Sintown Chronicles II: Through Bedroom Windows (60 page)

She nodded as she guzzled the beer.

“I bought his collection of
Slut
magazine for five thousand and sold it this afternoon for fifteen."

“Damn, that's a big profit.” She turned up the can and emptied it. “Mind if I have another?"

“Help yourself. You certainly went through the first one in a hurry."

“It's been a while since I've had a cold one. Frank doesn't like for me to drink. It tastes good.” She opened the refrigerator door.

“If I could get my hands on the four missing copies,” he said, “I could double my profit."

“Do you think Buzz has them?"

“No. At least he said he didn't."

She belched. “Excuse me,” she said as her cheeks colored. “That slipped up on me. I guess I drank the first one too fast."

He laughed. “Not a problem. According to the message on the screen, we have five minutes left."

“Then you can start entering data?"

“Not yet. First I must set up the chart of accounts."

“What's that?"

He smiled. “We'll get to that Friday night."

She watched him begin to neatly sort the scraps of paper on which Frank recorded receivables. “Are you sure there isn't anything I can do?"

“Afraid not."

“Well I can't sit here all night staring at you. Do you mind if I straighten up your apartment?"

His eyes smiled. “Careful where you stick your hands. I have mouse traps set."

“Ugh. You have mice?"

“Just kidding. I don't mind if you straighten up things a little, June, but it's not necessary. Why don't you watch TV?"

She stood and tossed her empty can into the trashcan. “I'd rather do something useful."

“Suit yourself. Ah, it's finished. Now I can get started."

She pulled another beer from the refrigerator and straightened up the clutter in the living room. She found a vacuum cleaner in the utility room and hoped its roar wouldn't bother Jay.

When the living room, bedroom and bathroom were clean to her satisfaction, June finished her seventh beer and curled up on the sofa. The sound of his fingers clicking the computer keys lulled her to sleep.

“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Jay said as he gently shook her shoulders.

She opened her eyes and smiled. “Hi there."

“Hi there, yourself. It's midnight. I finished the account receivables and the checkbook data. Now it's time for the Computer Lady to go home."

“I gotta pee."

He chuckled. “I wondered when all that beer would get to you. I think you know where the bathroom is."

She tried to sit up and giggled. “I'm drunk. Help me."

June's body felt as if it were made of rubber as he struggled to help her to a sitting position. “How many beers did you have?"

“I don't know—six or seven. If you don't help me to the bathroom, I'm gonna piss on your sofa."

He got her on her feet. She began to sing. He eased her into the bathroom.

“You can't just leave me,” she said. “My hands don't work."

“You're joking."

“Nooo I'mmm nooot,” she sang.

He backed her to the commode. “Try to prop on my shoulders.” He knelt and slid her slacks and then panties to her ankles. He stood and, holding her arms, lowered her to the toilet seat. “Call me when you're through."

“Don't you go anywhere, Jay Foster. Just don't look—and don't listen."

He tore his eyes from the apex of her spreading legs and waited.

“I can't find the damn toilet paper,” she whimpered.

He rolled off a wad, placed it in her hand and watched as she hopelessly tried to use it. He took it from her flailing hand and dried her as best he could.

“Oh, that feels wonderful,” she giggled.

He flushed and pulled her erect.

“Do you eat pussy, Jay? Frank won't eat my pussy. He says he might get Germans.” She giggled.

“You're drunk,” he said.

She continued giggling. “Eat me, Jay. I want to know what it feels like."

He placed her hands on his shoulders, knelt and began to pull up her panties.

“Ooh, Frank. I pissed in my panties."

“I'm not Frank. I'm Jay."

“Take them off, Jay. They feel terrible. You'll have to take them off anyway when you fuck me, Frank."

Reluctantly he pulled off her shoes. “I'm Jay, June."

“Jay June,” she sang. “Jay June. That's pretty."

He placed his foot on the clothes between her feet and pulled out her right leg and then her left.

“Okay, young lady,” he said as he stood up. “You're going to bed."

“Now you're talking, Frank."

“You're hopeless."

“No, I'm not,” she giggled. “I'm drunk, but my cunt can still wring the snot out of your dick, Frank ... I mean Jay."

He laughed and picked her up. “We're not going to have sex, June."

“But, Jay. I put clean sheets on your bed and everything."

He carried her to the bedroom. There
were
clean sheets on the bed and the covers were turned down. He gently laid her on her back.

She drew her knees to her breasts and split them apart. “There it is, Jay ... Frank ... whoever you are.” She giggled. “Enjoy."

He kissed her on the forehead. “We're not going to have sex, June. Get some sleep."

“But Jay, I'm wearing my diaphragm just for you."

“You're kidding."

“Nooo I'mmm noooot,” she sang.

“You came here tonight expecting to have sex with me?"

She giggled. “You wanted me last night and I wanted you too. Tonight's the night."

He sat beside her and held her hand. He could not resist the temptation to enjoy the gorgeous view she so lewdly continued to offer.

“You really are wearing a diaphragm?"

“Yessss I ammmm."

He shook his head.

“If you won't fuck me, suck me. Hey, I'll suck you too. Frank won't let me do that either. We can do each other at the same time. What do they call that?"

“69,” he replied.

“Let's do it, Frank."

“I'm Jay."

“Whatever."

“Can you understand what I am saying to you, June?"

“Sure."

“Thursday night there will be no beer. If you still want me to make love to you, I'll tear that box up. That's a promise."

She began to cry. “You don't want me,” she whimpered. “It's my acne scars, isn't it. Nobody wants me because of my..."

Her legs crumpled to the bed and her head rolled to one side.

He smiled and pulled the covers to her neck. He kissed her unyielding lips and whispered, “Sleep well, Computer Lady."

He set the alarm for five, pulled a blanket from the closet and snapped off the overhead light. Before lying down for the night on the sofa, he washed and dried her panties and slacks, and hung them on hangers in the bathroom where she would be sure to find them in the morning.

“It's a shame the boys didn't show up tonight,” Buzz said. “They don't know what they missed.” He chuckled. “But there'll be other nights."

Deborah didn't reply. She couldn't believe she was sitting at his feet, practically nude, and he was lounging on the sofa in his newly decorated living room, swilling beer, eating pretzels and watching reruns of
I Love Lucy
. Her lips tingled with delight at the memory of his kiss.

Deborah sat beside Buzz at his bedroom table, feeding him breakfast of pancakes and slices of cantaloupe.

“You're not very talkative this morning,” he said.

She shrugged her shoulders and lifted a bite of cantaloupe to his lips.

“I asked you a question, bitch, and I expect an answer."

“I didn't hear a question."

“You usually run your mouth a mile a minute."

“I don't have anything to say."

“Disappointed that the guys didn't show up last night? Keep your fingers crossed. Maybe they'll be there tonight."

“May I make a suggestion? My punishment is supposed to end in eleven days. If those boys know where I live, it will never end."

“Counting the days?"

“You're not going back on that promise, are you?"

“No. Not unless you make me really angry."

“About one hundred yards from the pool there is a secluded picnic shelter. It closes at ten and they turn off the lights. If you must have those boys screw and torture me, do it there."

He nodded as he finished the last bite of his breakfast. “I never said anything about the boys having sex with you, Debbie. My guess is, they probably never saw a naked woman before. It'll be a hoot watching them squirm as you dance for them."

“Let me dance for you, Buzz."

“We'll see."

“I finished the garage yesterday. What's next? You want the house painted?” she asked.

“Dumb broad, the house is covered with siding."

“I meant the front and back porches."

“They don't need it. Clean up the house, cut the grass and trim the hedges. Go by your office and do whatever is necessary. Continue your rounds calling on neighbors and meet me at the Korner Kafe at seven."

She stood and picked up the tray of empty dishes.

He took the tray from her, sat it on the table and leered at her. “Do it."

“Dance for you?"

He nodded and watched as she began to move rhythmically, letting her hands play seductively over her body. As she fumbled with the clasp between the cups of the bra, her knees buckled. He grabbed her by at the waist, preventing the fall. “What's wrong, Debbie?"

“I ... I don't know. Buzz, I've never done so much physical labor in my entire life. Every muscle in my body hurts. I'll be okay."

“You have worked hard, Debbie. I'll give you that. Maybe you should take the day off and rest up."

“You mean it, Buzz? You won't torture me?"

The large sign in the window of Dot's Diner caused quite a stir among the locals. “Coming Soon! Papa John's Pizza!"

“I don't know exactly why she did it,” June explained to so many customers she was ready to scream. It didn't help matters that she had to drive from Charlotte to Dot at breakneck speed in order to get to work on time. Double doses of Alka-Seltzer Plus did not ease the pain behind her eyes.

She jumped every time thunder clapped or lightening slashed through the gray skies. She was thankful when the rain began to fall in torrents. That will keep customers away all afternoon, she thought as she sat in the back booth, her head resting on her arms.

“Hey, where is everybody?” Frank's voice boomed.

June looked up and saw him, hair dripping water into his eyes, and yellow slicker glistening wet. She waved feebly.

He smiled, nodded, and took off the raincoat. “Hey, Lovely Lady,” he said as he slid into the booth opposite her.

“The rain is not good for your business, is it?"

It's costing me money,” he agreed. “How'd it go last night?"

“Long and boring. All I could do was sit there and watch. Did you find your checkbook and receivables?"

He nodded. “Greta said you breezed in and out about seven."

“I was running late. Jay hasn't even started on the expense account. He says I can help with that Thursday night."

Frank grinned wickedly. “Every cloud has a silver lining, Lovely Lady. You won't have any customers. See if Dottie will give you the afternoon off. Let's go to your place and make the bedsprings bounce."

She looked at him through bloodshot eyes. “You've heard of Excedrin headaches? Well, I have at least two of them. I'm sorry, Frank. I don't feel up to it."

“You haven't been drinking, have you?"

“No,” she lied. “Why do you ask?"

“You look to me like you're experiencing one hell of a hangover."

George Bennett nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he stood at the end of the counter and watched Maggie show off her diamond engagement ring. He remembered the engagement to his first wife—the first Maggie. He was so poor he could not afford an engagement ring and at the ceremony, they exchanged simple bands of gold, purchased from a pawnshop. He smiled as he recalled that later he bought her a beautiful diamond, but she returned it to the store for a refund. To her, the largest diamond ever mounted in a ring setting could not equal the value of that pawnshop band of gold.

“We went to Charlotte yesterday afternoon,” Maggie explained to the coffee drinkers who sat at the Korner Kafe counter. “I had no idea he was going to propose."

George beamed. Like hell, you didn't, he thought. Poor Buzz Adams. He looks like someone punched him in the gut, the way he's hunched over his mug, refusing to look up.

“George just finished making the arrangements. We're heading for Myrtle Beach Friday morning. We'll be married in a little wedding chapel during the afternoon."

“How long will you be gone?” Sandra Dollar asked.

“One glorious week."

Sandra looked at Sewana. “It won't be a glorious week for you, will it, Sewana?"

Sewana grinned from ear to ear. “I don't mind. Twice the work, twice the pay."

“The last time I was at Myrtle Beach I was attending a law enforcement symposium,” Borders said. “We stayed at the Holiday Inn South. It was very nice."

Maggie smiled. “We have reservations right next door."

Borders frowned. “The best I remember there was a campground next door."

Maggie continued to smile as she nodded her head. “Ocean Lakes Family Campground."

“You are going to spend your honeymoon in a tent?” Leora gasped.

“That's what I wanted, but I couldn't talk George into it. After Hurricane Hugo destroyed the oceanfront of the campground, they built beautiful rental cottages, right next to the beach. We reserved an ocean front unit. I can't wait to see it."

“You ever stayed at a campground, George?” Sandra asked.

Maggie did not give George time to answer. “Don't bug him,” she laughed. “He's skeptical enough as it is. My whole family spent a week at Ocean Lakes when I was a girl. It was wonderful!"

“Hey, everybody, the rain's letting up."

Eyes turned in time to see Frank Skinner removing the glistening slicker.

“Maggie, may I see you a moment?” he asked as he headed for a booth.

She brought two cups of coffee and sat across from him.