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
