Sintown Chronicles I: Behind Closed Doors (83 page)

As the group left the office Jo whispered to Randy that she was going to have some of that southern fried chicken at Dot's Diner and would find a way home.

Jo waved goodbye to the departing car and went to the diner. She nodded to Mary Lou and Mack as she made her way to the only available booth. She wondered who the couple was who always seemed to occupy the back booth. They seemed so much in love, although the man was obviously much older than the woman. After placing her order, Mary Lou came to her table.

“I called Angela Wood,” Mary Lou said. “She's definitely interested in my offer. She has already faxed me her resume. I am very impressed. She's coming to Dot next week to look us over. I don't know how I can ever thank you."

“I do,” Jo replied as Dottie arrived with the chicken special. “You can give me a ride home. Someday Randy and I are going to have to buy a second car."

“I wish I could,” Mary Lou replied, “but I have to go back to the clinic. Mack loves the company of beautiful women, Jo. He'll give you a lift."

Jo smiled. “I appreciate it,” she said. She watched Mary Lou return to her table and smiled again. I'll bet he would like to give me a lift, she thought as she remembered how the preacher looked down her blouse when she and Randy met with him for marriage counseling, and how he rubbed against her buttocks as they were leaving. I'll bet he'd love to give me a ride, all right, but not the kind Mary Lou has in mind. Somebody ought to teach that pious leech a lesson.

When Mack pulled up in front of the Nickels’ home, Jo unfastened her seatbelt, but did not open the car door. “Mack,” she said placing her hand on his thigh. “Randy's in Charlotte—won't be back for at least an hour. I remember quite well how attracted you were to my boobs and butt when Randy and I were in your office for marriage counseling. You enjoyed a view of my crotch, too. If you care to come in for a few minutes, I'll give you a better view."

“Jo!” he said, using the most sanctimonious tone of voice he could muster.

She could sense his body trembling. “Hey, I know you are a preacher man,” she continued as she moved her hand closer to his groin, “but you're a man first.” She let her fingers play with his testicles and pressed the heel of her hand against the erection she knew she would find.

“Jo, don't,” he said. It had been weeks since he enjoyed Penny's delightful young body and he had lost count of the time since Mary Lou last accommodated him.

“There's nothing to worry about,” Jo cooed. “My tubes are tied and I don't have any sexually transmitted diseases."

“It's a wonderful offer, but I just can't. You know that."

She gazed into his eyes with her experienced, provocative expression and slowly unbuttoned and pulled apart her coat. Still holding his eyes locked with hers, she licked her lips. Slowly she unbuttoned her blouse. She watched his eyes lower to her bosom. Using both hands, she opened the blouse. “Wouldn't you love to have your hands on these? Wouldn't you enjoy a taste?"

“Oh, God, Jo. You are a beautiful woman, but I just can't do this."

“What if I were to cry rape?"

“But ... but that would not be true."

“It would be my word against yours. Who do you think people would believe?” She grasped his penis under his pants and began to move her hand vigorously. He moaned and reached for her breasts. Suddenly she squeezed his testicles with all her strength, using both hands. He screamed and fought her off.

She opened the door and got out. “Next time think twice about feeling up another man's fiancé with your eyes,” she said and she slammed the car door shut.

Although he was in pain, he scrambled out of the car and limped after her. “Jo, please ... wait."

She stopped and faced him.

“I'm sorry. I'm guilty s charged, but you are not innocent. You offered me a gift that day and I accepted it. My behavior was inappropriate. I apologize."

She searched his eyes and decided he was sincere. “I was testing you, Mack, and you failed the test."

“Please forgive me, Jo."

She smiled. “Go thy way and sin no more."

Penny sat at the kitchen table eating a peanut butter sandwich. It was not turning out to be a good day. She missed Billy. For two days, he had been trying to take care of his mother who was sick with a cold. “I got the first good night's sleep last night since I let Billy in my bed,” she laughed out loud.

She thought of Mack's visit the previous night. Full of apologies and remorse, she thought. Who needs him? Besides—Billy's bigger.

She shook her head and stirred breadcrumbs with her finger. “I can't believe I'm pregnant.” She slammed her open hand onto the table. “I peed all over myself twice but both of those damn home pregnancy tests were positive. I wonder if it was Mack or Billy? God, I hope it wasn't Billy.” She laughed at herself and shrugged. “Doesn't matter. I'm not going to have the little bastard—no way."

She folded her arms on the table and rested her head on them, but sleep would not come. She rinsed the milk residue from her glass and sighed. For three hours she had again searched the attic for the mysterious green box, but it just was not there. She spent another two hours working in the greenhouses, but she wasn't even close to being finished. Damn, I miss Billy, she thought as she headed back to the plastic structures.

How the hell should I know which of these cucumbers to pick and which to let grow a little larger? she asked herself. She decided to just pick the largest ones, and ask Billy about it when he returned. “Billy Morgan, my teacher,” she giggled. By the time she came to the end of the first row, one bushel-basket was full and she started a second.

There must be an easier way to make a living, she thought as she worked her way up the second row. Of course, there's nothing to it when Billy's here. Maybe I should make his mother a pot of chicken soup to speed up the healing process. She chuckled as she recalled her mother forcing chicken soup down her throat every time she got the sniffles when she was a child.

She bent over to move the basket forward. Her left breast popped out of the halter. She laughed. “Shame you didn't have an audience,” she said to the breast as she stuffed it back inside her skimpy cotton top. “Wait a damn minute,” she said as she continued to look at her breast. “Maybe there is an easier way to make a living. Mack doesn't know I've been screwing Billy. He'll think the kid is his. Hell, it probably is. He feels so guilty about having sex with me he'll pay, and pay dearly, to keep this little matter a secret.” She smiled broadly and continued picking the phallic shaped vegetables.

“Hello. Anybody home?"

She did not recognize the baritone voice. “Back here,” she answered.

The town's richest citizen appeared at the upper end of the row and approached her wearing a big smile on his face. He shifted the cake tin he was carrying to his left hand and extended his right. “You probably don't remember me,” he said. “I'm Tim Dollar."

“Of course I remember you,” she said. “Please forgive the way I'm dressed. I wasn't expecting company. I know its cold outside, but I have to keep these greenhouses at seventy-eight degrees. It gets pretty warm when you're picking vegetables."

“You look great to me,” Tim replied. He continued to smile as he studied the goddess before him—fair skin with just a few freckles on her face, neck and arms; sneakers; cutoff jeans that were at least one size too small; exposed navel; rounded little tummy dropping from just below the navel and disappearing beneath the waistband of the jeans; and a halter top that was several sizes too small. He offered her the container. “Sandy wanted you to have one of our special chocolate cakes."

“Why, thank you,” she said, accepting the tin and lifting its top. “It looks delicious. Did Sandy bake it?"

Tim laughed. “Hell no. Our housekeeper baked it. I'm afraid Sandy doesn't do anything domestic anymore, what with her reading, writing, business interests and the baby."

Penny sat the cake on the workbench at the back of the greenhouse.

“Old Amos did himself proud when he created his arboretum,” Tim commented as he looked over the impressive structure.

“His what?” she asked as she retraced her steps.

“Arboretum,” Tim laughed. “It's a fancy word Amos brought back from North Carolina State University when he was researching the project.” He picked a couple of cucumbers and dropped them into the basket. “Tough work for a delicate young lady, isn't it?” he asked when she returned.

“Not when Billy's here,” she laughed.

“Billy?"

“Billy Morgan."

“I don't believe I know..."

“Sure you do. Billy is the teenager who used to wander around town all day, peeing wherever he happened to be when the need arose."

Tim laughed. “And worse than that,” he said. “You have that retarded boy working for you?"

“I sure do, and he's not as retarded as you think. I'm teaching him to read and he's learning so fast I can hardly believe it. I have to help him a little, but he's gotten to the point where he can pretty much read the daily comics himself. A couple of weeks ago I found some books by George Eliot in Uncle Amos’ study. I started reading
Silas Marner
. Billy wanted me to read it to him, so each night we spend an hour or so at it. Sometimes I see Billy with the book trying to read it himself. I'm proud of him."

“You should be, and proud of yourself too,” Tim said as he continued to help with the cucumber harvesting. “I would never have thought Billy capable of learning to read. Sandy is the one who got everyone in Dot interested in reading the classics through her newspaper column. Still, it surprises me a little that Amos was a member of her book club."

Penny dropped an armful of cucumbers into the now full basket and noticed that Tim was enjoying her cleavage. She bent forward to give him a better view and to pick up the basket.

“Here, let me do that for you,” he said.

She intentionally jerked her shoulder, again causing her left breast to find freedom. “I'm sorry,” she apologized as she slowly pulled the halter back in place, fondling the breast seductively in the process.

“I know men who would kill to see that gorgeous globe,” Tim joked as he picked up the basket.

“Just put it beside the others in the rear and bring an empty back with you,” she said.

When he returned she dropped another armful into the empty basket and stayed bent over much longer than necessary. She straightened up slowly and noted the bulge in his pants.

“Penny,” he said. His throat seemed a little dry. “There is another reason I came here today."

“Oh?"

“I think this work is too much for you, even with Billy's help. By the way, where is Billy?"

“His mom has the flu. He's staying with her a few days until she gets back on her feet."

“I see. Anyway, I want you to know that I am prepared to offer you a handsome sum for your property. I own a couple hundred acres on either side of your farm. We are going to start building modestly priced homes on that land as soon as the weather allows and I surely would like to link my property with yours."

“I don't know,” she said, her arms again full. “Uncle Amos wanted me to keep the place.” She again looked at the bulge in his pants.

“I didn't know that. Well, if I can help in any way, let me know, and if you change your mind I can make you a moderately wealthy young lady."

She smiled and thought, You sure as hell can. She intentionally spilled the armload of cucumbers on the ground and hastily bent over to retrieve them, shaking her left shoulder hard. Her breast once more popped out just as he squatted down to help.

He stared at the breast. She made no move to cover it. She reached for his hand and pressed it against the quivering, nipple-topped mound.

“I ... we shouldn't,” he said, but his voice betrayed him.

She pulled his head to hers and when their lips met, she filled his mouth with the jackhammer intrusion of her tongue. She removed the halter. He cupped both breasts with his hands and squeezed. She moaned.

“We shouldn't,” he repeated as his hands searched for the snap on her jeans.

She unbuckled his belt. “You want the land, don't you?” she purred. “Be nice to me. It's been so long since a man made love to me."

She pushed her cut-off jeans over her supple hips and watched as he quickly stripped. She turned her back to him, spread her feet far apart and leaned over. He placed his hands on her undulating hips and entered her with a single thrust.

Tim pulled up his pants. “God, you're beautiful,” he said.

“So are you,” she returned, “and you know how to please a woman. You are a hell of a stud."

“No one has ever screwed me like you just did,” he said, shaking his head and zipping up his fly. He knew that Sandy was better, but it sounded like the right thing to say. “This would never have happened if Sandy ... Look, Penny, you need to understand that I love my wife. It's just that she doesn't have much time for me lately."

Penny thought she'd heard that one before. “Tim, I understand that. But you have to admit, there's a lot of sexual chemistry between us."

She pulled up her cut-off jeans and reached for the halter-top. He pulled her to his chest and kissed her forehead. “I promise I will never lose control like that again. You ... this must be our secret. Please."

She loved it. She was in control and knew it. “I love you, Tim Dollar. I want the whole world to know."

He stepped back and looked at her in horror. “No!” he said. “No, you don't, Penny. Please, for God's sake."

She laughed and pulled his hand to her cheek. “I'm just kidding. I don't love you, but I sure as hell love your body. Tim, a girl has needs just like a man. I don't have anybody in my life right now. If you promise to visit me at least once a week, I promise our little secret will go with me to the grave.” She pasted her still naked breasts to him and again filled his mouth with her tongue. “If you're extra special nice to me, I'll think seriously about selling you the land."

“I'll ... I'll be back,” he promised, caressing her buttocks one final time.