Out on the Sound

by R. E. Bradshaw

  Charlie reappeared. “I could live in this room. You have a full gym in here including a shower and toilet. This place rocks.”

  Decky laughed.

  “No, really I could live in this room,” Charlie repeated.

  “Come on,” Decky probed around in the bar, “I hid the key here somewhere.”

  “Those spiral stairs don’t look easy to climb with crutches,” Charlie noted taking in the wrought iron stairs that seemed to spiral on forever.

  “It’s an illusion. A trompe d'oil.” Decky found the key and was unlocking a door just off the wet bar. “The stairs appear non-ending. It’s a painting; you’ll see when you get upstairs.”

  “Still, that looks like you might have to lean on me to get up there,” Charlie remarked still looking up the stairs.

  “As much as that would please me, I think I’d rather take the elevator.” Decky stepped into the doorway she had just unlocked, “You may join me if you wish.”

  As much as that would please me, you may join me if you wish. Who in the hell was talking? Nobody talks like that, well, except people in your books. This is not a book, Decky. Act normal, please act normal, and don’t for God sakes go into actress mode.

  Charlie, stepping into the doorway, broke up this inner monologue; “You have a goddamned elevator in your fucking house!”

  It was something about the way the words rolled off her tongue in that drawl. Charlie didn’t usually talk that way, Decky thought, but then again she could be a chain smoking, sailor mouthed old broad. She had only known her a few hours really.

  Charlie giggled with glee as she jumped into the elevator with Decky. “I don’t usually use words like that to express myself, after all I am an educated Dukie, but Jesus, I know somebody with a goddamned elevator in her fucking house and this certainly wasn’t built for your grandma.”

  Decky was enjoying this, “Well as you can see, I have spent an incredible amount of time on crutches.” Decky began shutting the door. “I decided if I was truly going to live out my life in my dream house, I wanted to be able to get around comfortably, even when I get old. You can fit a wheelchair and one other person in here.” She inserted a key, turned it and they started to rise.

  When they reached the second floor, Decky slid the door open and waited for Charlie to exit before hobbling out. This was her masterpiece. The center section of the house was supported by the massive iron structure containing the spiral staircase and the elevator shaft. The structure allowed for a free flowing floor plan with arches to the outer walls replacing all the inner walls in this part of the house. Decky’s son Zachery, had a suite of rooms that were along the front of the house, which included an office Decky now occupied. These rooms were in a separate closed off portion of this floor.

  Charlie stood still taking it in. Decky, whose foot had begun to throb, headed for the couch. “I have to get this ankle up, before it swells anymore.”

  Charlie responded, “Oh yeah, how about some ice. Just point, I’ll get it.”

  Decky pointed to Charlie’s left. She watched as Charlie started toward the kitchen area. She almost laughed out loud when Charlie stopped, took a step back and then forward again.

  “Decky, your base boards light up just in front of where you walk. No more broken pinkie toes. You actually put quite a bit of thought into this. I don’t want to gush like some back woods hillbilly, but this technology is amazing.”

  “It’s all out there; you just have to adapt it to the environment. It’s theatre in your home. It’s entertainment,” Decky was gushing now.

  “It costs a butt load of money,” Charlie countered.

  “I was smart about it. I researched and did a lot of the work myself, or at least made sure it was done right. I get much of my energy from the solar panels on the lighthouse top facade over the third floor and under the slate, you’ll find around the property. Besides, it’s really cool and I was forever leaving lights on.”

  Charlie had continued past the kitchen island to the massive refrigerator. “Did you get a big enough refrigerator? How many bodies do you think that will hold?”

  Decky didn’t answer. She was thinking about the sailor mouthed broad again when Charlie saw the look on her face. “I was only kidding, Decky.”

  Decky laughed at herself and then at the look of triumph on Charlie’s face as she rounded the corner heading for the couch with a kitchen towel and an ice bag. She had managed to find one of the ice bags Decky kept on hand in the freezer.

  Charlie helped Decky get comfortable and then went back to the kitchen to make some coffee. Decky used her remote control to change the lights and frost the windows for privacy. She even lit the fireplace and turned on some music, all from her back, on the couch. She knew there was a reason she built this house with all these gadgets. It was to seduce women. Damn, had she really done that?

  She was lost on that train of thought when Charlie called from the kitchen, “I called Chip and told him not to come till in the morning. You shouldn’t be alone, on painkillers and gimpy. He said he’d come by early, before he goes to work. By the way, where’s your dog?”

  “I called my mom from the hospital and she came and got her from the twins. They’re my neighbor’s boys. That’s all anyone ever calls them, including their mother. Anyway, the twins look after Dixie when I go out. They have a key to get in. That’s why I hide the elevator key. I caught them playing on it once. My mom doesn’t even have a key. It makes her furious, but after you meet Miss Lizzie, you’ll know why.”

  Charlie entered the den area where Decky was lounging. Over-stuffed furniture made for teenage boys to lie around on was scattered about. The fireplace lit this side of the room with a warm glow. Charlie handed a cup of coffee to Decky and took the seat directly across from her. From this vantage point, she could see the entire room and out onto the decking that encircled the whole upper floor.

  “This is so romantic. It’s like something out of Architectural Digest.” Charlie put on her best southern drawl. “Why Decky Bradshaw, is this how you seduce all your women. Feign injury and helplessness to lure them up to your trap.”

  My God, she knows. How could she know? I didn’t know until a few minutes ago.

  Before Decky could think of an answer Charlie saved her, “Lord, I don’t know a woman who would turn down a go at this place.”

  The words were out of Decky’s mouth before she knew what was happening. Had some strange force taken over her brain? Was she channeling Rudy Valentino?

  “You’re the first.”

  “I’m the first to turn it down? Hold on a minute, I’m still thinking,” Charlie laughed and took another sip of coffee.

  Shit, Decky thought, Rudy’s doing okay so far, “No, you’re the first woman I have tried to seduce with my house. Really, you’re the first woman I have tried to seduce in my life.”

  Charlie gulped and almost choked on her coffee. She stared at Decky so long that Decky began to think Rudy might have read this all wrong. Decky started to believe that, when Charlie stood up and without saying a word, walked back into the kitchen.

  “Hey, that’s not fair. It’s not as if I can run after you. I’m sorry. I’ve never done this before, honest. Come back and fight like a man.”

  When Decky saw Charlie’s face, she knew that joking hadn’t been the right way to handle this at all. She looked like she was about to cry, which Decky desperately prayed she would not do.

  “I think I know what happened here. Brenda and Chip decided their lonely, recently broken hearted, lesbian friend needed a romp in the hay and since you were looking to switch teams, I’m sure Brenda the matchmaker told you I’d be an easy mark.”

  “Wait a minute, Charlie. Brenda doesn’t know anything about this.”

  “Don’t try to cover for her, I know she meant well.”

  Decky pleaded, “No, really, she…”

  Charlie put her hand up and Decky stopped talking. “You are a great person, but sleeping with a woman for the fi
rst time should be special for you, and quite frankly I am not interested in being your experiment into the dark side.”

  Decky couldn’t help but chuckle and that turned into a full-grown laugh. Charlie, looking puzzled, finally said, “Why are you laughing? This is not a joke. You can’t play with people’s emotions.”

  “The dark side. I called it that this morning when I was trying to figure out why I dreamed about you. I told Dixie I was going over to the dark side. Funny isn’t it.”

  “I guess so. You dreamed about me?”

  “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. I never laid eyes on you until yesterday. I didn’t know you were a friend of Brenda’s until this morning. I nearly threw up when she asked me to come to the house to meet you this evening. I only came because Darlene dragged me there. I figured fate was taking over and I had better take my chance while I had one, if I had one. Hell, I wasn’t even sure you were gay.”

  Charlie contemplated all this and then stared Decky directly in the eyes. “Let me see now, you see me, a total stranger, and for some unknown reason you decide to give up the straight life and take a stab in the dark at a woman you don’t even know for sure is gay?”

  Decky nodded in agreement.

  Charlie continued, “Can you tell me what about me caused you to think I might be a willing participant?”

  “When I touched your hand, something happened. I never felt anything like that before,” Decky admitted.

  “When did you touch me?”

  “When I handed you your hat, at third base. I thought for a second you felt it too, I guess I was wrong.”

  Decky closed her eyes and leaned back into the pillows. She heard Charlie stand up and walk out toward the deck doors. She knew the doors had been opened when the fresh breeze crossed her face.

  Then ever so softly, she heard Charlie say, “You weren’t wrong.”

  Decky stood up, without the crutches, a fact she regretted almost immediately. Hopping on one foot, she turned to see Charlie framed in the moonlight between the French doors, white fabric billowing around her, just like in the dream.

  “You mean it. This isn’t just some research project for a book. You are not just some straight woman wanting to give it a try just once.”

  “No, ma’am.” Decky almost stuttered. “I ...I swear my intentions are honorable, well not real honorable, but honest anyway. By the way, how am I doing on the seducing part?”

  “What’s on the third floor?” Charlie asked pointing up.

  “The master suite.”

  “Does the elevator go up there?”

  “Yep, it sure does.” Decky was trying to suppress a grin, but couldn’t. “The reason I asked about my seduction technique, is well, in my dream you were standing there just like that and I walked over and kissed you. Well, actually I woke up just before I kissed you, but I was sure going to kiss you, I know that.”

  “So you don’t know what to do next,” Charlie was playing with her now.

  “Oh, I think I know what to do, I just can’t get to you,” Decky said while hopping in place having left the crutches on the couch.

  Charlie took a step forward and Decky almost died right there, but she didn’t. Charlie kept coming and Decky kept breathing to her utter amazement. When she was just within reach, Decky could stand it no longer. She reached out and pulled Charlie to her. When they finally kissed every fiber in Decky’s body exploded. She heard herself moan and felt her knees begin to buckle.

  Charlie pulled away only far enough to look into Decky’s eyes. When she leaned in and breathed on Decky’s neck, Decky felt the world start to close in.

  Charlie whispered, “Still got that elevator key?”

  #

  Sometime late in the night, Decky lay there with Charlie’s head on her chest. She could close her eyes and relive it moment by moment. They had crashed into the elevator, desperately clinging to each other. Decky had barely gotten the door shut when Charlie ripped the snap buttons on Decky’s uniform top open, in one quick move. Decky slid the big white shirt slowly off Charlie’s shoulders and then losing all semblance of control, yanked the tank top over her head. They were on each other like bees on honey. The rest of their clothes were gone by the time they hit the bed.

  Decky pulled Charlie on top of her, “I not sure if I’m doing this right. You really are the first woman I’ve ever touched like this.”

  Charlie looked down with a smile, “You are doing just fine.”

  Charlie stirred on her chest, breaking Decky away from her waking dream. Decky thought to herself, she’s going to wake up and freak out, but she didn’t. Instead, Charlie leaned up and kissed Decky, which was her mistake. Decky was like a person who had been lost in the desert with no water. Now that the water was here, she wasn’t going to stop drinking until the well ran dry.

  Chapter Three

  The sun was just coming up, but Decky could wait no longer. She could feel Charlie’s deep breathing, as she lay spooned in Decky’s arms. Her left arm no longer had any feeling and Decky had to pee, really, really badly. She slowly slid her now useless limb from under Charlie’s head and sat up. Her ankle throbbed like a freight train, which also happened to be pulling into the station in her head. Decky rubbed her eyes and temples with her one good hand, as she tried to shake the life back into the other. She was seriously considering permanent nerve damage, when the familiar tingle of nerves snapping back to life emerged.

  Slowly she lowered her feet to the floor, bracing for the rush of gravity and blood. She let out a short gasp as the pain changed from throbbing to stabbing. It would subside. This was all too familiar territory. Under normal circumstances, she would have crutches. These were far from normal circumstances. On the floor below, near the couch, she abandoned the crutches. Lust had taken over as the most powerful painkiller she had ever known.

  Using furniture to steady her, Decky hopped from piece to piece until finally reaching the French doors that hid the bathroom from the rest of the floor. The master suite was an open floor plan like the main living area down stairs. Unlike the second floor, the third floor of the house was round. Divided into thirds, one third was closed off for the bathroom and walk-in closet. Decky had arranged the sleeping area on one side with a library and reading area on the other. Both areas looked out over a deck that was accessible through huge glass doors that slid back into the walls. The Aspen planking on the floors continued out the doors and onto the deck. With the doors open and a breeze off the water, the effect was that of a tree house far away from the world below.

  Decky, who had finally reached the toilet, was giving her bladder some much-needed relief. When the fog began to lift from her brain, Decky had a sudden realization. There is a naked woman in my bed. My crutches are sprawled across the floor, where anyone could look in the front door and see. No telling what else they left flung on the floor down there. At the moment, Decky couldn’t be sure. It was all such a blur.

  “Oh, my God! Momma!”

  Decky reached for the phone and dialed her mother. She wasn’t worried about it being too early. Her mother rose at the crack of dawn every morning. A fact Decky could attest to, due to the numerous mornings she had been awakened, by the phone ringing.

  “Hello, darling, how are you?” Decky’s mother thought caller I. D. was the greatest thing ever invented, and had taken to answering the phone with the authority of someone who was in the know.

  Decky had always had trouble lying to her mother. She felt as though the woman had special powers to know when she was being lied to. In reality, her mother was just naturally suspicious and guessed right sometimes. She drew in a deep breath and got it out as fast as she could.

  “I’m okay, a bit swollen and sore. I was wondering if Dixie could stay with you today. I don’t need to be getting up and down to let her in and out. I’ll come get her tomorrow. Is that okay?”

  She was going to fry in hell. Dixie could let herself out, if the door to the deck was unlocked. Decky had
added a handicapped style push plate to one of the doors on the second floor, so Dixie could push it and let herself in and out. There was a naked woman in her bed and she was naked on the toilet lying to her mother.

  The other end of the phone was oddly quiet, then Lizzie’s voice came back, “I’m sorry hon, what were you saying? Your father was telling me you should let Dixie stay today so you won’t be bothered with her.”

  “Oh, that would be great. I really appreciate it. I’ll come get her tomorrow.”

  “Do you need me to bring you anything? I know you don’t like to be fussed over, but I don’t mind bringing you something.”

  “No, no. I’m great. Just need to keep my ankle up and ice it.”

  “Well, if you need anything just call. Love you. Bye, bye now.”