by Gene Epstein
“Thank you so much, and please thank the assistant DA for me for providing her personal number.”
He then placed a call to her car phone. It rang and rang and eventually went to what he thought was an answering machine but he simply got disconnected.
Being frustrated was nothing unusual for a detective. Actually, it was quite the norm. Simpson then had a temporary reprieve when a detective in Chester County called him with the whereabouts of Rico Rodriguez. Rodriguez was now supposedly living in Trenton, New Jersey, and Simpson was provided the address but no phone number. Now Simpson would have to figure out when he could break away to drive to Trenton, which was a good hour away, without knowing if Rodriguez would even be there.
Chapter 16
Amanda acquiesced and gladly took the first hit of the joint. She confessed to Robert that this packet of a rolled joints was in her freezer for well over a year. A friend of hers had encouraged her to take a couple hits when she needed to relax after a tough day at the office; however, she never did.
It just sat there next to low sugar ice cream and a package of frozen peas, waiting for the proper time
“I hope this didn't lose its potency,” she told Robert as she inhaled for the second time and handed the joint to him for his pleasure.
“Just being here with you Mandy, away from everything else, is a hell of a high to start with. Whatever potency remains is just a plus."
In his right hand he held the joint that Mandy had just passed to him and in his left hand was the flute of chilled champagne. He inhaled once and coughed a few times almost choking and laughing at the same time, then to soothe his throat he took another sip of the chilled champagne. Robert inhaled deeply and held it for a count of ten and exhaled looking at Mandy and smiling, like some silly teenager overwhelmed being on his first date.
They both became very quiet. Robert removed his shoes, then lay back and placed his feet on the cocktail table in front of the overstuffed Victorian sofa, which was like a cocoon surrounding both of them. It seemed like an eternity before either one of them spoke a word although it was only one minute or so. The kindling wood worked its wonders and ignited the split oak logs giving off a gorgeous view of all imaginable colors flashing in front of them; as the fire grew in its intensity, the flames of love and passion grew proportionately between them.
“I can't remember if I ever felt the way that I feel now. Being here with you cuddled up in my arms I will treasure the rest of my life. Mandy…Mandy, I think I'm in love. Not infatuation, but real love.”
“It must be the pot,” she smiled hoping that he would disagree. “Bobby, it is you. You are what I have missed out on in my life .”
While both of them were still holding a flute of champagne in one hand they managed to embrace on the sofa. Robert drank the last ounce while holding Mandy tightly to him and put his glass down still embracing her. Reaching forward he offered to take Mandy’s and place it next to his.
With the champagne bottle and two empty flutes sitting on the cocktail table, Robert slid off the sofa onto the floor, encouraging her to do the same. Mandy gladly got on the floor next to Robert while she pointed to the fireplace.
“Great idea Mandy, let's lie next to the fireplace,” Robert agreed.
With both of them laying on the floor together, each with one arm around the other’s back watching the mesmerizing dance of the flames from the oak logs, Robert was surprised when Mandy rolled him onto his back and unbuttoned his shirt. Her kisses went down his neck and back around each of his ears sending vibrations through his body. He then rolled Mandy onto her back and unbuttoned her blouse following suit. His kisses from the nape of her neck to her breasts and circled around each areola sending Mandy's body into tremors. All of a sudden there was a knock on the door. They looked at each other somewhat petrified and buttoned up quickly. Robert got up and shouted in a loud voice, “I'll be right there,” wondering who it could be.
Robert removed the safety chain then slowly opened the door to find a man in his 70s wearing a burgundy velvet smoking jacket with black lapels holding smoking a pipe.
“I’m so sorry to bother you; I'm on the wrong floor,” he apologized and left.
Both Robert and Mandy looked at each other then started to laugh. Robert did not realize that he never placed the ‘do not disturb’ sign on the outside of their room. Neither of them knew what to say to each other. Was the mood lost?
“How about if we take a shower and head downstairs?” Mandy questioned. “I think they serve dinner late.”
“Might as well,” Robert responded. “You first?”
“Not at all. Let's do it together.” Mandy smiled.
The bathroom was is a typical Victorian layout with a large white porcelain tub and many chrome-plated plumbing fixtures on the wall, making the tub useful as a full shower. It had a draped silky white sliding curtain hung above from a semi-circle chrome plated rail to prevent water from the shower splashing onto the black and white one and a half inch alternating octagonal floor tiles. Opposite the tub was a white porcelain toilet that had a chrome plated pipe running up the wall to a container several feet above which held the water for flushing. The toilet seat was dark oak stained wood.
Instead of turning on the shower, Mandy let the tub fill up. “Just wait,” she said as the tub reached halfway Mandy lifted one leg carefully holding onto the side of the tub while she brought her other leg in and sat down.
“How about washing my back, Bobby?”
Without hesitation, Robert looked down at her gorgeous body and her breasts halfway submerged and reached for the soap and sponge to wash her back. She looked up at him and was glad to see that he had an erection. Moments later, he carefully got into the tub facing Mandy.
They were both in a world of their own. She was away from the mayhem that she faced minute by minute working in the district attorney’s office, being there to answer questions and ask questions constantly. He was removed from the trauma of the woman that he cared about and took care of having been murdered, leaving him with no direction for life.
Robert carefully sponged every part of Amanda's body, making certain to emphasize her erogenous zones. As the sensations built up in her body she took the sponge from Robert and started to wash his body, in particular his erection. Chills ran up and down his spine. He could not remember ever having such feelings of desire nor being with someone that he totally loved. As she was going to engulf Robert’s erection he pulled her away and kissed her instead. A kiss that seemed to go on forever… after that, he turned the shower on and they both rinsed each other off with the flexible corded shower hose.
While both had passionate sexual desires, they realized that the dining room would be closing within a half hour and they both were starved.
“I could go on all night but I think we should both grab something to eat. I can smell aromas of sizzling steaks. Does that work for you?” Robert cautiously asked.
“Bobby, we have just started. A good meal it's hard to turn down. Just keep that erection for when we come back,” she coyly responded.
Robert reached up for the chrome heated towel rack and removed two very large bath towels wrapping one around Amanda and the other around himself. They dried each other thoroughly even rubbing each other's genitals more than was necessary. Moments later they were dressed and heading downstairs for dinner.
“A table for two,” Robert instructed the maître d'. He seated them at a window overlooking the wondrous lake below while handing both of them dinner menus and the wine list.
While Amanda's eyes were perusing the menu, Robert was looking at the food plates on surrounding tables wondering what looked the best to eat. He did not however ask anyone if they enjoyed what they were eating, even though he was tempted to do so. He did not want to embarrass Amanda. Then he asked her what she was in the mood to eat.
“I was tempted when we were in the room but I don't see your erection on the menu,” she joked.
“I'm
all in for the New York sirloin strip, Pittsburgh rare. And you?” Robert said.
“I think I'll have the pan-seared trout almandine stuffed with scallops and shrimp.“
The attentive waiter came moments later and confirmed that they made wonderful choices and suggested a 1974 Hanzell Pinot Noir paired with his sirloin strip and a Chablis for her trout. Robert looked at Amanda with a shrug.
“The Pinot Noir sounds excellent and that should still go well with my trout,” Amanda said. The waiter did not argue.
Hors d'oeuvres were sent to them, compliments of an unknown admirer, which seemed strange because no one knew they were even coming nor did they even know until hours before. That certainly did not stop them from consuming them while enjoying the Pinot Noir. They were like kids on their first date enamored being in a company of someone special.
After thoroughly enjoying the house special soup of wild mushroom bisque sprinkled with crushed cashews, their entrées were served. Robert’s steak came out on a skillet still sizzling and done to perfection. Amanda's trout also came out on a hot skillet and was placed on her plate exactly as described, surrounded by hand-whipped mashed potatoes and freshly picked buttered baby peas. After finishing their entrées, both being filled to capacity, they turned down the gorgeous dessert tray, opting for plain black coffee. Robert surprisingly suggested taking their coffees with them to the outside porch.
“Robert, you shock me. You wanted to leave when you saw people sitting in those rocking chairs on the porch and that's where you would like to go and have our coffee.”
“It looks relaxing. Sometimes things aren't what they just appear to be,” he said as they brought their coffees out to the porch.
The early spring evening chill was apparent and both of them felt it. Moments after they sat in the rockers, a maid brought them warmed blankets so they could enjoy the outside while being comfortable. Moments later, Robert stopped rocking as his eyes closed and he dozed off. Mandy was so relaxed she didn’t realize that almost that two hours had passed when the maid brought both of them replacement heated blankets.
“Thank you, but no. It's not necessary. We're going to head back to our rooms.” Amanda reached over to give Robert a gentle tug when he said, “ I’m up. I must have just closed my eyes for a moment.”
They both returned to their bedroom and fell asleep.
***
The following morning at 6:30 a.m. Amanda was in the bathroom brushing her teeth while Robert remained sleeping. The sounds of water running from the sink and one of the water pipes that had air in the line causing it to rattle awakened Robert. He looked to his right and Amanda was not in bed when he realized the sounds that he heard were not coming from an adjacent room but the bathroom. He walked in while she was brushing her hair and coming up behind her, gently lifted his Tee shirt that she was wearing and embraced her with both his hands meeting on her moist pelvic triangle, instantly giving him an erection. She felt it pushing against her buttocks and reached around with one hand grabbing it, sending Robert’s nervous system to new heights.
Letting go, she never turned around when Robert gently pulled down her black and white checked panties exposing her buttocks but leaving them on. It turned him on looking at her gorgeous backside and he took some harmless baby bites on both cheeks, not to hurt her but to send chills down her spine. It worked for both of them. They returned to the bed and after nearly one hour of foreplay and sex with multiple orgasms Amanda suggested they go for breakfast downstairs .
“We both just had plenty to eat of non-caloric value over this last hour. I think it's time to consume some calories. The smell of bacon is making me hungry.” Amanda conveyed her sense of humor.
They washed up quickly and dressed in jeans, planning to go horseback riding after a walk to the top of the mountain.
Downstairs in the main dining room, the air was filled with the scent of bacon enough to make anyone hungry.
They were seated at the same table as the previous evening and a young waiter presented them with menus, followed by a busboy bringing them carafes of regular and decaffeinated hot coffee.
“Does the Chef have anything special that he recommends for breakfast?” asked Amanda
“Our chef recommends his favorite omelet of Norway kippers with onions, diced green peppers, and scrambled eggs.”
Robert asked, “Can't he make the eggs very runny and not folded like an omelet?”
“Of course. The chef is very accommodating. And you Mrs. Snyder?”
She didn’t correct the waiter or tell him that she is Mrs. Amanda Dillington, thinking that people will believe that she's cheating and did not want to go into any explanation.
“I’ll start off with oatmeal and maple syrup then an order of the Canadian bacon with sunny side up eggs. Oh, I almost forgot, your fresh orange juice first and toasted whole wheat bread with my eggs.”
“You will both enjoy your breakfast here this morning, I assure you. Anything that you may think of, please let me know and it will be taken care of for you.” The waiter removed both menus from the table as he backed up bowing his head and headed to the kitchen with their orders.
“I'm glad I didn't take my beeper so that we are not bothered even though I do feel a tad guilty not calling into the office or to my apartment to retrieve messages.”
***
Thirty minutes later they were both satisfied in every sense of the word from their morning experiences both in the bedroom and in the dining room. Feeling totally refreshed they decided to go to the stable, which was a quick walk away, to check out the horses. Amanda in her youth was an avid hunter and jumper enthusiast taking lessons weekly at a horse farm in Huntington Valley. At one point she even started driving horses that pulled antique horse-drawn carriages. Robert had only experienced an occasional trail ride on a rental hack horse from a stable on Dumont Avenue in the Roxborough section with trails that meandered through the woods of Wissahickon Park.
Tony, the stable manager, was impressed with Amanda's equestrian background since most visitors knew nothing about horses. He told her that on occasion, the Carriage Association of America and the American Driving Society held events here that brought people from as far west as California to the north of Canada for annual weekends. He explained how horse trailers pulled up with magnificent well-groomed and highly trained driving horses that pulled antique horse-drawn vehicles and had competitive events on the property. Providing that she signed a waiver of liability, he had at her disposal, an antique carriage that could be pulled by either one or two horses.
“Robert, would you want to try this? I know you never have before, but I can handle either a single or a pair if that's okay with Tony.”
“Sure. Let's do it if you're comfortable. I'm only going to be a passenger.”
Tony nodded. “I have a good pair for you that know every trail, so you'll never get lost.”
“Do you have a good single horse?” asked Amanda
“I certainly do. He is an American Saddlebred named Stonewall Commander. Let me show him to you. “ Tony cordially replied.
Then Tony brought out from one of their larger box stalls a handsome horse with a coat that shined like a copper penny with a flaxen colored mane and tail. He had an almost perfect white blaze that ran down the center of his head and into his nose. All four of his feet had white socks that rose about ten inches above his hooves making him a gorgeous specimen.
“I just call him Commander. He’s the best of the best.”
“Do you need any help getting him hitched up?” Amanda asked.
“Not at all, ma’am. If you come back in 20 minutes, Commander will be groomed and hitched for you both.”
Amanda was very excited to be driving a horse once again and was confident in her ability. She suggested to Robert that they go back to the dining room and order a box picnic lunch for their trail drive with Commander.
When they returned to the restaurant Robert was very surprised to see that they actu
ally had a menu for Boxed Picnic Lunches. He chose the egg salad sandwich with chopped olives on a hard Italian roll. Amanda chose the deli combination sandwich. In addition, they each ordered one apple and a bottled beverage. The package was placed in a gingham cardboard holder. Robert then looking at Amanda, ordered a split bottle of Zinfandel, which included a complimentary Mohonk Mountain House corkscrew and two wine glasses to be returned. At the same time, a man in his 50s was returning a small English wicker picnic tea set from the Victorian period and thanking the dining room employee for the use of it.
“Would you care to use this for this afternoon?” The employee asked of Amanda.
“Take your pick of the various tea selections and crumpets.” He opened up a mahogany box filled with numerous choices of imported English teas.
“Thank you so much.” She picked out a couple of packets of Earl Grey tea.
They then went to the stable.
“Your carriage awaits,” Tony graciously stated. “This is Commander. He understands everything that you ask of him.”
Tony stood in front of the horse holding him by the bridle as Amanda stepped up and into the carriage. She held the reins with her left hand then instructed Robert to place his right foot on the step plate and his left foot on the floor of the carriage and sit down to her left. She was given the map of the entire mountain trails leading to Skytop, which was the pinnacle of the mountain.
“Here we go. Nice and easy Commander. I have not driven horses for ten years or more, so let's go easy." She spoke to the horse as he walked slowly leaving the barn and heading towards the first trail.
At first, Robert was not sure how capable Amanda might be after many years since she last drove a horse and carriage but within a quarter of a mile, he was sure of her competency. The gingham lunchbox and the English tea set were placed behind the front seat on the floor of the carriage. Also, there was a plaid picnic blanket rolled up secured by two leather straps behind the seat.