Devlin's Defiance: Book Two of the Devlin Quatrology (48 page)

“
Yeah;
screw 'em. They've probably all got a dildo tucked away in their
lingerie drawer.”

“
Ro,
you really have come a long way,” he said, chuckling.

“
Hypocrites
and busybodies just bug me.”

“
Everybody's
got an agenda.”

“
And
an opinion.”

“
Yeah.”

“
And
you know what they say about opinions, Gordy?”

“
What?”

“
Most
of 'em stink.”

“
Y'got
that right, Ro. On both sides. But still” --

“
Well,
how about this? Instead of putting it directly in the book, put it
online and put a link to it, so people who want to read it can and
those who don't can avoid it. What d'ya think about that?”

“
You
mean – you know, Ro, that's not a bad idea. Yeah, I think I
like it.”

“
I
think that's how Donne would do it. Freedom of choice.”

“
Yup,
you're absolutely right. I'll do it that way.”

(Author's
note: Here's the link, but remember, the scene contains graphic and
explicit erotic – i.e., sexual – content. By getting to
the scene at the link below, readers are certifying that they choose
to
read
this material. Readers who might be offended can easily skip it.
Word to the wise, okay?)

http://www.JakeDevlin.com/27X

(Author's
note: Readers who do choose to read the scene should consider it as
a being a continuation of Chapter 27.)

“
Now,
that wasn't so hard, was it?”

“
I
guess not, Ro. Guess we'll find out.”

“
Guess
we will. But you do like the scene, right?”

“
Oh,
yeah, it's great.”

“
Titillating?”

“
Absolutely.
And tit elating for you, I know.”

Rosemary
giggled. “So do you like the idea of a three-way?”

“
Do
I, me personally, you mean?”

“
Yeah.”

“
Why
would you ask that?”

“
Well,
Dallas and I have been working on that scene, and she – uh, she
and I” –

“
She
and you what?”

“
Well,
uh, we wondered how you would feel – uh, feel” –

“
Go
ahead, Ro. Just spit it out.”

“
How
you would feel about having a three-way with me and Dallas sometime.”

- Epilogue -

May
20, 2013
7:38
p.m. local time

Bonita Springs, Florida

“
So
that's the whole story, Sondra, as best I remember it,” Gordy
said, leaning back in his recliner and sipping from his wineglass.
“And you can write any articles you want in any way you want.
But if you want to publish it as a book, I must insist on final
approval and that you publish it with the title 'Devlin's Defiance'
and under the name Jake Devlin. Deal?”

“
Hmm.
I'll have to thi-” --

“
Of
course, you keep all the royalties. We – I mean I don't need
them.”

“
Ah.
Then of course, deal. I can probably get that done by the end of the
year.”

“
Great.
But please don't do what most writers do, write down to readers, like
at eighth grade level. I think it's better to pull readers up, maybe
even challenge them at times, but at least get 'em to think a little
more than just about sports or what's on TV or the other 'bread and
circus' stuff that's fed to them as pablum.”

“
I can do
that. No pablum.”

“
Good.”

“
But I
still have a few questions.”

“
Shoot –
I mean that metaphorically, not literally, of course.”

“
Of
course. Well, first, what about Pam's memoirs? And did she find
proof on that CIA mole? And how did you and Jake get to where you
are? And did you and Rosemary and Dallas actually have your
three-way?”

“
Tell you
what, Sondra. Let's see how you do with this one, and
then
we'll take it from there.”

“
Oh.
Okay, I guess.”

“
And just
a thought. There are two things I really, really hate in novels.
First, unnecessary architectural detail, and second, excessive
self-introspection.”

“
I can
live with that. But isn't 'self-introspection' redundant?”

“
Yup;
just wanted to hammer the point home; I really, really,
really
hate it. But remember, it's all just fiction.”

**********************************************

(Author's
Note: The following alternate epilogues are mostly just for fun, but
the final one, labeled “Additional Epilogue,” is
significant.)

Alternate Epilogue 1

May
27, 2013

Bonita
Beach

“
It's really
weird, Jake. A lot of the folks here who let us use their names in
the book are starting to act like their characters.”

“
Like what,
Gordy?”

“
Well, Rona and
Joel are studying krav maga with Dorothy right on the beach.”

“
Okay.”

“
Cindy is chewing
gum, blowing bubbles and singing 'Daddy is an old fart' whenever
she's here.”

“
So?”

“
She's
40-something years old, remember?”

“
Oh, right;
sorry, QH'd that.”

“
Carie and Jill
got a shotgun mike and a video camera and are letting 'em peek out of
their beach bag.”

“
Hmm.”

“
Beverly's doing
Elvis impersonations in her massage sessions, but that's getting her
lots of new clients.”

“
Well, that's a
good thing, at least.”

“
Yeah. But
Birgitte tells me that Karsten is also doing his Elvis
impersonations, singing and dancing on the beach, and” --

“
And?”

“
Well, he's
starting to act pretty gay, too.”

“
What? Karsten?”

“
Right. And
Birgitte said she's started buying batteries.

“
And Norm now
brings a drill with him for their umbrella, and he and Janet have
started sitting in the sun, not the shade, once he gets the thing
up.”

“
How about
Alice?”

“
No change there;
she's always been a bitchy old broad. But she is starting to wear
more elaborate hats.

“
And Dr. Deb's
wearing denim short shorts, halter tops and got herself a tramp
stamp tattoo.”

“
No. Really?”

“
Yup, really.

“
Sharon's got a
sniper rifle in her beach bag, broken down. And Suzanne …
well, she'll always just be Sexy Raunchy Suzanne.”

“
And how about“
--

“
Sorry, Jake;
gotta run. Ron's out on bail, and he's starting to bury himself in
the sand again, and Norm's reaching for his drill.”

“
Wha-” --

“
Hey,
Norm, hold it! Back off!”

Alternate Epilogue 2 -
Part 1

June
3, 2013
1:27
p.m. local time

“
Jesus, Jake. I
gave you a name, a 39-meter yacht, a Gulf-front house with a full
security system, an international security business with a whole
fleet of private jets and helicopters, another business as an
assassin, a beautiful, bright blonde to be a trusted companion and
co-conspirator, even threw in another beautiful, bright blonde for
some sexual adventures, and now you want to not only be a character,
but claim credit as the author. Jesus, I can't believe it.”

“
Pam is actually
a redhead, Gordy.”

“
Oh, picky,
picky, picky. I know, I know; that's how I wrote her.”

“
You mean that's
how I wrote her.”

“
Exactly; that's
what I said.”

“
No, you said you
wrote her.”

“
Right, because I
did.”

“
And now you
think you're writing me, I'll bet.”

“
No, I'm talking
to you on a satellite phone.”

“
You know what I
mean, Gordy. Geez.”

“
Of course I do,
Jake. I AM writing you, after all.”

“
No, you're not.
I am.”

“
No, I am.”

“
No, I am.”

“
No, I am.”

“
No, I am.”

“
Well, whichever
of us is writing this, it's getting juvenile.”

“
Sophomoric.”

“
No, juvenile;
that's worse than sophomoric, by many years.”

“
Okay, okay. So
let's just drop it.”

“
No, let's not.
I'm not going to let you get away with claiming to be both character
and author.”

“
But it's you
who's doing that, Gordy.”

“
No, I'm not.”

“
Yes, you are.”

“
No, I'm –
no, you're not gonna get me in that loop again.”

“
Yes, I am.”