Three of Spades

by W. Ferraro

  Dylan was delivering a completely restored pristine 1950 Buick Roadmaster to his buyer, when the older man asked Dylan if he would have any interest in some Plymouth shell that he heard was available. Knowing that he would be looking for a new project, Dylan inquired and was directed to where the deteriorated car was located. When Dylan got there, his tongue almost fell out of his mouth. Instantaneously, he knew it was the Cuda. The older widow, who had found it in her long deceased husband’s barn, said Dylan could just take it. Knowing that a lot of people would take advantage of the older woman’s naivety, Dylan insisted on paying her for it. In a way, he wished he could have seen her face when he sent her the check; he was sure it had a lot more zeros in it than she was used to.

  Not being able to resist, he walked over, leaned in the open driver’s window and just looked at the interior that would soon be gleaming. He could already envision the black vinyl that would cover the front bucket seats as well as the back bench seat. He already had it on order, along with authentic interior carpeting. The chrome skull with glowing red eyes gearshift, he was enthralled about using for the floor shifter, would be in soon. He found himself coming down here in the middle of the night just to tinker around with it because he could not contain his excitement. Knowing that if he didn’t head inside now he’d be out here for a couple of hours, he lightly tapped the window frame. He turned his back on his passion and headed into his quiet house.

  Walking into the dark main living area, Dylan turned on the light and was surprised to find he was not alone. Over on his built in oak bar was a very naked woman. Scratch that, she wasn’t completely naked, she did have on a pair of sky high cherry red stiletto heels.

  “Babs, what are you doing here?” Dylan asked, as he walked slowly but with purpose across the open living room to where she lay across the six seat custom made bar.

  Babette Rousseau was used to getting everything she wanted and she wanted Dylan Cross. They had enjoyed a mutual on and off again relationship that was focused purely on the physical, Babette wanted that to change. She came here, with clear purpose, to bring Dylan around to her way of thinking. She knew Dylan could not pass up a good toss in the hay. The spicier and more carnal, the more Dylan got off.

  Dylan stopped a few feet away from where the dark haired beauty was sprawled. He could not help but notice that her long slim muscular legs were bent in a way that showed off her obsession with the gym. The red stilettos were just an added punch to Dylan’s libido and Babette knew that. Dylan could not pass up a good pair of fuck-me-shoes. In fact, these very shoes were purchased by him, for a specific fantasy of Dylan’s that she had been more than willing to fulfill.

  After the initial once over, Dylan made sure his dark eyes remained set on her hazel gaze. Feeling quite pissed off that she would break into his home and pull such a stunt, Dylan just crossed his arms over his chest. He raised his left eyebrow waiting for her to answer his original question.

  Well this wasn’t going at all as she planned, Babette thought. She knew she had to change course, so she moved her left hand from where it rested against her naked hip and extended it out then motioned with her index finger for him to come closer. The way her vivid red nails shined from the minimal light made her glad she had chosen the color.

  “I’m waiting, Babs,” Dylan said, as his aggravation grew while his feet remained firmly planted.

  “You know Dylan, you are a smart man, I’m sure you can deduce why I’m here,” Babette purred, as she remained still.

  He knew exactly why she was there. Dylan was very specific on how any of his relationships went. It had to be mutual and gratifying for both but it was always on their turf. Never had any of Dylan’s women been in his home; it made it seem too permanent and Dylan Cross didn’t do permanent.

  Dylan loved woman. He loved how different one could be from the next. He saw beauty in all female forms. In his opinion, there was nothing better than the softness that only a woman could offer. Little else was above the respect and enjoyment he received from each woman he bedded and he made sure none of them had any complaints about him as a lover.

  Now Babette was probably the one that Dylan should have stayed clear of. Yeah, they had some great chemistry. There was nothing the woman would not do sexually but she just stood out from the others and not in a good way. In addition to being a beautiful sexy woman, Bab’s was also very intelligent. A cutthroat attorney who didn’t back down from anyone, especially when she could proudly display a man’s balls within her manicured feminine grasp.

  Becoming quite annoyed herself that he didn’t seem approving of her display or her presence, Babette decided to spell it out for him. She slowly moved to a sitting position, being sure to move her legs in a way that showed him her freshly waxed bikini area. When that didn’t get him to move a muscle, she slid down so she was standing. She leaned against the bar with both arms stretched out along the smooth oak surface, knowing that the position showed off her firm artificial breasts.

  “So let me just get this straight, you don’t want me here? Because Dylan you should really ask your cock if he agrees.” Babette licked her lush red lips.

  “How’d you even get in here, Babs?” Dylan asked between clenched teeth.

  “I made a copy of your key the last time you were at my place, while you slept. Remember that sleep Dylan? You were completely exhausted after our marathon sex weekend. Remember what we did that weekend? Remember what my mouth did that weekend?” Babette said, as she walked slowly towards him, being sure to sashay her flared hips until she was chest to chest with him. She leaned in and kissed his scarred jaw.

  Stepping back from her to where a blanket lay folded along his couch, he took the lush throw and draped it over her bare shoulders until she was completely covered. And in that moment Dylan saw her hazel eyes turn to red.

  “You are really telling me you don’t want this?” Babette hissed at him, as he walked behind the bar and poured a pilsner from the built in tap.

  “Goodbye, Babs. I’m sure you can find your way out and be sure to leave that key,” Dylan said, as he sipped the frothy gold liquid.

  She dropped the cover and turned to him, once she made her way over to him, she removed the tall cold glass from his hand and guided him down to her wet center. Forcefully pushing his finger into her, she raised her eyebrow in challenge and said, “You’ll never get anyone like me again. Think long and hard about the choice you are making because it will not be offered to you again, unless of course, you come begging on your hands and knees.” She let go of his hand. He quickly withdrew it from her and wiped it off on a nearby towel.

  “Leave the key, Babs,” Dylan spat out as he waited for her to leave and was finally rewarded with her strutting off to the open kitchen. She pulled her trench coat on, tied the belt, and withdrew a gold key from the pocket. She threw it so it landed with a series of clinks as it skipped across the hardwood floor.

  Dylan picked up his beer to drink as he watched Babs walk out his front door and slam it behind her. As the cold liquid glided down his throat, he thought to himself, not only did he now need to change all the locks but he needed to make sure his balls stay firmly where they were. Babette Rousseau, he was quite sure, had a glass case specifically in mind for their display.

  ~THREE~

  The next three weeks went by in a whirl for Natalie. From the news that Gloria’s tumor had grown and the decision of halting all treatment, to the juggling of work and care for her mother, Natalie was just left utterly exhausted. Her brothers had been as insistent as ever that now was the time to change their mother’s living arrangements. Both Reggie and Sam tried to make their mother understand that Natalie just wasn’t capable of caring for her in her current state of health. They argued that it would be a harder, more difficult road ahead than it had been thus far and they were just thinking of both Gloria and Natalie’s best interests. When one evening
the never-ending discussion resulted in a very upset Gloria, both men quickly turned to Natalie to get everything back under control. Ultimately expecting her to get their mother to see that their opinion and solution was the best. Regardless of the fact that Natalie didn’t agree nor could get a word in edgewise.

  Natalie showered and dressed in a pair of two big plaid pajama bottoms and an old Hamden Elementary t-shirt. She had just made both her and her mother a hot cup of tea when she carried them into the parlor and was surprised to find Gloria not in her chair. Gloria was up grabbing the old photo album that was kept in the bookcase.

  “Mom, let me get that for you,” Natalie said, as she quickly placed the two steaming cups down and went over to relieve Gloria of the heavy bound book. Once her mother was situated back in her chair, Natalie handed her the album, went over, sat on the sofa, and cautiously sipped her tea.

  “You were such a nerd, my sweet Natalie,” Gloria chuckled, as she slowly turned page after page. Some of the images were of Natalie in different stages of growing up, she either had a book in her hand or there was one in the background of the photo.

  “Well, thanks Mom, how kind of you to say,” Natalie answered dryly.

  As Gloria continued to flip page after page, the smiles continued to come from her once beautiful face. Gloria’s face used to be so full of life and humor but now just reflected her lack of appetite for both substance and what Natalie hated to admit; life.

  “Look at Reginald and Patricia; they looked just as lovely at their prom as they did on their wedding day. Same with Sam and Nicolette, there wasn’t anyone in the church at their wedding that had a dry eye. Their love for one another was just palpable,” Gloria said, as she continued to look at the filmed memories.

  Natalie listened as her mother continued to comment on the pictures showing the continuation of life, as her nieces and nephews were born and christened. When Gloria came to the end and closed the cover, she kept it on her brittle lap and placed her hand upon it as if getting strength from the mere touch.

  She looked over at her daughter who was as much a part of Gloria’s life as her sons, but there was that special bond that only a mother and daughter could share. Gloria knew her time was limited and she needed to say all that she wanted, not to cause harm but to offer comfort, ultimately, that her daughter would not be alone when Gloria passed.

  “Natalie, you need to stop hiding behind me and your job and go put yourself out there if you don’t want to find yourself pitiful and alone,” Gloria spoke firmly, as she watched shock cross Natalie’s face.

  “Mother!” was all Natalie could say due to the shock.

  “Natalie, I can’t stand the thought of you growing old alone. It drains me to think that unless your current course is altered, you will have a cat as the only form of companionship and those silly books you never get your nose out of.”

  Natalie could not believe Gloria was speaking to her like this. She had never spoken of Natalie’s life in such a degrading tone. Natalie had her own personal fears of such a thing occurring but to hear her mother put words to the nightmare, it was almost more than she could bear. Natalie had never felt real anger toward her mother until that very moment.

  “Mom, I don’t know what I’ve done to make you speak of my life in such a way, but it has made me very upset.” Natalie tried to remain calm as she pulled herself up out of the seat. She fixed her askew glasses and headed into the kitchen to put her now empty mug in the sink. She found herself dropping the mug with much more force than was necessary. Knowing she needed to calm down before facing her mother again, she tidied up a bit and then headed back into the parlor. Gloria had remained motionless and if Natalie wished that this uncomfortable conversation were over, she was completely out of luck.

  “Natalie, I think maybe your brothers are right. I’m becoming too much of a burden. You should be focusing on meeting someone and having babies, rather than making sure I’ve taken my anti-nausea medication.” Gloria tried to remain firm as she spoke, while her own heart broke. Natalie was the last person she would ever want to hurt but she was running out of time to ensure that her baby girl would not be alone.

  “Mom, I don’t know what has gotten into you. I’m sure you are tired and not feeling like yourself, otherwise, you would not be saying such nonsense,” Natalie spoke softly, as she helped Gloria up out of her chair and guided her down to her room.

  With the unexpected emotional push from Gloria, Natalie knew she would have to launch a plan that would give Gloria comfort in her final days. A thorough plan that would let Natalie know what it would be like to live as the characters in her books do, full of romance and sex, even if it was not real.

  “As it so happens, I have plans this evening,” Natalie said, hating how she had to lie.

  “You do?” Gloria stopped her slow shuffle and turned to face her daughter.

  “Uh, yes, I do. In fact, if it is all right with you, I’ll probably be gone until very late. I’ll contact Mrs. Mallow next door to keep an eye and ear out for you.” Natalie pushed up her glasses and hoped she sounded calm as she falsely spoke.

  Gloria, not missing a beat, said sarcastically, “So, these plans you have involve your comfy pajamas?”

  Looking down at her current attire, Natalie closed her eyes and quickly answered, “Oh, I just threw these on after my shower to have a cup of tea. I have my going out clothes laid out on my bed.” Even as the words left her mouth, she mentally rolled her eyes at the nonsense she was trying to sell.

  An hour later, Natalie was in her car driving toward her destination. She had never before been inside Cal’s Pub and Eatery, but being from such a small town, her options were limited as to a night hot spot. As she pulled into the parking lot, she noted the lack of spots. After driving around, she finally found one toward the back of the building in a rather dark corner. With her stomach full of butterflies already, the fact that she was parked within the shadows made her hair stand up on end that much more. She looked around outside before opening the door and stepping out. She turned and locked the driver’s door and made sure to drop her keys in her small handbag. Taking a deep breath and instructing her legs to move, she took five steps toward the large building and then came to a halt.

  What the hell am I doing? I’m absolutely 100% insane if I think I can propose such a thing. Wanting to just turn back around and dive for the safety of her car, it took everything Natalie possessed to keep her feet firmly on the ground. Out in the still warm autumn night, she could hear the thump of the music coming from inside the bar. Looking around to make sure no one was watching her, she took out the small compact mirror she tucked into her bag and looked at her reflection. She tried to put some eye shadow and mascara on to give her eyes some depth, but honestly, she wasn’t very good with it. Hoping her glasses would cover any smudges and her less than perfect makeup application, she moved her view down to her lips. She had applied a dark rose color to her small lips and they seemed to look even smaller than usual. Giving up on her face, she tucked the mirror back into her bag and looked down at her attire. She wore a cardigan set in a soft pink that had white flowers embroidered on the sleeves. Her legs were covered in pale pink cable knit tights, worn under her navy blue pleated skirt that fell below her knees. Her fairly battered navy blue clogs rounded out the ensemble. Perhaps she should have worn the heels she had from Sam’s wedding, but honestly, they were very uncomfortable and she needed all the comfort she could get right now. She knew these shoes didn’t speak ‘hot babe’ but, then again, her other option of tennis shoes didn’t exactly scream ‘come and get me’ either.

  She made her way up the front porch to where the main door was. She could see through the small window there that the bar was quite full. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Natalie opened the door and made her way in to find a willing partner who was not above lying or possessed strong personal ethics. As
she made her way over to an empty seat at the end of the bar, Natalie gracefully sat on her stool and began her motivational pep talk to herself. You are twenty-eight years old. You are a legal adult and you are proposing a business arrangement, with specific and clear outlined terms to another agreeable adult. No problem, piece of cake.

  The bartender came over and asked Natalie what she wanted to drink. After fulfilling the order of ginger ale and adding a few cherries to the beverage, he turned and went about filling other orders across the bar.

  Natalie’s eyes roamed over face after face. How do you tell who is an honest person opposed to a wolf in sheep’s clothing? She slowly sipped her soda as her gaze made a sweep from the left and she was suddenly snagged in a blue gaze. Embarrassed, she quickly looked down at the wood knot on the smooth bar in front of her. She slowly peeked up again to find the same kind stare waiting for her. This was it; this was what she came for, right? She gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile. She was rewarded with a wink and the man leaving his seat across from her, walking over, and taking the empty seat next to her.

  They sat in an awkward silence for a few moments, until the bartender came over and addressed the man.

  “Paul, there you are. Want another round?”

  “No, Jeff, I’m good thanks, unless the lady would like another?” The man named Paul asked with a soft voice.

  Both Paul and the bartender, Jeff, looked at Natalie, silently waiting for her answer. When she moved her head to indicate she was good, Jeff left them alone.

  “So, I haven’t seen you here before,” Paul plainly stated, as he continued to stare at her.

  “No, uh, no, this is my first time here,” Natalie responded, hoping her voice would not crack from her nerves. She was sure everyone within a fifteen-foot area could hear the butterflies’ wings banging against the walls of her stomach. To her they sounded more like a stampede of elephants than delicate butterflies.