Sintown Chronicles III: In Dark Corners

by David O. Dyer, Sr.

  Chapter Four

  Jodi emitted a long, low moan as the water bounced off her chest and Nathan's hands soaped her breasts. He pressed against her back and she felt his lips on the nape of her neck.

  "Your breasts are more sensitive than any woman I've ever known."

  "Experienced, are you?” she kidded.

  His hands slipped to her stomach and moved in tight circles. “I've been around the block a few times. Is your tummy okay now?"

  I'll bet you have. “Oh, yeah.” She moaned louder when his finger toyed with her navel.

  "Never knew a woman whose belly button was an erogenous zone either."

  She backed her buttocks against him and was disappointed. “Do you exercise so vigorously every day?"

  "Me? I couldn't keep up with you as we jogged around the inlet this morning."

  "Right,” she laughed, “until you decided to make a race out of it. You breezed past me like I was standing still."

  "You got even with me."

  She feigned innocence. “Whatever do you mean?"

  "Pretending to fall in the water and having a leg cramp, and then, when your knight in shining armor rushed to your rescue, pulling him in."

  "I didn't hear you complaining about what happened next."

  "You seduced me.” Nate chuckled as his soapy hands roamed lower.

  Control yourself, Jodi. He's not in the mood. “Share with me. I could use a good laugh.” Lower, Nate. Lower.

  "I was just thinking of my nickname in high school—Buckshot."

  That's it Baby—more pressure—tight circles—faster—oh, yes. “Buckshot?"

  "Yeah,” he said and licked her shoulder. “Our high school band was playing a concert in a nearby town one night when I was a freshman. We met this girl. One of the guys knew her—said she was easy."

  That's it, Nate. Oh, yeah. No. No. Come up higher. Yeah. That's the spot.

  "Anyway, we rode over in this guy's car. After the concert, we went to her house. The lights were out. The guy said he knew her bedroom window was on the front corner of the second floor. We got out of the car, intending to throw pebbles at her window to attract her attention."

  Yeah, baby. Yeah. Harder. She pressed the back of her head against his shoulder.

  "As we approached the house, someone said something about waking her father and him coming after us with a shotgun. I bravely said I could outrun buckshot. Sure enough, the porch light came on and the door opened."

  She moved her hips, speeding up the action. “Was it ... oh, God ... was it ... oh, Honey ... her father? Oh, Nate,” she gasped. “Did he ... oh, Baby ... have a shotgun?"

  "Damned if I know,” he laughed. “By the time anyone came out on the porch, I was three blocks away. From that day on I was known as..."

  "BUCKSHOOOOT!"

  She turned weakly and clung to his neck as he gently squeezed her buttocks. Aftershocks rumbled, causing her body to tremble against his.

  "I'm sorry you're not in the mood,” she whispered as her fingers slipped between his legs.

  "But I was in the mood."

  She pulled her head back and looked at him quizzically.

  Nathan kissed her hair, her forehead, each eyebrow and her lips. “I was in the mood for giving you pleasure."

  She slipped her hands to his shoulders and traced a trail with her tongue from his Adam's apple to his right nipple. She jumped back when she felt it become erect and touched it tentatively. “I didn't know men's nipples did that,” she said.

  He laughed and pulled her tight to his chest. “Jodi, I should do a little work today. Why don't you try out the pier or sunbathe on the beach?"

  "The house isn't going to clean itself, Nate.” She turned off the faucets and began to wipe beads of water from her skin. “You go hide in your study while I do the real work."

  He pulled a towel from the rack and began to dry her back. “Sounds like a good deal to me."

  * * * *

  Nathan set the steaming cup of coffee on his desk and snapped on the computer. He leaned back, watching Windows 98 dance through its opening ritual and grabbed the telephone before the completion of the second ring.

  "Yeah?"

  "Is this Nathan Watson?” a feminine voice asked.

  "Speaking. Whatever it is you're selling, I'm not interested."

  "I wouldn't be too sure of that. This is Rosie."

  "Rosie?"

  "Kmart Rosie."

  "Oh, how'd you get my number? It's unlisted."

  "Easy. I looked you up on the Internet."

  "You're a computer freak?"

  She laughed. “No, but my husband is. He brought his laptop with him."

  "I'm busy, Rosie. What's on your mind?"

  "You are, Big Man. I'm lying on the bed stark naked with a vibrator strategically planted. I want to replace it with you."

  "Is your husband some kind of threesome freak?"

  She laughed. “Lord, no. He'd have a heart attack if he knew I ever looked at another man. Old Bald Dome is on an all-day fishing trip. The hotel room and bed are ours until six tonight."

  "Some guys are leg men, some are turned on by big butts. I'm afraid I'm attracted to white meat, Rosie, and you don't seem to have any. Sorry, lady. Don't call again."

  "Hold it, Nate. It's not the equipment but how a woman uses it that counts."

  "I thought that applied to the size of a man's penis."

  "I have a good idea you don't have that problem. If it's long enough to reach my tonsils I have a real treat in store for you."

  "No dice, sweetheart."

  "I may not have huge milk glands like your girlfriend, but you know what they say—more than a mouthful is a waste."

  Nathan chuckled. “You're probably right, Rosie, but there remain two other problems. I'm not in the habit of making love to other men's wives and even if you were single I couldn't make love to you."

  "And why is that?"

  "I simply don't love you. No offense, lady, but you just don't ring my chimes."

  Jodi eased the receiver in the bedroom back into its cradle and continued dusting. Does that mean he loves me? She exhaled noisily. I didn't see that coming.

  * * * *

  "I made you a couple of sandwiches,” Jodi said as she pushed through the study door.

  Nate seemed to hunch lower in his chair and did not respond.

  "It's a new recipe I'm trying out. I think you will like it."

  "Just leave ’em on the table,” he mumbled.

  "You've got to eat sometime, Nate."

  He glued his eyes to the computer screen. “Just leave it,” he said irritably.

  "Bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches,” she said, trying to tempt him, “presented in a most unusual way."

  He ignored her.

  "What are you working on?” Jodi persisted.

  "You wouldn't understand."

  "Try me."

  He spun his swivel chair around, eyes blazing, but immediately broke into a big grin. She stood beside the conference table, her arms behind her, naked to the waist, with a thin, round slice of red tomato speared by each pointed nipple.

  Chuckling, he approached her.

  She pulled her hands from behind her back and held out black and white tubular objects. “Would you like salt and pepper, sir?"

  He sprinkled on the condiments and sucked the tomato from her left breast. “Needs mayonnaise,” he joked.

  She lifted the top slice of toasted bread from one of the two sandwiches on the conference table, touched her finger to the creamy spread and applied it to the tip of her right nipple.

  "Perfect,” he said while chewing the second slice. He pulled out a chair, sat and dug into the sandwiches as she tugged on her shirt.

  "You really do like my boobs, don't you, Nate?"

  "Nah, but I love tomatoes."

  Jodi reached for a stack of paper on the desk. “This what you're working on?"

  "That's the part I've finished."

  "Want me
to proof it?"

  "I thought you were spending the day housekeeping."

  "I finished."

  "That was fast."

  "I cheated. I just did the bedroom, bath, great room and kitchen.” Her eyes returned to the manuscript. “I worked for a short time as a secretary for an attorney. He wrote his own letters, but always had me proof them before printing them out. I'm good at it."

  "No thanks. I've never needed a proofreader."

  Her eyes were on the first page. “What does this mean—'Boat the computer'?"

  "Let me see that."

  Jodi handed him the page.

  He shook his head. “That should be ‘Boot the computer.’ You won't find any other errors,” he said, tossing the page back to her.

  "Hmm. ‘Boat the computer and insert the disk in the ram drive.’ Insert is spelled with a s and I believe you mean ROM drive."

  "ROM is spelled with all caps?"

  She nodded. “It stands for read only memory."

  "I know what it means,” he said sarcastically.

  "Four errors in the first sentence. You're right, Buckshot. You don't need a proofreader."

  She stood to leave as he fished in his middle desk drawer. He tossed a red pencil at her. “Sit your tail down and go to work."

  "No,” she said, pretending to pout. “You hurt my feelings. I'm going to the driving range."

  "Give me ten minutes,” he said, grinning broadly. “I've been looking forward to sweet revenge since we left the bowling alley."

  "Kiss my royal behind,” she teased. “You're too busy to spend time with me."

  Nate's eyes gleamed as he lunged from the chair. She danced behind the table. He feinted to the right and then dashed to his left. Jodi screamed with glee as she raced around the table, being careful to let him catch her.

  He pushed her face forward over the table and yanked down her jeans. He spanked her playfully as he said, “Your wish is my command."

  She shivered as his lips touched the tender flesh of her right cheek. She moved away, pulling up her jeans and paused at the door. “Do I need to wear the shoes with nails sticking out of the soles?"

  "Take them with you,” he said as he returned to his computer desk. “There will probably be nobody else wearing golf shoes at the driving range, but they give you a more solid footing, which is important in developing a good swing. You may as well learn while using proper equipment."

  She turned her back and twisted the tantalizing seat of her pants back and forth. “I think I already have proper equipment and a good swing too."

  * * * *

  "I took the last of the aspirin this morning. Do you mind swinging by Kmart?"

  He kept his eyes on the road.

  "Are you pouting again?"

  "You beat all, you know that?"

  "Come on, Buckshot. You hit the ball farther than I do."

  "Yeah, but you're consistent with every club and straight as an arrow—no hooks, no slices, no pulls and no pushes."

  "True, but you polled the ball 300 yards several times. I never got beyond the 250 marker."

  "Doesn't matter much. You'll be driving from the ladies’ tee."

  "Ladies’ tee?"

  He nodded as he turned into the Kmart parking lot. “They figure ladies aren't as strong as men, so the ladies tees are closer to the greens."

  "Doesn't sound fair. Besides, it's not how you drive, but how you arrive."

  He pushed the lever to park and glared at her. “That's an old golfing axiom. I thought you never played the game."

  "I haven't, but I watch sports on television."

  "You once told me to never lie to you. You should take your own advice."

  "I'm not lying to you. Yesterday at Wal-Mart was the first time I ever held a club in my hands. Well, that's not true. I did use to play miniature golf once in a while, but I've never used any club other than a putter."

  Jodi was out of the car before he could reach her door and practice being a southern gentleman. As they walked towards the building, Nathan said, “Actual playing conditions are more difficult than just hitting one ball after another at a driving range. We'll find out just how good you are tonight."

  "I thought you wanted a rematch at the bowling alley."

  "Nope. We're going to play a lighted par 3 course."

  He held the first heavy glass door for Jodi and she returned the favor with the second.

  "You get the aspirin. I want to check on something else,” she said, picking up a sales flyer.

  "What?"

  "I need a decent frying pan."

  "What's wrong with mine?"

  "I'm an old fashioned girl,” she said, grinning. “I cook with an iron skillet. Hey,” she continued, thrusting the flyer under his eyes, “we're in luck. They're on sale."

  He watched her buttocks sway as she headed towards the back of the store. That's one fine looking woman and she's all mine—or is she? Do we really have a commitment? She hasn't taken the bracelet off since I gave it to her. He smiled and turned towards the pharmacy.

  "Hello again."

  Nathan recognized the voice and turned to her quickly with a smile that could melt diamonds. “I was hoping I would run into you, Mariah.” Why did I say that? “Just need a bottle of aspirin today."

  "Follow me,” she said, jerking her head to the left. She walked to the back of the gondola and pointed. “Aspirin is aspirin. You may as well save a couple of bucks on the generic brand."

  "Thanks,” he said, reaching for a large bottle.

  She grabbed his wrist and held it with her long, graceful fingers. For reasons that were not clear to him, Nate wanted to kiss her feet. She drew his hand to her chest and pressed it firmly against her left breast.

  "You did a terrible thing to me twice yesterday and now you've done it again."

  "I'm sorry,” he said seriously. “What did I do?"

  "You caused me to wet my panties,” she said as she thrust his hand under her short skirt, pressed it hard against the apex of her long, shapely legs and clamped it in place with her thighs.

  Nathan gulped. He didn't know what to do, so he did nothing. He knew she was no longer holding his wrist. He knew he should remove his hand. He couldn't believe his fingers were actually exploring her vaginal lips. She was right about one thing. She was dripping wet.

  He glanced down. The heel of her hand pressed against his erection. She was moving it up and down slowly. Involuntarily he pushed against her as she continued pressing against his hand.

  "I'm not looking for a love affair, Nate,” she said huskily, “but I'll do anything you like for one roll in the hay."

  He backed away quickly. “You turn me on, Mariah. I'm not going to deny that, but there's Jodi."

  "What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

  "Maybe not, but it'll hurt me."

  Jodi, holding a heavy box containing three sizes of iron skillets, stepped back out of sight. What do I do now? He told Rosie this morning that he loves me, and now he's feeling up the pharmacist. Hold on, Jodi. He did not say he loves you. He merely said he didn't love Rosie.

  * * * *

  "It's simply unreal,” he muttered as she slowly drove the convertible out of the par 3 lot.

  "You won,” she said dryly.

  "By a single stroke."

  She said nothing as she turned left at the traffic light.

  "Every long putt wound up within two feet of the cup and you sank several twenty footers."

  She blew the horn at two jaywalkers. “I just did what you said. I pretended the hole was the size of a wash bucket. You pretended to be proud of me when I did the same thing on the practice green."

  "I've been playing golf for nearly twenty years and never came close to a hole-in-one—not even on a par 3 course."

  She pressed her foot on the accelerator and changed lanes.

  Nathan leaned against the passenger door and admired her short hair, blowing in the wind. “You're beautiful, you know that Jodi?"
/>   She glanced at him without smiling, and did not reply.

  "Okay, spill it. What have I done?” Approaching headlamps caused the moisture in her eyes to glisten.

  "It's not you. It's me."

  "Am I supposed to guess?"

  "I rushed you into bed."

  "You're a good athlete, Jodi, but I could have pushed you out of my bed if I had been so inclined.” He reached for her thigh.

  "Don't,” she said, jerking her knee away from him.

  "I thought everything was going so well."

  "I acted like a tramp."

  "Jodi!"

  "The reason I didn't clean the spare room this morning is that I found a box of love letters in there."

  "You read them?"

  She shook her head. “Just enough of the first one to realize what they were."

  "I had a life before Jodi came along, you know."

  Jodi nodded, fighting the tears. “Me too. I had no right to think I could just waltz in and take over."

  "Is that what you think happened? It takes two to tango, Jodi."

  "Yes, and there are many pretty ladies for you to dance with at the ball."

  "Perhaps, but my dance card is full and your name is the only one on it."

  She parked beside his Taurus, pushed the button to raise the top and turned to him. “I don't think so. I'm going to test the mattress in the guestroom tonight. We need to go back to our business relationship."

  "What have I done, Jodi?"

  "I saw you with the pharmacist at Kmart this afternoon."

  He swallowed hard. “Look, Jodi, we have an agreement, but neither of us promised ’til death do we part."

  "That's my point,” she said, popping off the seatbelt and pushing open the door.

  "Wait! Jodi, that didn't come out right."

  * * * *

  She stood beside his bed. The red numerals on the bedside clock radio read 3:00 a.m. “You asleep?” she asked softly.

  "No,” he replied gruffly.

  She threw back the coverlet and snuggled close to him. “The mattress in the guestroom is lumpy."

  "You want me to buy a new one tomorrow?"

  "No. Use a condom when you are with her. She may be in the health care profession, but I don't want you bringing home any of her diseases. And for goodness sakes, don't give me any blow by blow descriptions of your conquests."

  He turned on his side and pulled her tightly against him. “What's with the pajamas?"