[TheStellarEnsemble.com] The Godfather - Mario Puzo

husbands who almost told him to his face that they forgave their wives since it was allowed foreven the most virtuous matron to be unfaithful with a great singing and movie star like JohnnyFontane. That really floored him.He loved Ella Fitzgerald on records. He loved that kind of clean singing, that kind ofclean phrasing. It was the only thing in life he really understood and he knew he understood itbetter than anyone else on earth. Now lying back on the couch, the brandy warming his throat, hefelt a desire to sing, not music, but to phrase with the records, yet it was something impossible todo in front of a stranger. He put his free hand in Sharon’s lap, sipping his drink from his otherhand. Without any slyness but with the sensualness of a child seeking warmth, his hand in herlap pulled up the silk of her dress to show milky white thigh above the sheer netted gold of herstockings and as always, despite all the women, all the years, all the familiarity, Johnny felt thefluid sticky warmness flooding through his body at that sight. The miracle still happened, andwhat would he do when that failed him as his voice had?He was ready now. He put his drink down on the long inlaid cocktail table and turned hisbody toward her. He was very sure, very deliberate, and yet tender. There was nothing sly orlecherously lascivious in his caresses. He kissed her on the lips while his hands rose to herbreasts. His hand fell to her warm thighs, the skin so silky to his touch. Her returning kiss waswarm but not passionate and he preferred it that way right now. He hated girls who turned on allof a sudden as if their bodies were motors galvanized into erotic pumpings by the touching of ahairy switch.Then he did something he always did, something that had never yet failed to arouse him.Delicately and as lightly as it was possible to do so and still feel something, he brushed the tip ofhis middle finger deep down between her thighs. Some girls never even felt that initial movetoward lovemaking. Some were distracted by it, not sure it was a physical touch because at thesame time he always kissed them deeply on the mouth. Still others seemed to suck in his fingeror gobble it up with a pelvic thrust. And of course before he became famous, some girls hadslapped his face. It was his whole technique and usually it served him well enough.Sharon’s reaction was unusual. She accepted it all, the touch, the kiss, then shifted hermouth off his, shifted her body ever so slightly back along the couch and picked up her drink. Itwas a cool but definite refusal. It happened sometimes. Rarely; but it happened. Johnny pickedup his drink and lit a cigarette.138