It was Thursday afternoon, 2:00 P.M. sharp.
“How was your week?” the doctor asked.
“It’s been all good,” Basil said.
“Tell me about it.”
“I went on a date,” Basil said.
“With a man or a woman?” the doctor asked.
Basil became visibly upset and looked sternly at the doctor. After a moment of silence, he asked, “What do you mean a man or a woman? I told you I don’t date men. I just sleep with them.” Basil felt his body become sweaty thinking about where the doctor was headed with a question like that. Once again, he thought the sessions were not helping.
“Did you have a good time?”
“It was all right. You know, dinner, a movie, and then back to my place for sex.”
“Of course.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
“Damn straight. I met this woman walking down Fifth Avenue near Tiffany’s. She was beautiful. I caught her eye and she smiled and stopped. You know when they stop they want some play. So that was my cue. I went over, introduced myself, and got the digits. I waited the mandatory three days, called her, and invited her out,” Basil said confidently. “But she was slick in a way … I mean making me call because she wouldn’t take my number.”
“So how did you end up in bed?”
Basil gave the doctor a faint smile of amusement and said, “It was easy. We went to this nice seafood joint and both ordered lobster, and after a couple glasses of wine she leaned over and whispered, ‘I bet you eat pussy real well,’ and I looked at her and said, ‘And you know it!’ ”
“Did you tell her you sleep with men?”
“Fuck no! She didn’t ask. That’s why I think women are so stupid and why I hate them sometimes.”
“Hate is a strong word.”
“I know, but that’s how I feel sometimes,” Basil said somberly. For a second he thought about Yolanda, the last woman he had loved.
“Why do you hate them?”
Basil balled his left fist and pressed it into his cupped right hand. As he turned it firmly, he wanted to hit something or somebody, but he controlled his anger.
“I hate them and I love them. I usually try not to make eye contact with women because when I see them and I see that smile and that ass, then I immediately want to fuck them. And after I fuck them, I hate them. You know, when I get my nut.”
“Do you think that’s hate?”
“I don’t know what you call it, but for me it’s a strong reaction. I suddenly become sick at the sight and smell of them. And you know what I really hate is when they ask, ‘Do you love me?’ I want to tell them that pussy is the best truth serum.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean women ought to ask a man if he loves them right after they’ve fucked. ’Cause if he says he loves you before you fuck and he stutters after sex, then he don’t love the woman, he loves the pussy.”
“Why do you think that’s true?”
“ ’Cause I used to date this honey once and I couldn’t stand her. But I couldn’t break up with her ’cause the pussy was so good. She had this beautiful ass and I couldn’t stand the thought of somebody else hittin’ it.”
“What didn’t you like about her?”
“She was a dumb bitch but she thought she was so smart. I mean she had gone to City College or some school like that and she thought she knew everything. But the truth of the matter was the bitch didn’t know shit. She would misuse big words all the time and that just drove me crazy.”
“Why didn’t you tell her or correct her?”
“The bitch was so stupid she wouldn’t have figured it out.”
“And how do you feel about men?”
“What do you mean?”
“What do you think of men?”
Basil suddenly had a picture of Raymond in his head, but quickly replaced it with Monty, a man who had threatened to announce Basil’s bisexuality to the world. Basil couldn’t stand Monty. Basil really hated his uncle.
“Aw, they’re just as bad. If they’re gay, then they fall in love with the dick. Mofos love a big dick. And the mofos who ain’t gay fall in love with the pussy and the pussy controls them.”
“And where does that put you?” the doctor asked.
“On top of any situation ’cause I know what the real deal is when it comes to sex. I understand the power of sex. And once you understand something completely, you can control it.”
“Do you feel the need to have sex with anyone right now?”
“Why not? I’m not depressed or anything like that, and when my jimmie gets up, I’ve got to feed him.”
“Do you feel like you’re addicted to sex?”
“Didn’t you hear what I said just a minute ago? I ain’t addicted to jack.”
“Do you plan to call this woman again?”
“Fuck no!”
“Why not?”
“ ’Cause I got what I wanted. If she’s lucky she might get a booty call in a couple of months.”
“A booty call?”
“Yeah, you know … well, maybe you don’t. It’s when you call somebody late at night, at least after midnight, and you ask them to come over and they know what the deal is.”
“I see.” The doctor nodded.
“I do know that right now I can’t have no honey riding my jock. Calling me every five minutes asking me what I’m doing. That’s how they try to get control.”
“So you’re okay being alone?”
“I ain’t alone.” Basil knew he had a thick phone book with plenty of numbers to call whenever he became lonely.
“Are you interested in sleeping with men?”
“Not really.”
“What does that mean?”
“Like it sounds.”
“What about Raymond?”
Basil didn’t answer. Again Raymond’s face came into his mind. He was silent for about five minutes and then he looked at the doctor and asked, “Isn’t my time up?”
“Yes. I’ll see you next week.”
“Yeah, right.”