"Promiscuous Ocean"By Christine StoddardAn octopus lies in your womb. Each tentacle gropes for a different father. But the sea ofpossibilities spreads off, vast and glumly blue.You met Clarence at a coffee shop. He was hunched over a laptop, tickling the keyswith strange zeal for what he later told you was a business magazine article. Right ashe was describing the featured company's C.E.O., you slipped him a scrap sheet ofpaper. You stepped out the door a fraction of a second later. In your finest cursive, youhad written your first name, phone number, and dimensions. Instead of dotting eachletter 'i,' you drew a balloon heart, complete with the cartoon reflection. He called youwithin two minutes. His voice cracked on the phone.George used to deliver your mail before he started working at the grocery store downthe street. You needed cinnamon flavored baked beans, but the store didn't seem tohave any. When you asked George, he slunk into the back of the store and brought youthe last can left. Then he pushed your overflowing cart to the register for you. Hepopped behind the counter and began scanning your loaf of bread, celery, apples,butter, vanilla ice cream, parmesan cheese, olive oil, macaroni, cake mix, milk,doughnuts, pre-mixed salad, spaghetti, eggs, bacon bits, frozen pizza, Americancheese, pears, pork chops, cream cheese, icing, frozen lasagna, tomato sauce, muffins,and cilantro. But he gave you the baked beans free. You smiled when you noticed.George smiled back, eyes lingering on your face until he finally asked what you weredoing that night.Frank, inebriated and dressed in plaid, approached you at a bar. You asked him if healways resembled a lumberjack. He asked you if you always resembled a goddess. Yougrinned. He offered to buy you a drink, but you said Hollywood-imposed gender rolesbored you. So, you bought him a drink instead. Two martinis and two hours later, youwalked through the door of his apartment. His covers were plaid, too.When you first shook hands with Ben at the neighborhood block party, you knew. Hisfirm grip made you quiver, though, with your winter coat, nobody else noticed. Hequickly grabbed his wife's hand after shaking yours, but refused to remove his gaze.Ben seemed fascinated with your hair. You were fascinated that you managed todiscuss local property values and construction for so long. When you begancomplaining about the eye-sore the Cabells added to the back of your house, Ben's wifespotted her friend Sarah. She scampered off in her rodent-like fashion to chat aboutTupperware. You and Ben disappeared to a more private location.Cameron volunteered at the county library while studying English and History at thenearby university. He wore Coke bottle glasses, read six novels a week, and owned five