“Greg asked me today whether I thought you would be going to church with us this Sunday,” said Cynthia, as she wrapped another plate and put it in the box.
She and her mother were in the kitchen, packing dishes and cookware.
“I guess so. To be honest, that’s going to be the hardest thing about moving,” said Beverly. “I could still go to church here if I really wanted to. It’s only a fifteen minute drive.”
“I know.”
“But I don’t think I should. If I’m going to move to Coreyville, I need to be a part of that community. And that includes going to church there. So, I might as well get started this Sunday.”
“Well, I’m proud of you, Mom. I think you’re doing the right thing.”
“But don’t get me wrong—I do plan to stay in touch with my friends here in Marshall. I just won’t see them as often. But we can email and IM.”
“IM? Y’all instant message each other?”
“Sure. We try to stay up with the times. You think we’re too old for technology?”
“No, I didn’t say that.”
“A couple of times I’ve even sent a text message.”
Cynthia laughed. “You’re pretty cool, Mom.”
“You got that right, Dog.” Beverly attempted a rapper pose. “Too much?”
“Yeah—that’s a little scary.”
Cynthia heard the Bonneville in the driveway. “There’s Greg.”
She let him in the kitchen door and gave him a long, tight hug.
But before he got too excited, he pulled away.
She pretended to be hurt, but then gave him a quick kiss on the lips and grinned at him. She understood. And she loved the fact that she could turn him on so easily.
She checked the clock. It was 7:58.
“You’re early. So I guess your last student cancelled,” said Cynthia.
“No, she didn’t cancel. She just didn’t show up.”
“One of your teenagers?”
“No, it was Nancie Jo Gristel. She’s 81. And she never does that. She always calls me if she has to miss. She was out for a couple of months because of her Alzheimer’s. But the doctor put her on some new medication, and she’s been fine ever since.”
“One of my good friends just found out she has it,” said Beverly. “It’s a terrible disease.”
“Did you try calling her?” said Cynthia to Greg.
“Several times. But then I figured maybe she just fell asleep.”
“It’s easy to do when you’re leaning back in your recliner watching TV,” said Beverly.
“Yeah, that could be it,” said Cynthia.
“Well, I just hope she’s okay. I’ll give her a call in the morning,” said Greg.
*
Before going inside, she sat in her car a few minutes to put on the blonde wig. She was wearing a hot pink blouse, black leather mini-skirt, and knee-high boots. When she walked in, every man in the bar was instantly seduced. Beer mugs hung suspended at open mouths. She could have chosen any one of the poor saps, and they would have gladly barked like a dog at her command.
The anticipation faded in the eyes at each table as she passed them by. She had no intention of spending time with any of them, although her body language suggested otherwise. The man sitting alone in the far corner was her ultimate destination. He had taken a glance when she came in, but then went back to studying the bubbles in his beer.
“Well?” she said.
“Well, what?” said Jake, as he finally looked up.
“Remember me?”
“Jennifer? Is that you?” He stood.
Carnie had forgotten the fake name she had used Sunday night. “Uh…yeah.”
“Well, sit down and let me buy you a beer,” said Jake.
“Okay.”
Jake hollered to the bar tender, “Hey, Bill. Two more beers, please.”
“You look great as a blonde.”
“Thanks.”
“Of course, you looked just as cute before you bleached it. I like brown hair.”
“Actually, it’s a wig. I just wanted to try a different look.”
“So, where have you been keeping yourself?” said Jake. “I thought we had a lot of fun the other night. But then you disappeared.”
“Yeah. I’ve been busy.”
“Okay, I get it. Don’t worry—I’m not looking for a wife, or even a girlfriend.”
Carnie shot him a wry smile. “Me either. So, you’re just looking to get laid, huh?”
“Well, no, not necessarily.”
“Then I’m wasting my time here. See you around.” Carnie stood.
“Whoa, wait a second. I said I wasn’t looking to get laid. It’s not that I don’t want it. I’m just not searching for it.”
Carnie sat down. “But what if it just came along and bit you in the butt?”
“Well, I wouldn’t put it quite like that, but yeah, I’d be interest—if it was somebody I really liked.”
A young waitress delivered their beers and walked away slowly, hoping to hear more of the conversation.
“Somebody like me?” she said with a sexy smile.
“Yeah.”
“Then why are we wasting our time sitting here, Jake?”
“Good point, Honey. Let’s go. I’ve got plenty of beer at home in the fridge.”
Jake threw some bills on the table and they hurried out. The other men watched in envy and amazement. What was so great about him?
*
Carnie followed Jake’s truck to his house. As soon as they were inside, he took her in his powerful arms and started kissing her. He was twice her size, and she barely knew him. Most women would not put themselves in such a vulnerable situation. But Carnie was fearless. She kissed him with enough passion to set a dead man on fire. But after a few seconds she pulled away.
“Let’s slow it down, Big Boy.”
“What? I thought you wanted to have sex?” He knew he could have had her right then if he wanted to. She wouldn’t have been able to stop him. But he wasn’t that kind of man. He would never force himself on a woman.
“Maybe I do. But first I’d like to get to know you better. Let’s sit and talk a while, and have a drink or two.”
“Okay. Make yourself at home and I’ll grab us some brewskis.”
Jake walked into the kitchen while Carnie sat down on the couch.
The living room furniture looked like a page out of a 1975 Sears catalog. But at least it’s clean, she thought—except for a thousand dust mites living down deep in the fabric. Yuk.
Jake handed Carnie a Coors Light. “So, what do you want to talk about, Jennifer?”
“How about a little question and answer game. You can ask me any question, and I have to answer it honestly. Then I ask you a question. And we take turns until we both agree to stop.”
“Sounds kind of dangerous.”
“Yeah. But you get to ask the first question.”
“Okay.” Jake thought for a few seconds. “You acted sort of funny tonight when I called you ‘Jennifer.’ Is that really your name?”
“Oh, good one, Jake. The answer is ‘no.’”
He waited for her to go on.
“So, what is your name?” he said.
“Sorry, it’s my turn to ask a question,” said Carnie.
“Ah, come on.”
“You have to wait your turn.”
“Okay. Ask me a question,” he said.
“What is your favorite position?”
“You mean, for sex?”
“No, for the gearshift in your truck.”
“Okay. That would have to be the missionary position,” said Jake.
“So predictable.”
“Hey, I like what I like. Now, my turn. What’s your real name? And remember, you have to be honest.”
“My name is Carnie.”
“Then why did you tell me your name was Jennifer?”
“Nope. My turn.”
“Oh, alright.”
“Have you ever killed anybody?” She watched him closely for a reaction.
“What?”
He’s stalling, thought Carnie. He has killed. Good. “Have you ever killed anybody?”
“Of course not. What kind of a question is that?”
“Hey, if you don’t ask interesting questions, the game gets boring real fast. Could I get another beer?” she said.
“Sure.” Jake took her empty can and headed for the kitchen. Then he stopped, spun around and said, “Ah-ha! That was a question. So it’s gonna be my turn when I come back.” He walked into the kitchen shouting back to her, “I got you that time, Baby. You ain’t so smart after all.”
When it came time for their third, fourth and fifth beers, Carnie acted as waitress. Jake never noticed she was not really drinking hers. She kept them coming until he was drunk.
“I don’t think you were being truthful earlier when I asked you if you’d ever killed anybody,” said Carnie.
He grinned at her. “Aw, come on, Honey, don’t you trust me?”
“I’m not sure. But I won’t sleep with a man if I think he’s lying to me.”
“But I’m not lying. Not really.”
“Not really? What does that mean?” she said.
Jake lowered his voice and looked around the room and into the kitchen, as though someone else was in the house. “It was an accident.”
She glared at him, waiting for details.
“One night I was on my way home. The old man shouldn’t have been out walking in the dark. It was after midnight. What was he doing out there anyway?”
“Did you call the police?”
Jake didn’t answer.
“So, you were drunk and you ran over a man and you just left him there to die.”
“I was scared. I could have gone to prison.”
“How do you know you actually killed him? Sometimes people get hit by cars and just walk away,” she said.
“It was in the paper the next day.”
“You’re a murderer, Jake.”
“No, no. It was an accident.”
“Okay, fine. Let’s change the subject. How would you like to make some big-time cash?”
“Oh, Honey, you don’t have to pay me,” he said, as he began to unbuckle his belt.
“Very funny. How does ten-thousand dollars sound?”
He seemed to sober up a little. “Sounds good. What’s this about?”
“Have you ever heard of a clinical trial?”
“Sure. That’s where doctors get a bunch of people to try some new kind of medicine, to see if it really works. Hey, I don’t want to be no guinea pig. Is that what you want me to do?”
“No. What I need is for you to help me round up some volunteers.”
“That doesn’t sound too hard.”
“The catch is that we’ll be forcing them to participate.”
“Oh, I get it. You want me to do something illegal. Well, no thanks. I don’t need the money that bad.”
“Jake, I was just kidding. But, man—I really had you going. You thought I was serious. That’s funny.”
“Well, you sure sounded serious.”
“I was just testing you. And you passed. So, let’s get ready for bed.”
“I’m ready,” said Jake, although he was so drunk he could barely walk.
They went into his bedroom. By the time Carnie had stripped to her underwear, Jake had already jumped onto the bed, naked.
“Let’s take a shower first,” she said.
“Together?”
“Yeah.”
Jake hopped up and hurried into the bathroom. He turned on the shower and waited for the hot water while watching Carnie. When she slipped the lacey red bra off her breasts, he said, “Forget the shower. I want you now.”
But she held her hand out firmly. “If you touch me, I’m leaving right now.”
He stepped back. The shower had begun to steam up the room.
She said, “Let’s get in,” and pulled down her panties and kicked them aside.
Jake felt tremors of anticipation as he pulled back the shower curtain and stepped in. Carnie got in at the back of the tub.
“Turn around and I’ll wash your back,” she said.
“Yes, Ma’am.
She located the soap dish, picked up the bar of Dial and began to slowly lather his back. His groin began to suck the blood away from his brain and other vital organs. His hands were against the front shower wall for support.
“If you keep that up, I may not be able to hold it,” he said.
“Then you’ll just have to reload. Okay, now put your arms down at your sides so I can wash them.”
He would have honored any request she made.
It was a shame he had rejected her offer. She really liked him. And she would have enjoyed sleeping with him. But she had told him too much. And he might talk.
His hands were at his sides and he was very drunk. He would never see it coming. She would smash his head into the shower tile as hard as she could. He would offer little, if any, resistance. And if the first attempt had only dazed him, she would pound his skull into the edge of the tub until he was gone.
The police wouldn’t be thinking murder. They’d see a guy who got drunk and then stupidly tried to take a shower, slipped down, and busted his head open. Too bad. Another drunk kicked the bucket. Case closed.
On the other hand, she really liked the big lug.
“Carnie? Where are you going?”
She quickly toweled off, picked up her underwear, and walked out of the bathroom.
“Carnie? You can’t leave me like this. Come back, Honey.”