"For what?" Chubby mimicked.

"It's six o'clock! Whatta you, a animal?"

"My cock don't wear a watch. See ya later." He took the twenty, pinched Tommy's cheek and left the bar.

"What a lover." Tommy fiddled with his mustache.

"I wouldn't want him on top a me," said Banion.

"Don't let his size fool you, the man knows what he's doin'. I bet you he could outbang this whole bar."

"I still wouldn't want him on top a me."

"Well, then you don't know what you're missing. The dude's a top stickman. Do you know why he's so good? I been in on a lotta three- an' four-way deals with Chub, so I know what I'm talkin' about. He's good 'cause he loves to fuck. He don't get hung up on that whole 'Was it good for you? Didja come?' number. He just goes right in there. I never seen a guy so much in love with pussy as Chubby. You gotta see him in action to believe it. I mean he loves the way it smells, the way it tastes, the way it feels. He's the only guy I know who can sing and scarf pussy at the same time."

"Hmpf, you'd never know it." Banion was fuming. Sex was such a major production for him because of his crippled legs. His wife had to get on top of him and do all the work or it was no go. The agony of his helplessness was such that at forty-six he had just about lost interest in screwing altogether.

"Oh, an' if you think Chubby's somethin' now, you shoulda seen him thirty years ago. Jesus Christ, he was built like a brick shithouse, like a fuckin' rock. He got an offer to play pro ball when he was eighteen ... he ever tell you about that?"

"Really?" Banion started fidgeting.

"Oh yeah. Nineteen forty-four Chubby was the triple crown champ at James Monroe, hits, homers an' RBIs. You know who he looked like? You remember that guy used to play for the Reds, Ted Kluszewski? You know, that guy with arms like tree trunks? He useta play with his sleeves cut off to his shoulders."

"Yeah. Yeah, I remember."

"Chubby looked just like him. In-fuckin'-credible. He was the most popular guy at Monroe. I remember I was a sophomore when he was a senior. I used to get laid by sayin' to girls, 'If you put out for me I'll put in a good word for you with my brother.'" Tommy laughed.

"What happened with the pros?" Banion didn't want to know but felt compelled to ask.

"That was the funniest thing. I don't mean funny ha-ha; it was more tragic than that ... Chubby got an offer to try out with the Browns, that's when they had guys like One-Arm Pete Grey an' such. With the war goin' on they were really hard up for talent. So Chubby's supposed to go out to St. Louis on a Sunday. That Saturday night we had a party, Banion, the likes a which I never been to since. The whole team, all twenty guys, we went down to Union Square and rented out an entire whorehouse for two hundred bucks, the pussy, the booze, the this, the that, in-fucking-credible. Fifteen guys lost their cherries that night, guys runnin' aroun' 14th Street in the nude, puking, coming, screaming. It was the most memorable night a my life, Banion."