by T. S. Hill
“Nope.”, Sasha said. I looked around, and Lori was shaking her head no.
“Do you think that she’s in love with the work, like the rest of us? You know, the danger, the adrenalin rush, the whole excitement?”
“I think that she’s infatuated with you.”, Sasha said bluntly. I snapped my head back around to look at her and Lori and both of them were nodding their heads.
“Ah, she’s just horney is all.”, I said, brushing off her comment. They were both silent, and I turned my head again to look at them. Both were shaking their heads negatively.
“Are you shitting me?”, I asked. Again, they were silent, and I turned my head, once again, to see them both shaking their heads back and forth.
“Alright. So, what the hell do we do about this?”, I asked. Again, there was silence, and I twisted my head back at Lori and Sasha again. Lori pointed at Sasha and Sasha turned back to me.
“Just let nature run its course.”, Sasha said. I snapped my neck around again to look at them both, and Lori was nodding agreement with Sasha.
“What the hell does that mean?”, I asked.
“It means that maybe one of them will prove worthy, or maybe both of them won’t. Or, who knows?”
“One of… What the fuck? Both of who? Would you two please tell me just who, or what the fuck, you’re talking about? I can’t drive and keep my head turned back at both of you!”, I shouted.
“Geeze! Men are so fucking clueless!”, Sasha said. I heard Lori giggling almost uncontrollably. I didn’t turn around, but sat tight, steaming in the driver’s seat. This time, I went silent.
“Oh, tell him, or he’ll pout all the way to New Orleans.”, Lori told Sasha, through her clenched teeth. I stayed silent, eyes on the road ahead.
“Annette, and Naomi, both have the hots for you.”, Sasha said. “The thing is, neither of them is bi like Lori, Rosita and me. They’re both good people though. At least Annette is, and I get good vibes from Naomi, so there you go.” The whole time, I’m thinking to myself, “There you go what? So, what they both have the hots for me? Sure, Annette is a scorching hot woman, but if we all can’t share with her? What the fuck? And for fucks sake! I just met the little nurse, Naomi. Why would any of us even be considering a relationship? A good loud what the fuck, seemed in order to me, so I let loose, flinging my right arm out and upward, not as though I didn’t understand, but maybe as though I really didn’t give a fuck. Which wasn’t true.
“What the fuck?”, I said angrily, waving my right arm. “We’ve got to have something to eat again soon. Find out what everyone wants! Tell Annette to pull the Hummer up to the gas pumps, when we stop. I want to keep these tanks filled. And, tell Annette that Al needs to see her, after we move away from the pumps. Tell Rosita that I need to talk with her when we stop also. She and I need to get lined out on how we’re going to accommodate all of these extra people, especially food and laundry… and fucking toilet paper! Jeepers! We’ve only got one toilet and eight fucking people! Someone please tell me how the hell that’s going to work?”
“Babe there’s a toilet in this bus home.”, Sasha spoke up timidly.
“It has a limited tank, that has to be emptied when it gets full.”, I shot back to her. “Where the hell are we going to empty that? Why in the hell didn’t I think of all of this before taking off to Louisiana? If Al doesn’t give me his secret to making good decisions, then I may as well just give up. I can communicate like hell, but make the dumbassedest decisions ever!” I felt two arms encircling my neck from behind. Then Lori whispered in my ear, through her still clinched teeth.
“Order a port-a-poti to put at the bottom of the steps. Call a plumber and have them add a hook up for the RV to your septic system. Now chill the fuck out! You’ve made the right decision. You just can’t do everything alone. We’re your helpmates. Let us help you.” That was the Lori I knew and loved.
“And what about these two women who have the hots for me?” I grunted back at her.
“You’re the man of the house. You decide what’s best. If you want to bring her into the household, then do that. If not, then tell her no. But wait until you know the answer before you decide.”
“But what if it’s both of them, or neither of them?”, I whispered back to Lori.
“Then that’s what it is. It’s still your decision, and not any of our places to say. We can like it, or not like it. And we can choose to accept it or go our own way.”, she told me,
“But I don’t want to lose any of the three of you, and don’t want to even risk that.”, I told her outload, intending for Sasha to join the conversation. “So, before decisions like that are made, I think we all four should talk about them.”, I told her.
“Lori’s right Babe.”, Sasha interjected. “You are the man of the of house, snide remarks about men being put aside. We look for your leadership. If you think something could work for you, and for us, then talk to us about it. Lead the way. It’s not like we’re looking for your first fuck up so we can turn on you. We love you! We all do. I mean Lori, Rosita, and me. At least for now. Who knows what’s to come?
“So, you two think that you three women would be okay with a forth or maybe even a fifth woman, and one that maybe you couldn’t share?”
“That would just be sexually Babe.”, Sasha spoke up. We could share in every other way. So, what if she isn’t bi like us? If she could accept us, then, what the fuck? Sure, we could accept her, probably.”
“Shug’s right Cowboy.”, Lori spoke, slowly, easing her jaw open just a bit. “Just play this by ear, and see where it goes. You may actually not really care for either one of these women. Then, what the fuck will all of this worry be for? But if it turns out that you do? Then, hey! Just see where it goes. Who the fuck knows what might happen?”
“I’m glad that both of you are this open minded.”, I told them. “Which is, probably more open minded than I even wanted to be myself. I don’t know about Rosita though.”
“We do!”, they both said in unison.
“See! There’s that neat thing again!”, I said.
“Hah! You’re getting into it like me!”, Sasha blurted.
“I guess I am!”, I said back to her. “Only, I’m not seeing that type of situation ever working out.”, I said to both of them, turning up the exit ramp, and checking my side mirror to be sure that Annette had followed me. Right on cue, she was following right behind me.
Chapter Fourteen
The Home Run
A home run begins, and ends, at home plate.
As we pulled up the off ramp, I had to manually flip off the turn signal, as is the case on most of the ramps on United States Interstate Highways. Annette followed me and I chose a gasoline station on the opposite side of the cross over road, mainly because it would be easy to exit with a right turn, and then another easy right turn to get back on I-10, and mainly because it had a huge parking lot to turn the motorhome around on.
Once I had stopped at the diesel pumps, we all bailed out, and headed toward the restrooms. I did start the auto fill diesel pump first, and then headed toward the store area. As I turned the corner and headed toward the entrance door, there was a skinny, bleached blonde, skank of a girl, with a neon blue streak in her unruly hair, standing against the store wall, just past the corner.
“Hey buddy, I’ll suck your cock for forty.”, she announced to me in a fog horn voice. I turned and looked at her, not because I was even remotely interested, but because I wanted to see what kind of desperation was behind the eyes of such a proposition. There wasn’t desperation there at all. There was a blankness, and a blackness, that appeared to have already eaten her soul. She was a walking corpse. I could pity her. I could wish to comfort her, or I could wish that there was someone to love her. But, I instinctively knew, that the darkness that I saw in her eyes, already possessed her, and would never turn her loose.
Smoke was still billowing out of her mouth, and wisping from her nostrils, as she flipped a cigarette butt f
ar out into the parking lot. While fiery sparks spilled across the cold concrete surface, I listened again for any sound of humanity that might emanate from her, instead of the demonic growl that gushed forth after I passed her by. “Suck your own cock, mother fucker! While my babies starve, your balls will be full of cum and safe in your pockets!” When I came out of the store, she was still there, puffing another cigarette. This pass, she turned her head away from me as I went by. I met Annette heading into the store, and stopped her. Pulling three twenties from my pocket, I handed them to her. “
“Offer that girl this,” I said, tossing my head back in the direction of the street girl, “if she will go home, now.”, I told her. I didn’t turn around to look, but continued on back to the motorhome. I was pacing up and down the length of the back side of the motorhome, waiting for the diesel pump to finish filling the tank, when Annette came around the corner of the bus. She had a quiet smile on her face as she walked up to me. But then, she surprised me, by leaning in and kissing me on the cheek.
“She took it, and left.”, Annette said. “That was really sweet of you. You know that she’ll probably just buy drugs with it, and be back out here again tomorrow, don’t you?”
“Well, maybe at least this one day, she won’t have to sell herself.”, I mumbled, as the pump clicked off.”
“You’re good man Tagg. I see why these women are so tight with you.”, she said, as I pulled the fuel nozzle out of the motorhome’s fuel port. Then she turned and headed back around toward the Hummer.
Annette had familiarized Rosita with the intricacies of Hummer operation and they had decided that Rosita would have a turn at driving. That jogged my thinking, and I asked Sasha if she would like to take a turn with the motorhome. She jumped at the idea, and I helped her get the seat adjusted, then quickly ran down the basic controls with her. Sasha’s driving had been both careful and skillful, when she wheeled Lori and I home from Lafayette, so I knew that she had the ability, and calm resolve, to handle the big rig. And, I was right. She wheeled the rig out of the parking lot, and back down the on ramp, smoothly merging us into the traffic flow. In a very short time, we were gently cruising along once again.
I took the opportunity to check on Al, and he was resting nicely, reading a book. Mrs. Baker and Naomi were all the way in the back of the motorhome, seated on the lower bunk bed having a chat about a series of novels that they both were fans of.
“Isn’t it odd that no matter where you go, you can always find someone there, that you share something in common with?”, I asked them.
“Well, I’d say that sex is a pretty common denominator for most people.”, Naomi said.”
“Sex? Who said anything about sex?”, I replied.
“The novels.”, she replied. “Erotic romances. That’s what we were discussing. There’s this whole series that takes place out on this Texas ranch, that’s operated by three young, handsome, bachelor brothers, and then this city girl that answers their ad for a housekeeper.”
“I really don’t need to know anymore.”, I said, cutting her off, and for some reason, my eyes shifting to Mrs. Baker.
“Well, I may be older Tagg, but I’m not a prude.”, she told me. And, I’m certainly not dead!”
“I don’t consider you old, Mrs. Baker, or a prude, or dead. Just pretend that I didn’t come back here!”, I told them. There are some things between women, that a man has no business butting into. Evidently, your reading interests are one of them.”, I said, quickly heading back to the front area. I could faintly hear Mrs. Baker and Naomi giggling. As soon as I stepped into the cockpit area, Sasha spoke up.
“The walkie-talkie just beeped, Babe. That must be a signal that it’s charged.” I checked it, and the battery indicator showed fully charged. Assuming that Rosita and Annette would have likely had the same experience, I flipped it on and dialed in our prearranged channel.
“Hummer, this is motorhome. Do you read me?”, I spoke into the microphone, after keying the transmitter.
“Motorhome, this is Hummer. We got you loud and clear.”, came the response.
“Stay on your toes, and keep your eyes open for any suspicious acting vehicles. We truly don’t know what to expect.”, I radioed.
“Will do Motorhome!”, was the reply.
“You okay for a while?”, I asked Sasha.
“I got this, Babe!”, she popped at me grinning.
“You like driving this rig Sash?”, I asked.
“It’s fucking awesome!”, she answered enthusiastically.
“Then have fun.”, I told her. And give me a shout if you need me. I’m going to sit with Lori for a bit. You heard what I told Rosita and Annette?”
“I got this Babe! Go spend some time with Lori.”, she urged me. I turned and went into the next compartment.
Sitting down in the kitchen/living room area with Lori, I sighed, looked at her, and smiled.
“How’re you faring Sweetheart?”, I asked her. She nodded her head and looked me in the eyes, smiling. Then her lips puckered and a tear rolled out of the corner of her left eye. I leaned forward, taking her hands in mine. “What is it Lori?”, I asked. She looked to the side, away from me at first, then down at our joined hands.
“My period started.”, she sobbed. “So, I guess, no little Cowboy, and no little Lori… this time.” I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say. I was disappointed, but not in Lori. But, maybe this just wasn’t our time to become parents. I thought for a minute, and still couldn’t think of anything appropriate to tell her or comfort her with. Finally, I released her hands and griped both of her shoulders.
“It’s going to be okay, though Sweetheart. We’ve still got each other, and I love you just as much today as I ever did; more actually. We’re going to be okay Lori.”, I told her.
“Yeah, I know, Cowboy. It’s just that, well I had my hopes up. My period has gotten to where it’s all out of whack. Maybe I should see a gynecologist when we get back to the bayou and get settled again.”
“Sure. That will be fine Sweetheart.”
“You got that cell?”, she asked me. “I want to talk to Rosita.”
“Sure.”, I replied, reaching into my pocket. “We’ve got the walkie-talkies working now too, if you want to use those.”
“No.”, she answered me softly. “This is private.” I handed her the cell phone and stood up to go back up front.
“Not private from you Cowboy. Please sit back down.”, She told me. I did.
“It’s the last number dialed.”, I told her. When the other end answered, she began talking.
“Hi Annette. Lori. Can I speak to Rosita? Hey sugar pants. It’s me, Lori. Yeah, it’s not as sore, but I still can hardly chew food. Yeah, it’ll be a while before I’m deep throating Cowboy again. You and Shug will have to handle that end of it for a while yet. Rosita? My visitor showed up. Yeah that. I’m afraid that’s exactly what it means. Yeah, just disappointed. Really? Wow! You and I are sync’d in more ways than one. Yeah, life’s strange like that sometimes. Oh fuck! Really? You’re driving that big fucking thing! You go girl! Maybe someday, I’ll get up the nerve. Okay. Well, get off the phone with me, and pay attention. Okay, bye!” Lori shut the phone and stared at it. “Rosita’s period started today too. Weird huh?”, she said.
“Not really. I told her. “You both are on birth control pills, and you come off of those on a schedule, so?”
“So, our schedules were different. I’m over a week late, remember?”
“Probably just a coincidence.”, I responded.
“You know I read about women who are real close to each other, getting sync’d in their natural rhythms. Evidently, people do that sometimes. Especially people who are closely attuned to each other.”, she said.
“I suppose it could happen.”, I offered.
“Babe!”, Sasha suddenly called out. I rushed into the cockpit, with Lori following. “You gotta take over. I got a problem!”
“What’s wrong Sash?”, I asked.
“Lori can you please find my purse?”
“Is this what you need, Shug?”, Lori asked, reaching into her jacket pocket and producing a wrapped tampon. Sasha glanced quickly at Lori.
“Yep. That’s it. Thanks Lori.”, she told her.
“Babe, I’m sorry, but can you radio Rosita and Annette, and get them to take the next exit?”
“Sure Sash. No problem.”, I told her with probably obvious relief in my voice. When she first called out, my mind immediately sprang to Milinni and his goons. “We have a bathroom on board here Sash, you can use that.”, I told her. “I imagine it will be a little cramped, but a whole lot cleaner, and more private, than a public rest room.”
“No shit! Thanks Babe! And, thank you, Lori!”, Sasha blurted. “I’m sorry about this Babe. This came on me early. I wasn’t due for a couple of more days. I don’t know what the fuck is going on.”
“Lori may have some insight on that., I told her. “But, you have nothing to apologize about Sugar Tits.” Sasha giggled.
“I love it when you call me that, just without thinking.”, she said.
“I love calling you that, Sash. It reminds me of the delights that you offer me. Now, instead of parking. Just pull up to the stop at the end of the exit ramp, and set the brake. I’ll take over driving for a spell. You can take care of business, and then maybe you, Lori, can get a little rest.
After Sasha and I swapped off the driver’s seat, the next one hundred miles clicked off uneventfully. At that point, I felt that Rosita and Annette would want to stretch their legs and maybe take a bathroom break. I knew one hundred mile breaks really helped keep me in better form on long trips, and had made a habit of them over the years. Picking up the walkie-talkie, I addressed the hummer.
“Motorhome to Hummer, you copy?”
“Yeah, Motorhome. Hummer copies you. Go ahead.”, came the reply.
