by T. S. Hill
“Hell yes!”, Lori answered enthusiastically. It seems like I’ve spent the last week, either in that truck, or in hotel rooms. Don’t get me wrong! I love this room, suite, massive cavern, whatever it is! And the room service is awesome! But I need to just get out and walk some more, and breath!”
“We will definitely do some walking, and I think at least a meal out too. What do you say?” She had bounded out of the bed at, “Hell yes”, and began digging through clothes.
“I say you need to get off your ass and start getting ready. You’re not taking me to a restaurant dressed like that!”, she said pointing back at my wrinkled jeans.”
“Dig me something out, and I’ll shave.”, I told her, heading toward the bath room.
“Leave the beard! Just trim the edges!”, she called after me, then called out to me, “Hey! Cowboy!”
“Yeah?”, I said turning to look at her.
“I meant “please” with that. I wasn’t trying to tell you what to do with your beard. I just wanted you to know how much I like it. It really looks hot on you.”
“Does it turn you on?”, I asked.
”Ummhmm”, she moaned with her eye lids drooping.
“Then, I’ll think about leaving it.”, I quipped nonchalantly, turning back toward the bathroom. I didn’t feel that I had fooled her one bit. She probably knew that I would do almost anything that pleased her. Plus, the beard was good camo for me, like Lori’s blonde hair was for her, and Little Poss was for both of us. Her grand parents’ clothes were helping to. And when things closed in, her Grand Pa’s Colts would back us up. That thought about the Colt’s gave me an idea, that I would bring up to Lori a little later. I thought that my idea would please her.
After we were ready to leave the suite, I went through my usual paranoid hallway, and exit, sweep routine, and then, again before we entered the parking garage. Finally, out on the street in Little Poss, Lori asked me where we would be shopping. “I’ve got several things to do and some really odd shopping”, I explained to her. I need to buy at least three more throw away phones, a cheap digital camera, and visit a public library. I thought I was going to need a lap top computer also, but I think I can get everything I need to, done on a public PC, at a library.”
“That is an odd shopping list.”, Lori noted.
“That’s not all. There’s more that I need your help with. I think that these clothes of your grandparents have done a wonderful job of keeping us camouflaged, but we’re going to need a few more, so could you tell me where to go, and pick us out some more that fit the farmer-rancher look, that we’re trying to pull off?”
“Sure Cowboy! Where’re you planning on buying the phones and camera?”
“Real-Mart out on the circle. Remember that big circle, that I told you about, that goes all the way around Crockett?” She nodded her head that she did. “Well, it’s out there on the circle, on the east side of town.”
“That’ll work!”, she replied. “Tell you what else Cowboy, we can pick up some laundry detergent and such, and quarters, and take our dirty stuff to a laundromat, and get our dirty stuff clean and ready to wear again.”
“Lori, you know about that stuff? Laundry and all?”
“Sure Cowboy! I used to do mine and Mama’s all the time.”
“Lori, if it won’t hurt your feelings, I’d just as soon let the valet service at the hotel take care of that.”
“Cowboy! That shit would cost a fortune! No! I can do the laundry! I’ll show you what we need at Real-Mart. Just get a couple of rolls of quarters from the checkout, and after we get through shopping, we’ll find a Laundromat!”
“I don’t think so Lori. Those places look pretty shifty to me.
“C’mon Cowboy! I wouldn’t want to have to trust anybody else with my clothes. These are family heirlooms! Besides, it will be fun! We’ll do it together! Whatta yah say Cowboy? Please?”
Regretting it already, I agreed, “Just for you Lori, we’ll do it!”
“Oh goody!”, she giggled, clapping her hands.
Mystified, I asked Lori, “Why does the aspect of doing laundry make you so happy? It’s a chore!”
“It’s a domestic chore, Cowboy. And, we’ll be doing it together. When we do stuff together, I love it, no matter what it is. And.”, she continued, looking sheepish. “It’s a couple thing. When we do a couple thing together, it’s just nice, that’s all.”
I leaned over and kissed her on the top of her head. “If it makes you happy, it makes me happy!”, I pronounced.
“That’s what I mean!”, she said.
I felt like I somehow had missed something, but rather than push the point of laundry any further, I considered the matter settled, and moved on with my agenda, “I thought that we would get our Real-Mart shopping done first, and then catch lunch, afterwards we can locate a library. Then we can go back by the hotel and pick up what we may need for the library.”
“We can locate a laundry and get our clothes along with the library issues, can’t we?”, Lori asked.
“Sure, why not?”, commented.
“It beats the hell out of paying for that fucking expensive valet service, when I’m perfectly capable of handling this for us!”, she said almost angrily.
Okay. I got it then. While for me, this was about nothing but having clean clothes to wear, in other words, laundry; it was about a whole lot more to Lori, and us, as a couple. “Well sure!”, I answered. “I just thought the laundry would be a trip all in itself.”
“Nah, Cowboy, I told you, I got this. Piece of cake.”
“Well, okay then”, I responded with new enthusiasm. “Library and laundry look out! Here comes Cowboy and Lori!” Lori sat up straight in the seat, with her head held high, and I could detect the trace of a grin at the side of her lips.
As we had discussed we visited Real-Mart first, and everything there went as expected, except that Lori had never had her hands on a digital camera before. She was so fascinated with the devices, and their video capabilities, that instead of buying a cheap one, I sprang for a high-end model with a tripod, extra memory, and lens attachments. I could see where this having a girlfriend could get expensive, if you didn’t keep an eye on it, but I really didn’t mind.
Remembering our laundry discussion, when she brought up ammo, I just opted to pick up another six boxes of hollow points, rather than discuss it. At this point, we now had nine hundred and forty rounds. I swear the girl is already a bigger gun and ammo freak, than I ever will be.
On the way, back down the sidewalk in the Real-Mart anchored strip mall, we passed a lingerie shop that had initially caught Lori’s eye on our way in. Lori squeezed my hand and asked, “Hey Cowboy, you ever try a cock ring?”
“I can’t say that I have. I’ve read about them, seen them advertised. But, never tried one.”
“You’ve seen them in porn, haven’t you?”
“Well, yeah.”, I admitted reluctantly.
“C’mon, let’s get you one!”, she said pulling my arm with all her strength toward the lingerie shop door.
“Lori, that’s a ladies’ lingerie shop.”, I objected, slightly resisting.
“Cowboy, it’s named a lingerie shop, but look inside at the shelves and racks. It’s a sex shop! C’mon!”, she encouraged, now leaning, and pulling hard on my arm.
I went along with her, as much to not cause a bigger scene on the sidewalk, as to satisfy her. She marched right up to the counter in the middle of the store, where we encountered a really bizarre clerk. It, I think, it was a female. I wasn’t sure then, and I’m even less sure now. Munchkin in height, Goth looking makeup, multiple facial piercings, and short spiked multi-color hair were the most normal looking part of this person.”
“It had small breasts, which were barely concealed under a black, almost sheer, man’s tank top under shirt. Its nipples were both pierced, and the bars penetrated from the outside of the shirt, through the nipple, and back again to the outside of the shirt.
I’d
never seen that look before. I was actually surprised that no one else had thought of the idea before now, especially the Goth crowd. Below the wife beater shirt, was a pair of skin tight black leather pants, with tight fitting zip up ankles. In fact, there must have been fifteen zippers over the whole of the pants.”
“It wore florescent orange flip flops on its feet, which had black painted toenails. Ethnic-wise, I think it was Puerto Rican, but it spoke with an aristocratic British accent. Lori wasn’t fazed. She marched us right up to the counter.
“We’d like to see your cock ring selection.”, she announced.
“Certainly, my dear!”, the Goth, peacock, munchkin, replied. “Is there any particular type that you’re interested in?”
“Silicon. Red, if you’ve got it.”, she quipped back to the odd clerk.
From there the conversation went downhill, as the weird little munchkin produced and explained all of the various types of cock rings they had in stock. It had some of the more expensive, battery driven ones safely tucked away under the counter, as though they might escape, if allowed out on their own. It took them out for us to view, as though it were letting us in on some great, secret treasure.
In the end, Lori picked out a plain red silicon ring, and I was more than happy to pay for it, to get out of the store, and away from the increasingly creepy clerk. Just as I was peeling off the bills to make payment, the creepy little Puerto Rican Limy, asked Lori, “That’s a substantially large ring, you have picked out. Are you sure of the size?”
“Yes! He’s a substantially large man!”, Lori replied, grabbing my arm with both hands and pulling me to her.
“You can try it on in the back, if you’d like to be sure.”, the munchkin whined, looking me over hungrily. I quickly threw a twenty on the counter, and grabbed up the cock ring package.
“Keep the change!”, I told the munchkin, grabbing Lori by the arm, and seriously would have drug her out of the store if she hadn’t followed me. Before we even got through the store doors, Lori was laughing almost hysterically. When we were outside, I pulled her around to face me.
“That wasn’t funny Lori, it was damn creepy!”, I admonished her.
“No!”, she said still laughing, “It was fucking creepy!” Then she laughed even harder. “Get it!”, she said. “Fucking creepy?”
I started giggling. Then laughing along with Lori, I replied, “Yeah, fucking creepy alright!” We were both standing there, in front of the store, laughing, when the store door opened and the little creepy person stuck its head out.
“You people suck!”, it whined with anger in its voice.
Lori managed to control her laughter long enough to blurt back at it, “Yeah we do suck! Each other!” Then she busted out laughing hysterically again. At this point I was laughing at her laughing.
The munchkin started back into the store, and then turned back and said, “Oh! Thanks for the nice tip!”
Lori was laughing so hysterically at that point, that I had to grasp her by both shoulders, and help her down the sidewalk. Eventually we made it back to the truck and she began to calm down.
Lori, I’m a little worried about you. That wasn’t all that funny back there.
“No, she said, it was fucking creepy!”, and started giggling again.
I waited until her giggles had subsided, and began again, “Lori, I’m concerned that you are experiencing delayed hysteria from our experience in Waco. This uncontrollable laughter at something that’s mildly funny is a pretty good indicator.
“No shit?”, she asked, and started giggling again.
“No shit, Lori. Look, I’ve seen this before, and it’s okay. It’s just pent up, unexpressed, emotions, usually from a release of anxiety. It’s not that uncommon in my line of work. You’ll be okay.”, I assured her.
“It’s a brain orgasm Cowboy!”, she yelled at me suddenly. “A fucking brain orgasm! And, I deserve to have one! Because that fucker in the diner holding that gun to my head, and that little fat fucker in the elevator of the hotel in Waco, fucking shooting at us, scared the living shit out of me!” She was now screaming at me at the very top of her lungs. “I was so scared!”, she said, as her voice broke, subsided, and then failed in a gasp as she began sobbing. Tears began flowing down her face, onto the front of her dress.
“I deserve a brain orgasm, Cowboy.”, she sobbed. “I deserve it.”
I took her in my arms and held her close while she alternately sobbed, and cried, for the next twenty minutes. “You have all the brain orgasm you want to Sweetheart.”, I told her. “Just let it all out.”
In due course, she was herself again, and apologizing, which I, of course, wouldn’t hear of. There was no need to apologize for holding it all together, through what we had been through, and then releasing it later. If anything, I admired her stamina.
Whether you were male or female, seen combat before or not. Those kinds of situations take their toll. The toll just gets manifested, in different ways, in different people. A laughing spell, and a crying spell were not the worst ways that the stress could work its way out. I had seen worse, and done worse. And expect to see it again.
After the crying incident, Lori decided that she was a mess. She wasn’t of course, but under the circumstances, I deferred to her wishes, and we returned to the Hotel and decided to order in for the evening. We chose a nice shrimp and veggie dish with our customary bottled water, and it was in keeping with the fine quality of the hotel.
Later, I accused Lori of just wanting to stay in and try out the new cock ring. She denied it, but didn’t see any reason that since we were staying in anyway, that we shouldn’t try it out. I wasn’t impressed with the cock ring, but Lori seemed fascinated to give it a spin. I let her have the fun of putting it on, and in the end, we both had nice orgasms in the center of the big king-sized bed.
Soon after, Lori was sleeping soundly, and I called the front desk, booking the room for an additional two nights.
When I would finally unleash on Milinni, I wanted to be well prepared, and have a running start, so I sat up through the middle of the night, thinking about everything that I knew about Milinni, how he thought, how he reacted to different scenarios, what his values were, what pushed his buttons, what he cherished most, and what he feared most. I sipped away at the two mini bottles of scotch, that were in the suites mini bar, then cracked open the half-sized bottle of champagne, that housekeeping had replaced, and sipped away about half of that.
By the time I joined Lori under the covers, I knew where I was going to start with tormenting Sam Milinni, and how far I planned to take it. With a good woman like Lori now by my side, and the means to clear myself, I was finally beginning to feel back on top of my game. I felt energized, optimistic, and determined. But, like Lori, I still wasn’t sure where it would end with Milinni.
Chapter Sixteen
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda
We prepare for our day, and then strike forth with all confidence, as though we have a clue as to what is about to happen.
I must have been energized and Lori must have been near burn out, because I awoke a good hour before she did, and had already, trimmed my budding beard, showered, and dressed, before she even stirred. I had ordered coffee and decided to wait for Lori about breakfast.
I was standing beside the bed mentally reviewing my plans for the day, when I heard her voice whimper, “Cowboy, did you not come to bed?”
“Yes, Sweetheart, I slept right there beside you.”, I answered. “You must have slept very hard if you didn’t notice me there with you.”
“Yeah, I did.”, she groaned. “What time is it?”
“Eight twenty-three.”, I replied. “Good morning, by the way.”
“Good morning Cowboy.”, she drawled, flopping both of her hands up beside her head.
“My you look beautiful in the mornings! And sexy too!”, I told her, bending down to kiss her gently on the lips.
There was a light knocking at the door. “That’ll be the c
offee.”, I told Lori.
“Let me get to the bathroom.”, she whispered.
As soon as room service had left, I poured Lori a cup of coffee and took it into the bathroom to her. When I told her that I was leaving it on the counter top for her, she asked me to wait, and then pulled back the shower curtain. “Let me sneak a sip”, she said, holding her hand out.
I handed her the cup, and as usual, took the opportunity to study her body as she leaned her head forward from the steaming shower sipping the hot coffee. Her breasts swayed forward seductively. I never grow tired of watching this woman and her body. “Thanks Cowboy!”, she cooed, handing the cup back to me.
“I’ll leave the cup right here.”, I told her, as I watched her body disappear behind the shower curtain.
“Thanks sugar lips!”, She called out. I chuckled. This was the first time that she had called me any term of endearment other than Cowboy.
While Lori dressed, I packed up our dirty laundry, detergent, and my file box of documents, along with the new digi-cam. Once again, after executing my routine paranoid exit of the hotel, without incident, we found ourselves cruising through Crockett. “Where are we off to Cowboy?”, Lori asked.
“I thought first breakfast, then the library, then depending on the time, we could either get lunch or head to a laundromat. Where would you like to eat breakfast?”
“Anywhere but Wasserman’s or a twenty-four hour diner.”, she replied, and then added, “Could we please find something comfortably in between those.
“There’s only one Wasserman’s, and that one‘s in Oklahoma City.”, I told her. “I don’t know restaurants in Crockett at all. I’ve only been through here once before, several years back, and truthfully, I’m not sure if I even stopped to eat here. Why don’t you look in the GPS and see what you can find?” In a few minutes, she had found something about six blocks from where we were, and we headed that way.
When we arrived, we found that although it was curbside parking only, the breakfast crowd had thinned, and there were plenty of spaces along the store front. It was café style seating with tables only. No booths and no counter. Of course, we made our way to the back of the restaurant, with our backs toward the wall and a view of the entrance. Just before we sat down, I asked Lori, “Does this suit you okay, Sweetheart?”