DarkHeart of Hampton House

by Joy Redmond

  “Just be yourself. This is a quaint place, and you haven’t seen anything yet,” Lance said, and lay down beside her.

  “Oh, hey there, big boy. Don’t be getting any ideas. I thought you were going to feed me.”

  Lance chuckled. “Don’t get your drawers in a wad. I’ll call down and see if we need to make reservations.” When he picked up the phone on the bedside table, Lacy scooted off the bed, grabbed her purse and hurried into the bathroom.

  Lance heard her yell, “I be double dipped in shit!”

  He felt his stomach quiver. What a night this is gonna be. He dialed the number for the restaurant.

  When Lacy came out of the bathroom, she had combed her hair and put on a light shade of pink lipstick. “Do you really think I look alright to go eat in this nice place?”

  “You look perfect! We don’t have to have reservations but there might be a few minutes wait. Let’s go on down and see if we can find a wet bar. I could use a drink. How about you?”

  “I’m not much of a drinker. I’ve had to put up with drunk parents all my life. I really don’t have much interest in the shit. But I guess one won’t hurt. Maybe it’ll help me lose this case of nerves that suddenly came over me. I’m hardcore, believe me, but all this is new to me.”

  “I think you’re going to discover a lot more before this night is over. So relax and enjoy.”

  “My nerves are unwinding as we speak. Let’s go for that drink.” Lacy’s face lit up, and Lance saw a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

  They sat in the restaurant at one of the little tables by the window. “So what do you want?” Lance asked.

  “Hell, man. You’re the one paying. Order what you want me to have. Beggars can’t be choosers.”

  “You’re not a beggar. You’re my invited guest,” he answered, giving her a stern look over the top of the menu.

  “Then just order what you want me to have. Makes no difference to me.”

  “How about a prime rib, baked potato, sautéed mushrooms and garden salad, with a bottle of Chardonnay?”

  “You buy. You order. I eat!” Lacy said.

  “Fine. You sure get your panties bunched over nothing. Loosen up. Jeez!”

  Lacy merely stared at him with hard eyes.

  When the food arrived, Lacy ate as if she was starving. Lance liked her hardy appetite and she didn’t leave a crumb. He detested picky eaters, or women who wouldn’t eat more than a few bites because they might gain a pound.

  They were drinking from slender glasses and looking out over the parking lot with guests coming and going with the trolleys. As the waiter cleared the last of the plates, Lacy placed her tiny hand into Lance’s large, warm hand. Lance smiled that lovely smile as she looked into his beautiful dark eyes. “Your eyes crinkle at the corners when you smile, and your hand is so gentle,” she said.

  Lance gently squeezed her tiny hand again. “Are you ready to go upstairs?”

  Lacy stood and reeled. “Wow, I think that wine went straight to my head. But I sure feel good. You’re so easy to talk with, it feels as if I’ve known you all my life. Let’s go!” She stood on her toes and gently kissed his lips.

  I do believe she’s a bit tipsy and horny. She won’t be disappointed. Something tells me, I won’t be disappointed either. She’s a baby doll. When I look at her sweet face, I feel human. What the hell?

  They crossed the dining room hand in hand, went through the lobby with its gently swaying plants and walked to the old elevator. The little elevator operator in his blue coat with shiny brass buttons pushed the handle over and they lurched upward, listening to it creak and moan on its way to the third floor. The iron and glass doors opened and they stepped out to the red carpeted hallway.

  As Lacy walked into the room, Lance admired the sensual sway of her lovely hips. She had a different walk this time.

  Lance closed the door, and put the outside world behind them.

  Impulsively, he reached out and took her into his strong arms. He pressed himself against her, putting his hand behind her neck. His tongue touched her lips, soft and warm. Her tongue touched his as his hand left her neck and slowly traveled down the small of her back to find her firm bottom.

  Lance pressed her against the wall as the gentle kiss turned to passion. He loved the feeling of her belly pressed against his, her firm breasts against his chest. He lifted the hem of her sundress to her waist. He slipped his fingers under the elastic band of her panties, pulling them down over her hips, and let them flutter to the floor.

  Lacy undid his belt and unsnapped the button on his cutoffs, then she slipped the zipper down. She slipped her hand in and found his rapidly stiffening manhood.

  Lance’s cutoffs slipped down over his hips to lay with her panties on the floor. He pulled her sundress off over her head. He just looked at her for a few minutes, drinking in every delicious curve of her body and embedding it in his mind.

  He pressed Lacy against the wall again for another deep kiss. His left hand slipped behind her back and held her against him as his right hand cupped her breast, gently squeezing it, feeling her nipples stiffen at his touch.

  Lance scooped her into his arms and threw her into the middle of the bed. He pounced on top of her like a playful puppy.

  Lacy put her arms around his neck and pulled his face to her, kissing him with the fiery passion that was blazing inside her.

  He lifted his lips from hers, then began kissing her eyelids, her nose, her cheeks, her neck, trailing his tongue down her body, kissing and flickering his tongue over her entire body.

  She moaned and clung to him as he sent her orbiting around the moon, sun, and all nine planets. She totally surrendered, body and soul. When he entered her she cried out, “Oh, oh, oh.”

  Lance wanted to stay inside her forever and fuse together like Siamese twins. Her sensuous body and the way she worked it was bliss beyond words. He heard her screams of ecstasy over his own as she soared through space, climaxing in a sobbing, whimpering crescendo.

  After they were spent, Lance laid his head on her breasts, and she stroked his hair. Then he heard a soft, sweet snore. He smiled, raised his head and eyed her long, slender neck. He reached up and rubbed his hands up and down the inviting throat. His palms didn’t itch. What the hell. So lovely. So inviting. All I want to do is kiss her all over, again.

  Lance rolled onto his side and tenderly gathered her tiny body into his arms.

  Lacy fluttered her eyes, patted his face and smiled.

  They entwined their bodies and drifted into sweet, replete sleep to the tranquilizing hum of the ceiling fan.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  The bright morning sun streaming through the thin window curtains edged Lance’s eyes open. He couldn’t believe he had fallen asleep without a lude and whiskey. It was more astounding that he had a peaceful sleep with no nightmares. No voices in his head. No faces glued to his eyeballs.

  He raised his body and propped himself up on his right elbow. He gazed down into the sweet face beside him. He gently traced a sprinkle of freckles with his index finger. I wasn’t expecting a virgin, but I sure as hell wasn’t expecting what she is capable of. She made me feel like a real man, not a paid-for fuck. We didn’t have sex. We made love. I didn’t know the difference, until now.

  He was becoming aroused, thinking about how wonderful the lovemaking had been, while he gazed upon her.

  Lacy fluttered her eyes, gasped, then made a fist and connected with Lance’s jaw. As Lance caught her wrist, she yelled, “Shit fire, man! Don’t do that. I’m quick at knocking the shit out of a man who looms over me when he thinks I’m asleep. I’ve kicked a few balls in my lifetime. That’s not a smart thing to do.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you, I was just admiring you. I must say, you’ve got one hellofa punch behind that tiny fist. And you’re quick.”

  “Unless you want to end up ball-less, you better be mindful to be admiring me while I’m wide awake.”

  “Feisty little
she-devil with that red hair, aren’t ya?”

  “Survival instincts,” she said, staring into his eyes with sincerity.

  “Hey, I believe ya. You know you took a big chance on spending the night with me. I’ve already told ya I was a serial killer. You could have made number three and I’d have earned the title.”

  “You took a chance on inviting me to spend the night with you. I’m an observant person. I’ve seen your wad of money that’s big enough choke a horse. I’ve watched you pull it out of your pocket in front of everybody and peel off those hundred dollar bills. I could have knocked you in the head, stole your money and took off.”

  “So you’re a thief?”

  “I’ve only stolen once. A tube of lipstick, of all things. So, I guess I have to do it twice before I qualify, but you could have been number two.”

  They both laughed.

  “Let’s go get in the shower, dress, and find some breakfast. Come on,” Lance said as he threw back the sheet.

  Lacy jumped out of bed and ran toward the bathroom, yelling over her shoulder, “The last one in is a turd tapper!”

  Lance caught up, laughing and grabbing at her naked butt. She giggled and he wanted to take her back to bed, but decided not to mention it. Lacy was a spitfire and though he enjoyed ruffling her feathers the thought of a nice shower was more enticing.

  Soon they were in the shower, lathering each other’s bodies, and laughing like two children.

  After they were dressed, they caught the elevator to the lobby, then headed outside in search of a breakfast café.

  They ate a hardy breakfast, then lingered over a few cups of coffee. Lance noticed that Lacy was beaming. Incredible girl-woman, he thought. “No hangover headache?” he asked.

  “Nah, I feel fine. I do think I got a little drunk though. Like I said, I’m not a drinker.”

  Lance placed his coffee cup on the table, motioned the waitress for a refill and said, “Tell me a little about yourself. A few things you’ve said has raised a few questions. I know you’re a runaway and I gather you’ve had to fight your way through life, so far.

  “Not much to tell,” she said. “I was raised by alcoholic parents who beat the shit out of me on a daily basis. I was a slave to them and my two shithead brothers. I’m trailer-park trash. But I did manage to graduate from high school, and I’m gonna make something outta myself.”

  “So who has tried to take advantage of you when you were asleep or they thought you were asleep?”

  “That would be my own worthless prick of a daddy and one brother. I’ve busted their balls and whacked them over the head with a bat a few times. I don’t like violence but nobody is gonna force me to do anything against my will. Especially my own family. Worthless pricks! I hate their guts. I hate Mama too. She always got mad at me when I kicked Daddy in the goobles and she’d slap the snot out of me. I never hit Mama, but she had one more time to do it before I slapped the coondog shit out of her. That’s about it.”

  Lance shook his head. The thought of a father raping his daughter hit too close to home. “If you want I’ll go kill the sonofabitch for ya. I’m serious. I’ll get the brother too. You just tell me where to find them. I’ll cut their dicks off and shove them down their throats.” Lance’s palms were itching. His temples pulsed. He rubbed his hands against his jeans.

  “The way I look at it, they aren’t worth it. I’m away from them now and I’ll never go back, so they can go to hell with no help from me. Yellow Creek can fall off the map as far as I’m concerned. I hope someday that damn trailer park goes up in flames. Mama slapped me when Daddy staggered into my room and I busted him in the balls, ‘cause she was scared I’d ruined the family jewels and he wouldn’t be of any use to her.”

  Lance didn’t hear her last sentence. His blood was boiling. They needed to be punished for how they had treated Lacy. They were bad boys. “Where’s Yellow Creek? I’ve never heard of it?”

  “It’s a little Podunk town just a few miles out of Little Rock. Only one trailer park, called Haven’s Way. It should be called Hell’s Way. Ah, I’m just glad it’s behind me. I’m gonna put it out of my mind. I’ve got plans.”

  “What would those plans be? If you don’t mind me asking?”

  “I’m still running it through my head. I’ve said all I’m going to for now.” Lacy sipped her coffee and stared into space.

  Lance didn’t press her. He’d get more out of her later.

  “So, what’s your story? You haven’t shared a thing,” Lacy said.

  Lance smiled and patted her hand. “There’s nothing interesting to tell. I’m kind of a private person. I don’t share much. How about we blow this place and get some sightseeing done? We might do a little shopping. I think we could both use some new duds.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me. I’m broke, but I could sure use some duds, as you call them. Rags is all I own.” Lacy paused, cocked her head then said, “You know, I don’t open up too much either. I can’t believe I told you as much as I did. You’re just so easy to talk to. You seem genuinely interested. Nobody has ever shown any interest in me before. Except for—” Lacy stopped talking.

  “Except for?” Lance pressed.

  “Never mind. Let’s go shopping!”

  Lance reached into his pocket, pulled out his pill pouch, fished out a black capsule and popped it into his mouth.

  “Are you on medications?”

  “It’s just a little something to get my blood flowing. These babies will make you feel like a million dollars. You want one?”

  “I wouldn’t mind feeling like a million dollars, whatever that feels like.”

  Lance handed her a black beauty.

  She downed the pill with a sip of water. “Let the million begin,” she said with a giggle.

  Lance left a nice tip, paid the bill and they headed outside.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Lance put on his dark shades and took Lacy’s hand. They walked outside and Lacy pulled the strap of her shoulder purse over her head. She always carried it around her neck in case somebody got the bright idea to snatch it from her. She only had a few dollars in it, her driver’s license, a few pictures of the only boy she had ever loved, and some pictures of herself as a little girl. She also had a tube of lipstick, which she had stolen, and a small bottle of perfume that was a gift from her high school boyfriend, and her spin-wheel package of birth control pills. Her most precious possession was her cassettes. She had written several songs and sang them as she put all her hopes and dreams on tape.

  They walked a few blocks, browsed a few shops, then Lance spotted a boutique. Lance liked the looks of an outfit that was neatly displayed on a mannequin. “Let’s see how that outfit would look on you. Do you like it?”

  “Hell, yes! But where would I ever go to wear a skirt, a fancy blouse and high heeled shoes? I’ve never worn heels before, and I’d probably fall down and break my neck. But I’ve always dreamed of the day when I could dress up right fancy and deck myself out with necklaces, bracelets and a ring on every finger. I reckon that’s silly, huh?”

  “It’s not silly at all. There’s nothing wrong with dreams. Sometimes they come true. So, little sugar dumpling, I’ll buy the outfit, heels, and all the trimmings. We’ll find a place where you can wear them and look like the proper lady that you truly are. Stick with me, darlin’. I’ll introduce you to the finer things in life.”

  Lance remembered back when Mr. Wiggins had uttered the same words to him. Mr. Wiggins had kept his word. Later his dream of escaping Hampton House and residing in California had come true. He’d also kept his promise to Mr. Wiggins. His first human kill was a commie bitch. I do believe I’ve found my new project. Lacy isn’t scared of anybody, yet she needs me. It kind of feels good to be needed and for the right reasons. It makes me feel important. And special.

  They walked into the boutique and a lady asked if she could assist them.

  “Yes,” Lacy said. “I’d like to try on the outfit in the window
.”

  “That’s our display, but I’ll be happy to find one in your size,” the lady answered, looking Lacy up and down. “What size do you wear?”

  Lacy stammered, “Er, I’m not sure…”

  Lance quickly spoke up. “She wears a size five.”

  “The only size five we have is on the mannequin—”

  Lance said, “Well, undress the mannequin and let her try it on.”

  “Yes, sir,” the lady answered.

  When the lady walked off, Lacy gave Lance a strange look. “How the hell do you know what size I am? And you made me look stupid. I was about to say—”

  “I know the size of a woman by feel. You had no idea, so just show some respect here.”

  Lance saw Lacy bristle, but the clerk came back before she was able to speak her piece. She followed the clerk to the dressing room.

  The outfit was a perfect fit. Lance bought the shoes and accessories that went with it. Lacy lost her snit and she was beaming as brightly as a ray of sunshine as she carried her precious bag of cargo and they headed outside. Just as they reached the door, Lance said, “Don’t you want some shades? The sun is bright out there. You need to protect your eyes. Else you’ll grow cataracts.”

  “Shades would be nice. I sure don’t want cataracts. I need good eyesight in case you want me to do some thieving for ya.” She laughed.

  “And in case I need you to find me a nice long neck to squeeze to death," Lance answered, and chuckled.

  “I do believe we are the perfect partners in crime.” Lacy laughed, then headed to the stand where many sunglasses were on display.

  The rest of the day, they went from shop to restaurant to shop. Lacy wanted some makeup. Lance liked her natural beauty look, but he also knew how women loved their makeup. He bought her a complete kit with an extra palette of 20 shades of eye-shadows.

  They joked and laughed all day. At 6 o’clock, Lance said, “How about we go back to the hotel, shower and you can get dressed up in your fancy duds and we’ll dine in style.”