The Cherry Pages

by Gary Ruffin

  Cherry went into the bedroom, quietly dressed in the clothes she had worn that day, and waited in the dark. When she felt the time was right, she slowly opened the window, took the screen off, and laid it on the bed. She looked out, saw that she could easily climb down, and within seconds was on the ground.

  It was a familiar feeling, sneaking out in the middle of the night to go on the prowl. Smiling at the thought of Poppy looking down from heaven, Cherry blew a kiss to the stars, and whispered, “Wish you were here, Pops.”

  She crept alongside the cottage until she reached the sand, and finding it almost dry, squished it between her toes, then trotted toward the Gulf. When she reached the water, she took a deep breath of the sea air and felt the gentle wind in her hair. It’s so beautiful here, she thought, and played tag with the ocean the way she had as a child on holiday at the seashore. The water was cold on her feet, but felt wonderful, and she could taste the salt in the air.

  When her eyes adjusted to the moonlight, she could see from her vantage point at the water’s edge how truly isolated Penny’s cottage was, almost like having a private paradise on a tropical isle. She looked to her right, and seeing nothing but sand, looked to her left. Down the beach about fifty yards she could see a faint light behind a line of sand dunes. She smiled as she realized what was most likely happening, but had mixed feelings about the situation. Happy for them, a little sad for herself, but most of all, she felt an overwhelming sense of curiosity.

  Did she dare go over and try and get a peek? What if they caught her in the act, catching them in the act? How embarrassing that would be! Even as these thoughts went through her mind, she found herself creeping towards the dunes.

  When she came to the line of dunes, at first she heard nothing. Then she heard something that stopped her in her tracks: The sounds of pure pleasure.

  She heard oohs and aahs, and moans and groans, and the sweet tones of classical music. It was all too much! She backed away quietly until she was sure she was out of earshot, then trotted back to the cottage, her heart pumping wildly.

  The excitement was almost more than she could bear. She had to talk to someone. She sneaked back to the bedroom window and climbed in quietly. She replaced the screen, turned on the bedside lamp, and found the bag that held her phone.

  She sat on the bed and dialed Sally Allen’s cell. Sally would be mad at first, but Cherry had come to a decision, and had to tell someone.

  After four rings, Sally said sleepily into the phone, “This had better be good.”

  Afraid Earl might hear, Cherry said as softly as she could, “Sally, please don’t kill me, darling, and whatever you do, don’t look at the clock. I just had to call and tell you of the decision I’ve only just made a moment ago.”

  Sally said, “Cherry. My love. My dear. I’m sorry, but I shall have to kill you with my own hands. It’s the right thing to do.”

  Giggling, Cherry said, “I have wonderful news, Sal. There’s no turning back. I’m going to do it!”

  “Do what, for the love of Zeus?”

  “IT!” Cherry whispered.

  Starting to wake up, and realizing what she meant, Sally asked, “You’ve found someone in Florida? After all these years? After traveling all over the world, almost every continent, you’ve found someone in Florida? Tell me you’re joking, and I can go back to sleep. Please tell me that.”

  “Sally, I’m not joking. It came to me as I was on the beach. It’s all so clear to me now!”

  Sally asked in a slightly cross tone, “What is all so clear to you now?”

  Cherry walked over to the window, looked out, and whispered, “I’m going to take Cooper as my first lover.”

  61

  AFTER THE FUN, PENNY AND I LAY ON OUR BACKS ON THE SOFT BEDspread side by side, looking up at the stars. There was no need to speak, so we continued listening to the soothing classical CD, the perfect music for the situation.

  The rain clouds had left the area, and the visibility of the stars was remarkable. Being away from the lights of the town, even one as small as Gulf Front, you get a spectacular view of the night sky from the beach.

  We sat up. Penny retrieved the champagne flutes, and poured us each another serving. We drank slowly, and after another round, I noticed that the bottle was about half empty. I mentally toted up the approximate cost of each glass and smiled to myself. It was an incredibly lavish experience, but I knew that Susan would’ve been ecstatic to know how we used her gift. She and Neal have been pushing me to propose to Penny for years; another few nights in the dunes, and their wish might come true.

  As if reading my mind, Penny leaned into me. The wind had picked up a little, and the candles flickered, but neither of us felt the need to move or get dressed. It was getting cooler, but there was more than enough body heat left between us. Besides, the dunes acted as a windbreak, keeping most of the cool air from reaching us.

  Sitting there on that velvet blanket, naked to the world, two of Gulf Front’s finest were definitely living the High Life. I chuckled, and Penny asked what was funny. I said, “I was just thinkin’ about what Neal says at a time like this.”

  “What’s he say?”

  “‘Wonder what the poor folks are doin’ tonight.’”

  She laughed softly, and kissed my neck.

  I said, “You know what, Chief Prevost? I’m beginning to really like this sexual-harassment stuff.”

  “Shut your mouth, and open it,” she said, and started Round Two with another one of her overpowering kisses.

  Sally Allen sat up as if launched from her pillow, and shrieked, “Cherry Leigh Page! Have you gone completely mad? Coop? Doesn’t his girlfriend carry a gun?”

  Laughing softly, Cherry whispered, “I don’t care! I fear nothing at this point! She’s wonderful, by the way, but I don’t care about that anymore, either!” She paused, then asked, “Am I being horribly mean and selfish to even consider doing such a thing as this?”

  “Yes, horribly so!” Sally said.

  “What am I paying you for?” Cherry asked with a giggle. “I’m telling you, Sal, I simply cannot go on like this. I simply have to lose my virginity, and soon, or I’ll go stark raving!”

  Incredulous, Sally said, “Cherry Page! What in heaven’s name will your mum say? You told me you two struck a bargain when she gave you the birds-and-the-bees speech: no hanky-panky before marriage, remember?”

  Cherry pressed her forehead against the window. She remembered the half lie, but continued it by saying softly, “That bargain was made ages ago, Sally. Eons. And, besides, Mum said the first time should be special—that it should be with someone I had deep feelings for. If not the kind of feelings that lead to marriage, then at least to be in love. Now, I’m not saying that I’m in love; at least I don’t think I am. But, I am saying that Cooper is special, and that I care for him deeply. He’s a wonderful choice to be my first, and—and, well—if I don’t have a man soon, I’ll go ’round the bend. It’s mad, I admit, but I feel like a bitch in heat. Or, at least what I suspect a bitch in heat might feel. I’m out of my mind! I’m going crackers! Help me, Sal!” she said, and collapsed back onto Penny’s bed in a fit of giggles.

  Now fully awake, Sally said, “I guess I’ll have to be the mum here, and ask all the right questions. Let me think, I’m still asleep. Right. What would your mum ask at a time like this? Okay. Are you certain you want to go through with this? Are you absolutely, positively, sure?”

  “Yes, Mum,” Cherry said with a smile.

  “Gawd, I was hoping you’d change your mind after I showed my disapproval. This is completely out of character for you, even as a film role. You, Cherry Page, a home wrecker?” She sighed dramatically, and said, “What else, then. Oh, yes, you say this boy is special?”

  “Yes, Mum.”

  “And you have feelings for him?”

  “Absolutely, Mum.”

  “And you’ll be sure to take the necessary precautions?”

  “No, Mum.”

&n
bsp; “You—what?”

  Forgetting about Earl completely, Cherry laughed, and bellowed, “I don’t know! I only know for certain that I’m going to have him as soon as we get back to the Ritz. What better place than a four-star hotel for my first time?”

  Sally said, “Well, I’m not through with you, young lady.”

  “No more questions,” Cherry said. “I’ve made up my mind, and it’s written in stone.”

  Sally yawned loudly, and said, “Well, if that’s the way you feel about it, I’m going to sleep. Call me when you’ve come to your senses.”

  “That’s just it, Sal, I finally have come to my senses. And to think a lawman from America would be the first to have Cherry Page, the British Bombshell.”

  Sally said dryly, “G’night, bombshell.”

  “Night-night, Sally old girl. When next we meet, I shall have but a few hours of purity left.”

  62

  GEORGE COATS AND QUEENIE, HIS GOLDEN RETRIEVER, WERE OUT EARLY for their morning constitutional, walking the same route they took every morning, barring rain. George owned a nearby music store, and never went in before ten, so there was no hurry. The pressures of meeting a payroll always seemed less of a problem in the predawn light. It was a foggy Friday, the grass wet with dew, and the streetlights were still on, a yellowish halo around them.

  The Brookhaven neighborhood was quiet as always so early in the morning; it would be another hour or so before there were any signs of life. The lights of the small houses would come on one by one, and the noise of families getting ready for school and work would be heard up and down the streets. But George and Queenie would be back home by then, energized and ready for breakfast after their brisk stroll.

  As the pair turned off of Malabar Drive and headed up Wentworth, Queenie suddenly stopped in front of the second house from the corner, sniffed the air, and stared at the front door. The big dog stiffened, whined, and began to try and pull George towards the house.

  Trying not to disturb the neighbors, George said in a low voice, “Queenie! No! Stop that!” The dog never acted in such a manner, even when she spotted one of the many cats that roamed the neighborhood. George pulled back on the leash, hoping to distract her from whatever was drawing her attention, but Queenie was determined. She pulled harder still, dragging her now-angry master several feet into the yard before he could brace himself and stop her progress. He pulled hard on the leash again, wrapped the end around his arm, and dug his feet into the ground. This stopped the dog from pulling, and George relaxed, thinking that the situation was now under control.

  It wasn’t.

  Queenie barked loudly three times, and a large crow flew from behind one of the bushes that lined the front of the house and settled on the roof directly above. The bird walked quickly back and forth for a few seconds, then finally perched on the gutter.

  While this was happening, Queenie barked, whined, growled, and tried her best to haul George over to the bush the crow had abandoned.

  Still worried about waking the neighbors, George continued to try and quiet the dog. But Queenie would not stop barking, so George looked up and down the street to see if anyone was around. Seeing nothing but the Jeep parked in the house’s driveway, he decided to let the dog have her way before she woke the neighborhood.

  The pair made their way across the short lawn, and George noticed several large, brownish pools of dried liquid on the grass and the concrete pathway. Hundreds of ants were moving around and through the puddles, and Queenie sniffed them for a moment. Then she whined and pulled George towards the bush.

  As they got within a few feet of the bush, the crow lifted up slowly, flew from the roof over to a low branch of a nearby pine tree, and watched the dog and man intently.

  Still trying to control Queenie and failing, George finally let go of her leash, and she hurried behind the bush, whining and growling low in her throat.

  George asked, “Whatcha got, girl?” as if he expected an answer, then walked over and pushed his way into the bushes, his right foot stepping on the mutilated neck of Joe Don Kendrick.

  Gagging at the sight and the smell, he grabbed the barking dog’s leash, and pulled her away with newfound strength. This time, Queenie didn’t resist, and they broke into a run and headed for home, where George immediately called 911 and breathlessly explained the circumstances.

  63

  WHEN I WOKE UP, IT WAS ALMOST DAYBREAK, AND I COULD SMELL coffee, but I didn’t hear anything. No Penny and Cherry talking, no early-morning radio, no nothing. I sat up on the sofa, stretched, and ambled over to the open windows that look out onto the beach.

  There in the water, up to their knees, were my two favorite babes, splashing water on each other, laughing as they tried to avoid getting wet.

  They were each wearing one of Penny’s bikinis, Cherry in white this time, and Penny in her orange one, which is my favorite since it shows off her dark hair and deep tan. It was a nice sight to see in the early morning light, and I went to Penny’s closet and got a pair of my cutoff jeans to wear, then made a cup of coffee with cream in the kitchen. I figured it would be an even better sight to see up close, so I downed the coffee in three gulps, grabbed a folding chair from the screened porch, and went outside to join the girls.

  The sun had just come up, and after the rain of the day before, the sky was a brilliant blue and perfect, not a cloud anywhere to be seen. It was going to be one of those ideal Florida Panhandle days.

  I was a little shaky as I walked in the sand, but considering the goings-on of the night before, I wasn’t doing too bad. By the time I got within twenty yards or so of the water, they had spied me, and waved and called out for me to join them. I waved back, declined their offer of a dip, and stuck my chair in the sand, all the while suffering their insults about what a sissy I was, and how gutless I’d become, and whatever else they said.

  Some of their cruel comments were lost in the sound of the surf, and they gave up when I sat down and smiled at them like a dummy, obviously unscathed by the verbal assault. Penny stuck her tongue out at me, and Cherry thumbed her nose as they moved out into deeper water, all the while jumping up and down to try and keep warm.

  Cherry finally took a headfirst dive into a small wave, and came up a few seconds later with her bikini top missing. Penny laughed and pointed at the unaware Cherry, and dove in herself, swimming underwater towards her new pal. Cherry finally realized she was topless, squealed, and immediately covered up with both hands before quickly sinking below the surface.

  Just at that moment, Penny bounded up out of the water like a porpoise, the missing bikini top in hand, and attacked the half-nude Cherry, which turned out to be a mistake. The British Bombshell grabbed Penny’s bikini top, gave a yank, and suddenly they were both naked from the waist up, laughing and wrestling in the chilly surf.

  I watched the show from my folding chair, pretty much feeling like a sheik with a harem. I also felt more than a little privileged, seeing as I was in a very select group of men, maybe the only one in the group. I saw Cherry Page topless, and for quite a while. I mean, maybe her doctor and me were the only two guys in the world who could say that, and maybe he hasn’t even seen her like that. Who knows?

  One thing I did know: The day had just begun, and there I was, sitting on the beach in a folding chair looking at two beautiful women, sea-wrestling topless. One of them a famous movie star who didn’t do nude scenes, and the other a gorgeous cop who did. On the beach at night, no less.

  Another thing I knew: there was feminine pulchritude all over the place.

  The two shameless hussies grappled with each other for several minutes, having a gay old time, no pun intended, before finally stopping to surrender their respective bikini tops. Well, actually, Cherry only pretended to surrender, and kept Penny’s away as long as she could before finally giving in and handing over the orange strip of cloth.

  All in all, it was a fun way to start the day, no question about it.

  The main reason
I’m relating this story about the beach scene that morning is to illustrate how quickly paradise can be lost. No, seriously.

  Anyway, after they stuffed themselves back into their bikini tops, the two bathing beauties swam and dove and basically frolicked for another ten minutes or so, then ran towards me, the sun now fully up and shining on us all.

  They found their towels, dried themselves off while their teeth chattered, and came over to sit down in the sand next to me after giving me what I’d come to expect whenever they came around: a couple of quick pecks on my cheek. Ah, the Good Life.

  Penny asked, “Didja enjoy the show, big boy?”

  “Show? What show?” I said. “I had my eyes closed the whole time.”

  Penny clouted me upside my head with her damp towel, and they each gave me a girl punch to the arm.

  “Ouch, and ouch,” I said, and asked, “Cherry, how ’bout that sandy bottom out there? Clean as a whistle, isn’t it?”

  “It’s brilliant! And no seaweed whatsoever. Just like taking a bath. A rather chilly bath, but a bath nonetheless. And such gentle waves. What a beautiful spot you two have here. And this weather is simply extraordinary.” Running the towel over her wet hair, she added, “I could easily spend the rest of my days in the Gulf Front sunshine, no problem a’tall.”

  She put her arms out behind her in the sand, leaned back, and offered her face to the glowing sun. Penny did the same.

  I reminded Cherry, “Don’t get too used to it, boss lady. Like you said, we can’t have you goin’ back to Atlanta with a face to match your hair.”

  Penny said, “Good boy, Coop, that reminds me.” She handed Cherry the tube of sunblock she’d stashed with the towels. “Let me put some on your back after you do your face.”

  Cherry nodded and thanked her, took the tube, and rubbed sunblock on her face, legs, and arms. Penny took over and did her back for her, and I just closed my eyes and sighed, enjoying the smell of the sea and coconut-scented sunblock.