by Greg Barth
“So who’s in control?”
“What do you mean?”
“The sheriff or you two?”
She gave this some thought. After a minute she said, “He is. He could take us in any time.”
“But you’ve got dirt on him?”
She nodded. “But it would get messy. Probably we’d all go down.”
“Sometimes all you need is leverage.”
We walked from beach bar to beach bar, getting a drink here and there. We circled back and checked the bar Lilly Bett worked at, but we were too early. She likely worked evenings. I stared out at the ocean—the seagulls, the fish swimming along the edge of the shore, the ships in the distance, so much water stretching out to the far horizon. Kids building sand castles, young adults throwing Frisbees. The stress, the violence, and the pain of the preceding days melted away.
A rain storm blew in from the ocean. We kept walking in the rain. The clouds and cool raindrops provided a nice break from the intense heat.
***
I borrowed Chris’s phone and called Enola. She was still at her sister’s place.
“You didn’t find your phone,” Enola said.
“Not yet.”
“Where are you?”
“Florida. On the beach.”
“Your phone’s in Florida?”
“I don’t think so. I’m in Florida, though.”
“Yeah? You’re going the wrong way.”
I chuckled. “Thought I’d see a bit of the country before I swing by to get you.”
“How are you and Chris getting along?”
I thought of the night before, Chris in my bed. “Well…I wouldn’t say we’re best friends or anything, but we’re getting to know one another. Sounds like they’ve got a good thing going for us.”
“Let’s not discuss business over the phone,” Enola said.
“I’m not. You know me better than that.”
Enola sighed. “So, when are you coming home?”
“Soon. Chris and I have something we have to take care of first. Shouldn’t take long. How’s your sister?”
“Cancer. Prognosis isn’t great.”
“Shit. Sorry, Enola.”
“I miss you. Call me more often, okay? And come get me soon. I’m ready to move on with our lives.”
I lowered my voice. “Look, Enola. I don’t want to go into detail on the phone, okay? But this is very important. I want you to stay there with your sister until we have this thing we’re doing all taken care of. Tell me you understand.”
“Trouble?”
“Just promise you’ll stay put until you hear from me. Should only be a couple of days.”
***
The sun eased its way toward the western horizon. It didn’t seem like we’d been walking that long. I didn’t mind the idea of walking in the dark, but my legs were getting tired, and I was a bit buzzed from the drinks and lack of food. I wasn’t even sure if I could find my car in the dark.
Chris hadn’t been drinking, only water, but her pace had slowed too. Neither of us had eaten much.
We made our way back to Lilly Bett’s bar back up the shore. They had the string lights on already. It had a hut roof and open walls. Dining tables with umbrella covers crowded the beach around it.
Even though it was an open-air bar, there was a smoking ban under the main roof. We picked a table outside on the sand. A gas torch burned off to the side.
I had a cigarette going and was on my second bourbon when I noticed the blonde. She was a bit younger than me. Tall and fit. Hair long and golden. She wore a red floral bikini. Her body had all the glorious curves that mine lacked.
I nodded toward her.
Chris looked her way and immediately turned back to me. “Yes. That’s her.”
Lilly Bett wasn’t waiting tables; she was serving at the bar. And therefore wouldn’t be coming over to us.
“What should we do?” Chris said.
I sipped my drink while considering it. “Let’s play it cool for a bit.”
I kept my eyes on Lilly Bett. A couple of times she glanced my way. Sensing my stare, I guess. The second time we made eye contact, she didn’t look away. I curled up one side of my mouth in a half smile. I was too tired for much else. She smiled back at me.
“We could be here a while,” Chris said. “If she just started her shift.”
“It’s nice, though,” I said. The warm breeze off of the ocean felt great on my bare skin. The people at the bar were animated. The place had a good vibe.
I kept watching Lilly Bett. She caught me staring at her, but I never looked away. This continued for a bit until she’d had enough of it. She talked to a guy behind the bar with her. He nodded, and she came around and approached us.
The closer she got, the more I could appreciate her. Flowing, honey blonde hair. Large, firm breasts. Shapely hips. She had high cheekbones, and her thin lips curled into a restrained smile.
She was a fine animal.
When she got to the table, I crossed a leg, sand spilling from between my bare toes, and gestured to the seat in front of me. I raised my glass and took a sip of bourbon neat.
“Do I know you?” she said, looking directly at me.
“Lilly Bett Blake,” I said.
She didn’t respond.
“You look good.”
No response.
I was feeling the bourbon. I took another sip. “I’d like to speak to your brother.”
She raised an eyebrow. This bitch could play it cool.
“It’s a critical matter. I’d like to speak to him tonight.”
“Brother? Which one?”
“Bucky,” I said.
Her brow wrinkled. “Bucky? Why the hell would you want to talk to Bucky?”
“You got other brothers?”
“A bunch. Shit. Five. If you want to talk to Bucky, it can’t be good. Don’t get me involved.”
“Please,” I said. “It’s important.”
“I don’t know where he’s at. Have you tried calling him?”
I took a deep breath, grabbed another sip of bourbon. “I have. But he’s not taking my calls.”
“Well that shit’s between you and Bucky. I don’t want to be involved.”
“Lilly Bett, look. You don’t need to be involved. I just need to speak to him.”
She closed her eyes. “Okay. Fuck. I’ll try.” She opened her eyes and looked at me. “I’ve got to go get my phone.”
She got up and walked back toward the bar. Her ass looked like it had been carved from smooth marble.
“Well that went well,” Chris said.
“Did it?”
“You drunk?”
I closed my eyes. Shook my head. “I may slow down after this one.”
“You need to.”
“Hey, Chris,” I said. “Fuck you, okay? Just…fuck you.”
She gave me that Chris-is-being-bitchy look.
I rolled my eyes.
Kids.
I waved the waitress over for another drink.
Chris shook her head.
When the waitress brought the glass, I held it up and clicked my nails on the side. Once I had Chris’s attention, I drained it in two gulps.
“Nice talent,” Chris said.
We sat there trying to ignore each other until Lilly Bett beat a path through the sand back over to us. She didn’t even sit down. “He’s not answering my call.”
“No shit,” I said.
“Hey. He’s my baby brother, and he’s being a baby. Go figure.”
I nodded.
“I can send him a text. Mind if I take a picture to send him? Letting him know who wants to talk to him?”
“Uh…” I said. “Just take mine, okay? He doesn’t know my friend.” My words were badly slurred.
She pointed her phone at me. There was a bright light. I tried to keep my eyes open. And then…
“Got it,” she said. “I’ll let you know what he says.” She turned and took her marble ass
back to the bar.
I felt a deep attraction to Lilly Bett. I knew it was the alcohol. Just like I knew I couldn’t allow myself to get drunk enough to make a move.
Chris gave a smug little smile. “So. How are you enjoying Florida?”
I played it straight. I looked around. “I like it. The beach is nice. It’s warm. I’d like to go south and see the rest of it sometime. Maybe wrap around the coast.”
“Maybe check out some of the asses down there?”
A drunk laugh rose up. I let it out. “You…you’re jealous? Oh my god. We just met.”
She stared at me. Her clear, young complexion; those knowing, black eyes, framed with dark, long hair—Chris’s Asian features seduced me every time. “We’ve got to get you home.”
“We’ve got a lot of shit to deal with before I can go home,” I said. “I don’t blame you a bit if you want to bail on me.”
Immediately she shook her head. “No. I’m with you.”
I drew in a deep breath. I had looked down at Chris for her youth and unusual beliefs. I had to reassess my opinion of her.
But before I could say anything, Lilly Bett was standing by our table again.
The drinks were hitting me hard. Had I eaten anything?
Took a while for my eyes to make it up to Lilly Bett’s face. She had those perfect pelvic bones pushing against the lower half of her bikini. The firm, flat tummy. And then those impossibly firm, hard breasts. The whole package complemented by the perfect hair and the confident, dumb look on her face.
“He’s not answering my calls, but he answered a text.”
“The picture?”
“Yeah. He’s not close by, so it’ll take him some time to get here. You can stay at my place tonight, and he’ll be here when he can make it here.”
I scrunched my lips as I considered her words. Something didn’t sound right. Something was screaming at me inside my drunken brain, but I couldn’t think clearly enough for it to register. I spoke slowly, putting the thought together word by word, trying not to slur. “You mean to say, he won’t accept my call, but he’s going to drive all the way here? That makes no sense.”
“Hey, whatever you’ve got going on with my brother is between you and him. I’m just telling you what he said.”
“How soon will he get here?”
“Shit. I don’t know. Whenever he can. Tomorrow, I guess.”
I took a long drink of bourbon. I sloshed the loose ice. “I’m gonna need another drink if we’re waiting for you to get off work.”
“Well, get your waitress on that,” she said and walked away.
I turned to Chris. “You know what? I think she might be a bitch.”
“You think?” Chris said.
NINE
WHEN HER SHIFT ended, we followed Lilly Bett back to her place. We’d gotten the location wrong. She was staying in a townhouse just off the beach. Looked like a brand new complex that was still selling units.
At least we’d found her.
I pulled up, parked close by, and we followed her inside.
The entrance opened to a dining area. To the right was a small kitchen, to the left a hallway that led to a set of stairs—presumably the bedrooms were upstairs—and a living room at the end of the hall.
Lilly Bett pointed us to the living room. “Get comfortable,” she said. “You hungry?”
“Starving,” Chris said.
“I don’t have much, but there’s a twenty-four-hour grocery two miles further down.”
I handed Chris the car keys. “Get something to drink,” I said.
“You got a shirt I can borrow,” Chris said. We were all three still wearing only our bikini tops. Chris and I had slipped into denim shorts when we got back to the car.
“Yeah, just a second.” Lilly Bett stepped through a door off the kitchen. She came back and tossed a red t-shirt to Chris.
“Thanks,” Chris said. She slipped the shirt on. I saw the back of it read “We Rub It and We Pull It.” When she turned back to face me the front of the shirt said, “Blake’s Barbecue Barn. Best Damned BBQ in South Carolina.”
Chris slipped out the front door. I heard the rumble of the car as she pulled out of the parking lot.
I went to the living room and collapsed on the couch. The room was dark, the only light spilling in from the other room.
“You like rum okay?” Lilly Bett said from the kitchen.
“That’d be great.” I was still buzzing mightily from the drinks I’d had earlier.
Couple of minutes later she came into the living room with two glasses of ice and a bottle of Captain Morgan. She sat on the couch next to me, poured for us, handed me a glass.
She raised hers. “Cheers.”
We clinked glasses.
The rum felt nice on my stomach.
“So how’d you get mixed up with my no-good baby brother?”
“I don’t know him well. He did some odd jobs for a guy I was staying with in Louisiana.”
She nodded. “Yep, that sounds like Bucky.”
“He has something of mine. I’d like to get it back.”
“Well, you and Chris are welcome to stay here, but I don’t look forward to seeing Bucky. Especially if he’s stolen something from you. He’s nothing but bad news. The whole family—shit, even our daddy—can’t stand the little bastard.”
“This shouldn’t take long,” I said. “I won’t cause trouble.”
“He can’t stay here. I won’t have that. You can meet with him outside, or wherever, but not in here. It’ll be late morning before he gets here.”
“You really don’t like him, do you?”
“He’s nothing but a screw up. Always has been. He got in trouble back home. Joined the Marines. Got kicked out after just a few months. Too many infractions. Drugs. Drunkenness. And then he’s got warrants out on him everywhere now. The little shit’ll rot in prison. Wait and see.”
“I don’t mean to put you through any difficulty over this,” I said. “If it wasn’t urgent, I wouldn’t get you involved.”
“He must have something important.”
She refilled our glasses. “You smoke? I usually burn a bowl when I get in from work.”
I flashed a grin. “Sounds good.”
She took out the makings, filled a pipe, and put flame to it. We passed it between us. It was pretty good shit. The high snuck up on us both. We sat talking about Florida, guys, the beach, remembering good times she’d had there. The next thing I knew we were laughing uncontrollably.
We smoked another bowl. I leaned back on the couch, letting the buzz wash over me. I slid my hands across my belly, my thighs, relishing the physical sensations. “Oh my god that’s some good shit,” I said.
She giggled, leaned toward me. “Come with me.” She took my hand and pulled me up from the seat. I followed her as she led me through the living room, then made a turn and pulled me up the stairs. If I hadn’t been holding her hand, I would have keeled over as we rounded the bend. At the top I could see two bedrooms opening off each side of the top of the stairwell and a bathroom between them.
“You’re gonna like this.”
“What?” I said.
“In here.” She pulled me into one of the bedrooms. The room was dimly lit from a shade lamp with a red scarf lying over the top. Just a queen size bed, a dresser, vanity table, and bedside table.
She led me to the bed and pushed me back onto it. I fell into the softness of the pillows and comforter on the bed. I laughed, blew spit up as I hit the mattress. A wooden pole ran horizontal, post to post, across the top of the headboard. Several sheer scarves wrapped the pole. I imagined Lilly Bett tying her lovers to the bed with the scarves while she rode their cocks all night long. The ceiling spun above me.
And then she was on me, straddling me, the heat of her crotch on my belly, her hair spilling around my face.
I knew what to do.
I took her firm breasts in my hands. I thumbed at her nipples through the fabric of her
bikini.
“My gay-dar has been going off since I first laid eyes on you,” she said.
“Second night in a row I’ve gotten lucky. Nice way to put an end to a long, dry spell.”
“Yeah. You won’t be dry.”
I released her breasts and put my hands in her hair. I pulled her down toward me until her lips met mine. We kissed long and deep. There was an ocean saltiness to her lips; her silk tongue tasting of rum and ash. When she finally pulled away, I said, “I am so fucking high.” I hadn’t eaten anything. Had to be a combination of the drinks and the pot. The weed was likely laced.
She pushed my bikini top up and off, then her lips and fingers were on my nipples. I arched my back, ready to explode. When her hand slid into my bikini bottom, I was dying for her touch. She cupped my scalding crotch with her hand, her fingers finding my slick opening. A surge of pleasure washed over me as she teased my special spot. Her tongue was in my mouth.
“Oh my god,” I said. “That feels so good.”
She slipped my bikini down my legs and over my feet. Then she came back to kiss my lips again.
I pressed my crotch hard against her thigh, feeling like I was about to explode.
She pushed my hands up above my head.
“Baby,” I said.
She pushed my hands higher. I felt the silky scarves along the headrail.
I closed my eyes, losing myself in her delicate touch. Her breasts were in my face. My mouth opened to take her inside. Everything spun faster behind my closed eyelids. She fumbled, I felt something—a tight, metallic squeeze on my left wrist—
Oh god…Oh fuck!…Oh god no!
I jerked upright, my forehead colliding hard with Lilly Bett’s. She backed away.
I was dizzy. My heart pounded in my chest. My breath came in hoarse gasps.
I tried pulling my hands forward. My right hand was free, but the left was chained to the headboard.
She leaned in, put her hands on my shoulders, tried to push me back down.
I thrust hard at her face, driving a palm strike with the heel of my right hand to her nose. I felt the cartilage crunch under my palm. Her hot blood showered down on my wrist and forearm.
She squealed in shock and covered her face with her hands.