“Maybe Carol Ann could get you on at the hospital there.”
“What I’d really love to do is get hired in the kitchen at an upscale restaurant and work my way up as a chef.”
“Daddy’s on the country club board of directors.”
“There you go relying on Paul again.”
“That’s called networking, not using my daddy.”
“You don’t know how bad I want to tell that woman to take that job and shove it up her fat ass.”
“Do it!”
“Lizzie, you are too much.”
“Seriously Elena, don’t be scared. We’ll have so much fun and… Mr. Yummy Pants lives right around the corner at The Lakes.”
“Don’t go dangling that carrot in front of me. Although that sure is one tasty piece of meat.”
“So, you’ll do it?”
“Let me sleep on it.”
“The decision or Yummy?”
“How about both?”
Chapter 29
“Wake up. Wake up. The sun is up. The dew is on the buttercup.” Odessa’s voice came crashing into Billy’s dream of making love to Lizzie.
He opened his eyes to the reality that he was no longer in that garage apartment. Odessa hovered over him wielding what looked to be a switchblade with a gleaming silver straight edge.
“Whoa!” he jerked away from her. “Watch it with that knife.”
“Relax,” she said, covering his face with a warm washrag. “I’m not going to cut you.”
She pulled the towel off, leaving him squinting from the morning sunlight flooding in through an open window.
“I only wanted to shave that handsome face in honor of your departure. I miss those adorable dimples of yours.”
What could Billy do but sit back and let her have at his face. Lucky for him, she knew what she was doing with that blade. She cleaned him up smooth as a baby’s bottom without so much as a nick.
“Don’t I get any for the road?”
“I’m afraid not, I’ve already performed my purification ritual to prepare my body for my beloved.”
“Some guys have all the luck.”
“Now don’t you dare even consider loving me with anything other than your magnificent penis.”
“No worries there. My heart belongs to Lizzie” Even if she was his baby sister.
“As well it should.”
It was a lot easier to carry on a conversation with Odessa when she was fully clothed in a long flowing dress that covered her legs all the way down to her ankles. She was still a beauty, just nothing like the naked angel Billy had been keeping company with these past few days.
“Would you know where I might get a deal on a used car?” He asked, in his first attempt to try to get his head screwed back on straight.
“There’s always Strickland’s, if you don’t lose your lunch over Paul grinning down at you from their gigantic billboard.”
“Yeah, they are one of the show’s big sponsors.”
“My sister has been seeing this guy who has a garage and he usually has some used cars to sell on the side.”
“That sounds more like my price range.”
“I’ll have Olivia give him a buzz while you get ready.”
Much to his surprise, the shower door had already been replaced. If it hadn’t been for his scratched up hand, Billy might have believed he had never punched a fist through that glass. If that wasn’t bad enough, the man on the other side of the mirror looked like he’d been dragged down ten miles of bad road nose first. He had purple bags under his eyes, a more swollen than ever nose, and there was a trail of bruises running down the side of his neck. The first hickey he had since junior high. Not that it mattered who sucked on his neck anymore.
“So this is what it looks and feels like to have your brains completed fucked out.” He said to the pitiful looking man in the mirror, splashing cold water onto his face to try and make some sense of it all.
This time he made it out of the shower without any more anger management issues. How he wanted for this all to be a bad dream. He even pinched his leg, hoping to wake up holding Lizzie in his arms. All it got him was another bruise. Billy was still on his own and from the looks of things, in need of a haircut.
“Hey, Odessa,” he said, walking the kitchen. “You know where I can get a haircut?”
The woman sitting at the table wasn’t Odessa.
“Sorry, I didn’t know she had company.” Billy instinctively tightened the towel around his waist.
“I’m Olivia and I live here too.”
He really must be losing it to just now be noticing that someone else had been here all along.
“Nice to finally meet you, Billy.”
“I never would have guessed you were Odessa’s sister if I’d met you on the street.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot. I’m well aware of her being the beautiful one.”
It wasn’t that Olivia was homely. It was more like in comparison to Odessa, she was completely forgettable - mousy brown hair pulled back in a tight knot that made her face look harsh against her sallow skin and the good thirty or so pounds she had on her sister.
She offered Billy a cup of coffee so he sat down to join her. The high-octane caffeine and good eats put a quick end to his modesty.
“Dess can cut your hair.”
“Are you going to be working heel or baby?” Odessa caught him off guard by running her fingers through his damp hair.
“Can’t say as I know,” Billy said. “Whatever Mr. George wants from me.”
“Don’t cut it until you find out. Letting your hair grow would be a good heel look for you. Take the edge off your prettiness.”
She pursued her lips like she was doing some serious thinking. “I shouldn’t have been so selfish about wanting another glimpse of those dimples. You would make such a hot bad boy with longer hair and a bit of stubble. I think you’re ready for your first run as a heel.”
“Sounds like you’ve been talking shop with Will.”
“Sometimes he does like to vent to me after his matches.” She patted his shoulder and said, “You had better go put some pants on before I find myself wanting you back in my bed.”
“Geez Dess, haven’t you had enough quality time with our guest?”
“Billy knows I’m insatiable.”
“There’s no time for that if you want to run over to Ivan’s before I go to work.”
***
“Well, I’ll be damned.”
There was a black Riviera with a for sale sign sitting in the corner of the lot beside Ivan’s garage. It looked just like the car Lizzie had wrecked. Billy walked around to the trunk and saw the Texas plates. His license plates. It was his car, looking just like he’d left her except for a ding on the back bumper.
“Ain’t she a real beauty?” Ivan said, trying to buddy Billy up with a smack across his back. “I can make you a deal on it, since all I’ve got in it is some bodywork and paint.”
“I’ll gladly pay you for the repairs, but I’m calling the law if you try to sell me my own car.” Billy pulled out his driver’s license. “Check that against the registration papers in the glove box.”
“I ain’t trying to pull a slick on you. I had no idea.” He came out of his office to hand Billy back his license. “The guy who brought it in just handed it over when the insurance guy cut him a fat check for the repairs.”
“Paul Bryson?”
He nodded. “I believe that was his name. Hang on and I’ll figure out the repair costs and get you the keys.”
“No problem.”
“Oh, there’s a problem alright.”
Billy turned around and found himself face to face with Elena and she sure didn’t look happy to see him.
“Just where do you got off on leaving Lizzie like that? Do you have any idea of what kind of hell you put her through?”
“It’s not what you think,” he said, backing up to put some distance between them since she looked mad enough to slap the
taste right out of his mouth.
“You have no idea what I’m thinking.” She jabbed a finger into his chest. “I actually defended your sorry ass while you were off screwing around with that whore.”
If looks could kill, Billy and Odessa would both be on life support.
“Look Elena, there’s a very good reason why I had to get away from Lizzie.”
“Okay, start explaining.”
Odessa snaked an arm around his waist and snuggled up to Billy the way he’d see her do when she got all possessive about William. Then to make matters worse, she struck him silent with a big wet kiss.
“He doesn’t owe you any explanations or apologies,” Odessa said after finally prying her tongue out of his throat.
“You had better believe you’re going to owe William one. I’m going to have Lizzie call him as soon as I get back home.”
“The hell you will.”
Billy had to grab hold of Odessa’s arm to keep her from going after Elena.
“What in the world is going on out here?” Ivan returned in just the nick of time. “Elena, I’ll check your car as soon as I finish with my customer. If you’ll come with me Mr. Dalton, we’ll get this all straightened out.”
Billy gladly followed him back in the building, making sure to take hold of Odessa’s arm to drag her along.
“I take it you know my cousin?” He chuckled as he showed Billy the damage.
“Yeah, she’s best friends with my…” Billy felt the word catch in his throat, “ex.”
He took out the envelope Paul had given him and flipped through the stack of bills. More than enough to cover getting his car back, too much actually. It felt like blood money, a bribe to leave Lizzie alone.
Ivan took the money, leaving him alone with Odessa.
“Please don’t start anything with Elena,” Billy pleaded. “You shouldn’t have kissed me like that. I don’t want you having heat with William.”
“I can handle Will.” She took his hand. “What we did was the most humane way to put Lizzie out of her misery. It’s better to sever things quickly so she can move on to a better place in her life.”
As right as she was, Billy didn’t want to accept it.
“Please just go on to the car so I can have a minute alone to try to explain things to Elena.”
“As you wish.”
Billy handed her the keys and stood for a minute just watching her strut away. There was no putting it off, he took a deep breath and went on out to face Elena.
She just glared at him, arms folded over her breasts, blocking out any view of her usually spectacular cleavage.
“Elena-”
“You broke Lizzie’s heart.”
“Mine’s hurting too.”
“Then why did you do it?”
“Ask Paul.”
“I’m asking you.”
Billy just couldn’t do it. He couldn’t get into this with Elena, not here and not now. All he could say was, “Just look out for Lizzie for me.”
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay the hell away from her.”
“Don’t worry about it, I’m already gone.”
***
“That was very brave of you.” Odessa said, snuggling up beside Billy as soon as he got in the car.
If that was the case, why did he feel like the world’s biggest coward? Instead of facing Lizzie, he was running away cowering with his tail between his legs.
“Image how shattered Lizzie would be to learn that she conceived a child with her own brother.”
Everything after that went in one ear and out the other. Lizzie was the only thing he couldn’t get out of his head. If he had known where Elena lived, he might have been tempted to go on over there and tell her the truth. At least he used that as his excuse not to have to see her one last time.
“Just drop me off at the departure entrance,” Odessa said as they pulled into the airport to drop her off to go meet William.
He pulled up to the curb and cut the engine. “I sure do appreciate you looking after me these last few days.”
“The pleasure was all mine.” She leaned over to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. No tongue slippage this time.
“I would have you tell William hello for me, but-”
“Don’t worry. He won’t be angry with you.” She reached into her purse and handed him something wrapped in a purple silk cloth. “I made you something for the next phase of your journey.”
He unwrapped the material to reveal a bluish purple candle.
“Light the candle on lonely nights and it will soothe your troubled soul.”
“Could you send Lizzie one of these candles?” He asked, “I’ll be glad to pay you for it.”
“Certainly, I’ll get her address from Will.”
She leaned in for another kiss and this time it was the Odessa he shared a bed with.
“May the Goddess watch over and protect you.”
Chapter 30
Minnesota turned out to be a lot further than Billy thought. He had been behind the wheel of the Riviera so long that his butt had gone numb and the scenery was still whipping past his eyes. Nine states and a day later, he finally pulled up behind the building a good two hours before bell time.
He saw a big burly bear of a man lugging in one of the ring posts. Knowing how hard a job that was, Billy heaved the other post over his shoulder and carried it out to where they were setting up the ring.
“You the new guy?”
Billy positioned the post catty corner to where the other man had lined up the first one and went over to shake hands. “Yep, I’m Billy Dalton.”
“Please to meet ya.” He wiped his hand on his jeans before taking Billy’s. “I’m Vlad. Vladimer Kafalnikov. Ring crew, rookie jobber to the stars and the guy you’re working with tonight.”
“That’s one hell of a name. Is it a shoot or your gimmick?”
“I’m a real live Russian, or at least my parents came over straight from Moscow. I grew up in North Carolina.”
So that explained his heavy on the Southern and nowhere on the foreign accent.
“I just came off a run for Crockett,” Billy said, following him back towards the truck to grab the last two ring posts.
“That’s where I hope to work someday. I grew up going to shows at Dorton Arena and my big sister is still a regular.”
“What’s her name?”
“Elena.”
“For real?” Hearing that name caused Billy to drop the ring post down with a thud. “Cute brunette with a knock out body?”
“I reckon that would be her.” Vlad laughed. “Ain’t too many Elena’s chasing around ‘rasslers down there.”
Billy wasn’t about to tell Vlad how well he really knew his sister, especially since the man looked big and tough enough to whip some ass if he took a notion to do so.
They had the ring put up and were tightening the ropes when Vic George walked in like he owned the place. Actually he did, since he was the booker and head honcho and from all accounts, an incredible wrestler in his own right.
“Howdy, Mr. George,” Vlad called out to him. “This here’s the new kid you were expecting, Billy Dalton.”
He smiled and nodded approvingly. “Welcome aboard.”
“Hello, Mr. George.” Billy jumped off the side of the ring to shake his hand. “Thanks for giving me a chance to come work for you.”
“I’ve heard good things about you from both William Fletcher and Paul Bryson.” He took Billy’s hand with an iron grip. “With references like that, I’d be a fool not to bring you in.”
“I’ll do my best not to let you down.”
“I already like your attitude. You guys go on and get dressed. Billy, you can call the match in the ring and I’ll watch and see what all you can do.”
Billy’s first match in a territory known for technical mat wrestling and here he was a brawler who got by on his size and good looks. Just thinking about having to call his very first match with a guy
he’d never seen work before put a big knot in Billy’s gut, at least until he stepped through the ropes for the first time.
Vlad and Billy clicked from the moment they first locked up. Luckily, Vlad grew up watching the style Billy knew how to work, so they left the fancy mat work to the rest of the crew and threw down with a Carolina style brawl. For a big guy Vlad bumped like a ragdoll and was so light Billy hardly felt his blows.
Billy had the crowd behind him almost from the get go since Vlad already had a rep as a bay guy. They worked just the kind of match Billy liked to have. They both looked good and no one got hurt. Since he didn’t have anywhere else to be, Billy stayed around after the show to help his new buddy tear down the ring.
“You got a place to stay tonight?” Vlad asked as they finished loading up the ring truck.
“Nope, I’m completely lost. I guess I’ll just head on towards Minneapolis and find a cheap motel close to the main road.
“It’s ain’t much, but you’re welcome to crash at my place until you get situated.”
“I ain’t picky.”
“I owe you a beer for helping me with the ring and getting a good match out of me.”
“Heck, I should be buying you a drink for offering to take me in.”
“How about we split a pitcher and call it even?”
“You got yourself a deal.”
Billy wound up following Vlad on in past the suburbs, through a maze of downtown streets that went from classy to downright mean in no time at all. He pulled the ring truck into an alleyway past what looked like a dive bar with a neon sign flashing ‘Kat’s – TOPLESS – Girls! Girls! Girls!'”
Instead of going in for that beer, Vlad led Billy up the back fire escape and undid a padlock on the door.
“I don’t think Elena wouldn’t approve of me living over a tittie bar, but I kinda like it.” He fished around for a string to pull on a light bulb dangling from the ceiling in the middle of the room. “The rent is cheap and Kat never makes me pay a cover since I keep an eye on her girls to make sure the customers treat them okay.”
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