Free Ally Hughes Has Sex Sometimes by Jules Moulin Page B

mind?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œIf I count.”
    Ally smiled. “Is this, like, a thing?”
    â€œA thing?”
    â€œTo seduce me?”
    â€œIs it?”
    â€œIs it what?”
    â€œSeducing you?”
    Ally exhaled and closed her eyes. She opened them again and watched as Jake found the freckles on her leg, one by one, and drew invisible circles around them. “Two, three . . . I just want to know . . . four, five, six . . . something about you that no one else knows . . . seven, eight . . . that maybe even . . . you don’t know.” He leaned in and kissed the seventh and eighth.

THUNDER RUMBLED OVER BROOKLYN . The warm, thick air grew windy and cool.
    At the front door, Jake thanked Ally and pulled her into a tight embrace. Ally froze. “I meant what I said, Professor Hughes,” he said and released her. “I never forgot you.”
    Ally nodded, forcing a smile. “Nice to see you.”
    He turned and Ted walked him out, on his heels. They went down the stoop, discussing Ted’s site: the live demonstrations, the customer reviews . . .
    â€œOne moment, boys,” Ally said, pulling Lizzie back inside. She closed the front door. “It’s going to rain.” She stepped into the closet, found an umbrella, stepped back out, and lowered her voice: “You were a
little
rude to Ted—”
    â€œI’m
sorry
,” said Lizzie and took the umbrella from Ally’s hand. “I am. I am.” She opened it up to see if it worked. “There’s something—
off
—about him. I just can’t put my finger on—”
    â€œNothing’s
off.
He’s a little spoiled. That’s all. A little—”
    â€œNo. That’s
not
all,” Lizzie insisted. The umbrella wouldn’t lock. “This is broken.” She gave the umbrella back to Ally, and Ally disappeared back into the closet. Lizzie continued, whispering too. “It’s weird. You feel it. I know you do.”
    Ally returned with a second umbrella. “Teddy is smart, funny, cute—and
generous.
”
    â€œIf he’s so cute, then
do
him, Mother,” Lizzie said, not unkindly.
    â€œElizabeth, please.”
    â€œHave
sex
if he’s so cute. Do it already.” She opened the umbrella and stood underneath. “But, no, you won’t, because he’s strange—and we can’t say why. He seems like a catch, and yet—”
    â€œHe was our
guest.
He is my friend.”
    â€œI’m sorry, but he has a secret, and I have the right to be worried. I do. I’m the kid.” She closed the umbrella and mocked her mother, pretending to sob: “You’re beautiful, honey. Even your nose. You’re sacred, sweetie. If you want to marry some preppy freak, I have to prepare myself too—”
    â€œStop,” Ally said.
    Lizzie smiled. “And Noah? What?”
    â€œNoah’s lovely.”
    â€œ
Lovely
?”
    â€œGreat and cool and great.”
    Lizzie nodded. “And that’s what you need. A
great
man. I cannot
believe
he had you at Brown!”
    â€œSmall world,” Ally said as she reached for the knob. She opened the door and drew Lizzie close. “Call me tonight. We need to talk.” She kissed her on the ear.
    â€œI love you, Mama.” Lizzie kissed her back and walked out.
    â€”
    â€œDid you remember him?” Teddy asked an hour later. He sat at the table and finished the cake while Ally scrubbed the pans in the sink.
    â€œI remember his writing,” Ally said. “These papers—went on forever. The last one was on this erotica writer, Anaïs Nin.”
    Teddy looked up. “Erotica? Porn? Porn, you mean?
You
taught porn?”
    Ally stopped scrubbing. “He was . . . Catholic, I think, and so freaked out by the threesomes, orgies, hermaphrodites . . .”
    Teddy was suddenly