Try a Little Tenderness (1968)
by Jade Blackmore
Copyright 2013
Paul, Mike and their latest party girls sat at a booth at Norm’s, devouring burgers and fries to offset the effects of an hour smoking pot back at the apartment. Steve sat with them, but he wasn’t interested in food and had lost interest in the girls. Been there. Done that.
He looked across the dining room at a lithe brunette girl sitting alone in a booth. Her head down, nose shielded by a paperback book, he only got a glimpse of a blush-red cheek. Still, she had an aura about her, a sad one.
Steve tapped Paul on the shoulder. “Listen, man, I’m gonna go over and cheer that girl up. She looks like she could use some company.”
“Hey, Steve just bring her over here. We’ll go back to the pad and get her high. That’ll cheer her up in no time,” eavesdropper Mike offered.
“That’s not the right way to cheer her up. I have a much better way in mind,”
“Gotcha,” Paul winked. “Go for it.”
“We’ll see you back at the pad tomorrow - but no later than three we have an audition,” Mike called.
The waitress brought over a tray of milk shakes and banana splits, and the gang dug in, swiping the sugary concoctions off the tray before the waitress could set them on the table.
**
“Can I sit here?”
She didn’t look up.
“What’s wrong, darling? I hate to see a pretty girl look so sad.”
He didn’t wait for an answer. He sat in the booth across from her.
“What are you reading?” Steve glanced at the book cover, but couldn’t make out the title.
“Harlan Ellison - Dangerous Visions. It’s an anthology. ”
“Cool! You read science fiction. I don’t think I’ve ever met a girl who liked science fiction before,” Steve’s gentle curiosity turned to admiration. “
His enthusiasm coaxed her out of her sad stupor She looked up at hi, smiling meekly. .
“Thank you. I got into it after watching “Star Trek,”
Now Steve could see why she’d kept her head down. She’d been crying., Her big brown eyes were tinged with red, and stray tears littered her eyelashes.
“Don’t be embarrassed. I could tell you’ve been crying even from across the room.” Steve touched the corner of he eye and wiped away a tear.
“If you want to talk to me about what’s making you sad, I’ll listen. My name’s Steve.”
“I’m Zoe.”
“Zoe! That’s a beautiful name. It means life in Greek.”
“Wow! Not many people know that…Oliver never liked my name.”
Now he got her to open up.
“Oh, Oliver,” Steve nodded. “Is that why you’re crying?”
“Was crying,” she sniffed. “He broke up with me. Said I wasn’t cultured enough and dressed like a hippie. He’s dating some snobby rich girl now.”
“Any man who would hurt a pretty girl like you is a worthless fool. You’re better off without him,”
“You two lovebirds want anything?” The waitress tapped the eraser end of her pencil on her order pad.
“I’ll have another Coke,” Zoe said, her voice rising above a whisper for the first time all evening.
“I’ll have a Coke, too, “ Steve said.
“You two look cute together,” the waitress said “Two hippie peas in a pod.”
She walked away to get the sodas. Steve gazed at the girl, filled with a strange combination of tenderness, lust and respect. (She did read science fiction, after all)
They both leaned forward, meeting in a wet kiss mid-table. Zoe put her hand underneath his chin and kept it there when they parted.
“You have a beautiful chin. Chiseled, like a statue.”
Steve touched the long, brown hair that fell to her neck. “Everything about you is beautiful – and I can’t wait to see it in private. Would you like that?”
“Yes.”
The waitress brought their Cokes, and they talked about sci-fi authors and how spaceships were built and other opposite of lovebird subjects until they were drowned out by Paul, Mike and the girls acting silly.
“Let’s go to your place. There’s too much noise here,” Steve glanced at the gang, who were plastering whopped cream from the banana splits over their faces in a giggly haze.
“Are those your friends?”
“They’re all right,” Steve said. “They’re just high.Where do you live?”
"I’m just a block away. I walked here.” She swung her body over and jumped out of the booth. Now that he could see her standing up, Steve’s lust overtook his tenderness. She wore a light blue minidress – and that was it. No stockings or shoes.
“I was so upset, I grabbed the first thing in my closet and walked here without putting any shoes on,”
Steve paid the check and they walked part of the way to her apartment. He carried her up the stairs. He told her he wanted to save her delicate feet from the concrete stairs, but he really wanted to feel her shapely ass. Hey, he could like and respect a girl and want to grab her ass.
Zoe scampered to her apartment door. Her posture had changed, her entire body glowed. Steve felt kinda proud. They hadn’t even made love yet and she had a new attitude. Damn, he was good.
He held her hand. “Show me the way,”
Her bedroom was small – just a double bed, bookcase, and desk.
“I’m only here while I’m in school, she said “USC.”
“You’re an English major, I bet.” They lay down on the bed and Steve slipped his hands underneath her minidress. He took off her sheer white panties. He slid one finger, then two in her pussy. She was wet and ready for him. Oh, how gentleness and sweet talk worked better than any pick up line. She sat up and he unzipped her dress, pulling it off and letting it drop on the floor.
He pulled off his striped shirt, the one he;d borrowed from Mike and undid his belt. She reached for his zipper, then backed away.
“It’s okay. You can unzip me. I’m all for women’s lib. This is for both of us,”
She unzipped him, savoring the bulge under his jeans. Without even realizing it, he took off his jeans and underwear and they lie in bed, naked, exploring each others bodies with kisses and greedy fingers until they could stand it no more. He slid on top of her and fucked her, lost in the velvety sweetness of her pussy and her hands digging into his back, sliding up an down as sweat beaded their bodies.
He had no idea where he was – or what time it was when they woke up in the morning – until he heard someone put a key in the door.
Steve grabbed his jeans off he floor and pulled them over his skinny legs.
“Zoe! I left my Yacht Club tie clip with you. I need it back.”
Yacht Club tie clip? He’d put this one in his place.
Oliver stood on the doorway, shocked, eyes big as quarters.
“Who the fuck are you?”
“Watch your language! There’s a lady present,”
Zoe walked out of the bathroom in her robe.
“Zoe! Who is this..this hippie ragamuffin?”
“I’m her boyfriend, that’s who,” Steve slung his arms around her waist, pulling her into his lap.
Taken by surprise, Zoe squealed. Steve pulled her closer.
“So this is who you replaced me with- and so quickly. Figures,” Oliver huffed. His neck turned red beneath the upturned. starchy collar of his dress shirt. “Oh, well, doesn’t matter, Muffy’s in the car waiting for me.”
“Muffy? You must me joking. No bird is really named Muffy. It’s a bloody ridiculous name.”
Paul strolled into the apartment.
“What? What is this? Two of them!” Oliver fumed. “Oh, you were worse than I thought- Muffy was right about you!” He slammed the key down on the desk
"And here’s your spare key. I won’t need it anymore." Oliver stalked out of the apartment, mumbling to himself. “Dirty fuckin’ hippies."
Paul peered into the hallway. The front door slammed.
“Yeah. He’s gone. Back to Muffy,”
Steve squeezed Zoe. “How did you ever get involved with a square like that?”
“I dunno..his parents were friends with my parents.” She shrugged.
“This is my new girlfriend Zoe,” Steve formally introduced his latest bird to Paul, who dawdled by Zoe’s bookcase, pretending to read the book titles.
“Wow Zoe! That’s a groovy name. You don’t hear that one much.”
"Oh , you look so much different than you did in the restaurant,. You look…happier.”
“Well, Steve cheered me up,” Zoe kissed the top of Mick’s curly mane.
“Yeah, he does that with to lotta birds,” Paul said.
“OK, so why are you here? Zoe’s already taken, if that’s why,”
“It’s two-thirty. The audition starts at three. I’m here to retrieve you. It’s a good thing Pete went out for a smoke and saw you and Zoe walk into this building.”
"Geez, the audition. I’m sorry, man, I was busy.”
“I can see that,” Paul said. He turned to Zoe.. “We’ll take care of him and have him back to you good as new, don’t worry.”
Steve slipped his shirt on and kissed Zoe good-bye. “Give me your number. I’ll call you when we’re done. I’ll pick you up and take you to the pad. Introduce you to everybody.”
“I’d like that.” Zoe said. ”See you later.”
Steve squeezed her hand. “Aren’t you glad Norm’s is down the street from you.”
"Definitely,”
“C’mon, the traffic out there is bloody hell this time of day.” Paul looked at his watch.
Steve kissed Zoe good-bye. "Next time I see ya, I'll make sure this pain in the butt isn't following us."
Steve and Paul hurried down to the car.
“Damn, man, what did you do to that bird?" Paul said. "She looked so happy, like she was ready to burst!”
Steve smiled. “Well, you know, sometimes you just have to try a little tenderness.”.
He looked across the dining room at a lithe brunette girl sitting alone in a booth. Her head down, nose shielded by a paperback book, he only got a glimpse of a blush-red cheek. Still, she had an aura about her, a sad one.
Steve tapped Paul on the shoulder. “Listen, man, I’m gonna go over and cheer that girl up. She looks like she could use some company.”
“Hey, Steve just bring her over here. We’ll go back to the pad and get her high. That’ll cheer her up in no time,” eavesdropper Mike offered.
“That’s not the right way to cheer her up. I have a much better way in mind,”
“Gotcha,” Paul winked. “Go for it.”
“We’ll see you back at the pad tomorrow - but no later than three we have an audition,” Mike called.
The waitress brought over a tray of milk shakes and banana splits, and the gang dug in, swiping the sugary concoctions off the tray before the waitress could set them on the table.
**
“Can I sit here?”
She didn’t look up.
“What’s wrong, darling? I hate to see a pretty girl look so sad.”
He didn’t wait for an answer. He sat in the booth across from her.
“What are you reading?” Steve glanced at the book cover, but couldn’t make out the title.
“Harlan Ellison - Dangerous Visions. It’s an anthology. ”
“Cool! You read science fiction. I don’t think I’ve ever met a girl who liked science fiction before,” Steve’s gentle curiosity turned to admiration. “
His enthusiasm coaxed her out of her sad stupor She looked up at hi, smiling meekly. .
“Thank you. I got into it after watching “Star Trek,”
Now Steve could see why she’d kept her head down. She’d been crying., Her big brown eyes were tinged with red, and stray tears littered her eyelashes.
“Don’t be embarrassed. I could tell you’ve been crying even from across the room.” Steve touched the corner of he eye and wiped away a tear.
“If you want to talk to me about what’s making you sad, I’ll listen. My name’s Steve.”
“I’m Zoe.”
“Zoe! That’s a beautiful name. It means life in Greek.”
“Wow! Not many people know that…Oliver never liked my name.”
Now he got her to open up.
“Oh, Oliver,” Steve nodded. “Is that why you’re crying?”
“Was crying,” she sniffed. “He broke up with me. Said I wasn’t cultured enough and dressed like a hippie. He’s dating some snobby rich girl now.”
“Any man who would hurt a pretty girl like you is a worthless fool. You’re better off without him,”
“You two lovebirds want anything?” The waitress tapped the eraser end of her pencil on her order pad.
“I’ll have another Coke,” Zoe said, her voice rising above a whisper for the first time all evening.
“I’ll have a Coke, too, “ Steve said.
“You two look cute together,” the waitress said “Two hippie peas in a pod.”
She walked away to get the sodas. Steve gazed at the girl, filled with a strange combination of tenderness, lust and respect. (She did read science fiction, after all)
They both leaned forward, meeting in a wet kiss mid-table. Zoe put her hand underneath his chin and kept it there when they parted.
“You have a beautiful chin. Chiseled, like a statue.”
Steve touched the long, brown hair that fell to her neck. “Everything about you is beautiful – and I can’t wait to see it in private. Would you like that?”
“Yes.”
The waitress brought their Cokes, and they talked about sci-fi authors and how spaceships were built and other opposite of lovebird subjects until they were drowned out by Paul, Mike and the girls acting silly.
“Let’s go to your place. There’s too much noise here,” Steve glanced at the gang, who were plastering whopped cream from the banana splits over their faces in a giggly haze.
“Are those your friends?”
“They’re all right,” Steve said. “They’re just high.Where do you live?”
"I’m just a block away. I walked here.” She swung her body over and jumped out of the booth. Now that he could see her standing up, Steve’s lust overtook his tenderness. She wore a light blue minidress – and that was it. No stockings or shoes.
“I was so upset, I grabbed the first thing in my closet and walked here without putting any shoes on,”
Steve paid the check and they walked part of the way to her apartment. He carried her up the stairs. He told her he wanted to save her delicate feet from the concrete stairs, but he really wanted to feel her shapely ass. Hey, he could like and respect a girl and want to grab her ass.
Zoe scampered to her apartment door. Her posture had changed, her entire body glowed. Steve felt kinda proud. They hadn’t even made love yet and she had a new attitude. Damn, he was good.
He held her hand. “Show me the way,”
Her bedroom was small – just a double bed, bookcase, and desk.
“I’m only here while I’m in school, she said “USC.”
“You’re an English major, I bet.” They lay down on the bed and Steve slipped his hands underneath her minidress. He took off her sheer white panties. He slid one finger, then two in her pussy. She was wet and ready for him. Oh, how gentleness and sweet talk worked better than any pick up line. She sat up and he unzipped her dress, pulling it off and letting it drop on the floor.
He pulled off his striped shirt, the one he;d borrowed from Mike and undid his belt. She reached for his zipper, then backed away.
“It’s okay. You can unzip me. I’m all for women’s lib. This is for both of us,”
She unzipped him, savoring the bulge under his jeans. Without even realizing it, he took off his jeans and underwear and they lie in bed, naked, exploring each others bodies with kisses and greedy fingers until they could stand it no more. He slid on top of her and fucked her, lost in the velvety sweetness of her pussy and her hands digging into his back, sliding up an down as sweat beaded their bodies.
He had no idea where he was – or what time it was when they woke up in the morning – until he heard someone put a key in the door.
Steve grabbed his jeans off he floor and pulled them over his skinny legs.
“Zoe! I left my Yacht Club tie clip with you. I need it back.”
Yacht Club tie clip? He’d put this one in his place.
Oliver stood on the doorway, shocked, eyes big as quarters.
“Who the fuck are you?”
“Watch your language! There’s a lady present,”
Zoe walked out of the bathroom in her robe.
“Zoe! Who is this..this hippie ragamuffin?”
“I’m her boyfriend, that’s who,” Steve slung his arms around her waist, pulling her into his lap.
Taken by surprise, Zoe squealed. Steve pulled her closer.
“So this is who you replaced me with- and so quickly. Figures,” Oliver huffed. His neck turned red beneath the upturned. starchy collar of his dress shirt. “Oh, well, doesn’t matter, Muffy’s in the car waiting for me.”
“Muffy? You must me joking. No bird is really named Muffy. It’s a bloody ridiculous name.”
Paul strolled into the apartment.
“What? What is this? Two of them!” Oliver fumed. “Oh, you were worse than I thought- Muffy was right about you!” He slammed the key down on the desk
"And here’s your spare key. I won’t need it anymore." Oliver stalked out of the apartment, mumbling to himself. “Dirty fuckin’ hippies."
Paul peered into the hallway. The front door slammed.
“Yeah. He’s gone. Back to Muffy,”
Steve squeezed Zoe. “How did you ever get involved with a square like that?”
“I dunno..his parents were friends with my parents.” She shrugged.
“This is my new girlfriend Zoe,” Steve formally introduced his latest bird to Paul, who dawdled by Zoe’s bookcase, pretending to read the book titles.
“Wow Zoe! That’s a groovy name. You don’t hear that one much.”
"Oh , you look so much different than you did in the restaurant,. You look…happier.”
“Well, Steve cheered me up,” Zoe kissed the top of Mick’s curly mane.
“Yeah, he does that with to lotta birds,” Paul said.
“OK, so why are you here? Zoe’s already taken, if that’s why,”
“It’s two-thirty. The audition starts at three. I’m here to retrieve you. It’s a good thing Pete went out for a smoke and saw you and Zoe walk into this building.”
"Geez, the audition. I’m sorry, man, I was busy.”
“I can see that,” Paul said. He turned to Zoe.. “We’ll take care of him and have him back to you good as new, don’t worry.”
Steve slipped his shirt on and kissed Zoe good-bye. “Give me your number. I’ll call you when we’re done. I’ll pick you up and take you to the pad. Introduce you to everybody.”
“I’d like that.” Zoe said. ”See you later.”
Steve squeezed her hand. “Aren’t you glad Norm’s is down the street from you.”
"Definitely,”
“C’mon, the traffic out there is bloody hell this time of day.” Paul looked at his watch.
Steve kissed Zoe good-bye. "Next time I see ya, I'll make sure this pain in the butt isn't following us."
Steve and Paul hurried down to the car.
“Damn, man, what did you do to that bird?" Paul said. "She looked so happy, like she was ready to burst!”
Steve smiled. “Well, you know, sometimes you just have to try a little tenderness.”.