by S. J. Lewis
“Do you two even like men?” Kimberley asked with mock seriousness. The male part of her audience laughed loudly. Anne, apoplectic now, looked up and around to glare at them all. Jessie plucked at her arm. “Come on, Anne, let’s go,” she pleaded, almost in a whisper. Anne shook her off angrily.
“Could I get a refill, please?” Kimberley waved her coffee mug at the bartender, who grinned broadly at her. “Surely, Miss,” he nodded. “No charge.”
“Hey.” Anne poked Kimberley once in the shoulder with a finger. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
Kimberley looked at the finger and then at Anne’s face. She did not move. “I told you,” she replied mildly. “I’m Elf-Girl.” She kept her gaze fixed on Anne’s eyes until Anne withdrew her finger and backed up half a step.
Anne still looked angry. “I’m not a cocktease,” she said, apparently forgetting about Jessie.
“Of course not.” Kimberley nodded in agreement. “You just act like one.” She felt safe taking yet one more jab. She didn’t think Anne was going to take the first swing, no matter what.
“I’m not!” Anne insisted.
“Okay.” Kimberley shrugged. “Prove it.”
“What?” Anne went from anger to shock in an instant. Behind her, Jessie rolled her eyes.
“Prove it,” Kimberley repeated. “Or leave me alone. I’d kinda like to get breakfast some time today.”
“Prove it how?” Anne frowned.
“I don’t know,” Kimberley shrugged. “Pick a couple of guys here and fuck them.”
Anne looked around again, nervously this time. “You’ve got to be kidding!”
“Your choice,” Kimberley shrugged again. “You can always just go back to Gordburg.” She turned back to the bartender, as if dismissing the other woman. “Can I still get breakfast here?”
Anne slammed a fist down on the bar. “Fuck you and fuck your breakfast!” she yelled. She turned to her companion. “Come on, Jessie. We’re leaving.” As she stormed out of the saloon, the men parting to give her a clear lane, the bartender called out after her: “The coach doesn’t leave for another three hours, Miss!”
Anne stopped short just outside when she heard that. Jessie almost blundered into her. She shook her head angrily and stalked away. Jessie cast a last unreadable glance back at Kimberley before hurrying after Anne. The saloon began to empty as some of the men decided to follow.
“That wasn’t very nice.” Kimberley almost whirled at the sound of the familiar voice, but she caught herself and turned around slowly.
“Why, Greg!” she smiled, leaning back against the bar. “That snooty bitch had it coming.” When had he come in? And how had he gotten here so quickly?
“Indeed she did,” Greg agreed. “But that’s not what I meant.”
“Oh? What did you mean?”
“I mean it wasn’t very nice of you to leave like that without saying goodbye.”
She laughed. “So you’re still stalking me?”
“Yes…and it’s not as easy as I thought it might be. Can I buy you that breakfast you asked about?”
Kimberley regarded him silently for a moment. “All right,” she nodded. “But you have to tell me how you got here so soon and don’t be expecting anything just because you bought me a meal.”
Greg laughed. “I see you don’t kiss on the second date either.”
She was much hungrier than she’d thought. Seated at a corner table, she ate ravenously as Greg watched. “Well?” she prodded. This saloon offered a very tasty western omelet.
“Well what?”
“How soon you men forget.” She stabbed another forkful. “How did you get here so soon?”
“Oh, that.” He shrugged. “Well, once the maid found your room empty and all of your stuff gone it wasn’t too hard to figure out you’d skipped. The hard part was figuring which way you’d go. Looks like I’m the only one who guessed right. It didn’t take too long to walk here. Actually, I’ve been waiting for you.”
“The only one?”
Greg chuckled. “Little Elf-Girl, there are about half a dozen other hunters out beating the bushes for you as we speak. You caused quite a stir back there.” He took a sip of coffee. “But that’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?”
“Maybe…oh, hell. You know it was.” Kimberley had to chuckle herself.
“So…what’s your next move?”
“What makes you think I’d tell you…or tell you the truth if I told you anything?”
“It was a rhetorical question. I’ve already figured out that I’m not likely to catch you by trying to track you down, so I’ll have to outthink you and get ahead of you.”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“I’m not going to tell you that.”
“That was my own rhetorical question,” Kimberley retorted.
Greg laughed, then turned serious. “I ought to warn you about something.”
“Oh? What?”
“Your friend Ralphie is one of the guys hunting you. I think that he thinks he owes you something.”
“So what?” Kimberley shrugged.
“Ralphie’s got a bad rep. He’s not too bad as part of a group where his buddies can keep an eye on him, but he’s out on his own after you, Elf-Girl. If I were you, I’d watch my ass.”
“You seem to be watching it already, but thanks for the warning.” She finished off the last of the omelet. ‘And now what do I do?’ she wondered. She had to shake Greg somehow, but that was going to be a whole lot harder in daylight than it had been at night. Anyway, last night’s little trick wasn’t likely to work twice in a row. Things would have been so much simpler if Greg had just guessed wrong.
She looked into Greg’s eyes, trying to get some time to think. He met her gaze with an annoyingly self-satisfied grin as if he knew he had her in check. Well, he was right, but she didn’t find it as amusing as he did.
Jessie burst into the saloon. She stopped just inside, looking around until she spotted Kimberley. “You,” she pointed. “Anne wants to show you something. Now.”
Chapter Ten
“What?” Kimberley frowned. “What the hell does she want? She can just come here and show me, if she’s so intent on it.”
“She can’t show you here,” Jessie replied. She seemed very agitated. “You have to…you have to come to the barn.”
“What? What barn?” Kimberley thought she must have missed something.
“The one at the edge of town.” Greg spoke up. “The one with the caged, naked women. You know.”
“Oh.” Kimberley looked from Greg to Jessie and back again. “But why?”
“I guess you’d have to go there to find out.” Greg shrugged. “I think I’ll be going there myself. It might be interesting.” He stood up, waiting.
“All right,” Kimberley sighed. “I guess I’ll go too.” She didn’t really have anything else to do at the moment, except for trying to figure out a way to ditch Greg. In spite of what he’d just said, she suspected he wouldn’t go to the barn unless she went. Well, why not go? She pushed her chair back and stood, picking up her pack. It wasn’t too heavy to carry one-handed for a while, and she wasn’t going to go anywhere without it. Maybe whatever Anne wanted to show her down at the barn could provide a diversion to let her slip away somehow.
Jessie led the way. She never looked back to see if Kimberley was following her. Kimberley had the distinct impression that Jessie was very angry at her for some reason. It couldn’t be about her remarks in the saloon earlier, could it? Anne had been angry then, but Jessie had just looked embarrassed. What was going on? Greg walked close beside her. He never quite touched her, which just made her all the more aware of his presence. She had a fleeting thought of dropping behind just a little to get a quick look at his butt as he walked and resisted the impulse. It probably wouldn’t work anyway. If she tried that, he’d just slow down himself. He was going to keep his eye on her no matter what.
The barn was built on a smaller scale t
han the one back in Gordburg, but it was still a large building. Big double doors, opened wide now, fronted on what passed for the main street here, and there was a small crowd gathered there already…all men, except for one tall woman in a long-sleeved, ankle-length black dress. She seemed to be in charge.
“I brought her,” Jessie announced to the woman as they approached. Having said that, Jessie stepped aside. She gave Kimberley a last, withering look. “I hope you’re happy!” she snarled furiously and then stalked off back towards the saloon. Kimberley wondered what was going on.
“You’re Elf-Girl?” the woman asked.
“Yes.” Kimberley nodded. “That’s me.”
“All right, then we can get started.”
“Hold it!” Kimberley protested. “We can get started on what? I’m not going in there.”
“Oh, don’t worry.” The woman laid a long-fingered hand on Kimberley’s arm. “You are quite safe, but your presence is required.”
“Required for what?” Kimberley backed up a half step.
“I suggest that you come inside and see,” the woman replied.
“And who the hell are you?” Kimberley shot back.
The woman reached up and unbuttoned the high collar of her dress, opening it just far enough for Kimberley to see that she wore a black leather collar very much like the one worn by Joanna back in Gordburg. “I’m a proctor here,” she said. “I guarantee your safety. No one here will touch you without your permission.”
Okay, what exactly was a proctor? Some kind of referee or something? A supervisor? Kimberley regarded the woman for a moment. She was an older woman, about the same age as Joanna in Gordburg. Her bearing was also reminiscent of Joanna. Maybe this woman was some kind of representative of the local…government? Power structure? Town marshal? It seemed very strange to put a woman in a position of power in a place like this, but as she thought about it, it made a peculiar sort of sense. Out here, a woman was more likely to be believed and trusted by another woman, and a woman in charge…whatever kind of charge it was…would be a constant reminder to men here that there were, indeed, some limits. It still struck Kimberley as very odd that she wore a collar as a symbol of her authority instead of, say, a badge. But at this point, she was willing to accept it as yet one more bit of strangeness in this very strange and interesting place. For all that, she did feel like Elf-Girl in Wonderland at times.
“All right,” Kimberley nodded at last, “let’s go in.”
They entered the barn, passing from bright daylight into deep, deep shade so quickly that Kimberley had to pause to let her eyes adjust. She noticed that while the men were all crowded around the opened doors, not one of them…not even Greg…had crossed the threshold after them. She let herself breathe a little easier.
There was a faint noise to her right. Kimberley turned her head to look. Both sides of the barn seemed to be taken up by regularly spaced stalls, exactly as one would find in a real horse barn. But the occupant of the first stall to her right was no horse. She was kneeling on a blanket thrown over a layer of fresh straw, held there by chains that ran from D-rings set in her collar to other rings set into the heavy wooden planks that made up the sides of the stall. She was also naked. Her hands appeared to be bound or chained behind her. Kimberley couldn’t tell which. For a brief moment she thought that this was Anne, but even with the peculiar head harness that incorporated a ball gag and thick pads over her eyes, Kimberley could tell from her shoulder-length pale blonde hair that this was some other woman, more pale-skinned and plumper than Anne. The woman stirred, shifting her weight and rustling the straw. That was the noise that had drawn Kimberley’s attention. It sounded a lot like dried leaves being scuffed underfoot.
“This way, Mi…Elf-Girl,” the woman beckoned. Kimberley shrugged and followed, taking quick glances to the left and right as she walked to see if any of the other stalls were occupied. None of them were, until they came to the last one on the left. Anne was in that one, pacing back and forth, fully clothed, and not looking too happy.
“Took you long enough,” she snarled when she saw Kimberley.
“It’s good to see you again too, Anne.” Kimberley smiled. “It’s been too long, really. Now what’s this all about?”
“I’ll show you what it’s all about…” Anne fumed, coming closer.
Kimberley dropped her pack and shifted into one of the two karate stances she could still remember…just in case. She could get in one pretty good kick from this position. After that…well, she probably should have kept up with those lessons. Too late now.
“Miss Taunton, here,” the black-dress woman interrupted by stepping between them, “Has made an unusual request: Unusual, but not unheard-of.”
“What’s that got to do with me?” Kimberley straightened up warily.
“Miss Taunton has also requested that you…ah…be a witness.”
“Okay.” Kimberley folded her arms. “I’m getting really tired of this crap. Can I just get the full story without having to ask any more freaking questions?”
“You short-haired little bitch!” Anne exploded.
“Please, Miss Taunton.” Black-dress woman held up a hand. Her voice was mild, but Anne subsided. The woman turned towards Kimberley. “My name is Evelyn. As I said, I am a proctor here. I arrange and oversee things and make sure that the rules are followed.”
“All right,” Kimberley nodded. “Go on.”
“Miss Taunton here has made a request for some special arrangements here. She has also requested that you be present as a witness.”
“As a witness to what? I don’t see anything going on here, special or otherwise.”
“Please, Mi…Elf-Girl,” Evelyn said. “Let me finish.”
“Please do.” Kimberley smiled sweetly past Evelyn at Anne, who did not smile back.
“Miss Taunton is going to forego her immunity for…an hour, was it?” Evelyn looked back over her shoulder at Anne, who nodded assent. “Yes. One hour. She has also selected several men who will be permitted to use her as they wish for that hour.”
“And she wants me to watch all this?” Kimberley regarded Anne. “And then what? I tell her she’s not a cocktease after all? Geez, ‘Miss Taunton’, aren’t you going just a little bit overboard with all this? Your friend Jessie…” Her voice trailed off as she suddenly realized something. “Your friend Jessie…” Kimberley went on, “she doesn’t really like men, does she?”
Anne’s face went from red to white, and Kimberley knew she’d scored a hit. “But you do,” she continued. “Don’t you? So maybe this isn’t just about you showing me that you aren’t a cocktease??”
“Never mind all that,” Anne snapped back. “Will you witness or not?”
Kimberley thought for a moment. “All right,” she agreed. “On one condition.”
“What condition?” Anne demanded.
Kimberley grinned at her. “I get to pick one more man. I think you’ll like him. I know I do.”
Anne insisted on seeing this extra man first. Kimberley took Evelyn back to the entrance and waved Greg over. Greg came, smiling but looking puzzled.
“This is him.” Kimberley smiled to Evelyn as she took Greg’s arm in both of hers, hugging it. Greg seemed more surprised by her actions than her announcement, but definitely interested in whatever might be going on.
“All right.” Evelyn nodded after looking him over. “Let’s introduce him.” She led the way back towards Anne.
“What is this about?” Greg whispered to Kimberley as they followed.
“Hush.” Kimberley responded. “I think you’ll like it.” She gave his arm an affectionate little squeeze. If it worked out properly, she would like it too.
Anne regarded Greg narrowly. “This is him, huh?” she asked Kimberley.
“Yes, it is.” Kimberley nodded happily, still clinging to his arm.
“Your boyfriend?”
“My stalker.” Kimberley responded.
Anne looked Greg over one more tim
e. “All right,” she sighed. “Let’s get on with it.” She turned to Evelyn. “Call the others in now.”
“What is going on?” Greg demanded, shaking himself free.
“You get to fuck her.” Kimberley explained brightly. “And I get to watch.”
“And the ‘others’ she just mentioned?”
“Oh, they get to fuck her, too.”
“And you get to watch them, too?”
Kimberley smiled up at him. “Well, yeah…but it’s you I want to watch.”
“Really?” Greg did not seem convinced. “Seriously, what’s going on here?”
“Just what I said. Anne seems intent on proving to me that she’s not…what I called her back in the saloon. You only have an hour, though.”
Greg looked at Anne, who was just standing there with an angry, defiant look on her face. Her arms were folded, which pushed her breasts up and against the material of her t-shirt. Slowly, Greg’s expression of doubt faded away, replaced by a look of interested speculation.
Evelyn had gone to collect the other men. Now she returned with the three of them in tow. They all looked to be close to Greg’s age, dressed for the outdoors. Kimberley thought she recognized two of them from the saloon earlier, but she wasn’t sure. One of them was carrying a small coil of tan-colored rope.
Kimberley let go of Greg’s arm and stepped away as Evelyn introduced him to the other three men. He shook hands with all of them. This struck Kimberley as a bit odd…but then, what didn’t out here? As the men began to talk in low tones, Evelyn left them and came over to Kimberley.
“You DO have to stay and watch, you know,” Evelyn said.
“Oh. Sure. No problem.” Kimberley shrugged. She’d watched Barbara get worked over the other night. She could certainly handle this.
“And I have to make sure that you do,” Evelyn continued.
“Of course.” Kimberley nodded. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “But I have a question for you.”
“What might that be?”
“That guy I brought back here,” she nodded towards Greg, “He’s been tracking me since early yesterday.”
Evelyn smiled. “Congratulations. He’s quite attractive.”
