cut. Vascularity.” the bar. Bodybuilders, it's all about definition. The look. How you're cut. Vascularity.”
”What?”
”The more the veins pop out, the better. That's why they shave.”
”Everywhere? Like...girls do?”
”Everyplace that shows. They put tan on, too. Not in the booths-that's bad for you-like a lotion.”
”Are they all f.a.gs?”
”I don't know. I guess it's the same everywhere. Some are, some aren't.”
”But you're not either?”
”What are you-? Wait, you mean, how come I'm not a weightlifter or a bodybuilder, right?”
”Sure,” she said, flas.h.i.+ng a big smile. She had perfect teeth.
”They're both all about...compet.i.tion, I guess. It's not about lifting weight; it's about who can lift the most most weight. The bodybuilders, they have contests, too. Those are about how they look. Like beauty contests.” weight. The bodybuilders, they have contests, too. Those are about how they look. Like beauty contests.”
”And you don't like to compete?”
”What for?”
”I don't know. I mean, people compete all the time, don't they? Women do, anyway. When I walk through the mall, I'll bet there's more women checking out my a.s.s than men. Why do you think that is?”
”Men don't spend that much time in malls?”
She walked over to where I was sitting, stood over me, hands on her hips. ”That was very sweet.”
”I wasn't trying to-”
”That's what made it sweet, stupid.”
I only had a little of the last power bar left. I chewed it, making it last.
”You need special food?”
”Not special. Just not certain kinds of stuff.”
She walked over to the counter, grabbed a pad and a pen, and sat down next to me.
”Give me a list.”
”Do they have, like, a GNC store around here?”
”They've got Florida State University, Wilson.”
”I don't get it.”
”Don't follow football, huh?”
”No.”
”What I'm saying, this town is lousy with athletes. Every kind you can think of. Besides, I'm used to tracking down food. Albie, it had to be glatt kosher. You know what that is?”
”Jewish food?”
”Extra-Jewish food, yes. Now, come on, give me that list. I have to go out shopping anyway.”
”I'll go with-”
”Let me show you something first.”
”This must have cost a fortune,” I told her. The place looked like a Nautilus showroom, a different machine for everything. Plus all kinds of free weights. Jump ropes, pull-up bars. A shower next to a wood-and-stone sauna. Even a lap pool.
”You're not so far off. After Albie had his first heart attack, I had this built. Not that I could ever get him to really use use it or anything-he'd just sit there and watch it or anything-he'd just sit there and watch me me work.” work.”
”You-”
”Six days a week, honey. It's different for women. For us, the compet.i.tion never stops. You might not always get a medal, but, you come in last too many times, you end up out of the next race.”