People with overblown egos that have been deflated learn hard. Joe Orgiurio was such a person. His pride had been stung, and as far as he was concerned, Mickey Conforte had not yet fully learned her lesson. Still, he had blasted quite a load into Jenna, and he needed a recovery period. Likewise, Jenna was gasping for breath after the way he'd made her come. He knew Mark Silo and Mickey were on the way to recovery, but none of the four of them was ready for anything, yet.
"I think we should have a snack," Jenna advised. "There's a lot of stuff in the kitchen. Suppose Mickey and I go down and whip up something?"
"Not a bad idea," Orgiurio agreed, "except I want Mickey staying here. I don't want you two chicks alone together."
"We're totally naked," Jenna pointed out. "Where could we go?"
"Yeah, well maybe one of you'd get the idea to phone the cops once you were alone."
"You could always rip out the phones," Jenna teased.
"Christ!" Silo snapped. "Will the two of you
stop acting as if this were some Grade-B movie. No one's going anywhere and no one's calling cops. Jesus Joe. By now you oughta be able to tell these broads are happy we dropped by."
Orgiurio looked at Mickey, and she looked back at him. Finally she nodded, saying, "He's right, Joe. I didn't want to admit it, but I am glad you came. I feel foolish in the way I've been snubbing you. It's just that… well… I didn't trust myself. I mean, you've had more than your share of girls, and here I was, freshly de-cherried, knowing only you and no other man. It just wasn't fair. I mean, if I'd followed my instincts and freaked out over you, you'd have used me up in a week, and then you'd have gone on to the next girl, forgetting all about me. I figured I'd better break it off before any serious feelings developed on my part. That way I wouldn't suffer from what is laughingly called a broken heart."
"All you had to do was tell me, thanks but no thanks, and I wouldn't have bothered you any more!" he snapped.
"That's just it," she answered. "Deep down I guess I wanted you to bother me. I was too afraid to say goodbye to you."
"Sure. So you cut my heart out, instead, making me feel like I'm some kinda cheap gigolo who was good enough to do you the favor of popping your cherry, and good for noting else. Oh Mickey, you have a lot to learn about the way guys think."
"I'm learning," she admitted. "But are you learning?"
"Learning what?" Orgiurio asked, refusing to admit he might have been just as wrong in his attitude toward her as she had been toward him.
"Forget it," she told him. "If you don't know by now, I'm sure as hell not going to try teaching you any more."