Simone
by Richard Burgin

He saw her for the first time near Broad and Tasker on his way to the store. It was like everyone else was dead and she was shining. There was fifty or sixty feet of gray city between them. He kept walking toward her. She was wearing a pink plaid skirt and matching shirt--cheap clothes but they looked good on her. When he got nearer she raised her shirt halfway up trying to tempt the drivers passing by. She had a small chest and looked very young and pretty. When he passed by they smiled at each other and said hello and he asked her how she was doing. He could feel himself being pulled towards her and had to use all his strength to keep going to the store because he'd promised himself years ago--once AIDS started getting big--no more hookers....

Ontario Review #49