GAZE

he walked into Black Briar to celebrate Halloweenhave a couple of drinks enjoy the crowd costumes  head home

he went to the rear where there was a rustic outdoor patio usually there were tables to be had it was away from the long affable bar awayremoved from what promised to be intriguingif not titillating entrancesNOPE

                                                                                                        not a table Briars was doing a bangup business he spied an empty stool at a crowded table across from a woman he had seen there on occasion she was sitting beside her girlfriend they were dressedhed guess as Bonnie and Clyde she was bonnie and builtwhich wasnt to detract from her girlfriends  bonnie in her own right

he asked them if the seat was occupied

                                          If it was I’d say it wasn’t. she winked  It’s not.

May I

May you what?

Be seated enjoy your company he winkedshe laughed

                                                          he said to Clyde Tough on your suspenders

You’re telling me.

                   Gives me somewhat a slight appreciation, distaste to be honest, of women who bind themselves.

Is that a thing

Not so frequent, though we have friends who have acquaintances who do.

                                                                              perhaps to emphasise she tugged at the suspenderstugged them apartplacing them to either sideher cleavage plumpedDAMN. she yanked them to bisect her breasts again but one slipped in betweenDAMMIT. she elbowed Bonnie Between these suspenders, the sleeve garters, this outfit’s driving me nuts.

You lost the toss, Bonnie and Clyde was your idea.

Yeah, well wait till next year, no he no she, just shes.

Just shes are fine with me.

Clyde sneered her moustache angled

May I buy you outlaws a drink

Please. said Clyde

   Bonnie was slower on the uptake smiledcuriously  lasciviously    Are you entertaining intentions?

he laughed

             Unintended  If this seat were taken we woudnt have this conversation  Works been a bitch I didnt realise it was Halloween until Id already left home was too far gone  Hence . .

. . You look like a teacher, a professor.

I get that a lot

               he pulledloosened his tie unbuttoned top two buttons Tha better

smiling her sneer gone Clyde asked  Are you an undercover Gman? she winked

                                                                                      You’ll never take us alive. 

Maybe we coud discuss the terms of your surrender over a drink   Another Whayare havin

they chorused Please.

If you woudplease  Ive got my back to the bar  Womenit is my experience are acknowledgedserved quicker than men  Coud you hail a barmaid

                            As Ive seen lusty wenches all 

It’ll be a good tip night.

Bonnie heldup her hand Sammy’s serving us, she’s a friend.

Sam I know . .

. . She’s the lustiest wench here.

Ohyah  No doubt

You a regular? Clyde asked  I haven’t seen you before.

Call me a patron On occasion

I’ve seen you before. said Bonnie

Ive seen you You he said to Clyde I havent

No, unlikely, I work out of town. Cherise and I practise a long-distance relationship. We’re not staid, not monogamous, though we’re an item, right doll? she kissed her warmly

Yes, an item to be sure.

Im Joe

Cherise. This is Maddie.

he reached across the table shook their hands Maddies suspenders slipped between her breasts

                                                                                                      Goddammit.

Its becoming . .

. . It’s become a pain in the ass. But thank you.

Yare welcome

               Ive not met either a Cherise or a Maddy before                                

Your lucky day, Gman. said Bonnie erCherise And any women named such after meeting us won’t hold a candle to us I guarantee.

             she leaned forward now her breasts became the objects of attention 

he didnt glimpse

                   Arya crazy Take a gander

Hushit

I am  You crazy

Yare goin off hafcocked   Strategy

AwHell  Suppose yare the boss

I am

       Sammy see you

She did. She’s working her way over.

Cherise leaned forward a bit morerevealed more

Shes . . .

You look

I am shes killing me

                       Feasting my eyes

Feasting I like it

   NO Youd love it

Cherise. 

he turned on his hip towards Sammy

Joe.

Hey Sammy I understand youll likely have Bonnie and Clydes order Them again please  Ill have a celebratory Rusty Nail

What are you supposed to be?  she asked 

Either an overworked teacher or harried Gman

Sammy laughed Awright.  My choice, a teacher.

Yare kind

   I’m not.

               something hung in her silence   Wish I had a teacher like you.

Loaded. sang Maddy

Sammy smiledblushed  

                          I’ll be back. Three traditional ice cubes, Joe?

Please Sammy

Aim to please Joe.

                      she turned and left                       

She got a little thing for you, Joe? asked Maddy

Shes engaged

She’s been engaged better than twoalmost three years. said Cherise  Shit or get off the pot.

Careful Might sound like you got a hard-on for men

Shiftless men damnright, but for that matter shiftless women too. Lack direction, lack rudder propulsion.  Yeah.

They oughta take wha they want

We all ought to take what we want.

                                      she indicated with her thumb over her shoulder at Maddy  This one. At a mutual friend’s party not a half an hour after we were introduced she had me in the pantry.   Jesus.

She seduced me.

I didn’t. 

          We needed more china place setting, you’re taller than me, you could reach them without the stepladder.

   I heard a story that you removed the stepladder. 

Don’t be crass.

I . . believe . . . you grabbed my ass when I went up on my tiptoes.

Maddy laughed I was stabilising you.

Cherise rolled her eyes Then she stabilised my breasts.

                                                            Was a hot time on the old town tonight.  China wasn’t needed.

Nope.

Theyre hot  Think we can wrangle something to get between them

Woudya shaddup

I still cant believe you havent taken a gander at Bonniessorry Cherises tits

Whacha thinking, Joe? asked Maddy

he eyed her eyed Cherise

                             Quite the pair

Would you be more specific?

Yes. said Cherise  More specific.

                                     There are three pairs are across from you.

Theres a chance man

SHUT UP

Theyre loading the chamber

And you’ve yet to give us a glance.

I don glance

   You don’t glance?  asked Maddy

Yawant cursory estimations

Oh. 

I’ll second that.

Thank you grrls

Here we go. Sammy 

                      Did you want to start a tab, Joe?

No Sammy  Well settle

   Really?  Quick work?

Stop

What time are you off, Sammy? asked Cherise

I’m early shift. Off at Ten.

Maddy asked Would you like to party?

With you three?

If it’s cool with your fiancé.

I don’t have to ask permission from my fiancé.

Then you’re free? asked Cherise

Oh shit

Shaddup

The three of you?

Just the three of us. And you.

That would be fun.

It woud be a riot 

Jesus man

Wha Not a riot These women  Yakiddin me

                                                Evenif nothing comes of it or one or two or three  Nice way to spend Halloween  In their company

Ten then. Seeya then if not sooner for another drink.

Then Ten. Maddy and Cherise chorused

                                            he wondered if they did that a lot

Shit

Now you. Cherise

Me

You.  Maddie

Wha  

together You don’t glance?

they did do it a lot

                   I don

Crazy. said Cherise

Not reallyI prefer to admire

                                So I gaze

GAZE? together

Yah

Could get you slapped.

Either of you thinking of slapping me

they took up their drinks and sipped together

Yare thinking

Actually said Maddy  I’m thinking why three ice cubes? Three ice cubes in your . . . what?

Rusty Nail Drambuie Scotch

                              Why woud I dilute either Only slightly  If I had my druthers Id have it shaken but I cant say ever where my druthers are at the time nor am I James Bond

Ah. not together

Gaze

they looked at each other

My nipples are getting hard. said Cherise 

Mine too.

Gazing is . . exceptionally intimate.

Yes 

     Admiration too 

                      Have either of you attended an art museum and glanced  glanced at the paintings  Oils  Watercolours   Sculptures

                             Id say no

Glancing is horseshit                          

   Is if I may demeaning

Wed relish you 

Look at you

              

To gaze is to relish

Hey thas my line

Yare me  Mine

Theres tha

There is

he held his glass up in toast

                               To treat or treat

they smiled warmly consciously

                                    Treat or treat. together

they sipped their drinks

he went between their eyes to bring them into the moment

                                                             then

one at a time 

he gazed

Cherise

         he gazed at her nose a good nose west Indian broad a beautymark on her left cheek full lips she parted themher tongue eversobriefly darted leaving a sheen of saliva where it touched a good chin jawline her throatanother beautymark long neck elegant curved collarbones strong shoulders freckles on her chest constellations

he reached towards her  with his wristhis hand bent back he gently pushed against her right breast  she sighed

he gazed

          he pushed bit harder the cloth collapsed top of her aureole  eclipse   crescent

he sighed

gazed

   withdrawing his hand he slowly lifted his eyes to hers

gazed

looked like she was coming undone

her nipples harder

   he turned his attention to Maddy

Cherise uttered God. That was hot.

                                      she took a deep sip of her drink                

he took Maddy parcel by parcel

she was more feminine than Cherise finer features marbled redhair wave mosslichenspeckled greeneyes more freckles

         she seemingly absent remotecontrol  pulled her suspenders to either side of her breasts released them let them snap

he ran the back of his index finger against their swell barely grazed a nipple through her shirt

leaning back he returned his gaze to her eyes

she whispered words they sounded like another language

   

   Let the games begin

Patience

2115ish,  2sday,  12  9. 23

1505,  Monday,  25  9. 23