Random Chance

* Random Chance Retrieving Faith

 

    Hitting the open road on a motorcycle seemed to offer peace from the ghosts haunting Gary’s past. He lost his wife seven years ago. Since then he went through the motions trying to have a normal everyday life. Gary was a hard man, when he lost Linda; he almost turned to stone, wrapping himself into his job. This suited his boss; Gary was the head of security in a well-known casino in Las Vegas. If Gary locked eyes on someone cheating, they would pray to God the cops would hurry up and arrive to whisk them off to jail just to get away from him.

 

     He never raised his voice; he never needed to, when he spoke people made tracks. “Yes sir,” and step to the ready or you answered to him. The same year he lost his wife a crew of cheats landed in his casino. Since Gary was the only thing between them and the door they decided the weren’t waiting around for the police. Three ambulances needed to be called, when the dust settled Gary hardly raised a sweat.

 

     Every other year Gary’s boss gave him a healthy bonus and fired him for a month. He couldn’t stand to sit around his big empty house so he took a road trip to visit his little brother. Picking some northern route, he cruised the open road to South Carolina. They might run the coast to DC and back to Charleston before Gary would say his goodbyes heading back to Vegas.

 

     When Gary built his Hog, knowing he would be taking it on long trips, he chose a six-gallon tank to lengthen the distance between fuel and rest stops. After leaving his brother, Gary stopped at a diner to fill up and get a morning bite. Sitting alone in the booth while waiting for his eggs and hash browns to be served he glanced out the window to see a young girl begging for a ride with an old couple and then a trucker. Neither of them wanted anything to do with her. As she walked closer to the window, Gary used the detective skills he learned over the years to size up a person. To see the story behind their eyes they never wanted to share with a stranger.

 

     She looked to be about twenty-five, tall, slender with shapely legs that seemed to go on forever. The new skintight denims and go-go boots made her look taller than she was. Her puffy cashmere sweater did its best to hide the rest of her curves. The small gym-bag she wore over one shoulder and the way her eyes darted around, told Gary this girl was on the run.

 

     She came up the walkway right outside the window allowing Gary a closer look. She was blond with a three hundred dollar cut and style. All the high dollar rings and bracelets she wore told him she was no stranger to money. She had a ring adorning almost every finger except the one on her left hand. The one finger most guys look at to make sure some mad husband won’t be putting a gun to the back of their head while trying to buy her a drink.

 

     Most guys would have stopped looking at her fingers the moment they saw she wasn’t taken but Gary was smarter than that. Being from Vegas he also noticed the pale white skin on that same finger. The red mark on her left cheek told Gary not only was her husband right handed but he had a temper. Any guy hitting a woman like this had to be nuts.

 

     When the last car pulled out of the parking lot, she looked at Gary’s runner then through the glass straight at him. He hadn’t seen eyes that blue in years so when she headed for the front door of the diner, Gary hoped he was going in the direction she wanted to go. *

 

~2~ Riding with Faith

Gary listened to her steps on the linoleum, the heels of her boots were almost three inches high yet her steps were almost silent. Most young women of this modern age would have clomped across the floor; this meant she had some training in grace and poise. She paused a respectful distance away until Gary gestured for her to sit. Stepping right up next to his booth, she paused again, “Good morning”

 

“Please sit”

 

She thanked him kindly, easing ever so gently into her seat. He hadn’t stopped sizing her up since he laid eyes on her and now when she didn’t flop into her seat he knew this girl wasn’t your ordinary valley-girl.

 

     Gary kicked his detective skills into high gear trying to assess what she was then he would see if her words matched what he thought. Manicured nails in the French style, no lip or nose piercing, only a single earring in each ear with a matching necklace. The width of the red finger marks on her face told him her husband was a large man with fat fingers and from the angle of them; she was most likely cowering when he smacked her.

 

     Just then, his food arrived and her eyes had already eaten most of it off his plate. So she hadn’t eaten in a while and even though she wore diamonds, she had no cash.

 

He held out his hand, “Gary”

 

She flinched, stuttered, and her eyes flashed left and right before she took his welcome, “S-Sandra”

 

Gary pulled his hand back and looked her dead in the eye,

“Are you sure you want to start this conversation off with a lie young lady?” 

 

She lowered her face slightly from shame.

 

“Lets try this again; Good morning my name is Gary.” He stuck his hand back out.

 

This time when she took his welcome she almost whispered, “Nice to meet you Gary my name is Faith.”

 

Gary knew she told the truth that time but decided to see how brazen she was so he baited her to see her reaction.

 

“That’s a sexy name doll.”

 

She pressed her lip tightly together for a second then started to excuse herself,

 

“I’m sorry you must have the wrong impression, sorry to have bothered you.”

 

“Wait, I apologize, that was out of line, please sit.”

 

     Gary instantly knew she was a gentle person with proper boundaries befitting two strangers meeting for the first time. He took the saucer out from under his coffee cup, put one of the eggs, half the hash browns and one of the sausages on it. Slowly he slid the saucer to her side of the table with her watching it like a hungry owl yet she kept her hands in her lap.

 

“Would you please join me for breakfast, Faith?”

 

“Thank you”

 

He could tell she wanted to tear into it as if she was starving so he handed her one of his pieces of toast, which won him a smile.

 

“You needing a ride?”

 

“Yes, please, you’re not going north are you?”

 

“No dear I’m sorry, I’m going to breeze down to Jacksonville then I’m heading west.”

 

She looked relieved, “May I join you for a while?”

 

This won her a smile, “Sure, right after were done eating I’ll fill up and we can hit the road. Have you ever ridden on the back of a motorcycle?”

 

She shook her head not wanting to talk with food in her mouth. After they ate, he went over to the pumps to fill up while she stopped by the little-girls room. Gary hadn’t expected a passenger so he strapped his helmet onto her.

 

“If you have a hair tie you might want to tie it back then stuff it inside your shirt, er, sweater, if you don’t you’ll be combing tangles out for a week with all that hair you got.”

 

This won him his second smile and it seemed warmer than the first one. Once he got her on the back of his bike, he gave her the standard speech about keeping her feet on the pegs and no matter what she thought about riding, she had to keep her shoulders between his.

 

     Glancing down Gary realized he hadn’t had a woman on the back of his bike in quite a while. Sitting between a pair of sexy legs made him swallow hard. The height of her seat put the heat of her secret right in the small of his back. This quickened his heart rate a little more.

 

When he dropped it into gear, the bike lunged slightly like an impatient racehorse locked into a starting gate waiting for the bell. Faith threw her arms around his waist thinking she was going to roll off the back. Gary knew she was perfectly safe with the backrest behind her but there was no way he was going to bother explaining that to her. He felt like a king again for the first time in years.

 

     As he pulled out into traffic, the sounds she was making under her breath let him know she wasn’t sure she made a good decision climbing onto his wild ride. To assure her everything would be alright he patted the outside of her left knee, she misunderstood, clamping her knees in tighter to him.

 

     Gary had no way of knowing at the time it had been a while since she had a man that close to her thighs but as the vibrations of the road relaxed her she laid her head on his back and enjoyed her own thoughts.*

 

~3~Faith’s hidden Pain

     Knowing the affect the rhythm of the road could have on long legged young ladies gave Gary a devilish grin as he held his speed to a particular frequency. When Faith involuntarily squeezed her knees in on him a few miles down the road Gary reveled in the lewd conduct of his badass motorcycle. If he wasn’t careful this poor thing would be a wobbling mess by the time they got to Jacksonville. Feeling the warmth of a satisfied kitten resting on him Gary could have puffed a dozen smoke rings from the proverbial cigarette his mind was smoking.

 

     Just a few miles out of the city, Faith lifted her head and did her best not to squirm on her seat. Gary knew she was getting saddle-sore,

 

“Hang in there sweetie, we’ll be taking a break in a few minutes.”

 

“Good, my butts getting sore.” Faith embarrassed herself when she heard what she said to him.

 

“Don’t worry cow-girl we all get numb the first few times we ride. Are you going to hang with me a while longer or do I need to drop you off some where?”

 

     Faith didn’t know what to say. She didn’t have any plans, didn’t know anyone and she wasn’t really going anywhere particular, just going. Gary pulled into a bike-shop he knew of to get an oil change on his beast before turning west. As he dropped the stand he held out his left arm, “Better slide off this side Faith, watch out your knees are gonna be a little weak at first.”

 

Still holding onto his arm for support, she saw the gleam in his eye.

 

“One of the perks of cruising babe”

 

Her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue, not only did she like the way he called her Babe but he knew what happened to her a while back. She was just glad he didn’t know how many times. He stretched a minute as he stared at her and was glad when she held his gaze without looking away or further embarrassment.

 

“You never answered me a while ago.”

 

“What?”

 

“Should I drop you some where?”

 

     Looking into his eyes, she knew this man didn’t hurt women. She felt safe with him, well, there might be one danger the way he was looking at her there was one danger she secretly liked but now she wasn’t sure she wasn’t willing to face that problem if it came knocking.

 

     Standing felt nice, neither of them wanted to move. As close as they were they could have almost shared the same breath.

 

“May I stay with you for a while?”

 

“Sure, that makes me happy but what about your husband?”

 

Faith almost passed out when he said that. “How did you know, I’m….”

 

Gary took her hand to lead her into the bike-shop and squinted a little with one eye as he showed her the pale skin on her own finger. After he made arrangements to have his scooter serviced, he looked around to find Faith. She looked through the selection of shirts and other things they had for women when she felt Gary standing right behind her, without turning around,

 

“So where are we going?”

 

“We huh, well I’m going to Nevada, where are you going?”

 

He touched her shoulder as he turned her so he could see her eyes.

 

“I want to go to Nevada but I am married.”

 

“To the guy that smacked you around?”

 

“Yes that’s why I left; I wasn’t going to put up with it any more.”

 

She went back to looking at the clothes so Gary started picking things he thought she might look good wearing.

 

“So if you went back he would still swat you around?”

 

“Probably more”

 

“So are you going back?”

 

“No”

 

“Never?”

 

 Faith looked hurt as she remembered how she was treated,

 

“No never”

 

Gary handed her a couple of shirts and pointed to the little dressing room they had. The entire door was open slat louvers so they could still talk while she was inside.

 

“I think this one is too small.”

 

“It’s the same size as the ones you were looking at.”

 

“No it’s definitely too small”

 

“Let me see”

 

Faith opened the door but wouldn’t step out, making Gary look in to see her. The shirt was a skintight midriff cut without any sleeves.

 

“I think it looks great, since you didn’t tear it as you pulled it over your….pulled it on.”

 

When Faith turned to look at herself in the mirror Gary saw a large purple mark on her shoulder. When he stepped closer she glanced up to see the blood in his eyes. The closer he looked; Faith had faded brown, black and blue marks all over her arms, back and shoulders. Gary hadn’t seen them before as her sweater covered them.

 

    Her face waxed with shame as she realized what he was looking at. She had lived with bruises so long they were almost invisible to her.

 

“He do this to you?”

 

Her silence confirmed what he asked

 

“Darlin you better put your sweater back on before these good-ol-boys think I’m the bastard that did this to you, I don’t want to die today. She had a tear in her eye as she closed the door. Gary hadn’t noticed he balled his fists until the door was shut.

 

“Faith, let me ask you again, you ever going back to him?”

 

It was silent in the dressing room for a moment,

 

“No” she stepped out

 

Looking into Gary’s eyes, seeing the anger on his face was the first time she could ever remember not being frightened by such a hard stare.

 

Searching her face melted him; he would have given anything to have his woman back if only for a moment. Out there somewhere was a son of a bitch that had no business breathing let alone lay claim to the life of this woman.

 

So let me ask you again, are you married Faith?”

 

She paused for a long moment, “No, no I’m not.”

 

“Do you want to come to Nevada with me?”

 

“Yes” *

 

~4~ What Dues I Owe?

“Okay then, first rule of the road is partners watch out for each other, deal?”

 

“Am I joining a club?”

 

“Yeah, a club with two members, you and me all others come second. I watch your back and you watch mine, follow me.”

 

Gary took her over to fit her with a helmet, leather jacket and a hot set of shades.

 

“You can’t buy all these things for me.”

 

Gary grinned, “I have to, it’s a club rule, and I need my helmet back so smoky-bear won’t write me a ticket. The leathers are your armor in case we go down, and the shades will keep a beetle from making you a Cyclops.”

 

“Ewww that’s nasty.”

 

“It happens princess.”

 

Gary and Faith went back out to wait for his bike. He threw her a pair of leather gloves.

 

“The finger tips are missing.”

 

“No this way you can still do little things while wearing the rest of you armor, besides with your painted nails sticking out the ends they make you look tough.”

 

     Gary chuckled at the way she bounced around as if she were a boxer with her new leathers on. Out of boredom, she balanced along the edge of the curb while he quietly watched her.

 

     It had been years since Gary took care of someone now fate dropped this woman in his lap. He loved his wife more than life itself, when she died suddenly he felt there was so much left unsaid, too many dreams they didn’t get a chance to fulfill. Faith didn’t look, act or even sound like Linda except for her eyes. They were from two different worlds but that twinkle told him Linda’s magic made sure Faith came along. Somewhere, somehow he knew she wanted him to watch over Faith until she was free of the poison in her life if nothing else but a means of escape.

 

     Faith smiled at him wondering what was on his mind,

 

“Penny for your thoughts”

 

“Ha, I haven’t heard that in a while.”

 

“What you thinking?”

 

“Well by the time we get out of here and get back on the road the afternoon sun is gonna blind us for hours till we stop some place for the night.”

 

“So what you want to do partner?”

 

“I got one more stop to make then I know of this great place we can hold up for the night, I’ve stayed there before and you’re gonna love it.

 

     Faith’s face went white as she crossed her arms and tightened her lip. Gary noticed and figured she must be screaming inside wondering if she bit off more than she could chew right now. When they got back on the road, they hadn’t gone far when he pulled into a Big-W shopping center. He could almost read the question on her face as they got off the bike,

 

“We got a bit more shopping to do before we stop for the night babe.”

 

She followed him through the store knowing she wasn’t going to like what he had planned and Gary’s energy boosted because he knew she would love it. The more items he put into his hand basket the tighter she locked her arms in her new leather jacket.

Turning around abruptly, he walked straight back at her. Grabbing the back of her head, he pulled her forward. Faith knew it; he was going to steal a kiss. Instead, Gary sniffed her hair then walked off leaving her stunned and confused.

 

     He picked out candles, bubble bath, bath oil beads and a small bottle of shampoo that smelled closest to her hair.

 

“Do you see anything I forgot?”

 

Now she was convinced she wasn’t going to like what he had planned but she handed him a small bottle of conditioner.

 

     All the way back out to the bike she looked at the back of his head wondering what she was going to say to him. How far was she willing to let this go; after all, she had only met him this morning. What bothered her even more is the way he kept winking at her.

She rode on the back of the bike with her head down, how much of herself was she going to deny to go along with this partnership.

 

     Gary pulled into a five star resort and told her to wait there while he checked in. this place was beautiful with fountains and gardens between the bungalows. Looking back into the plastic bag, the bath-beads and bubbles made even more sense to her now.

 

Gary drove down the twisting path to a group of buildings near the golf course. He untied her bag from the back of his bike and headed up the path. Faith still hadn’t gotten off the bike as she planned her escape through the thick trees.

 

“Come on princess”

 

     She shuttered but followed him into the room. Gary took the bag out of her hand and led her into the bathroom. There were large mirrors and gold fixtures, beautiful tiles and a large garden tub. Gary emptied the bag placing the items on the edge of the bath. He lit the candles and quickly walked out, leaving her to look around. When Faith looked at herself in the mirror, the girl starring back at her scolded her for getting into a mess like this in the first place.

 

     Gary came back with a stack of towels and a thick fluffy robe. She was just about to leave when he handed her a piece of paper,

 

“Okay, relax and enjoy a nice long, bath. Once you’re all wrapped up in your snuggly robe, call me, I’m in the room next door. I’ll come over with dinner and we can watch a movie and visit until we crash for the night.”

 

   He stepped to the door to leave, “How about pizza, I know its not gourmet but it’s my favorite.”

 

 

Faith nodded and Gary quickly disappeared. Her legs almost dumped her on the floor as she clutched the stack of towels and cried. The evil she thought she saw in him was all in her head, maybe not every man in this world was a son of a bitch. If that was true, Gary might be one of the few.

 

    Her phone rang, “Hello?”

 

“Hey sweetie, lock your door before you settle in, what do you want on your pizza?”

 

She had barely been able to hide the tears in her voice until after she hung up. Why couldn’t she have found a man like him instead of Jake? *

 

~5~ Spirited voice in whispers

     Gary hung up the phone but just sat there staring at it. It had been years since a woman had enough power to turn his head, but he just kept thinking he was still doing something wrong. It wasn’t even the fact that she was another mans wife, hell he made it clear he didn’t want or need her. Gary wanted to clean up before dinner so he kept pondering the events of the day, as he got ready to shower.

 

     When he was alone, if he closed his eyes and listened he could almost hear Linda talking to him. The last year or so her voice seemed further away but it was still there, hiding in his memories. Hot water washed over his head and the sound of the spray in the shower turned to white noise in his ears, ‘she needs you.’

Gary put his hands to his head; he thought the long ride must have been getting to him, ‘I need your help’ Gary pictured Linda in the kitchen asking for his help to get the turkey out of the oven before her parents arrived. Now why would that memory come to him at this odd time? Then he remembered what she said when he set the bird on the stove,

“Do me one more favor before I have to go” those were the last words he could remember her saying to him other than, “I’ll be home as quick as I can” but she never made it back. She blew him a kiss and she was gone, so empty.

 

     I should have never let her go alone, I should have been driving that night, and then you would be dead too, I don’t care….I wish, oh god how I wish…. ‘Do me one more favor…one more favor…before I go….go….go.

 

     Gary’s mind stopped playing tricks on him as he wiped the steam from the mirror to shave. After he was done, he would order the Pizza and wait for Faith to call. When the phone rang, he almost cut himself with his razor.

 

“You were right that bath was wonderful, come on over whenever you’re ready.”

 

Gary slowly hung up the phone again; his mind must still be playing tricks on him. Faith’s voice sounded exactly like Linda’s or had it been that long since he heard her voice that any woman would have sounded like Linda? On the other hand, did he just wish too hard for an impossible dream, the one dream he could never have, a second chance at.

 

     When the pizza girl arrived, he slipped his key-card in his pocket, picked up the ice bucket he had filled with the stock from his mini-bar and headed next door.

 

“Come in, ooo that smells heavenly.”

 

“I brought some drinks too so we wouldn’t blast your total stock.”

 

“Hey before you get settled Gary, do me a favor…”

 

“What did you say?” Gary shuttered.

 

“What’s wrong, you look as though you’ve seen a ghost, all I needed was for you to help me with this hairdryer. I plugged it in; it made a noise then went dead.”

 

Gary put on a fake smile and followed her into the bathroom still shaken from her words. He pushed the reset button on the ground switch and it started working again.

 

“Wow you’re a wizard, wait don’t go, hold it for me while I do the fluff thing on top.”

 

     Gary brightened up; she needed his help, that felt so good. He didn’t care if it was just to act as her dryer stand he was needed again and now his smile wasn’t forced. He even enjoyed acting board to make her hurry or blowing it right in her face when she least expected it. He finally got swatted when she caught him aiming it down the front of her robe again.

 

     That night they quickly discovered they both enjoyed action films, the same kind of pizza, music and large crowds got to be bothersome very quickly. Gary loved her giggles and when she got wound up, she had the most adorable piglet snort that embarrassed her.  That pushed Gary over the edge laughing, he hadn’t had this much fun in years.

 

He glanced at his watch, “Do you realize it’s two in the morning?”

 

“No way”

 

“We better knock it off and get some sleep” he got up to leave.

 

Faith looked disappointed and almost pouted like a child but she took his arm and walked with him to her door. There was a bubbling in her voice,

 

“Can we do this every night? I don’t mean the fancy room or the movies just…”

 

Gary smiled wanting the same thing she did, so he gave her a peck on the cheek,

 

“Definitely babe, after all we’re partners, right?”

 

“Yes we are.”

 

     All too quickly, she was standing there alone still snickering at his jokes. Closing the door, she flopped across her bed trying to remember the last time she had that much fun do nothing at all. Gary hadn’t been gone more than five minutes and she already missed him. The phone rang and she pounced on it as if it would run away,

 

“Did you lock your door sweetie?”

 

“Yes daddy it’s locked, thank you though.”

 

     He said goodnight again and hung up. She wanted him to spend the whole night with her, and then she shook her head abruptly realizing what that would mean to him if she had of asked. She forgot he was a man in a sexual way for that moment, all she saw was her first real friend she had in a while.*

 

~6~That makes me the boss, Babe

Both of them managed to sleep half the morning away so when Faith opened her eyes the thin sliver of light that squeezed in between her curtains was bright enough to light the whole room. Stretching brought a smile to her face. It had been the first good night’s sleep she had in a long time and she basked in the serenity of it.

 

     A knock at the door startled her but she recognized Gary’s voice, “Room Service”

Grabbing her robe she ran to the door, “Good morning Angel, are you ready for a morning bite, or rather a fashionable brunch?”

 

“Please kind sir do come in.”

 

     She closed the door and opened the blinds to brighten the room, taking her seat at the table. Gary pushed her chair in before reveling a variety of fruits and eggs and toast.

 

“Take your time babe I thought since we’re getting such a late start, why don’t we hang out here one more day and spend it at the beach?”

 

“Yes that would be great; I can’t remember the last time I went to the beach. But…”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Well don’t laugh but, I don’t have a thing to wear.”

 

“Ha, all you women say that, but in this case I suppose you’re not kidding. We’ll just drop by a store and you can pick out whatever you want.”

 

“Gary I can’t let you spend anymore of your money on me, it just not right.”

 

“Sweetie the last thing we have to worry about is money, believe me we’re doing fine in that department.”

 

“No you don’t understand”

 

“Oh, I see, if I keep buying you stuff that makes you feel like you owe me something in return.”

 

“Exactly”

 

“Now that’s a problem but I think I have a solution, I could use”

 

“Watch it mister,” she scolded with a smile.

 

“No-no this is on the level, hear me out. When we get to Vegas you’re gonna need a job and I need a house manager.

 

“A what?”

 

“I have a big house, twice a week I have a team of girls come in and clean it for me. I also have a gardener, pool guy and a maintenance man. I need a boss to run the whole show, a girl Friday if you will. If you’re up for it the job is yours until you find something better. What do you say?”

 

“I’m not sure I know what to say.”

 

“Just say yes then whatever we get will come out of your first months pay that way you won’t owe me a thing.”

 

“But you don’t know me why would you…”

 

“Oh I think I do, and besides, we’re partners, I need someone to watch my back remember. This is a real job, not some bullshit charity, you’ll work your ass off for me but what you do will be legit, you up for it babe?”

 

“Yes”

 

“Oh and no lawsuits for sexual harassment just because I call you babe or darling, hey that will be your title, Gary’s house Babe, no that doesn’t sound good does it?

 

“Just babe will do fine and you got yourself a deal boss”

“Alright then, we’re on vacation and I want to go to the beach, you coming with me…babe?”

 

     A few hours later they were sunning themselves while drinking pina coladas, having toe-wars in the sand with her giggles and piglet snorts. The yellow sundress he bought her had white orchid pin lines that were almost invisible in the bright sun. The resort supplied the umbrellas and beach towels while the bartender stopped by with fresh drinks and cool washcloths every now and then.

 

     After Gary applied more suntan lotion to her shoulders and arms they took a long walk along the shore. Holding out his hand, she took it as if it were the most natural thing. It meant more to both of them than either wanted to admit.

 

     When Faith asked him about Linda he held onto her hand a little tighter but told her everything. It was the first time he openly discussed the things that caused him the most pain. As Faith listened it seemed to make the pain a tolerable memory, it still hurt but it felt as though Linda wanted her story told.

 

     In turn, Faith told him about Jake and how he turned into such a monster so quickly after they were married. He worked for her father and took over the business when her father retired. Soon after they were married her dad died and that started a series of events that changed him almost over night. When he came home drunk he started knocking her around and it got worse from there.

 

     Gary held off saying what he thought about Jake, as it wouldn’t help matters,

 

“Never again though, huh babe?”

 

     Faith stopped, this turned Gary to face her, she kissed him on the cheek, leaving a smear of lip-gloss. Smiling, she reached up to wipe it away; Gary gently trapped her fingers to his cheek returning her kiss to her for listening to his story of woe.

 

     This was the second time their eyes locked hard on one another. Before he read more into it than he thought he should, Gary pulled away and started back for their spot to get another drink to cool his dry throat.

 

     Their hands locked tighter together as their hearts slowly tangled, but this would be a secret neither of them would know for the time being. *

 

~7~ Was this a date with Faith?

     Gary smiled more in these last two days than he had in years. As Faith talked he found himself looking close at every detail he could find in her. Everything about her was beautiful but he didn’t dare think about it because if she pulled away it would ruin this wonderful time he was having. Faith heard his stomach rumble,

 

“Boss I’ve had enough of this sun I think I’ll walk back to the room and get cleaned up.”

 

“Sounds like a plan, I’ll go with you; what do you want for dinner my sweet.”

 

“Well we are at the beach what do you think about seafood?”

 

“Oh I know of this great place it looks like one of Jimmy Buffett’s closets, real casual but the food is awesome.”

 

“I’m with you all the way”

 

“Just wear that but grab your sweater for your shoulders it’s a bit breezy on the patio.”

 

     Walking back to their rooms Faith reached for his hand that time stealing glances at him. His gentle ways were appealing to her; she wasn’t use to a man that was so confident with who he was that he didn’t need to draw attention to himself. Playfully swinging their arms let him know she was happy with the way the day turned out.

 

    Faith saw Gary waiting beside a taxi when she came out of her room,

 

“Your chariot awaits”

 

“I was wondering how this dress was going to fly on your bike.”

 

“Naw, I wouldn’t do that to you, besides with all the drinks you’ve been poring down my throat today I think you’re trying to get me drunk so you can have your way with me.”

 

“Me, I think it’s the other way around you bad man.”

 

     The taxi dropped them off; the ragga music could be heard from the parking lot.

 

“This looks like a fun place.”

 

“Wait till you see the decorations all over the walls, they’re beyond gaudy and way into some beach comber’s psychedelic heaven.”

 

    Faith thought he was joking but when they got inside, she laughed as the walls were covered with antiques and items most seen by fisherman and beach bums, mixed with Christmas lights and strobes. Some of the walls were patched with sheets of corrugated tin with plastic parrots, toucans and flamingos everywhere.  The tables were all picnic benches with rolls of paper towels for napkins.

 

     At first Gary was a little embarrassed to have brought Faith to a place like that until she grabbed his hands placing them on her hips as she danced her way back to their table. She beamed with a rosy glow and winked at him to let him know she was having fun since the music was almost too loud.

     Both of them had fun with everything they saw, pointing out some of the subtle jokes like the salmon smoking a pipe.

    Gary was sitting sideways on the bench on his side of the table. Trying to hear what Faith was saying, he couldn’t hear half of it and was just about to ask for a table out on the patio. Faith tapped him on the hand telling him to wait. She got up from her side of the table and came over to Gary’s side. Straddling the bench as he did she pushed her back to him. Now she could turn her head to the side and talk into his ear, still looking around.

 

     The other day he had felt her on his back as they rode but having her pressed to his chest was something he wasn’t expecting. It was like tasting  his most favorite dish for the first time in years. His whole body tingled with her touching him, laughing in his ear while her light perfume hinted at the presence of summer flowers.

 

     Happy hour ended, the manager lowered the volume and chose a different style of island music. Gary was delighted when Faith stayed right where she was until their food arrived. She rubbed shoulders him and joked about how he needed to let her drive tomorrow so she could have him hold onto her for a while.

 

     They were enjoying dinner when Gary asked her how her fish was, she cut a piece of it and fed it to him with the same fork she had been using. Neither of them noticed at first but in return, he fed her some of his crab cakes with his fork. The next song started so Faith leaned over to whisper into his ear so he could hear her,

 

“Does it seem like we have known each other longer than just two days?”

 

“Yes and it feels great to be with you.”

 

She wrapped her arm around his and squeezed as if she was giving him a hug then fed him a chip with a wink.

 

     On the taxi ride back to the hotel she sat close to him with his arm on the back of the seat, she leaned her head on it letting him know she enjoyed it being there. Gary knew she was having fun but wondered what might happen when they got back to their rooms.

 

     Part of him wanted to ravish her the same way he imagined but he also didn’t want to ruin her lovely day by pushing himself on her. Oh, how he wanted to taste her lips and squeeze her to him but this was too soon.

 

     She waited for him while he paid the driver then took his hand as they walked to her bungalow.

 

“Sweetie we better cut this short tonight, get some rest, tomorrow will be here too soon, and we have a long ride.”

 

“Yeah you’re right” she was obviously disappointed.  This answered the questions she asked herself about what would happen when they got to her room and was she ready to find out more about him. “I’ve had the most wonderful day…boss”

 

“Goodnight darlin”

   Gary stepped away from her still holding loosely to her fingers until they slipped out of his hand. He waited until she got her door open, “Lock it up babe.”

 

     He hated the sight and sound of her door closing with her on the other side. He had to force himself to walk away, “Good night angel.” *

 

~8~ Riding the wind to New Orleans

     Gary stared at the ceiling or the phone trying to get to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Faith in her yellow sundress playing in the sand or dancing at the waters edge as they walked the shore. He could hear her giggles and even conversations about things they hadn’t talked about yet. He knew he was acting like a lovesick boy but he hugged one of the pillows to his chest, listening to her describe what his dreams would be if he ever fell asleep.

 

     The next morning they prepared to leave early and as Faith strutted out to his bike, Gary whistled and cheered her every step. Faith was wearing her fingerless black leather gloves, her new leather jacket and her long hair braided into one thick tail. The dark glasses seemed to bolster the sass in her walk as she playfully teased him all the way down the path to the bike. After doing her best Betty Boop impression she leaned forward as if she wanted to kiss him on the cheek instead of saying good morning.  Gary was surprised and amused when she lightly bit him instead,

 

“Wow did someone get enough sleep last night?”

 

“Yes and I’m ready to go.”

 

     Gary was squatted next to the bike checking the oil when she tugged on his ears. After tying her bag to the backrest, he returned the favor by pinching her ass as he passed her.

 

“Climb on, Baby-cakes, lets ride.”

 

     The morning air was a little cool that close to the ocean so Faith unzipped the pockets on Gary’s jacket and slipped her hands inside for added warmth. He enjoyed her fingers tickling around in there but tended to business on the crowded streets winding his way to the freeway. If he had been riding alone, he might have taken more chances or punched the throttle a bit harder in places but Faith was precious cargo.

 

     Once they cleared the city, Faith found out she could relax against her bag and traced one-word messages on his back. A single nod or a pat on her lower leg acknowledged his understanding. Gary adjusted one of his mirrors so he could see her face and watch her blow kisses at him.

 

    He hoped she wasn’t getting bored but his thoughts soared. When the needle on his gas gauge finally pointed to the ‘E’ he slowed to take the next exit.

 

“How you been doing back there, Kitten?”

 

“I think I’m turning into one of those biker-chic’s that loves the highway.”

 

“Hope you still feel that way at the end of the trail, because its gonna be a long one.”

 

“Well right now this chic has got to go.”

 

“I’ll meet you in the coffee shop when I’m done here.”

 

   Gary snickered at the way she scurried off as if she didn’t have any time to waste. By the time he got inside she had a cup of coffee waiting.

 

“So how far do you want to push it today partner?”

 

Faith smiled and turned the tables on him, “As far as you want to go….Babe”

 

“How about we push for New Orleans, can you hang?”

 

“Sure I’m comfortable with that”

 

   Gary pulled out his cell phone, “Let me introduce you to my boss’s secretary, you two will probably become fast friends playing phone tag with each other when we get home.”

 

“Home, I like the sound of that, it has a nice ring to it the way you say it.”

 

     He spoke to Beth and asked her to make arrangements for a place in the quarter. Then he put Faith on the phone with instructions to tell Beth her measurements and height so she could have a cocktail dress waiting along with an appropriate suit and shoes.

 

“No don’t even tell Billy-boy I called, I won’t be back for two more weeks. Wait, I still owe him for the last trick he played on me, tell him I got married….no but he doesn’t need to know that, let him think that’s why we need the clothes, it will drive him nuts. Yes she is, prettier than you can imagine…..yes I am, very. When we get back you two will have to go shopping, I know that’s why I picked you. Okay, I’ll check my texts for the address, you too, kiss.”

 

“She sounds nice”

 

“Oh she is, but you gotta down a few drinks before you go shopping with her because she just won’t stop, always on the move.  Billy may run the casino but she keeps him pointed in the right direction.”  

 

“What trick did he play on you?”

 

“Oh, a while back he told me one of our guests died in their room with a hooker. When I pulled the covers back Billy had a stripper waiting for me. What got me was, when you look at a body thinking you’re gonna see a dead person and then they jump at you, I nearly pissed my pants.”

 

     Faith giggled at that all the way out to the bike. Gary opened his saddlebags and pulled out three MP-3 players and a set of ear-buds,

 

“To fight the boredom you have a choice of music, the gray one is oldies-rock. The black one is modern; some of it is a bit hard. And the red one leans more to the mellow with a lot of love songs.”

 

    Faith chose the red one and once they got back on the road she wrapped her arms around him, lay her head on his back listening to the songs as clear as if she was in the studio when they were recorded. *

 

* Random Chance Retrieving Faith (Part II)

 

~9~ Room for Love to grow

     With all the stops they made Gary managed to turn an eight-hour trip into a twelve-hour jaunt. This kept them from getting too tired. He pulled his hog in between two planters near the entrance of their hotel.

 

“Yes Mr. Sams we’ve been expecting your arrival. If you sign here we can take you to your room.”

 

“There must be a slight mix up, there were suppose to be two rooms.”

 

“I’m sorry Sir but I followed Mr. Stilton’s instructions to the letter. Here is a copy of his fax.”

 

“Stilton, Billy Stilton, that rat.” Gary instantly knew what was happening. Faith had been listening and began to snicker as she took his arm.

 

“That’s fine, here’s my card I’ll just take another room in addition to this one.”

 

“Yes sir, I would if we had any other accommodations but with the game in town I don’t think you will find anything else. Mr. Stilton compensated the guests that were scheduled for that room, purchasing its release to you.”

 

Gary held out his hand surrendering to what he couldn’t change. Faith took his hand as she followed the bellhop to the room. Gary glanced around the room passing the kid a note, the bellhop thanked him, closed the door on his way out.

 

A large canopy bed was not quite the focal point of the room with its fine silken curtains accenting the detailed carvings. A rich brown couch in the center of the room divided the sitting area from the bedchamber, a balance of softness with an air of an old world drawing room. On the table was a bouquet of flowers, with a note.

 

‘Gary and Faith Sams, we wish you two newlyweds all the happiness you deserve. P.S. Did you really think I would fall for that, buddy?’

 

     Gary promised to kick his ass when he got back but Faith knew he was kidding. She found the clothes Beth left for them and held the dress up in front of her as she looked in the mirror. Gary sat on the couch and propped his chin in his palm as he looked at Faith playing in the mirror.

 

“You know I’ll bet I’ve seen this a hundred times in the movies.”

 

“What?”

 

“Two people locked into a room with only one bed and like us it puts them in a quandary.”

 

Faith flopped across the bed, “That’s right and the guy either volunteers to sleep on the floor or they end up getting into trouble when the girl thinks it would be okay to share the bed for just that one night.”

 

She propped her chin in her hand just like Gary did and starred back at him with a grin.

 

Gary winked, “Don’t forget there are usually monsters or a storm to knock out all the lights scaring the girl half to death.”

 

“What ever shall we do” she smiled back as she let her eyes caress the side of his face and picked the spot she would kiss if she was sitting closer to him.

 

He watched her playing with the tail of her braid. “Sweetie you know I didn’t have a hand in this don’t you?”

 

“Oh I know that, let me ask you something. At the risk of sounding brazen, where do you think we are going? I mean, do you think we’ll be together six months from now, a year, after all we hardly know each other. Are we just flirting, I feel there is more?”

 

“For my part in this, I would be lying if I told you I haven’t thought about you and me.”

 

“Me too, now for the scary question and I don’t mean monsters under the bed, six months from now are we going to regret beating around the bush not saying what I’m sure we are both thinking?”

 

     Gary folded his arms on the back of the couch and shifted to look straight at her as she peaked his interests.

 

“Sweetie you have to forgive me I haven’t looked at another woman in years until you came along and I am trying my damnedest not to rush this, or ruin my chances with you.”

 

     Faith kicked off her boots then walked to the couch and slid over the back of it where Gary caught her. He pulled her to him much like they were sitting in the restaurant the other night. This time he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her closer

 

Faith leaned back to him, while they talked quietly.

 

“I wasn’t looking for another man; I was just running as far and as fast as I could, I have only been with one man and looking for another wasn’t in my plans at all but….”

 

They sat quietly. Faith playing with his fingers. Gary pressing his cheek to her ear and watching what she was doing. Finally, he whispered,

 

“Darling I want you so bad I can almost taste it, but I can’t do the one time thing, that’s not the way I am.”

 

Faith turned a little so she could look at him, “If we go forward that means you want me permanently, you won’t just throw me away?”

 

     Gary cradled her in his arms, lightly stroking the side of her face,

 

“No dear, I wouldn’t throw you away but we need to give you time to decide if I am who you want. Most people call this a rebound affair. We also need to make sure, when I kiss you; I am kissing you and not a memory. You’ve got to know I still love her, that’s not fair to you. It’s important we both know where we stand before we can take a next step. In the mean time, I would love to say you are my sweetheart, I plan to win your love if you’ll let me try.

 

     Faith had a mist in her eyes that kept her from saying anything but she eagerly nodded and snuggled into his arms content to stay there knowing he was looking at her for more than just a fling.

 

    Lifting her chin Gary lightly kissed her lips for the first time. A soft gentle kiss filling her with a desire she had never known. He was telling her he planed to give her many more. By accepting this first kiss, she said yes to his gentle advances. *

 

~10~Dancing in the Quarter

 

   The ringing of the phone interrupted just before their lips touched a second time. Faith playfully scratched her nails on his knee before she jumped up to find out who was calling.

 

Gary turned on the couch as if he were going to stand, “It’s probably the desk, I asked them to find us a nice quiet place I could take you to dinner.”

 

“They found us a table at Jackson’s and would like to know it we wanted it.”

 

“Tell them to give us an hour, no better make it closer to ten so we don’t have to rush.”

 

    Gary cleaned up quickly and turned the bathroom over to Faith then told her he would meet her in the lounge when she was ready.

 

     Seated at the bar enjoying a scotch, Gary didn’t even need to turn around when faith came down stairs. The bartenders face lit up, he squared his posture and tried to look taller as he straightened his jacket. The piano player started playing smoother and the businessmen that shared a table across the room fell silent.

 

    He readied himself for a treat because he had seen the tight little dress she was going to be wearing. When he turned, his breath ran to meet her even before he was able to stand.

 

     The black velvet hugged her curves like a second skin, the flare of her hips and her tightly bound breasts had every eye in the lounge dancing. The matching stilettos sculpted her legs into a delicious fantasy. The long braid Faith wore earlier added a wavy fullness to her hair now that she freed it.

 

“Dear God Faith…..” Gary’s words were lost as his face flushed and the hairs on his neck tingled.

 

     She knew she looked hot but held herself with a shyness that added to her beauty. Gary took both of her hands and lightly kissed her cheek, the sparkle in his eyes told her what his words couldn’t.

 

     Flaring her eyebrows and the faint purring sound she made told him she was proud to be seen on his arm for the evening. Every guy in the place hated Gary at that moment but toasted them as they walked out to the carriage he had waiting. Faith beamed at the way Gary treated her. Holding onto his thick arm made her feel like his queen as they rode in the open horse drawn carriage. Her dress pulled up slightly when she sat and Gary rested his hand on her knees to guard her honor in case the driver turned to look back.

     Gary desperately tried to think of their surroundings as the little devil in his head was throwing her on his bed and shredding her dress to get at her delights.

 

     Faith’s own fantasies swooned as her panther claws lightly traced his arm. She bit her lip, positive he knew what she was thinking every time their eyes met, and this made her blush for being so brazen. In her mind, he pinned her to the wall in their room while his lips searched for things she had safely hidden.

 

     In the restaurant, the music the band played had everyone in a festive mood. Even though Faith was seated, her spirits were on the dance floor while they waited for dinner.

 

     After dinner, Gary took her dancing. Someone would award one of the couples with a plastic necklace for their part in entertaining the rest of the club with their moves. Faith soon collected close to a dozen strings of beads. She gave Gary some of the beads as it appeared to be part of the uniform of the partygoers. The heat from dancing drove them outside a few times to catch their breath.

 

     Faith was having the time of her life, the sights and sounds of the quarter were much better in person than she thought they would be. Gary bought her a small bouquet of summer flowers, choosing two or three for her to wear in her hair. Not to be outdone she sprinkled some of the tiny petals in his hair as they kissed. Gary smiled as he trickled sunflower petals on her damp neck and cleavage.

 

     As they walked in the direction of their hotel, they found several clubs to dance in while sharing more of the cheer. Finally it was decided they should go back to the room as Faith was feeling light headed.

 

     The high heels that made her legs look so good earlier were now going to cause her an embarrassing fall so Gary unbuckled the ankle straps for her when they got into a taxi. Arriving at the hotel, she composed herself as best she could while he paid the driver.

 

“Are you going to make it to the room doll?”

 

“Yes just don’t go too fast.”

 

   Gary chuckled and agreed to hold on tight as the doorman greeted them with a knowing smile. Once they were in the elevator, she was able to steady herself with the railing at the back. Faith wasn’t drunk but the last two drinks hadn’t caught up with her yet so they called it a night at the perfect time.

 

     Once inside their room Faith lifted her hair asking Gary to help her with the zipper as she left her coordination at the party. She went to the bathroom but didn’t close the door all the way, so she could talk to him while he turned down the bed for her. She came back carrying her dress wearing only her bra, panties and the many necklaces she was given.

 

     Gary knew the drink had made her brave so he acted as if it were normal as he tucked her into bed. She kissed him several times thanking him for a wonderful evening as he took off her beads. He handed her one of the flowers that came out of her hair and she was asleep before he could say goodnight.

 

     Smiling at his beautiful friend, he leaned over and kissed her once more as he grabbed the pillow from the other side of the bed. He took the pillow and the bedspread to the couch. Recounting all the fun they had that night as he took his turn in the bathroom.  Turning off all the lights, he removed his shoes and shirt, Gary chuckled as he listened to Faith try singing one of the songs in her sleep.*

 

~11~ Dreams of You

     Gary had matched Faith drink for drink but figured his larger stature warded off some of the effects of the alcohol. He was still fairly relaxed as he began to dream. He was dancing a slow dance as the lights dimmed. He noticed he couldn’t hear the music or the people around him but he danced smoothly.

 

     Glancing down he noticed his partner had red hair. A closer look and it was Linda,

 

‘I need you to do me one more favor before I go’

 

     Linda stopped dancing and reached back into the shadows. Faith stepped up beside her and Linda placed Faith’s hand in his. As Linda stepped back into the shadows she blew him a kiss fading, she was smiling. Faith waited until Linda was gone then they started dancing. As she leaned closer he wanted to cry but that feeling slowly faded as Linda did a moment ago and now he could hear the music.

 

     He woke with a start; the room was still dark and quiet. Some of the light from the street made it into the room but just enough to bathe some of the shapes in a dull grey that faded as quickly as the lights moved away.

 

     He opened his eyes even wider as he realized Faith was laying on his chest. She was sandwiched between him and the back of the couch. The bedspread was pushed to his waist and she shivered, clinging to him for warmth. Without moving too much he pulled the cover up over both of them and wrapped his arms around her cool body. One of her legs was between his so he slid his free leg over hers as an added blanket.

 

     She made the tiniest sound that let him know she was more comfortable. Pressing his face into her hair he closed his eyes. Try as he might he couldn’t keep his hand still, it slowly memorized the curves of her back from her panties to her bra. He could stop his exploration for more than a minute but the cooing in his ear triggered him to move again. This urged him to hold her tighter. Soon the rhythm of their breathing danced a slow tango between them. First he breathed in the scent of her body, heating the air with his desires then exhaling it for her before she would give it back to him.

 

     Opening his eyes again it was morning. Turning his face a little more to look at Faith he noticed she was wide-awake smiling at him.

 

“How did I get here, I could have sworn you put me into bed last night?”

 

“I did, I woke up and here you were so I just snuggled.”

 

“But why are you here in the first place. I thought we decided we were going to be adults and share the bed.”

 

Gary tried to disguise the slight look of shame for imagining himself doing things to her while she was out cold last night.

 

“I thought under the circumstances I had better sleep here so I wouldn’t take advantage of you.”

 

“That didn’t stop you from taking off my dress.”

 

“Now wait just a minute, you did that not me.”

 

“I think you’re right I vaguely remember now. But look at you laying on the couch all stud-ly playing with me while you slept. What am I going to do with you?”

 

     Gary threw off the blanket and tickled her mercilessly. She giggled, snorted and giggled louder because of her snorts. Begging him to stop she really didn’t want him to and tickled him as much as he did her.

 

     Then it happened without any warning. He was kissing her as her lover and her giggles turned to moans of pleasure as he crushed his lips to hers. She pulled on his arms trying to get even closer to him until he wrapped them around her. She loved the feel of his hot skin on hers.

 

     Rolling on top of her he stopped he was just about to take this to the next level when he caught a glimpse of fear in her eyes. It was laced with the same hunger she had for him but it was still there.

 

“Why did you stop?” her hard breathing was slowly gaining control over her emotions.

 

“Sweetie would you be upset with me if we waited a while longer?”

 

     She didn’t know why he stopped but she was secretly glad he did because she had never done this with anyone but her bastard husband. Somehow she thought it would end up with her getting knocked around like Jake use to do with her. This confused her because she knew deep in her heart Gary would never hurt her.

 

     She was trembling but trusted Gary, and there was no way she could get upset with him. He got off the couch and pulled her up at the same time. Kissing her again,

 

“Can we wait a little longer, Kitten, that way it won’t surprise either of us when we make love.”

 

     She didn’t answer but her grateful smile told him he was doing the right thing. He swatted her ass as he shooed her off to get cleaned up and ready to go.

 

   Sitting back down that look of fear she had flashed back in his mind along with visions of her bruises and how they got there, he cursed Jake for it. Under his breath and in his imagination, he told Jake this was his woman now and he had better never meet that son of a bitch in anger. *

 

~12~ Touching Words Between Them

     Faith seemed to have a little more bounce in her, this gave Gary pleasure just being part of her joy and seeing the changes in her. She wanted to keep all the plastic beads she won and the flowers he bought her so Gary made arraignments to have a box of stuff sent to his home in Vegas. The clothes Beth left for them and even the card Billy sent was added to the parcel. At the last minute, Faith grabbed the black stilettos back out of the box before the valet sealed it.

 

     Gary took his turn in the shower so he didn’t see Faith change from the go-go boots to the high-heels. Still drying his hair on a towel, he told her how they were going to push for Houston before stopping.

 

“It’s not as long a ride and we’ll still have some time to look around if you want.”

 

    Looking up from putting his own boots on Gary wondered why Faith was grinning. Posing herself in the chair directly across from him, she crossed her legs placing both hands on her knees. The way she batted her eyes Gary knew she was goofing off purposely trying to distract him. He wished he had a camera to save that moment knowing it would make the perfect picture for his desk. With his thoughts already on the road and the light streaming in from the balcony Gary still hadn’t noticed she was wearing her high heels instead of her boots. This painted a playful pout on her face as she wiggled her foot, re-crossed her legs the other way and did almost everything but point directly at them.

 

     Faith got up and sauntered over to pick up his shirt for him, like a New York Runway model she tossed it over her shoulder and danced her way back around the couch. The harder she tried to get him to look at her feet the more frustrated she got as his eyes never went below what he called her sexy little ass.

 

     That did it; finally, she playfully lifted her foot and dug her heel into his lap very near to a most tender area.  When he finally noticed, it made sense why she had been acting so flamboyant.

 

     Grabbing her wrist instead of the shirt, he spun her around. The next thing she knew, she was sitting sideways in his lap being showered with kisses and the tickle-attack made her squeal.

 

“So that’s what I was suppose to notice,”

 

“I couldn’t believe how long it took you to see them.”

 

“Well baby-doll you did have other things distracting me.”

 

     They both looked at her toes as she flexed her ankles in a most provocative manner. Slowly she lifted that leg high over his head turning to face him. Now that she was straddling him, he definitely wasn’t looking at her ankles any more.

 

“Give me your comb Mr. Sams your hair is a mess.”

 

   Gary quickly shifted to get at his back pocket then held on to her narrow waist as she played hairstylist. She was enjoying herself and memorizing every detail on his face. Although she looked everywhere except directly in his eyes, his were fixated on hers.

 

      She could tell he was trying to figure out what she was thinking so she asked,

 

“When we stop tonight, can we stay someplace….quieter?”

 

“Quieter?”

 

“Well, someplace not so….rich and can we eat at McDonalds?”

 

Faith ran her finger down along his nose making him grin,

 

“Sure I love places like that, I was trying to impress you and besides aren’t you kinda use to this lifestyle?

 

“No, we had money because my daddy worked hard and when he sold the business we had it really easy. I just like to be….an everyday person. Don’t get me wrong I love champagne but I also love beer in a bottle, chips an salsa too.”

 

“Oh baby don’t stop you’re making me hot.”

 

They gathered their things and headed down to check out.

 

Gary winked, “By the way, I love your shoes, they wouldn’t be my first choice on the Hog but they do get my motor running.”

 

     As they cleared town Faith looked totally comfortable on the back of his motorcycle. Leaning on the backrest with her ear-buds in, she had the music on listening to rock-n-roll as Gary punched it down the road. She wrapped her legs around his waist, she squeezed.  He only kept one hand on the controls; he patted and massaged her legs through her tight jeans.

 

     This form of touching was a different kind of communication, one without specific words, the rhythm and speed his fingers moved told her, ‘I love being with you’ or I wish this could go on forever. There were even questions like, ‘did you see that’ or apologies for hitting a rough spot in the road. Faith quickly learned this language and answered him by tucking her hands up under his jacket, drumming her fingers on his back or playful pinches. She even let him know what kind of song she was listening to even though he couldn’t hear it, a fast hard rock song or a gentle smooth love song each had a rhythm. 

 

     For more fun, Gary let his fingers wonder up her leg from time to time trying to see how far they could go before she mounted a counter attack repelling the enemy forces. All this helped to tune them into each other. Stopping at a rest stop, they wanted to see the valley from the over-look but the trail was moderately rocky. Without a word spoken, Gary stepped off the curb turning his back to her and she jumped on for a playful ride down to the railing.  *

 

~13~ Houston We have a problem

     Most of the day was gone by the time they got close to Houston. Gary saw a motor lodge that catered to truck drivers and a McDonalds next to the interstate. An orange glow seemed to bathe over everything as the sun hid behind dusty clouds on the horizon.

 

     Gary parked in one of the spaces near the entrance of the modest lodge.

 

Faith pulled off her helmet, “I was wondering, why do you wait until morning to fill the tank?”

 

“Well my sweet, if someone manages to steal my bike during the night I don’t want them to have a full tank of gas to get away with.”

 

Gary hung his helmet on the handlebars before heading inside to see if they had any rooms, “You coming in?”

 

“No I’ll hang out here for a bit.” She turned and let him see her rubbing her butt a little.

 

“Oh, hey Gary…”

 

“Yes doll?”

“All we need is one room tonight Bunky-Boy”

 

     Gary winked as he walked inside. After getting them a room he found out they had a coin-operated laundry for all the guests. He had been traveling light and Faith was traveling lighter than he was so he knew their clothes and underwear could stand a little soap and water. Stopping in the gift shop he bought a couple of toothbrushes since they left hers behind in New Orleans. He spotted a stack of terrycloth robes with the lodge’s logo on them and snickered at the crudeness of the blatant advertising but bought two of them anyway.

 

     As he walked back out he was surprised by a sheriff’s car parked behind his bike with the flashing lights going. The deputy was a little dark haired girl a little shorter than Faith. As soon as she saw Gary her eyes flashed and she put her hand on her pistol.

 

     Gary stopped dead in his tracks looking around for Faith. She was sitting on the curb with a guilty look on her face. The deputy was talking to someone on her radio but never took her eyes off Gary. Slowly he walked over to faith and sat down next to her.

 

“What the hell is going on?”

 

“You ain’t gonna believe this, I’ve been kidnapped by a pack of bikers and am being tortured and raped and….”

 

“This isn’t funny, that means they think I’m the one that took you, oh god Faith you didn’t rob a bank or anything like that did you.”

 

“No silly, it’s Jake, his brother is the sheriff of the county where I’m from and he probably put out one of those alert-thingy’s trying to find me.”

 

     Gary lowered his head and shook it out of frustration. He knew this would get cleared up but not before a big go around in the parking lot.

 

     Two more patrol cars pulled up and two big burly cops jumped out with their hands on their guns too. Gary thought all of this was a little ridicules but admired how fast the guys responded to back up their little sister. Faith slid closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. At first the cops started to get upset Gary was touching her until the older man saw she was with him willingly.

 

    After talking amongst themselves, they called Faith over to speak to her away from Gary. The deputies gave back their drivers licensees and canceled the alert on the poor kidnapped victim, then drove off as if nothing had happened.

 

“Gary I’m so sorry that happened, that must have been embarrassing for you.”

 

“Baby I suppose it was bound to happen, don’t worry about me this is nothing in the big picture. But I want you to think about this for a minute. If Jake put out a bogus report to find you then he wants you back and as crazy as I think he is he isn’t going to stop.”

 

“But I told them I was fine and they won’t be bothering us any more.”

 

“That’s true but they also wrote all of our information on that report. If Jake’s brother is a cop he can get a copy of that report, Jake and his buddies might pay us a visit when we get home.”

 

     Faith started to panic, this told Gary she was truly frightened of Jake and what he might still do. Outwardly he calmed her by hugging and kissing away her tears. Inside Gary knew it was time to call on the Ranger he once was. He wasn’t worried about dealing with Jake but he also knew Jake had the advantage of coming into their lives when they least expected it. With nothing to be done while they were on the road Gary smiled and took his sweetheart to dinner at McDonalds like she had been wanting.

 

     That night Gary made sure Faith was bundled tightly in her new robe and he in his as they took all their clothes to the laundry room. She played with his hair as they talked quietly. He could tell there was something she wanted to say but wasn’t sure how to go about asking so he just bumped into her gently as they sat next to each other listening to the washing machines. 

 

“What’s wrong sweetie?”

 

“I want to ask you something but when I think about it…”

 

she paused then whispered, “it makes me sound like a harlot.”

 

Half way mocking her Gary whispered, “just tell me and let me decide.”

 

There wasn’t anyone else in the laundry room so he thought it was cute she had to whisper her question.

 

“Even though there are two beds in our room, may I sleep with you tonight?”

 

Her face was riddled with shame for asking and Gary knew the police had her rattled making her feel vulnerable and frightened. He loved being strong for her but he also was a joker so as he put his arm around her he exclaimed,

 

“You slut, I knew you wanted to take advantage of me.”

 

She knew he was joking but as he squeezed her, a few tears came with her nervous laughter.

 

“Oh honey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it, yes please come keep me warm tonight.” *

 

~14~ washed in worry

With all their clothes clean, dry, and folded, they went back to their room.

 

“Sweetie you go get cleaned up first, you can braid your hair after and I’ll help you when I get out.”

 

     That thought delighted Faith as she closed the door to the bathroom. Gary waited until he heard the water in the shower and he made a call back to Vegas on his cell phone.

 

      Billy might have been Gary’s boss but he was also the only man in the world Gary could trust. In this modern day of computers and recording devices, Gary didn’t want to be too specific on the phone. By talking vaguely and in a code two old soldiers have come to understand over the years, he was able to alert Billy that trouble was probably following him home.

 

     Faith’s husband probably waited until he knew which way she ran before he could start causing trouble. Distance was on their side for the night. The police report recorded his license number so Gary had to figure Jake would know where they were heading.

 

     It would take a few hours for the word to get past all the way back to Georgia. Gary talked to himself as he added hours in his head, after that, an hour or two to launch a plan to get her back. Even if Jake flew to Texas Gary and Faith would be gone by the time he got here. However, even if he changed to the northern route, there were plenty of places an ambush could be waiting for them so Gary called Billy one more time.

 

“Yeah it’s me again, I need a favor. Have Beth rent a car for me at the Houston William P.  Airport, and make arraignments to pick my bike up.….. Yes, I’ll leave it in short-term parking…..Exactly, if he’s looking for two people on a motorcycle the smartest thing I could do is not be on one…..No if I jumped on a plane that would leave a trail and I don’t want to be a target as I get off of one. I’m fine; in fact I haven’t felt this good in years.”

 

   He also had Billy wire some money so he could stop using his credit cards. He managed to set things in motion before she finished her shower.

 

   Faith traded places with him and he took his turn in the bathroom. As the water flowed, Gary closed his eyes and remembered his time in the Army. This was his way of turning on the machine. Things that lay dormant would now need to come back to him. However, he had to remember to keep Faith close to him; if she noticed a change in his eyes, it may scare her.

 

     Gary could already see this situation blowing up before it even got started. The best thing he could do was plan for a viscous war and if it came, Faith wouldn’t even notice if he played it right. Well he could hope, but he knew nothing ever went as smooth as planed.

 

     He dried off and put on some clean boxers before he opened the door to see how Faith was doing. She was waiting for him as she watched TV. Laying face down on one of the beds, she was only wearing her underwear too. As soon as she saw him, her face brightened up.

 

“You ready to help me?”

 

“Sure what are we doing?”

 

“You said you would help me fix my hair.”

 

     Gary sat on the edge of the bed and Faith giggled at how inept he was at braiding at first. With her patience, he finally got the hang of it. After he put the final band on the end of her new braid, she jumped up on the bed beside him.

 

     He sat with his back against the headboard and Faith lay across his legs as they watched TV. He lightly rubbed her back as he traced her bruises, grimacing at the color of each one. He could almost read the order and the frequency she received her abuse. Faith knew what he was doing and fell silent as they both thought about how the marks got there.

 

     After turning off all the lights, the mindless chatter on the TV, they pulled back the covers and let Faith jump in first. Gary lay on his side and she backed up to him using his arm for her pillow. Gary drew her to him as if he hadn’t seen her for years and missed everything about her. She loved the heat of his body and the feel of his strong hands lightly exploring her, still remaining respectful of her hidden secrets.

 

“Gary?”

 

“I’m sorry sweetie I just can’t stop myself.”

 

“Oh it’s not that, please don’t stop, I feel…..pretty when you touch me like that.”

 

“What is it then, doll?”

 

“It sounds weird asking you this question the way you’re touching me but….do you think I’m a bad person?”

 

Gary stopped his rubbing and squeezed her, “No-never, why would you say that?”

 

“Well look at me, well not really but you know what I mean; how long have we known each other and, and…”

 

“Just say it baby”

 

“I’m virtually naked in your bed wishing you would…do things to me and… good girls don’t do things like this so what does that make me? Am I….”

 

Gary stopped her, “Sweetie sometimes fate tries to fix a grave injustice that has been dealt to someone….Somehow we found each other and became a team, a pair….an …us.”

 

“But…”

 

“Wait, I’m not done….close your eyes for a minute.”

 

“Okay….”

 

“Now I want you to look forward in time…say….five years….its bed time and you are just getting ready to crash….”

 

Faith listened with her eyes closed.

 

“Now tell me what you see?”

 

“Okay….let’s see….it’s dark like it is now…. we’re in our big bed….with lots of fluffy pillows….and you’re kissing me, tickling and…”

 

“Did you hear what you said? You said, we and our. That means you’re planning to stay with me and let the us grow stronger.”

 

Faith grinned and wiggled against him a little more feeling better even before he finished.

  

“And if you still see us together, then being in my bed is not just a stepping stone or a one night romance. So who’s to say our beginning was too fast: not everything has rules especially the heart.”

 

She turned over and they tangled their legs together as he kissed the tip of her nose.

 

“Will you tell me that every night?”

 

“Yes darling, every night and when we’re ready I’ll say it without clumsy words.”

 

“God, you have a silver tongue; Kiss me my prince.”

 

“Ribbit” *

 

~15~ Seeing His Pain

   Every now and then, someone that is burdened with guilt or regret, will talk in their sleep. Sometimes if you really listen the cries of anguish are interrupted by pleas of forgiveness, they can be clear enough for others to understand.

 

     With Gary’s arms around Faith, her heart was breaking as she listened to him begging Linda not to die. It almost crushed her to hear him calling out for another woman and knowing he carried a broken heart. However, through her own tears she also realized his hugs and kisses were not whimsical gestures splayed by a friend, each one meant something to him and therefore, from that moment on, she would count them as her treasures.

 

     Now she understood why this beautiful man didn’t claw at her or force himself on her. His love was so strong it still held, even through the vale of death. If he offered this love, she would cherish it. If there was hope for a broken heart, she would gladly take what he could give, never asking or expecting anything more.

 

     When morning came Gary hid behind his mask once more, being cheerful or maybe it was something he didn’t even know or remember. Faith remembered and decided to keep her secret promising to show him her love.

 

     Gary turned to lay on his stomach, Faith sat over his legs massaging him, enjoying the strange sounds she coaxed from him.

 

“I’m warning you, I’ll give you…..two years to stop this or…”

 

“Or what?” she bit him.

 

“Or…I’ll force myself to enjoy it longer. How did you sleep angel?” 

 

“MMM, good and you?”

 

“I had the strangest dream, but you’ll never guess who was there to save me?”

 

Coyly she grinned, “Who?”

 

“You my pretty little angel, you showed me….well things I was convinced were illusions. You might say you gave me Faith.”

 

“Oh, very ‘Punny’, Mr. Sams, like I haven’t heard that before.”

 

     Gary flipped her onto the bed and crouched over her. If it weren’t for their undergarments this would have been the most intimate a man could get with a woman.

 

     What was going to be a playful tickling match ended up the most wonderful frozen moment. Looking into her eyes he didn’t say, I love you, it didn’t seem appropriate just yet but she heard it anyway and she could hardly wait to hear it in all the other ways.

 

       Their sign language had developed another unspoken phrase, in short, a biting of the bottom lip and a strong exhale meant, ‘We better stop this before it gets out of hand.’

 

Gary turned and sat on the edge of the bad while Faith slid up against him with her head still on one of the pillows.

 

“Okay, I don’t want to be a kill-joy but I’ve been thinking about your husband.”

 

Faith closed her eyes but listened knowing Gary had a good reason for being concerned.

 

“I figure he’s gonna come looking for you, if you haven’t changed your mind and you still want us to be together, we better get invisible until we can find out where he’s at.”

 

She didn’t say anything but her eager nodding let him know she was game to follow whatever he wanted to do.

 

Some men are good at thinking like hunters so when they become prey it is easier to out-think the hunter. Gary figured Jake and anyone else looking for them would assume they took the northern highway when they didn’t see them on a motorcycle. By the time they figure out Faith had slipped past them in a car, they would be home.

 

    Gary had one more trick up his sleeve. That police report didn’t say where he worked and being head of security, he could stash Faith in a room in the casino for weeks if he had to. This way he could clean up any mess that came looking.

 

Once they got the car Gary called Beth and squeezed Faith’s hand at the same time,

 

“Hey doll it’s me….yes she’s right here, I’ll put her on in a minute. I got a mission for you, have one of my guys…ah, Steve, get Steve to go to my house and collect anything that connects me to the casino. I’ll fill you in later but this is important, in my study take the grey filing cabinet and on the wall there are a few plaques….yes everything including my mail. And sweetie it needs to be done now. Tell Steve to go packing heat and take two others with him. this isn’t a game.”

 

     Gary felt better knowing if Jake found his house, there wouldn’t be an easy trail for him to follow. Then he could set up a few snares of his own. He hadn’t figured out what he was going to do if he latched onto Jake but it wasn’t going to be a Sunday picnic.

 

   A quick glance at Faith, talking to Beth on the phone, let him know Jake couldn’t just turn up dead because Faith would know he did it and how could she trust him after that. This complicated things a little more but Gary was a very patient man.

 

“Beth says we’re gonna do some serious shopping when I get there.”

 

“How about I loan you my card and you promise to pick out a few things I would love to taste you in, err I mean see you wearing”

 

“Gary Sams, you’re a bad man but you have a deal.”

 

“don’t forget you might need to come with me on a few evenings when formal attire is required so plan a few outfits for all occasions. Including spending long nights in my bed.”

 

“Ooo you are simply evil but I’m glad we think alike, Boss.”

 

Faith slid over next to him and rested her arm on the back of his seat while he drove. Now that he was driving a car, his other hand got a chance to play with her legs.

 

     Turning on the radio, she found out Gary had a pretty good voice and swooned when he sang love songs to her. He got quiet during some of the song Faith was sure he could sing.

 

“You loved her so very much didn’t you?” Faith played with his hair.

 

“Yes I did, but talking about it with you feels like…. I’m cheating on you and her memory. That might sound strange but…”

 

“No, I think I know what you mean, and she was the luckiest woman that ever lived.”

 

“I dreamed she knows about you…and she smiled.”

 

   Gary squeezed her hand and forced his own smile. The glint in his eyes were the birth of tears but they chose not to embarrass him and for that he was grateful. *  

 

~16~ Whispers from a Quiet Man

    San Antonio quickly came and went with them talking the entire way. Listening to Faith seemed to make the trip go faster. The car had a much longer range than the Hog did so Gary pushed it as fast as he dared go. Finally, Faith nodded off listening Gary’s soothing voice singing. She took over driving when they stopped in El Paso, giving him a chance to close his eyes. She took them into Phoenix and Gary finished the run into Vegas.

 

     Billy didn’t want to give them a room at the casino because he thought Gary might try to come back to work early. A ranch house that Billy kept and didn’t talk about was the better choice. Gary was wired the first day back. Right before exhaustion sped him off to dreamland, Beth came over and helped Faith steal his credit cards and they went shopping.

 

     Faith was like a teenager with her new best friend and Beth was on a mission to get her what ever they thought she needed. Beth was sworn to secrecy about Faith’s bruises but now they had a powerful ally behind the scene that could pull invisible strings making the city dance.

 

     Beth introduced Faith to her favorite team of lawyers that were more than willing to look into Faiths problems and divorce proceedings. The girls left the Lawyers offices and resumed their shopping. Beth had swiped one of the drivers and limousines from the casino so neither of them had to worry about navigating through the streets. With Beth as a guide, they managed to find all the right places and Play dress-up at the same time.

 

   Gary was stretching from his nap when the car brought them home with all her packages. The driver was still bringing them in when Gary got a call from Billy.

 

“Hey Dude, you’ll never guess what my boys found over at your house a few minutes ago.”

 

Gary smiled at how cheerful Billy sounded but he also knew this could turn rotten real fast.

 

“Don’t nobody move, I’ll be there as fast as I can, and Billy please don’t kick him around.”

 

“Too late,  there’s two of em, the little one tried breaking-bad with my guys and he’s nursing a bloody nose and lip about now.”

 

     Hanging up, Gary looked across the room at the girls giggling and having the time of their lives. At first, he considered slipping away without telling them where he was going.  He envisioned something accidentally happening to Jake after he sent him away and figured Faith would think the worst of him. Rethinking his gut reaction, he decided to bring them along but made them promise to stay in the car with its tinted windows.

 

     Faith was almost in tears during the ride to Gary’s house. He was glad Beth went with them to support her new friend, offering a steady hand to hold. Gary looked out the window but he didn’t focus on anything as his thoughts were trying to see into what the next hour would bring.

 

     Killing was something Gary learned to be good at while he served his country and he could still do it with a clear conscience if he felt justified. The terror Jake had unloaded on Faith more than qualified as justification in his mind. Gary’s house was secluded enough he could slit their throats in his front yard and no one would be the wiser. Yet there was the tiniest twinge in him that said this wasn’t the answer, and it came from Faith sitting beside him.

 

     The limo pulled into the large driveway and Faith started to beg Gary not to go any further. She had seen the blood in his eyes the day he saw what Jake had done to her. She was convinced she was going to watch Gary commit murder right in front of her. The look on Beth’s face told him she would back him even if the worst happened.

 

“You two stay in the car.” Gary closed the door and slowly walked to where Billy and his team had Jake and the other man sitting on the ground. Billy met him halfway, he was pleased to have control of the two men and made it clear this was Gary’s show, he would help him do whatever it took to make this problem disappear.

 

“I’m not going to kill em Billy.”

 

“Are you sure, they would never bother you again and that’s the only guarantee you’re gonna get out of this deal.”

 

“No I can’t do this to me and Faith.”

 

Billy was disappointed because he also wanted a share in revenge for Faith’s sake.

 

“You gotta work them over then; they’re hard headed and I don’t think they got the message yet that they’re in deep shit.”

 

“No I’m not going to need to do that either.”

 

Gary was still trying to figure out what he was going to do. When Billy said,

 

“Damn, okay, I’ll pay you ten thousand dollars if you make the big one piss his pants. Five if you make him cry.”

 

“Deal”

 

     Gary locked eyes with Jake the last few steps he took. Jake swallowed hard and tried to keep his eyes on Gary but he was still looking for an escape. Gary squatted in front of Jake and the other guy, he quickly found out the other man was Jake’s brother. Gary was taking his time trying to figure out why killing them both wasn’t the answer.

 

“Laying your hands on her the first time was your first mistake. I’ve counted the marks you’ve left behind and I’m not amused or worried if you don’t wake up tomorrow so listen to me very closely. You’re going to leave this place, you’re going to go home and lead a happy life. You’re going to give her a divorce and agree to whatever settlement she comes up with. If I ever feel your presence anywhere near me or her again, that will be the last day of your piss-pore existence.

     You must realize I’m not threatening you, these are promises, and you better think about them very carefully. This decision affects both of you and I don’t care how powerful you think a southern sheriff is in this state. You will find out things about misery you never knew were possible. If by some unforeseen chance Faith and I stumble into any bad luck the rest of our lives, I’ve got friends that will blame you. Have I made myself clear?”  *

 

~17~ Heavy-Handed Justice (epilog)

    Jake listened to every word Gary said but for a moment before it sank in how much shit he was in, Jake started to scoff at the quiet warning. This laps in judgment infuriated Gary. The fastest cobra would have missed the strike Gary hit Jake with. Jakes nose exploded from the savage impact. It even happened before Gary knew what he had done. This pissed him off more than anyone had ever seen him. Billy was standing behind Gary and it startled him so much he stepped back a little more when it registered what just happened.  

 

     Gary flew over to where Jake had landed, lording over him. Gary recoiled his fist for a second strike waiting for him to open his mouth one more time. The ungodly sound Gary made when he hit Jake was still stinging everyone’s nerves as they wondered if they were next.

 

“You just don’t get it, you son-of-a-bitch, I would dearly love to kill you right here but since you didn’t know who you were f—king with I’m going to let you get on a plane and think about me for a while.”

 

     Gary stepped off of Jake and looked at his brother.

 

“You better take him home and put a leash on him because if I have to kill him I’m going to put you in the same hole, now get the f—k out of here before I change my mind.”

 

Gary’s chest was still heaving from the adrenaline when they left. Billy threw a nod at his men to follow them to the airport and watch them get on the plane.

 

“I lost control Billy.”

 

“Holy-shit, I would have to agree with you on that one but I don’t think you will ever hear from them again.”

 

     Faith stayed in the car until Jake drove away then she scrambled out to be with Gary. He wanted to apologies to her for loosing his temper but her kiss stopped him. They headed back to the other house and Gary decided to sell this one as an added insurance policy incase Jake changed his mind and tried to come back.  

 

     Faith got her divorce and her settlement. Gary sold his house and they went in as partners on a new one.

 

     Mr. and Mrs. Sams still live somewhere in the Las Vegas area. Every day when he gets to work it’s business as usual but the picture of his wife on his desk urges him to get his ass home as fast as he can when it’s quitting time. *