^{Between the Earth and the Moon.}

Chapter 1

Late night in the city, Carl leans on the railing of the balcony of his 8th-floor apartment building looking at the neon signs of the night. Next to him is a metal stand ashtray, he picks up his smoldering cigar and places it between his lips. He stares for several minutes, along with his own thoughts. He watches the pedestrians below, the flapper girls and the young men in the suits and boatman caps, coming from late night speakeasies, or the Trumbulane club. When you want to party that is the place to go. Carl returns his eyes to a particular blue neon sign in the distance. A pseudo animation of a blue, red, and yellow dancing girl every few minutes scrolls letter by letter Tonight, Tonight. The rain falls again for a few seconds then stops. The traffic thins out as the minutes pass by until the street is a ghost town, aside from a delivery truck or alone police motorcycle.

Unbeknownst to Carl, his lady friend stood behind him watching him quietly smiling, but in her head, she was worrying. She was smiling at him, though she didn't know why.

"I can feel you." Carl says without turning around.

Augustina walks up to the back of him and throws her arms over his shoulders to give him a gentle hug "I will be you prefer to feel me up close." As she rubs herself against him.

"You are not wrong."

"What is on your mind?" Lorraine whispers into his ear.

"Like always, there is nothing going on between these ears." 

"Funny. You don't have to think inside, You can think outloud to me. It may help to have someone to bounce ideas off of."

"You do bounce well." He says as he slowly turns around. in between her arms and pulls her close to him. He gives her one quick kiss. and then starts dancing to music that only he can hear in his head, as she listens to the music in her head.

"You know it is pretty late, I should be getting home." She says.

"Well it is too late to go home now. You will just be back here in an hour."

"True , True, I am hard to get rid of."

"You Promise?" he asks.

"I promise. Because you know you are the bees knees."

"How many knees does a bee have?"

"Enough to keep me happy."

"Are you happy."

"Yes... But..." she holds up her ring finger giving him a hint.

"Soon baby, Soon. When not sure, but soon."

The rain begins to pour down again a little harder. She pulls him inside the doors. "Get in here Mon Cherie"

"My names not Cheri."

"Shut up that joke was a bomb."

"They can't all be winners."

He smiles looks backward and slides the balcony door shut, "They all should be winners."

"You will always be my trophy." She says coyly.

"You know i have to go up in two days." He says as he dips her.

"So do I." she says pointing up while waiting for him to finish the dip. 

"So where you going?"

He pulls her close to his face for a kiss.

"The moon."

"I know , where on the moon."

"That i do not know, it is a secret they won't tell me."

"Then how you going to find it?"

"Feeling my ways around."He says as he feels her backside.

"You are so bad."

"I heard girls like bad boys."

"Some girls do. Where is my slap?"

"It's not Friday."

"See you are not bad enough; you need more work."

"I will work on being rougher."

"Promise?"

He smacks her on the rear as hard as he can, and she yelps.

"That's a start baby."

"Now that i gave you what you want, when do i get what I want."

"What do you want?"

"I will be right back, i got to get the list."

"How long is it?"

He gives her a dirty look.

"You know that is not what i mean."

"I like my interpretation better."

"I know you do. Now back to the moon."

They stop dancing He walks to his room to get some fresh clothes and she goes towards the shower. 

"I wish i brought some fresh clothes." She says as she goes to the shower.

"We can always be nudists, never have to worry about what to wear."

"Always thinking of others, huh babe."

"You know me, i think of you before me."

"Why do i think me being naked all the time has more to do with you then thinking of me."

"Oh baby you hurt me to my soul." He laughs from the bedroom as she steps into the shower.

He takes out his clothes from the dresser and makes sure his space explorer uniform is hanging up in the closet. He decides to wear a button-up shirt and some khaki-colored pants. He takes his folded clothes and heads out of the bedroom.

Augustina looks up into the brass showerhead as she begins to soap herself when suddenly she has four hands.

"I see you think I needed help. And your little friend came along too."

"You trying to hurt my friend's feelings?"

"Of course not, he does a great job when you are asleep."

"You may be too much for me." he says.

"I know i am. That’s why i am gentle on you."

"I am not broken yet."

"Give me time."

She turns around to face him to soap Carl up.

"Baby you got all the time in the world." She says as she pulls her wet hair back.

A few minutes later the sun has been for 30 minutes. Augustina is putting on her coat, “So we still going to the movies?”

“Yes, You got anything in mind? "He asks?

“No not really, I will meet you at the Para-dice about 15 till noon.” She says as she wraps her hand around the doorknob.

“Like we will be watching the movie.” he says.

“Well let’s stop short before they kick us out again.” Augustina says.

“Well, if we went any farther, they would have called vice and moral cops on us.”

“I prefer them. Instead of little old ladies with umbrellas beating on us.” She flips her hair over her shoulder.

“Not again.”

She turns back gives him a quick kiss and leaves.

He stands there looking at the door for a few moments before walking to the icebox. He opens the door and says out loud to himself, “well Mother Hubbard my cupboard is near bare.” he shuts the door. Throws on a sports coat and leaves the apartment to head toward the elevator.

Want to see Chapter two? Just leave me constructive criticism