"Married?" he asked her, as if he wasn't quite sure he had heard her correctly. "You're married?"
"Don't look so surprised," Dolores spat, her words coming out much clearer than Johnnie had expected, given her inebriation.
"Don't look so surprised?" Johnnie asked, completely flabbergasted. "Of course I'm surprised. When we met, you didn't exactly mention that you were legally taken by another man! Do you realize what this means? Your husband could be searching for you and if he finds you, he finds us! Did you not think about this before deciding to accompany all of us around the country?"
"I don't know why you're so jealous," Dolores said, though the smile on her face revealed just how pleased she was at the prospect. "I don't love him anymore. I love you."
"I'm not jealous," Johnnie told the woman before him firmly, and he meant it too. The only thing he was really upset at was the fact that he and his gang could have gotten caught at Dolores's foolishness. That, and his male pride was wounded, but only slightly.
"Of course not," Dolores said, her dark eyes narrowing at Johnnie. "Everyone knows that you are in love with that woman. Zelda. Why you would even think about me is beyond my comprehension when I know you're constantly thinking of her. If you are so in love with her, why did you even bring me along? You never really loved me, did you? Did you?"
"You never loved me," Johnnie replied, avoiding answering any and all questions regarding feelings and Zelda. "You're the one who's still married, not me. You know what? I don't want to fight with you about this anymore. I think..." He let his voice trail off, shaking his head. "You need to go."
"Of course I do," Dolores said, shaking her head. "Where am I supposed to go? How am I supposed to get anywhere? I don't know if you remember, but we're in Daytona fucking Florida."
Johnnie reached into his pockets and peeled a generous amount of bills from a wad of cash before grabbing a ring which held the key to a car. "Here," he told her, handing her both items to her. "Wait until you sober up before driving, but here are the keys to the car and some money. I think it's enough to get you wherever you need to go. But I need you to leave now, and I don't want to see you again." He turned from her, indicating that the conversation was over, and waited until he heard Dolores head into the bedroom – no doubt to pack up her things – before he felt his shoulders relax.
"I was gonna buy a new car anyway," he told himself, shaking his head once more.
Zelda and Stephanie glanced at each other after hearing the door to Johnnie's room slam shut. Stephanie seemed ridiculously amused by what had just transpired and murmured something to herself that sounded oddly like how this was the best Christmas she had ever had. Zelda was more concerned about Johnnie's welfare than anything else; she couldn't even feel happy that Dolores was now gone, nor could she relish in the fact that she actually stood a chance with Johnnie once more. All she cared about was how Johnnie was feeling. She had been with him after he had been betrayed by Mary Todd, and this seemed worse only because Johnnie and Dolores had been together for a while, and their love affair, while quick, was undoubtedly filled with passion.
"You should go in there," Stephanie said quietly. Zelda looked like she was about to argue but Stephanie gave her a look. "You're closest to him, Zelda. If he needs anyone, he needs you."
Zelda let Stephanie's words sink in, and then she nodded. She knew that Johnnie might not talk to her – he always did like his space whenever he was upset about something – but she wanted him to know that if he needed her in any way, she would be there for him. Before heading next door, however, she quickly ran into her bedroom and grabbed a small, wrapped box. She had gotten Johnnie's Christmas gift the day after the horse races, and though they weren't exchanging gifts until evening, she thought he might want it at that moment.
Zelda hesitated a moment before knocking softly on the door to Johnnie's room. She knew he wouldn't answer so she slowly opened the door, pausing in case he told her he didn't want her there. When she was inside, she shut the door behind her only to see Johnnie sitting on the couch with an enigmatic expression in his eyes. Zelda knew that expression; he wanted to be alone, and no, he didn't want to talk. Instead of immediately leaving, however, Zelda walked over to him and placed his present on the coffee table.
"Merry Christmas, Johnnie," she told him in a soft voice before she leaned over and placed a matching kiss on the hollow of his cheek.
With that, she turned and headed out the door, knowing she didn't have to say anything else. Johnnie knew. He had to.
--
Johnnie watched Zelda go with a pain in his heart. He wanted to call her, tell her to stay, have her wrap him up in the safety of her arms and just let time slip away. And yet, at the same time, he knew he should be alone. Just because he didn't love Dolores didn't mean that she hadn't hurt him, and it was necessary for Johnnie to brood by himself in case he accidentally snapped at someone. And he was incredibly grateful that Zelda seemed to understand that, and didn't take any offense by his behavior.
However, he was certainly surprised that she had left his gift for him. His lips curled upwards, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. After staring at it for a moment, he decided that maybe opening it would make him feel better. He reached out and grabbed it, immediately recognizing how small it was and wondering what she could have possibly gotten him that was so small.
But after opening it, his breath caught in his throat. It was something he never knew he wanted and yet it was perfect. It was a ring that fit his smallest finger, gold with a ruby in it. But that wasn't all. As Johnnie inspected the ring, he realized there was an inscription on the inside of the ring. It took some time, but he finally managed to read what it said.
To my Lonestar – all my love.
It wasn't long before Johnnie slipped the ring on his right pinky finger. Just seeing it there, knowing what it said, caused him to calm down, to realize that everything worked out the way it was supposed to. He smiled again, and this time, it really did reach his eyes.
Chapter 16
New Year's saw Johnnie much happier than Christmas Day, and it probably had to do with the fact that he had all but forgotten Dolores's unexpected and abrupt departure. Even more than that, he was beginning to realize that what she had said was true. Everyone seemed to know that Johnnie was in love with Zelda save for him, up until that moment.
How could he have been so silly as to ignore the most obvious thing he had ever encountered? How could he have let all the signs he was given these past months pass him by as though they were nothing more than silly notions and unimportant wonderings? Now that he had his eyes open, he saw more than he ever expected to see. Her beauty was still prevalent, but he realized that she was so beautiful because her personality matched up with her physical appearance. Her smiles were easy and her eyes were always sparkling with something. He trusted her with his life, and he reveled in her touch, whether it was purposeful or accidental. No wonder he had kissed her so often – despite however chaste such kisses were – even before he had realized his feelings for her. Her lips were like honey, and he had wanted so badly to taste them.
The ring she had given him for Christmas was on his right pinky finger, and whenever he happened to glance at it, he couldn't help but think of her. He needed to tell her how he felt in some way, needed to feel her, needed her to tell him that she loved him in return. Of course, Johnnie was nearly certain that she felt the same way, but how could he be certain when he had been a downright ass these past few months? How could he be certain that her feelings for him hadn't changed?
He would fight for her, if that was what it took. He would do anything for her. But for now, he wanted a dance.
The New Year's Eve party that was taking place was currently in Johnnie's room since it happened to be the biggest. The radio was playing old jazz music, and people were talking, dancing, and eating. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, but no more than Johnnie and Zelda. They were dancing with the one person they wanted
to be with, and though no confessions of feelings had yet to spring from each other's lips, their bodies fit together perfectly.
It felt like old times, before Zelda knew Johnnie was John Dillinger, before she knew he was in love with another woman. The way his hand held her hip firmly, possessively, certain that he would never let her go... She brought her eyes up to meet his smoky grey ones, and just as the clock struck twelve, Johnnie brought his lips and placed them gently onto hers. No words had been spoken between them; there was no need for words. Everything he wanted to convey to her was hidden in his kiss, and she understood. This was more than just one of those innocent kisses he gave her for good luck. No, this was something more, much more than she could ever hope for and everything she could ever want.
Cheers were heard in celebrations, people started whistling, champagne bottles were popped open, and when the couple had to break apart to breathe, they were both laughing. Johnnie even celebrated the new year by taking his tommy gun and shooting it in the direction of the moon. He felt like he could fly if he truly wanted to. Like he could touch the stars, rest on the moon, and then do it all over again.
Soon, the party would have to come to an end. Normally, Johnnie was always disappointed when such a thing was to happen, but now? Now he was counting down the seconds when he could be alone with Zelda.
After the last guest had left, Johnnie grabbed Zelda's wrist, gently pulling her to him. She locked her arms around his neck and pushed up on her toes so she could kiss him, an act that Johnnie welcomed. He was greedy this time, quickly deepening the kiss so his tongue could explore the mouth he had so desperately wanted to get to know better. With skill, he managed to lead Zelda into his bedroom without breaking from his lips. Even though the woman he was familiar with was fun and laidback, she had a passion in her that was starting to reveal itself at that moment.
It was a passion he knew she had, but never figured he'd ever get to experience.
He pulled back only to start smothering her neck with long, wet kisses. Zelda closed her eyes, trying to slow down her erratic heart. Unconsciously, she tilted her head, giving Johnnie better access to her throat. Was this really happening? Was he really kissing her as a lover rather than a friend? Or was this all some cruel dream she would have to wake up from?
Her hands dropped from his neck, only to grip onto his shirt before unbuttoning it. She needed to feel his warm flesh pressed against hers. If this was a dream, she wanted to take full advantage of it.
"Darling," he told her, his voice breathless. "Darling, stop for a moment." He grabbed her hands, his thumbs caressing the back of her palm. It was hard, but he opened his heavy eyes and regarded her with hazy grey depths. "No need to rush," he told her. "We have the entire night. I want this first time to be slow. I want to know you in a way no man has ever known you before."
"This is real," Zelda stated in a soft voice. "This isn't a dream?"
Johnnie smiled a lazy smile and took one of her hands, placing it over his heart. "It's real," he assured her. "But sometimes, darling, I think you're a dream to me. Don't you go disappearing on me anytime soon."
Zelda smiled at his words, feeling her face flush at the meaning behind them. "I'll be here for as long as you want me to," she promised him.
"Good," Johnnie said with a nod. "'Cause I want you for a very long time." He bent down and slowly kissed her once more, literally taking her breath away.
Johnnie was a very unselfish lover. He made sure that Zelda received as much pleasure as she deserved long before he did. He was skillful and sensual when he removed her clothing from her frame, making sure that he continued to reassure her just how much he had wanted this, just how much he wanted her. His eyes would continuously sweep over her body due to the fact that he simply couldn't take his eyes off of her. If he had thought she was beautiful before, he didn't realize she would be even more so completely nude. Then again, he probably should have known better.
Johnnie's mouth and hands explored every inch of her body, leaving no part of her flesh unturned. He hadn't realized he had wanted this so badly up until the point he had kissed those lips of hers, and then it took everything in his control to refrain from going overboard with her. Johnnie had been honest with her when he had told her they had all night; he wanted to show her that there was more than passion between them, that what they had was so much deeper than that. Later on, they could switch up their routine to go fast, to slow down, to turn it all around, but right now, he wanted that evening to be the best night of Zelda's life.
When they first connected, Johnnie was truly surprised at just how much this meant to him. He had never felt this way before about anybody, and even the physical act that usually accompanied what he was feeling was hard for him to take. The way her hair was tangled and messy, the way her skin was flushed, her lips were bruised, the look of pleasure on her delicate face. He wanted to be the only person to give her pleasure from then on.
He went slowly when he had entered, but Zelda had urged him to go just a little bit faster, a little bit deeper until Johnnie was sure that he had reached her deepest part, touching her very soul. Before he allowed himself to lose himself in the passion, he made sure that she climaxed before he did. In fact, Johnnie was planning on extending the lovemaking, but just seeing her release her tension, feeling her let go while he was inside of her...
It was just too much to take. And so Johnnie let himself go.
Long after the woman that held the key to his heart fell asleep in his arms, Johnnie was up, staring at the ceiling, a satisfied smile on his face. Things hadn't worked out the way they had planned at all, but if he was being honest, he wouldn't change anything. His girl was in his arms, his breath was lost in the throes of passion; life was good. Life was better than good. He just hoped it would last.
Chapter 17
From that day on, they were completely inseparable. Or, at least as inseparable as one couple could be. They had left Daytona Beach a few days after New Year's. Because Johnnie had given his car to Dolores, he bought a new one before leaving, and he and Zelda drove back to the safe house, meeting everyone up later than their scheduled time due to that small setback.
Zelda didn't believe that she could have ever felt this happy, and as a result, she smiled much more than she ever had before in her life. Waking up to feel Johnnie holding her in the morning, listening to him breathe when he was asleep, watching him as he watched her, feeling the spark of pleasure between them whenever they made love... It was as though this whole concept was still dream-like to her, and though she was worried that she would soon wake up, she pushed such thoughts to the back of her mind, deciding to ride it out for as long as possible. Dreams could never feel this real, and she highly doubted she could dream something as amazing as this.
Surprisingly enough, Johnnie had yet to dive back into bank robbing. They had just gotten back from vacation and needed a few days to readjust to the time change, despite the fact that it was a mere hour, but sooner or later, Zelda knew he would be resuming his other passion in life. She refused to be the girlfriend who didn't support her boyfriend, so even though she was wrapped up in worry, she would never let Johnnie know it. She would still drive them to and from the banks. She would still be with Johnnie, whether he was successful with his endeavors or he was arrested. And she would nurse him back to health if, God forbid, he got injured.
Stephanie was the only other person who truly knew how she felt because she was experiencing the same thing with Harry Pierpont. It wasn't uncommon to see the two women sharing a cup of tea in the dining room, sharing low discussions about their worry for their partners, as well as for their friends. Each silently acknowledged that without the support of the other, enduring such a unique life experience would probably be one of the hardest things they would ever have to do alone. So they reveled in the other's company.
One cool January morning, Zelda was still fast asleep when Johnnie walked in with a surprise in his hands. For a moment, he merely
allowed his eyes to take in the sight that he got to wake up to every morning, and for the umpteenth time, thanked God for the fact that he had found her and that she was with him. It would have been much harder to do this by himself. After pushing his lithe frame off of the door frame, he headed over to the edge of the bed and placed the surprise on the bed, near Zelda.
Licking. That was what Zelda felt upon the breaking through the deepness of her slumber. Johnnie had kissed her awake before in many different places, but she didn't remember him ever licking her before. Though she had yet to open her eyes, her brow was pushed together in confusion, trying to decipher what the hell was invading her face with its tongue. Johnnie, of course, found this entirely amusing and allowed himself a few chuckles.
It was then, when Zelda heard Johnnie laughing while being licked at the same time, did Zelda's eyes snapped open. If it wasn't Johnnie who was licking her face, then what could it possibly be?
"Surprise," Johnnie said in his low voice.
It was a dog. A bulldog. Zelda's face broke into a smile as she gave the animal some of her attention. "I love dogs," she murmured, scratching the dog's ears.
Johnnie grinned, proud that he had made her happy. "I know," he told her softly. He glanced over at his watch. "The show starts in about an hour, so we should leave in twenty, twenty-five minutes. Is that going to be all right?" He paused. "Oh, and pack a suitcase that will last for a few days. I want to go back to Indiana to see my dad. And don't forget we're going to meet up with everybody in Tucson."
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