by Steve Shadow
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
She knocked and a slot in the door slid open. Whoever was inside must have known her. The door swung wide and we walked in. The doorman smiled as Louisa slipped him a fin and we climbed a flight of stairs to a big open loft –like room. A bar was set up in one corner and the room was littered with sofas and chairs and small tables. About 20 people were scattered around the room. Most were black. In another corner a group of musicians were playing that new jive stuff. It sounded pretty wild to me. She told me to have a seat and went to the bar and brought back a couple of beers. No one seemed to even notice that she was in men’s clothes. I guess this crowd is what they called hepcats or be-boppers.
We drank our beer and listened to the music. A few people stopped by to say hello to Louisa. The guys playing kept changing personnel and soon they started doing ballads and some couples got up to dance.. A huge black guy asked Louisa to dance and they moved out on the floor. After tonight’s action seeing a man and a woman in suits dancing together seemed perfectly normal.
When she came back to the table she sat down and took hold of her beer. She raised it to her lips and then paused and put it back on the table. She watched me staring at her for a few seconds.
“All right,” She said. “Go ahead and ask. I know you’re wondering about me, I can tell. Just go ahead and ask the damn questions.”
I knew what she meant but kept quiet and only stared into my beer.
“Shit, never mind, I’ll tell you. It’s the same old stupid story; I had a lousy childhood. I had a drunken mother who did not want me and a father that did what no father should do with his daughter. I finally got away from them and was taken in by my aunt and uncle. Only he proved to be no better than my so-called father. I had to get out and told my boyfriend in high school I was pregnant and we ran away. By that time I was old enough to figure out how to control school boys. We got married and things were fine for awhile and then the war came and he got drafted. He was working as a machinist at Ford and I took his place on the line. We started making parts for bombers. It was all us girls doing men’s work, for less pay but doing just as good a job. The only men still around were 4-F pigs and jerks who they said were too valuable to the war effort to be drafted. My husband died in France. I needed the job but those shits took advantage of all the women and they had all the power. Some of the girls had been around and a couple of them taught me the ropes. Well, I was a natural at it. I did what I needed to do to keep my job. It was fine until the war ended and the men came back. All of us were fired. I had no where to go but one of the girls, Madge, took me under her wing and taught me what I do now. I was good at it, damn good.”
Her eyes glazed slightly as she leaned forward and then held me in her icy stare.
“You men are all such weak and vile pieces of shit that it is a pleasure to do what I do. So, are you happy now? Then quit looking at me and drink your beer. You proved to be another gutless piece of shit like all the rest, but I know you. Maybe you were right that time when you said we may have something in common. We’ll see.”
I said nothing. What was there to say? We were both dealt a bad hand and we could only play the cards we held.
It must have been almost 7 am when we left. We drove back towards the apartment. She was hungry so we stopped at a small place called the A & T Grill on Clark Street. We had omelets with hash browns and toast and coffee. I didn’t realize how hungry I was and polished off the food in no time.
We got refills on our coffee and sat in silence staring at each other. She was looking at me in the same way I felt: Like a lost little boy. It was easy for me to kid myself these past few years that I knew what I was doing. Now I had to admit that I was losing what ever chance I had to make it big on the grift. My last shot was Mobes. I had to get that money and get out. The outlaw life was obviously not for me. I had sunk as low as I could. I laid my hands on the table, palms down and fingers spread.
“All right, Miss Louisa, I’ll level with you. I found out that Mobes has 20 some grand stashed in an account. She wants to use it to get her mother’s farm out of debt. I tried to hint at using it to open a restaurant but I ain’t getting anywhere. I got to figure out a way to get her to part with the green. This could be my ticket out of this life and maybe into something legit. I can’t handle this shit any longer. You got any ideas?”
“Just call me Lou. I can get carried away sometimes. I thought I could swing you around to my thing, but I see it’s no dice. Here’s an idea for you. Why don’t you just ask Ethel to marry you and then the money, the farm, and the whole deal will be yours? That sounds pretty legit to me.”
“Are you out of your mind? You want me to spend a lifetime with that simpering, fat tub hanging on me. No, thanks. There has to be a way to pry that cash out of her.”
“Well, I do have an idea, but it will cost you. I’ll get the money out of her but I want 5 grand. That is a very reasonable offer because now that I know what she has I could just take the whole stake myself. She likes me and trusts both me and Max. She thinks we are some kind of lovey-dovey couple. She’s a silly romantic fool and I know just how to play her. You do as I say and she won’t know what hit her. Or you can do the right thing and do as I said: Marry her, make her happy, do something good in your shitty life.”
I looked at her carefully. What the hell was she on about? Could I trust her? Now that I thought I had no more sexual illusions about her maybe I could think a little more clearly. I wasn’t sure what to do. I had lost my moorings. Tonight had really thrown me. Last night started out with me thinking I was going to get in bed with Louisa, get laid, and involve her in a scheme to con Mobes. Now, she seemed to hold all the cards and I was adrift in uncertainty. Well, what the hell. She was more of a pro than I would ever be.
“Let’s do it your way. What’s the plan? She won’t be back for a couple of days so we can work it out.”
“I don’t want to talk about it here. Come back to my place tonight and I’ll have it all mapped out for you. Max is away for a few more days. I‘ll have to use him but he will do anything I say. When he returns we can get the ball rolling. I got to get home and get some sleep. Stop by tonight, I’ll be home.”
We paid the bill and stepped outside. The sun was up and despite the cold the day looked bright and promising. The end was in sight and, fool that I was, I could see all that green coming my way. But as it turned out, it wasn’t green that was coming my way.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
I awoke late in the afternoon. The sky was gray and it looked like snow was on the way. I got out of bed and padded over to the radio. I turned it on but all I could get was dumb holiday music. Cripes, that shit never ended. I peeked out the window but the streets were empty. I glanced at the calendar Mobes had on the wall and realized it was Christmas Eve. Oh yeah, home for the holidays and all that shit. What a joke. I sat there in my underwear feeling sorry for myself. Not that I had any warm, fuzzy memories of Christmas Eve’s from my lousy past, but still I felt lonely. As much as I was disgusted by the scene Louisa had put on last night a part of me still desired her. I thought I was over her but at this low point I would find any company welcome. Even fat little Mobes didn’t seem so bad on a day like this.
I was having second thoughts about letting Louisa in on my stake. Although I guess it wasn’t much of a secret what I was up to, seeing as she had me pegged from day one. I was having a hard time figuring out where my head was at. What control I had over the situation was rapidly fading away and I had trouble staying focused. I remembered those G.I.’s that came through England on the way back to the States. They were wounded and broken in a strange way. Some did not seem to have any physical wounds but you could tell they were hurting. They called it shell shock or battle fatigue. Well, that’s how I felt. Watching Louisa administer punishment to that priest, the look in her eye’s as she rammed that dildo up him with such glee, made me see myself in a different way. Sure I had a lousy time of it as a kid just like she ha
d but, Sweet Jesus, she was hard as nails.
I felt weak, sick and tired. I still had a grand left from the last scam. Maybe I should just take it on the lam and look for greener pastures. Maybe I could go somewhere warmer. I thought of San Diego. That place had flooded with people after the war. Probably there were a lot of suckers out there waiting to be taken. But who was I kidding? I knew I had lost whatever little ability I had. Between Mobes and her clinging ways and Louisa’s treatment of me, I felt defeated. This had been coming on for awhile. Each day it got harder and harder to get out of bed. My taste for the criminal life diminished with each passing year. Shit, if I could just hold it together until this deal with Mobes was over, then I could rest easy. I could take a little vacation, maybe go south and get some sun.
I shook myself awake and got dressed. I had some coffee and I toasted a stale bagel. I found a little cream cheese in the fridge and spread it on the bread. I figured I would wait until dark and then cross the hall to Louisa’s. I wondered what evil plot she had cooked up. She was a real piece of work but she also had a way about her. A power seemed to emanate from her. It was hard to resist her, and in my state I did not think I could stand up to her. Well, I had nothing to lose. Shit, let her lead the way. I could easily see why she could control Max so easily. It is very seductive to be lead around and let someone else make all the decisions. I guess that must be the allure of religion. Fuck, my mind was a jumble.
Twilight had fallen and a few snow flurries blew past the window. I guess kids all over were waiting for Santa and their presents. I thought back to those grim days in the orphanage. Some years they tried to make it festive but we all knew no one wanted us lost kids. And here I was, years later, but still with the same feelings. What a pile of shit my life turned out to be. Well, all I could do was suck it up and get on with it. I had put in a lot of effort working on Mobes and now it was time to collect. As blue as I felt, I knew it would be worse if I did not get this done.
I cleaned myself up, grabbed a bottle of gin for a present and went across the hall. I rapped on the door, wondering just what the hell she would be wearing tonight. She opened the door in a robe and slippers. Her red hair was loose and hanging to her shoulders. She had no make-up on but she still looked beautiful.
I handed her the bottle of gin. “Here’s a little Christmas cheer. I guess family doesn’t mean shit to you either.”
She took the bottle and went to the kitchen. Over her shoulder, she said, “No one in my family is anyone I ever want to see again.”
She came back from the kitchen with a couple of drinks. She put them on the coffee table and gestured for me to sit on the couch. I was nervous, and not sure why. I had already decided to go along with whatever plan she had. She sat across from me in a lounge chair. She crossed her legs and her robe fell open. I could see her long pale legs up to her thigh. Rather than the usual lust, I felt nervous and scared. What the hell was wrong with me? She peered at me over her drink.
“Well, Kevin, you ready to get down to business? You look a little shaky tonight. What’s the problem?”
“I’m fine. Let’s get to it. Lay it out for me. I want that money.”
“Take it easy, sluggo. You seem awfully agitated. Down that drink and I’ll make us another. You got to relax; we need clear heads for this.”
I swallowed the last of the gin and tonic. I could feel its effects already. I had not eaten much and she mixed a hell of a drink. She brought refills and we settled in again.
“Here is what we are going to do. Ethel thinks that Max is some kind of big businessman. In truth, he ain’t shit. He’s never had a job. He lives off a family inheritance that he has to periodically beg for from his family. They hate him and pay him off to keep him away. He’s had a lot of problems with booze and drugs. We go back a lot of years. Like I said, he just needs someone to look after him a little and he asks no questions.
“Anyway, what we do is have a little get together with you and Ethel and I’ll get Max to go on and on about how this new business his company is investing in is returning double and triple on the original investment. I’ll back him up and say how we put every cent we have into it and are now making a pile of money and how we plan to buy a house and all that crap. So we plant the idea in her head and then you take over and push her to let Max invest her bankroll into the new venture. Max is a good talker, especially when I coach him. Once we get the dough out of her I want you to take her away for awhile. Unless we get cash or a cashiers check we will need time for the money to clear. Go downstate and meet her Mother or something, make it all seem legit. In the meantime, Max and I will move out. So when you return you can seem all upset. When you go downstate just pack all your shit so it will be in the car. You tell her you’re going to the police and just take off. We can meet up and split the take and then you’re in the clear. I know you ain’t using your real handle and we ain’t either. She can cry to the cops all she wants but we’ll be long gone by then.”
I just looked at her. My head was a little woozy from the booze but I wasn’t that drunk yet.
“I guess that sounds like a good plan, except for one thing. How am I supposed to trust that you two will hand over the money? What’s to stop you from just disappearing while we’re gone? And why do we have to go away? Is that just to give you two more time to hightail it out of town? Your plan seems just a little too convenient. You two take off and I’m left holding the bag, and it’s an empty bag at that. Besides that, if your whips and chains racket is doing so well why do you want to blow it all and take off?”
She stood up and pulled her robe tighter around her. “Hey, you asshole, you seem to forget I trusted you. I let you know what I was doing, something even Max don’t know. I wanted to put you in the game with me. You could go to the cops about me. I know it wasn’t a good fit for you but still. Remember, I had you spotted from the minute I laid eyes on you, but I stayed quiet. I didn’t say nothing to Ethel. She’s a dope but she ain’t that stupid; she just thinks she’s in love. Love: What a fucking joke.”
She let out a mad chuckle at that statement. “Sure, we’re going to shake her down, but I was willing to let you do what you wanted. Remember, you came to me. I’m just asking for a fair shake. If you don’t trust me then get her to give you the cash and say you’re going to deliver it to Max’s company. Shit, do whatever you want. We can just shit can the whole plan. Just remember you haven’t been able to get anything out of her. Well, what’s it going to be? I thought it was a done deal. I thought we agreed last night to do this. Make up your mind, buster, or get out of my life. I got more appointments coming up. The time between Christmas and New Year’s is big business for me and I still got to find some muscle. Life is getting a little too unpredictable these days. That’s why I want to blow this burg. I’m getting too well known and everybody has their hand out. I thought I was safe with just the Sheriff to pay off but he has grand ideas. I always thought of these guys as small potatoes but this guy got big ambitions. He’s a greedy fucker and thinks he owns the county. So I think it’s time to move on. Max will go wherever I go and do whatever I say. So that’s why I want out. Now it’s time for you to shit or get off the pot.”
I read the fire in her eyes. She had me bamboozled and I didn’t want to fight her. My will seemed to slip away in the fierce glare of her intensity. “Yes, sure, whatever you think is best.”
I fell back against the couch. She smiled. I had seen that grin before and a chill coursed through my body. I felt like I was facing a cobra but instead of me charming the snake, the snake was charming me. She came over to the couch and undid the sash to her robe and let it slide from her shoulders. It fell in a heap at her feet. What I had been dreaming of for months now stood before me. She was magnificent. She was five feet and ten inches of glorious feminine beauty. Her body was perfect. Her skin was flawless. Her breasts were large in size and perfectly shaped with pinkish nipples. Her torso tapered to a small rounded belly and womanly hips with a bright r
ed bush covering her pussy. Her legs were stunning. They narrowed down to a pair of delicate ankles. The polish on her toenails matched her hair color. I took this all in and stared in awe with my mouth hanging open.
“God, you are as beautiful as a movie star.” That was about all I could get out.
She sat down at the end of the couch and leaned back. She swung her legs up and placed her heels on my shoulders. I was staring down at the flaming red pubic hair surrounding her glistening slit.
She looked up at me with half open blue eyes and said, “You hungry, Kevin? Why don’t you get down here and have a little taste? I know you’ve wanted me from the time you first saw me. Let’s seal the deal.”
I had no resistance. Whatever loathing I thought I had for her fled like a piece of lint in a hurricane. I did as she said. I buried my face in her cunt. It smelled like heaven. I licked and nibbled for all I was worth. When I found that little man in the boat she began to vibrate like crazy. She grabbed my hair and pushed my face deeper into her.
“That’s it, baby, eat me. Lick me good.”
I was consumed by lust. My tongue took on a life of it’s own as I bathed every inch of her pubic area in our combined juices. She kept yelling for me to go faster and suck harder. Finally she exploded in orgasm and then hurriedly pushed me away. “Get your clothes off,” she said. “I want you inside me now. Hurry up.”
I tore my clothes off. Once I was naked she took hold of my cock and drew me into her. She was so wet I slid right in. The heat was as intense as a blast furnace. She wrapped her long legs around me and I fucked her like the world was coming to an end.
She suddenly pushed me off her. “Do me doggy. Let me get on my knees.”
She got off the couch and got on her hands and knees on the carpet. I entered her from behind. She screamed for me to fuck her harder. I grabbed her hips and started to slam into her like a jackhammer. She screamed for more. I kept pumping as hard as I could. Finally I could hold out no longer and shot a boatload of jiz up her cunt. My knees gave way and I fell away from her. We were both covered in sweat. She turned and the look in her eyes froze my blood. She knew she had me. I was helpless. I thought to myself that I was not driving this car any longer. But I didn’t care. Like I once told Mobes: this train had already left the station.
