Otter Under Fire

by Dakota Rose Royce

  “Sure,” the blond said easily, “I know how it can be.”

  “And at work, there’s this woman there—most of the time I can work with her and I forget that she’s female and then she does or says something that reminds me and it just pisses me off. Then I can’t stand it; I have to say something to piss her off because she thinks she can do what she wants.”

  “That’s a pain in the ass,” the blond smiled. “But you look like you could handle her.”

  “You know it sister.” Yeah he could handle her. She was no big deal to him. He took another swig of beer and munched on a few more pretzels. It felt kind of nice to have someone to bitch to. Someone he wouldn’t ever see again and have to go through having to be polite and all that crap and pretend they’re friends. He took out his custom vape pen, carved to look like a civil war cannon and pressed the button to turn it on.

  “You don’t mind, do you?” He asked her.

  “No, you go right ahead.”

  Yeah, it sucked he couldn’t have a cigarette in the bar anymore. Whiney women were probably behind that too. They just couldn’t stand for a man to enjoy himself. They made the idiot politicians pass laws so a man couldn’t do anything fun or amusing. He brooded about that for a bit while he emptied his frosted mug.

  “Would you like another beer,” she asked, still smiling.

  That sounded perfectly great. It would be the last one, as he had to drive somewhere and he didn’t want to have too much and get a DUI on the way. Just enough to be pleasantly buzzed and he was feeling nice and happy. Actually he was feeling pretty damn good. He took a swig of the fresh drink and just felt all the tension ease.

  “Feeling it yet?” She asked, and he blinked at her.

  “Think I had too much,” he slurred.

  “Oh, I disagree,” she said, “I think you’ve had just enough.”

  “Need to go home,” he said slowly.

  “You should go lie down now,” she said as she helped him off the stool. That sounded peachy keen to him. He needed to lie down somewhere.

  She put some money on the bar and they made their way out the door to the parking lot. The sun made him wince; it was way too bright out there. She helped him over to a van.

  “Not my car,” he said. It was an effort to say each word. He was sweating, something was wrong, he never got this drunk.

  “No, it’s not your car, but it’s a nice comfy place to lie down,” she said. She opened the back and there was a mattress and some pillows and it was nice and dark. It looked very comfy, he thought. It would be the perfect place to sleep off some of the beer. She helped him climb into the back and got him all situated before he passed out.

  “Poor baby,” she said with a laugh, “You’re getting roofied and not even getting kissed.” She shut the back of the van and got in front. She could see him zonked out in the rear view mirror. She backed out of her parking space and drove out onto the street, her captive asleep and blissfully unaware.

  Chapter 11

  “OK, Joseph, I only have a few minutes,” Tempest said letting him in the front door. “I have to be somewhere important shortly.” She had told him not to come over that night, but one of his favorite things to do was to get her so horny she would miss an important meeting. It pissed her off that he would think it would work again, especially since he had broken up with her.

  “What is more important than us, darlin’?” He asked in his western drawl. Tempest had forgotten how handsome he was and how horny he made her just by smiling at her. “I bet I can make you forget about that little old meeting you have to go to and make you a very happy woman.”

  His boast made her smile.

  “Really? Do you really think you can make me forget everything?” She asked playfully.

  “Honey, I’m all you’re going to think about for the next few hours and probably the rest of the night.”

  “Ooooh, I can hardly wait,” Tempest cooed, her eyes shining. “You will have to show me.”

  He put his hand on her dress, to pull it off of her, but she stopped him.

  “No, since you came to me, I will undress you.” She said it in her most seductive voice. She ran her hands down the front of his shirt and unbuttoned it slowly. She dropped it on a chair on the way to the bedroom. She undid his belt and pulling it out of his jeans she used it to secure his arm to the headboard of the bed. Thank goodness, she had finally gotten a four poster bed of her own, she thought.

  “You are the sexiest woman I have ever met,” he said as he began a passionate kiss.

  She broke away to stroke her hand down the front of his pants. He was already hard. She unzipped him and let his pants fall to the floor.

  “I have missed you so much,” she said breathlessly. She cupped her hand around him and squeezed lightly and he let out a groan. She pushed him on the bed and reaching into a bed side drawer; she retrieved a dog leash and secured his other hand as she scooted him on the bed. Good thing he had a good arm span, she thought, as she had a queen sized bed.

  “Oh baby, tonight is going to be unforgettable,” he sighed contentedly as she pulled off his boots and the rest of his cloths. He lay naked and glorious on her bed—just the place he wanted to be. He loved screwing with her schedule and making her focus on him instead of work. It made him feel hot and sexy to know he had that kind of sway over her.

  She tied up his legs, made sure that everything was fastened in a way that he couldn’t get himself out and then straddled him to cup his balls again.

  “I have something you won’t believe,” she said, picking up a small chain. It was a small chain dog collar. She looped it around his cock and balls and pulled it tight.

  “Oooh baby, that is awesome! You know just what to do.”

  Tempest connected a slim leash onto the collar and attached it to a ring in the headboard. She put a gag in his mouth and he lifted his head so she could tie it tight.

  She patted his thigh and squeezed his balls lightly, checking to make sure the chain wasn’t so tight it would do damage.

  “I really have to go to this thing tonight, Joseph. It’s too important to miss. But, and this is a really big but, I will hurry home to you just as soon as I can.” She smiled at him and went into the bathroom to fix her makeup and hair. Fortunately for him, he didn’t mess either up too badly. She refreshed her perfume and lipstick and checked herself out in the mirror to make sure everything was in place.

  She went back out to the bedroom and dimmed the lights. He was making some kind of sound against the gag. She engaged the bed, so the head rose up like a hospital bed and his arms were supported by the mattress. She re-adjusted the chain around his cock. She wanted to tie him up after all, not to suffocate him nor do him a permanent injury.

  “Oh by the way, this room is sound proofed. Otter and I made sure of that when we re-did this place, so no point in trying to yell.” She turned on the television that was up against the ceiling and put on his favorite channel.

  “Now you be good and I’ll be back before you know it. Then I will make your dreams come true.” She smiled at him again and shut her bedroom door. She made sure the house was locked up, put some treats out for the kitties and went out to the garage. Thank goodness, he hadn’t made her too late.

  As she backed out of the garage, she acknowledged that he had been right about one thing, she would think about him for the next couple of hours and possibly all night.

  The crowd was giving Otter a standing ovation. She looked around at the applauding men and women of her industry, many of them she had known for years. They certainly seemed to agree with the speech she had just given—she just wished she remembered what it was. After all the time she spent practicing it and making up cue cards, not one word came to mind of her carefully prepared oration.

  She smiled and thanked everyone and stepped down off the stage. Tempest was waiting in the crowd.

  “Very nice speech, did you add a few things?” Tempest said with laughter in her eyes.


  “Did I? What did I say?”

  “The chicken in every microwave and car in every garage was a bit much, but overall it was pretty good.”

  “I didn’t say anything about chickens.”

  “Not to worry, I recorded it all,” Tempest said. “I know how it is, but if it’s any comfort what you said was almost word for word the speech you’d written.”

  “I don’t remember a word of it,” Otter confessed. “My mind totally went blank.”

  “Like I said, I know how it is,” Tempest said.

  “You look pretty smug,” Otter observed, taking a good look at Tempest. “Like the cat that ate all the shrimp, smug.”

  “I’m just happy to be here,” Tempest said, scanning the crowd. She had several people she needed to find and talk to before the night was over.

  “No, it’s more than that.” Otter said, narrowing her eyes, “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you almost look like you have a man chained up naked somewhere.”

  Tempest’s eyes widened in shock, “You know I think I need to go over there,” she said, “I see some people…” She turned and headed toward the opposite corner of the room.

  Otter rarely saw Tempest lose her cool, but her roomie was looking rather nonplussed. Intrigued, she started to follow, but a hand touched her right arm lightly. She turned to see Graham grinning at her.

  “Hello m’ lady Otter, it’s happy chance we meet again.”

  “Only one merry man all by yourself?” Otter said with a smile, “Where are your partners in crime?”

  “Oh, do get it right woman,” he said in mock exasperation, “we’re the good guys and we catch the criminals.”

  “Oh yeah, sorry, how clumsy of me to make that mistake,” Otter said, looking around for Bob. “Hey listen, we need to sit down, the mayor and the governor have speeches to make yet.”

  “Joel got held up at work,” Graham said with a shrug, “Troy and I are sitting at that table over there, if you would like to join us.”

  “I’d like to, but my date is over at that table,” Otter said as she waved her hand toward Bob, “and I should sit there. You are welcome to join us if you like.”

  “I don’t know,” Graham said slowly, “people named Bob are usually boring.”

  “Well, not this one, he is a very good friend and I think you’d like him.”

  She didn’t say “or else,” but he heard it all the same.

  “OK, Otter, we will be polite just for you,” Graham said in a singsong little boy’s voice, “I’ll go collect Troy and we’ll be over shortly.”

  Otter wove among the tables to get to her seat, nodding politely to the congratulations from well-wishers all along the way.

  “Ah, there you are,” Bob said. “Nice speech, you did very well.”

  “I was petrified,” Otter whispered confidentially.

  “You didn’t look it,” he said, “You radiated confidence. “

  “Good thing, I’m glad I didn’t embarrass myself.”

  “Not at all,” Bob said patting her arm. “Now we just get through a couple more dull speeches and we can start to enjoy the evening.”

  “I just hope they’re short,”

  “They should be, nobody’s running for re-election right now.”

  “By the way, I invited a couple of people I know to join us.”

  “OK, fine by me,” Bob shrugged. He liked most of Otter’s friends.

  “They’re friends of a guy I just started dating,”

  “Ah, ok. So they don’t know what our relationship really is, yet.”

  “I tried to explain…”

  “No problem. Do you want me to make them mad or be their best friend?” Bob was a smart cookie.

  “Friendly would be best, I think it would disappoint them a lot if they found out they liked you. I believe they came here intending to glare at you from afar.”

  “So where is your current suitor?”

  “He apparently got held up at work.”

  “And he sent his friends to keep an eye on you. That’s sweet, he must really like you.”

  “It’s brand new, Bob. Nothing to get too excited about,” Otter said as she heard the Mayor clear his throat and at the same time Troy and Graham dropped down into chairs at their table.

  “Bob, this is Graham and Troy, guys this is Bob, a very old friend.”

  They shook hands across the table.

  Graham was seated next to Bob, and what Otter recognized as his habit, he pulled a sheaf of papers out of his pocket and began sketching. Bob watched him, first out of curiosity and then leaned in as the sketches caught his interest. Because he was a true engineer, he pulled a mechanical pencil out of his breast pocket and the two of them began an earnestly whispered conversation.

  Otter couldn’t hear them and wished she could. It looked interesting, way more interesting than the drone of speech going on in the background. She hated politics. Just once at these soirees, she wished they would have someone interesting like Sandra Day O’Conner or even Meghan McCain—two people that would be worth meeting and certainly wouldn’t be boring. She would have to talk to the president of the association and see if that was possible the next time.

  She waved at Susan on the other side of the room. Apparently Tempest was sitting at her table for the speeches.

  In order not to be rude, she turned to Troy and found he was doing something on his phone. He looked up as she turned to him.

  “Just checking my messages,” he said apologetically. He tucked his phone away into a large pocket inside his jacket.

  “No problem,” Otter said, “So when we had dinner the other night, you said you had just come in from overseas. You promised to tell me some of your stories from your travels.”

  “This probably wouldn’t be the best place,” Troy said taking a sip from his water glass, “Some of them are rather involved.” He didn’t smile as much as Graham or Joel. He seemed much more composed and cautious than Graham, quieter than Joel. Otter found that rather interesting.

  “Ok, then tell me why the three of you built the community center up in Black Canyon City.” Otter said with a smile, “Better yet, how did you get the money?”

  Troy probably wasn’t used to being surprised, and it delighted Otter to see him look at her with a stunned expression for about two seconds. He quickly covered it up and considered her more cautiously.

  “Why would you think we built it?” He asked carefully, “We’re just members like everyone else.”

  A small disruption happened in the back of the room, Otter turned to see Mitch and his wife going to their table and getting seated. Mitch’s wife had dark hair and was just a couple inches shorter than her husband. Otter didn’t know her well; she never had much to say on the few occasions that they had met. The mayor’s speech—mercifully short—was winding down and the governor would be taking the podium.

  “If you say so,” Otter said agreeable, “but for whatever reason you built it, you should be very proud. It’s a great place.”

  “The membership is quite enthusiastic,” Troy said with some dignity, “As you can imagine.”

  “Oh, I have no doubt,” Otter said, “And I’m hoping I get a chance to go again. I didn’t get a chance to see the machine shop or the air field.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be welcomed back,” Troy said, obviously relieved at the change of subject, “and we are very proud of the aircraft we are re-building.”

  “Joel said you were rebuilding a world war two plane, which one?”

  “We actually have a couple. They have a Mustang and a P-40.”

  “Seriously? Wow, I always told myself that if I ever won the lottery, I’d buy a P-40. I’d settle for a P-38, but a P-40 would be sweet.”

  Troy had to smile at the sudden excitement in Otter’s face. She was certainly an interesting woman.

  “We are in the process of negotiating for a B-17.”

  “Be still my heart,” Otter said fervently, “I saw the Sentimental Journey
when she was here in Arizona. She’s a beautiful girl.”

  “You sound like Graham,”

  “The way I look at it, you either love metals and machinery or you don’t.” Otter said, “It has a way of getting in your blood.”

  “And that is something Graham would say too.”

  “That’s engineer speak for ‘you wouldn’t understand’.”

  This time Troy laughed out loud. “I believe you.”

  Otter twirled her water glass and smiled to herself. She had made him laugh. That felt like an accomplishment.

  “So how are you doing with your mystery?” Troy asked.

  “Ah yes, The Mystery. I feel like it should be capitalized.” Otter said, “I told my boss about it and he and I looked at the cards we made last weekend. After this is all over, I think I’m going to make a card game out of them.”

  “That might be fun.”

  “We are keeping it between the two of us for right now. Neither of us wants to say the wrong thing to the wrong person.”

  “Smart of you,”

  “I have an appointment with the police detective on Monday and Michael is looking into some things—I don’t know what things, but I’m sure he’ll let me know if it pertains to this.”

  “And the name Jameson Pennell doesn’t mean anything to him?”

  “No and neither does Cal de Lemn, although Tempest googled the names and found out that Cal de Lemn means a rocking horse in several European languages.”

  “That’s something,” Troy said looking thoughtful.

  “And Charlotte has a sister, they left town together after their parents were murdered.”

  “I knew that, but we don’t know if Charlotte’s sister went willingly, was murdered along the way or is an accomplice.”

  “She is an accomplice.” Otter said firmly

  “Why would you say that?”

  “Because they’re sisters, especially if they are close in age. If you have a sister, she is a confidant and often is involved in your schemes.”

  “They killed their parents.”