Back to the World
by James Shaffer
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Table of Contents 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 |
part 23
Back at the motel, I laid Jamie Sue gently on the bed. Kelly Jo had found her room key in her purse on the drive back. I pulled a blanket up over her so she’d sleep more soundly in the chill of the room.
“She’ll sleep it off, cowboy,” said Kelly Jo.
“I’m sure she will,” I said.
Kelly Jo put the room key on the nightstand. I pushed in the button lock on the doorknob and eased the door closed behind me. Kelly Jo put her arm through mine and escorted me to her room. As we passed by my room, I once again scouted the parking lot but saw nothing unusual. It was close to midnight when we reached her door. She unlocked it and let us in.
With the door closed and blinds shuttered, it was almost pitch-black in the room. Faint shadows still played on the back wall from tree branches swaying in front of the parking lot lights. The muffled sound of gunshots and firecrackers from the festivities down the street echoed off the walls surrounding the motel parking lot.
My eyes adjusted, and I saw Kelly Jo remove her top, drop her red-fringed skirt on to the floor and walk toward me. I didn’t know if she was wearing pink, like Jamie Sue, but I really didn’t care. As I was shrugging out of my jacket, she reached up and pulled it off my arms. It was heavy because of the gun in my pocket.
“What’s this?” She had pulled out the gun. In the semi-darkness, against the slats of the shuttered blinds, I could see her silhouette and the gun.
“What’s it feel like?” I asked as I sat down on the corner of the bed.
“Well, from my days as a Texas Girl Scout and my evenings on the shooting range, I’d say it’s a Colt .45. From the weight, it feels loaded.” Her delivery was matter-of-fact. Her voice held no surprise as if finding a loaded gun in a guy’s pocket in the middle of a dark hotel room was a normal occurrence. I didn’t think much surprised Kelly Jo.
I watched as she put the gun down on top of my jacket on a chair by the window. Then she came over, knelt between my knees and put her arms on the tops of my thighs. Her face was in darkness, but I knew she was looking up at me.
My hands slid along her warm arms and up on to her shoulders. The back of her neck was hot and the scent of her perfume lingered between us. I hooked my thumbs under her bra straps.
“You got something to tell me, Jake?” Kelly Jo was inquisitive. She deserved to know, but I wasn’t ready to tell her yet. Instead, I slowly pulled down the straps I’d held with my thumbs. The rhythm of her breathing changed.
“I’m sure I do, but not right now.” As I said it, she reached around behind and released her bra letting it slide down off her long arms and fall to the floor. Every move was magnified in the darkness.
An hour later I lay on the bed, exhausted but not sleepy. Kelly Jo’s arm was across my chest. She was awake too and raised herself up on her elbow. “You sure you never did any rodeoing?” she asked. There was a smile in her voice.
“Never did any rodeoing,” I answered.
“Well cowboy, I think you missed your calling.” She laughed into the pillow.
I sat up and swung my feet out on to the floor.
“Where you going, Jake?”
“Listen. I got to go next door and check on something. I’ll be right back. Don’t go away.” I wanted to check on the money.
“I ain’t goin’ nowhere,” she said.
I put on my clothes and slipped on my boots. The room was cool, but the recent exercise had warmed me up. I pulled open the door and in the ambient light that poured in from the parking lot, I saw Kelly Jo’s naked rump peeking out at me from under the covers. Some things should never be hidden, I thought as I stepped out of the room.
Copyright © 2015 by James Shaffer
