Sintown Chronicles I: Behind Closed Doors (54 page)

“Brad! Troy!” she cried as she emerged from the trees. There they were, playing with short blocks of two-by-fours and sawdust.

“Don't you ever scare me like that again,” she scolded with more relief than anger in her voice when she reached the children, grasping each child by the shoulder and shaking them gently.

“They're not in the way.” She looked up. The deep baritone voice startled her. There he was, coming up from the basement of the house under construction, stripped to the waist, his lean ebony body glistening with his own perspiration.

“I used to play on construction sites when I was a boy,” he said, grinning as he approached her. “Wood blocks and saw horses are far better toys than you can buy in a store."

“They slipped away when I wasn't looking,” she explained.

He looked sternly at the frightened children, then smiled, receiving their smiles in return. “What's your name,” he asked the older child.

“Brad, sir."

“I Toy,” the golden-haired brother added.

“Little fella,” he said to Troy, “I believe your hair has been dipped into pure sunshine."

Troy hid behind Sarasue's plain housedress.

“And what is your name, pretty lady?” Carl Elliott asked.

“Sarasue.” To herself she thought, Did he say ‘pretty lady'?

“Let me guess. Your parents couldn't decide on Sara or Sue so they compromised."

“That's right,” Sarasue laughed.

“I owe you an apology, Sarasue."

“You do?"

“I'm your neighbor, Carl Elliott. I have my office and also live in the Dollar building too, apartment 3G. I heard you moved in, but I haven't gotten around to welcoming you to the building."

Sarasue dried the last of her supper dishes and faced another boring night of watching television. “I need a social life,” she sighed as she sank into the sofa and clicked on the television. Her thoughts immediately went to the glistening body of Carl Elliott. Why not? she asked herself as she pulled the hem of her dress above her waist, but just as her finger found its mark there was a knock at the door.

“I thought it was time I did my neighborly duty,” Carl Elliott joked when she opened the door. He motioned with his head to the case of beer he was holding. “If you don't care for beer,” he said, “I'll take your welcoming gift to my own kitchen."

“I'll drink anything that's free,” she replied.

He moved past her and sat the beer on her kitchen table. “They're still cold,” he said, removing two and offering her one. “I stopped by the Dot Grocery on the way home and got them out of the cooler."

The movement of his Adam's apple fascinated her as he turned up the brown bottle and gulped down over half of the beer.

He looked at her for a long moment and then said, “I've seen you hiding in the pine trees spying on me."

“I wasn't spying,” she said, realizing too late that she had admitted her guilt.

“I didn't realize until I saw you up close today what a sexy thing you are,” he said, his baritone voice setting her bones into vibration.

She realized she was flustered. She sipped her beer before replying. “You don't know how long it's been since I've heard sweet-talk like that."

He sat down and propped a muddy brogan on her table. “I am a busy man,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “I don't have time to play games, and I'm not the marrying kind. I have a hard-on just looking at you and I'll bet your pussy's doing flip-flops over me. If you want sex without love, romance and marriage, get your clothes off. I'm dying to see those dark titties of yours."

She slammed her bottle down on the table. “Who the hell do you think you are?” she shouted.

“I'm the man you've been peeking at from the pines for two or three weeks now.” He smiled lasciviously. “I'm the man you fanaticize about when you play with yourself."

“Get out of my home,” she said coldly.

“It's your call, baby,” he said. He stood up slowly, leering at her, and walked through the living room to the door.

“You say you don't play games, but you're playing one right now."

He turned around. “I am?"

“Sure. You just want the game to be over quickly, so you place your cards on the table face up. Okay, I'll do the same. I'm lonely in this damn town and you are a good-looking man. If you get an erection just looking at me with my clothes on, just think what your reaction would be to see me naked. In one way, I'm just the woman you're looking for. I've had a hysterectomy, so you aren't going to knock me up, and I have no sexually transmitted diseases, so you don't have to wear a raincoat when you do me."

“I always use a rubber,” he interrupted. “I never take chances. I carry two in my pocket at all times, just in case."

“Just two?” she mocked. “If you fuck me, you'll do it without a condom. I like to feel a man's skin and his juices squirting into me."

“Don't you mean when I fuck you—not if."

“No I don't, you conceited bastard. Here are my cards. I like my sex wild and kinky. Are you up to it?"

“You like being on the giving or receiving end?"

“Both."

Their eyes locked as he approached her. She stood motionless as he completely stripped her. Without warning, he buried his fist deep into her stomach. As she rolled on the floor clutching her belly and gasping for breath he said, “I need a bath. Bring me another beer.” He headed for her bathroom.

As soon as she was able, she brought the beer to him. He was naked, standing in front of the commode ready to urinate. The tub was filling with hot water. “You want to drink it?” he sneered.

“Is that an order?"

“No,” he replied and he let the yellow stream flow. Turning to her after shaking his penis he laughed. “It hurts like hell to piss when you have an erection.” He took the beer from her, poured a little on each breast and licked it off.

“Lie on the floor and pull your feet up to your ears,” he commanded. When she complied as best she could he forced the neck of the bottle into her vagina, filled her vaginal canal, and sucked the liquid out. “Best way to enjoy a beer,” he said while refilling the human glass.

To his surprise, she moaned with obvious pleasure.

Following instructions, she bathed him, ending with a vigorous shampoo of his curly black hair.

“Take a deep breath,” he commanded. He grabbed her throat with his powerful right hand, pushed her backward into the bath water and pinned her to the bottom of the tub. He ripped her unlubricated vaginal lips apart with his penis and savagely enjoyed her, ejaculating quickly.

She sucked in the life restoring air when he released her and trembled with the tremendous orgasm the near death experience produced in her loins. He allowed her to stretch out on his reclining body. She massaged his chest with her slightly sagging, but still exciting, breasts.

“I'll be sleeping with your naked body until I get tired of you,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. “I'm going to my place to get a few things. I want sausage, eggs, buttered toast, orange juice and coffee served every morning at five. If you don't have the groceries on hand, go buy them before I return."

She nodded against the side of his face.

He tightened his grip on her hair, causing a pleasant pain. “And find some tweezers. When I get back, I'm going to rip out your pubic hair."

She grinned broadly. “Promises, promises,” she said while he pinched her nipples.

Betty stood at the apartment window that overlooked Old Charlotte Road. “Why does it have to rain on Sunday?"

“The newspaper says it's supposed to rain all day,” Bo replied from the sofa where he was reading the Sunday edition of the
Charlotte Observer
.

“It figures."

“What difference does it make? We never do anything on Sunday anyway but lay around the place."

She sighed. “Want more coffee?” she asked, picking up his cup from the coffee table.

“May as well,” he replied absently as he turned a page.

“Bo,” she said when she returned with the coffee, “we don't talk anymore."

“Uh huh."

“We used to have so much to tell each other late at night when you'd finally get home from your Tanglewood job. Sometimes we'd talk until the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes we'd talk while having sex. You don't even screw me anymore."

“Uh huh.” He moved to the comic section.

“ Friday I received a bonus of a million dollars."

“That's nice."

She threw a pillow at him. “Bo Nading, you haven't listened to a thing I've said."

He tossed the pillow back at her. “Okay, I'm listening now. I just wanted to see what Garfield was up to today."

“We don't talk anymore, Bo."

“What do you call what we're doing now?"

“I'm beating my gums together and you're ignoring me."

“Speaking of gums, are those braces still hurting?"

“Not as much as they did. I mentioned the pain to Sandy the other day and she recommended I try Alka-Seltzer Plus. She says she takes it as a general pain medication and swears by it. I bought a package and it did reduce the pain. Of course, when Dr. Hartman tightens them again Monday the pain will come rushing back."

“Who is Sandy?"

“Sandra Dollar."

“You're hobnobbing with Dot's golden girl now?"

“You see. This is exactly what I am talking about. We don't share things with each other like we used to. Sandy is a hell of a woman. She takes an active part in running Dollar Enterprises, reads extensively, writes book reviews and novels and has a baby on the side. Anyway, she is now helping us out occasionally with ad copy."

“I thought Rita did all of the writing."

“She still does most of it, but much of her time is spent finding new clients. We now have three new department stores in Charlotte and she has picked up used car dealers in Winston-Salem, Greensboro and Raleigh. It's all I can do to keep up with the art work."

“And answering the telephone."

She moved beside him on the sofa and began to stroke his thigh. “I don't have to do that anymore. Rita hired Creasy Green's wife as her new administrative assistant."

“Is she going to work out?"

“I don't know. Her name is Allison but we call her Al. She doesn't like Dot worth a crap—says there's nothing to do here."

“She's right about that, but things will change next spring when the Dollar's recreational complex gets into full swing."

“I don't think that will meet her needs. She likes lots of night life."

“Well hell, Charlotte's only thirty miles away."

“Yeah, I know, but most of Creasy's sales calls must be made at night. Maybe having a job will help her."

“Is she a lesbian?"

“Not that I know of."

“Have you heard anything from Jan lately?"

“Like you, I see her at the diner from time to time. She still tries to be friendly, but Rita and I give her the cold shoulder. We don't want to get back into that trap again."

“I'm very surprised she gave up so quickly."

“I'm delighted, but I'm still scared of her. I think Rita is too. Somebody said Jan has a gentleman friend now, but I don't know much about it."

“Poor guy,” Bo laughed.

Betty opened the housecoat she was wearing and pulled Bo's hand to her breast. He kept it there, but she thought that he did so reluctantly.

“How's Rita these days?” he asked, visualizing the pint-sized bombshell naked.

“She asks about you often,” she replied. “She wonders why you don't come around any more. I tell her you are busy with the new job. She works her butt off, Bo, and spends all of her spare time with the children. She really loves those kids.” She dropped her hand in his lap and was disappointed to find he was not aroused.

“Betty, are you happy with your job?” he asked.

“With the job, yes, but not with you, damn it. I'm practically throwing myself at you and you aren't interested at all."

He chose to ignore her comment, but did try to fondle her breasts more enthusiastically. “I'm not happy, Betty."

“What?"

“Everything happened too fast. We weren't even settled in good at Tanglewood when you got the hots for Rita Holder and wanted to move to Dot."

“Wait a damn minute,” she said. “It was you and Big Willie who first became interested in Dot."

“Yeah,” he said. “All the same, I wish I had stayed at Tanglewood."

“The only thing that's wrong with you,” she said with a twinkle in her eye, “is that you haven't had sex lately. She threw off her housecoat, sat on his lap with her legs spread obscenely apart, and rubbed her right nipple across his lips.

He sucked the hard berry in between his teeth just as a knock sounded at the door.

“Shit,” she said as she ungracefully slid off his lap and scrambled to get the robe back on.

“What the hell do you want?” Bo asked after opening the door.

Betty recognized the voice.

“Bo, please let me come in for just a few minutes. It's important,” Jan pleaded.

“Anything you have to say to me you can say from the hallway,” he replied.

“Please, Bo. I desperately need to talk with you and Betty for just a few minutes."

“Go to hell, bitch.”

He started to close the door in Jan's face, but Betty interrupted. “For goodness sakes, Bo. Give the woman a chance. Come on in, Jan."

“Look, I know you guys hate my guts,” Jan said as she sat down. “I don't understand that, but I accept it. I am here to plead for your help."

“What do you want?” Bo asked sharply.

“I've met this man—an older man—and I like him."

“I thought you were a lesbian,” Betty said.

“I go both ways. You know that. But my interest in this guy is not exactly sexual."

“Are you trying to tell us you are in love?” Bo asked sarcastically.

“No. I don't know. It's more like a deep friendship. I'm confused about it. The guy is as innocent as a newborn baby. I don't want him hurt."

“I'm not following you, Jan,” Betty said. “Why do you think we would want to hurt this guy?"

“It's not that. He ... he doesn't know about me, and I don't want him to find out."

“You stay out of our lives and we'll stay out of yours,” Bo promised.