An Orderly LifeArte Publico Press, 2004 M03 31 - 242 pages Rafe Sabas is the ideal corporate man. He is on a first name basis with the president of his company and likes to think about a deal while talking about something else. ñI am not good at thinking alone,î he quips, ñcorporate life ruins you for that.î RafeÍs personal life, too, is right where he wants it. HeÍs got a proper wife and children to greet him in the evening, but he still dabbles in the occasional carefree infidelity at his companyÍs expense. He rhapsodizes on his theories of stoic emotion, casual sex, the starburst of pleasure offered by a shot of gin and the key to successful drinking binges. He is as cool as his favorite beverage: a crisp martini on the rocks. But when Jerry, a friend from RafeÍs past, resurfaces, RafeÍs world of order and convention begins showing fissures. RafeÍs planned evening of casual conversation and call girls is disrupted by JerryÍs emotional collapse at his impending divorce. After a few well-placed comments like ñDonÍt let it get you, fella,î Rafe expects to slip back into his old world unscathed. What follows is a devastating trip through their past sexual infidelities, friendship-breaking betrayals, and forgotten loyalties. |
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Page 2
... gave me an apolo- getic smile for being caught with so outlandish a drink . " I've been meaning to call you . " " That's the boy , " I said . I didn't like the bags under his eyes and all the complicated emotions blinking on and off on ...
... gave me an apolo- getic smile for being caught with so outlandish a drink . " I've been meaning to call you . " " That's the boy , " I said . I didn't like the bags under his eyes and all the complicated emotions blinking on and off on ...
Page 5
... gave you . The best , I say , because that marvelous moment of revelation comes mixed up with all sorts of illusions that must , as it were , be allowed to fade away like minor fire- works . If not , you're stuck with foolish ...
... gave you . The best , I say , because that marvelous moment of revelation comes mixed up with all sorts of illusions that must , as it were , be allowed to fade away like minor fire- works . If not , you're stuck with foolish ...
Page 6
... gave me that confiding look which girls years ago could not resist . " I always fall on my face afterwards . " " You've got to have good thoughts , " I said , and told him my theory about the third drink . While I talked , his blue eyes ...
... gave me that confiding look which girls years ago could not resist . " I always fall on my face afterwards . " " You've got to have good thoughts , " I said , and told him my theory about the third drink . While I talked , his blue eyes ...
Page 7
... gave me a pang to see the waiter's face change . When he realized I'd asked in Span- ish , he was so delighted , and so Latin , that he had to repress his reflex to slap me on the shoulder and have a An Orderly Life 7.
... gave me a pang to see the waiter's face change . When he realized I'd asked in Span- ish , he was so delighted , and so Latin , that he had to repress his reflex to slap me on the shoulder and have a An Orderly Life 7.
Page 9
... older that bothered Jerry ; it is terrible for a man who has reached forty to still be unsettled . As soon as I thought about it that way , I understood , and gave Jerry a smile that I know people always appreciate An Orderly Life 9.
... older that bothered Jerry ; it is terrible for a man who has reached forty to still be unsettled . As soon as I thought about it that way , I understood , and gave Jerry a smile that I know people always appreciate An Orderly Life 9.
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Abel Aldo Anna Karenina apartment asked bathroom bedroom believe Betty called Communist Cuba Cuban decided dinner door drink Evans eyes face father feel felt Floyd Bennett Field gave girl Gloria going hand happened happy heard Hotel Lincoln Jack Jerry Jerry's Jesús Jonathan Josh Julio kind kissed knew laughed Lavine Lavine's leaned letter living room looked lunch Marian Anderson married martini Meade Lux Lewis morning mother Negro never night nodded Okay Pasarán Penn Station Pinar del Río pulled Rafe remember Sam Brown Sealey Shelby's office shook my head shoulder smiled Smith-Jonas Soviet Union Spanish stay stopped subsidiary sure Sylvia talk taxi tell thing thought Threepenny Opera told took Tracy turned Vince voice waited walked winked wonderful worry yelled York Young Communist League