Sintown Chronicles II: Through Bedroom Windows (55 page)

“Shit, man. She'll scream for the lifeguard."

Buzz shook his head. “No she won't. Tell her I said for her to be nice to you."

The teenagers needed no further encouragement. They swam to and surrounded the surprised woman. One pushed her head under water. As she surfaced, gasping for air, she started to scream. Another teenager clamped his hand over her mouth and put his lips next to her ear. All four turned their heads towards Buzz. He waved and went back to the chaise lounge to enjoy the show.

An hour later Buzz dived into the water, swam to the quartet, huddled in the far corner of the pool and announced, “Playtime is over, guys. Beat it."

“I hate your guts,” she spat out as she adjusted the top of her bikini.

“Now, that's more like it,” he said. “The next time I offer you steak, don't settle for just a salad."

“I was trying to please you,” she hissed.

“Your performance with the kids pleased me,” he said. He grabbed her arm as she started to swim away. “I haven't been so turned on since I watched
Daisy Does Dixie
. You're a good-looking woman, Dr. Andrews.” He pulled her close as his lips found hers.

“Rise and shine, Buzz. It's six o'clock."

“Five more minutes,” he mumbled.

Deborah opened the curtains and raised the blinds. “Get up, Buzz. This is sale day."

He sat up and rubbed his eyes. “What's for breakfast?"

“I fixed French toast and sausage."

“Smells good,” he said as he threw back the covers. He walked to the bathroom and did not bother to close the door.

She listened to the sound of his urine splashing into the toiled bowl and resisted the urge to watch.

“You begging for the prod this morning?"

“No, Buzz. You said I could wear clothes when I'm working outside."

He came back into the room. “Yeah, but you aren't outside yet."

“These cutoffs show almost as much as my panties,” she pleaded.

He smiled as he stepped into his jockey shorts. “They are snug,” he agreed. “Turn around. All right! Just a hint of your gorgeous fanny shows. Turn back around and bend over."

She obeyed and sensed his approval.

“That halter top shows off your tits real nice."

He sat at the table and waited for her to feed him. Between bites he said, “When we finish here, clean up the kitchen and get started painting. You'll find everything you need inside the garage. You'll have to scrape the damn thing first. The old paint is peeling badly."

“I worked so hard getting ready for the sale. Please let me help with it. I can do the garage next week."

“I have your activity for next week already planned,” he grinned. “You're going to go to every house in Dot, apologize for being such a bitch and beg the good folks to let you help them with any difficulty they are experiencing."

“But I've already done that."

“Just in the restaurants. Not everybody eats out."

“I thought maybe you'd want me to help with things at the food mart."

“You thought wrong,” he said as he drained his coffee mug.

“Have you decided how you are going to explain me today? Many of your customers will be bargain hunters from Charlotte, but there'll be people from Dot here also."

He smiled. “We're lovers, Teach. If anyone is curious, that's what we'll tell them. You love me and are trying to help me get on my feet after my parents sold the grocery store out from under me."

“People ... people will talk."

He grinned. “I know,” he said as he pinched her nipple painfully through the thin cloth. “Everybody knows I'm Dot's bad boy. Hell, Teach, the rumor is I've screwed half the women in this town—wives included."

“Is ... is the rumor true?"

He chuckled. “Not by a long shot and I've never touched another man's wife. If you tell anyone, I'll fry your clit with the prod."

“Promises, promises."

He watched her carry the empty dishes out of the room and finished dressing. Not yet seven, he thought and he lay down on the bed. A thirty-minute nap won't hurt.

“Buzz, wake up!” she demanded, shaking him roughly. “You have customers."

“Must have dozed off,” he said guiltily. He checked his watch. “It's only seven forty-five. The yard sale begins at nine."

“There are four people here already, Buzz, with money in their pockets. You want me to send them away?"

“Shit,” he said as he sat up. “I need to shave and comb my hair. You see what you can do with them ‘till I get there."

Wave after wave of people, driving trucks and vans, kept coming until nine o'clock. They were dealers, looking for bargains to resell at flea markets. Then the regulars—run of the mill bargain hunters—began to arrive.

Deborah descended the basement steps and whispered, “Buzz, I made you a couple of ham sandwiches. Take a break and eat something."

“I'm starved,” he agreed.

She grabbed him by the belt as he started for the stairs. “Thanks, Buzz."

“For what?"

“For letting me help with the sale."

“I didn't have much choice. Who would have thought so many people would show up? They're even buying mama's old clothes."

She waited until he disappeared through the door at the top of the stairs, picked up the moneybox and slipped into the furnace room, closing the door behind her. She got on her knees and reached behind the furnace. Her searching fingers found the bag of money in small bills she hid there when she arrived that morning. Still on her knees, she added six thousand dollars to the box.

“That's one hell of a view,” the male voice behind her said.

She scrambled to her feet and stared at the greasy looking man, dressed in an expensive business suit.

“I'm a collector, and it looks like I've struck gold this afternoon,” he said. “Your price on the Hot Wheels,” he continued, looking at a small notepad, “is three thousand and on the baseball cards it's ten thousand. You priced the
Playboys
and
Hustlers
at one thousand each for a total of fifteen thousand dollars. I'll give you eight thousand for the lot."

She shook her head. “If you really are a collector, you know our prices are fair. Professionals appraised everything. Are you ... do you collect pornography?"

He smiled. “Today's porn is tomorrow's art."

“Then you may be interested in the contents of those three cartons,” she said, pointing.

He knelt beside the cartons and opened the first box. “Hot damn—
Slut
! These things are hard to come by."

“There is a ten year collection, beginning with the first issue."

“Complete?"

“Almost. There are four issues missing."

“How much?"

She gulped. “Five thousand—cash. We don't take checks or credit cards."

He stood and looked at her. “Ten thousand for the lot."

“Twenty thousand,” she replied coldly. “Cash!"

“Fifteen, and that's my final offer."

“Twenty—cash."

He walked to the door, closed it and searched for a nonexistent lock. He turned and looked at her wickedly. “I'll give you twenty thousand on two conditions. First, you accept a deposit of five thousand. I live in Charlotte, but I can be back with the rest of the cash by five o'clock."

“Agreed."

“The more important condition is that you strip, get on your hands and knees like you were when I came in here, and give me the best fuck you ever gave in you life."

“In your dreams, asshole."

He grinned. “I'll compromise. On your knees and give me a good, deep throat blowjob."

“I'm not a whore, mister."

“Dressed like that? The hell you're not. One final offer—strip, let me feel you up and give me a big, wet kiss."

“And what will you give her in return?” Buzz asked.

The man spun around. “Hey, buddy, I don't want any trouble."

“He wants to buy the collectibles and me for twenty thousand,” Deborah explained.

“My girlfriend is not for sale, bastard,” Buzz said as he clinched his fists.

The man backed up with his hands raised, palms out. “You can't blame a guy for trying, buddy. Look, I do want the stuff. Like I told the lady, I can give you five thousand in cash now and have the rest to you by five o'clock."

“Let's see the color of your money."

Deborah chewed the first bite of her T-bone and moaned as if she were in sexual ecstasy. “God, Buzz, it tastes so good."

“Your first real food in eight days. You've lost enough weight, Debbie. Eat what you like from now on, but if you start getting flabby again, we'll go back to dry toast and rabbit food."

“I thoroughly enjoyed helping with the sale today, but we don't have enough left to sell for you to need me tomorrow, Buzz. I'll start scraping the garage first thing in the morning. With any luck, I can have it ready to paint by the end of the day."

He shook his head and swallowed. “You go to church in the morning. We must keep up appearances.” He chuckled. “Did you see the expression on Leora Border's face when you told her you are my lover?"

Deborah nodded. “There were a ton of surprised looks, Buzz. Nobody knew how to react."

Buzz glanced around. “Everybody in the restaurant is looking at us. Word gets around quick."

She mumbled a reply as she chewed a bite of baked potato.

“What did you say?"

“I almost wish the rumor we started was true."

“Just remember that it's not,” he said. “We're going back to the pool tonight. If those kids are there again, you're going to take them to your house and give them a real show."

“I'll ... I'll do whatever you say, Buzz. I have no choice."

“You're damn right, you don't. You're getting off easy as it is. When you get back from church tomorrow, you will start on the garage. I think I'll make you work naked."

“Buzz!"

“Kidding—I think. I suppose you will have to work on the garage during the mornings and visit our neighbors during the afternoons until the garage is finished."

She looked at him a moment. “Buzz, you let those damn kids feel me up for free, but with twenty thousand dollars on the line, you wouldn't let the grease-ball touch me. I don't understand."

“Simple. You were a whore once, but I'm no pimp."

“I was a model and an actress,” she protested. “I ... I never did anybody for money."

“You were paid for
Daisy Does Dixie
, weren't you? At least twenty guys screwed you in that flick."

“That was different."

“I don't see any difference, Teach."

“Buzz,” she said as she cut another piece of steak. “About Monday. Could I ... no, you wouldn't want that."

“Want what?"

“Well, you had this yard sale to raise enough money to furnish your house. I think you already have more than enough."

He smiled and nodded. “I can hardly believe it—nearly thirty thousand dollars for all that junk. I think we have the price on the chiffonier too high, though. Several people were interested, but walked away when they saw the price tag."

“It's not too high, Buzz. If I were you, I wouldn't take a penny less than five thousand."

“I interrupted. You were about to make a suggestion about Monday."

She sipped her iced tea. “I could go to Charlotte Monday morning and pick out the furniture for you. I have good taste. We might even have it delivered Monday afternoon."

“I don't know,” he said. “I don't want any frilly, girly stuff."

“I promise you'll like what I select. If you don't..."

“If I don't, what?"

“You can use the cattle prod on me."

He grinned. “It's a deal, but damn it, you're not going to get out of painting my garage or visiting the homes of the good people in Dot."

She stopped herself from breathing an audible sigh of relief.

Deborah pulled herself from the pool, adjusted the top of her bikini and sat at the end of his chaise lounge. She dried her hair with a towel and said, “Buzz, I'm exhausted from swimming laps. It's getting late. The kids from Charlotte are not going to show up."

“Yeah,” he agreed. “There's nobody here but Frank and June and the lifeguard has started putting things away. May as well call it a night."

“You're disappointed, aren't you?"

“Yeah. I enjoyed watching those kids feel you up. The lifeguard liked it too."

“He was watching?"

“He didn't take his eyes off you the whole time. Hell, that's the ticket. See if he is interested in getting in the pool with you tonight. Frank and June are leaving,” he said as he nodded towards them. “It's just me, you and the lifeguard—and be sure you put on a damn good show for me."

“Buzz, please."

“Do it, Teach,” he commanded.

Buzz watched her approach the youth as he fiddled with a filter. In five minutes, she was back.

“He was watching all right,” she laughed, “but not me."

“The boys?” he asked incredulously.

She nodded as she pulled on a long shirt. “He's gay. Let's go to my house. I'll give you a private show."

He stood and shook his head negatively. “It's not the same,” he said.

“They need to put lights in this parking lot,” he complained as they walked towards the Mercedes.

A flash of light startled them and they both looked towards to entrance to the lot.

“A van load of kids,” she said. “I wonder if the lifeguard will let them in?"

He grabbed her arm as the van turned and headed slowly towards them. “I don't think they're interested in swimming,” he chuckled.

“Hey, man,” the driver said as he eased the van beside them. “Remember me?"

“Sure,” Buzz said. “Brought some friends with you this time, I see."

“Buzz, please,” Deborah whispered. “There's too many of them. You can't control them."

“Yeah,” the driver said. “Our buddies didn't believe us. Are we too late?"

“I'm afraid the pool is closed for the night. Maybe another time,” Buzz said.

Moans, groans and profanity came from the van.

Buzz pulled Deborah in front of him. “Maybe a little show with convince your friends you weren't lying,” Buzz said as he pulled off Deborah's shirt.

The van leaned as all aboard crowded to get a better view.