tick.”
“That’s
fine. I don’t fault you for wanting that or anything period. I’m the one with
the problem. It’s me who’s not comfortable in his own skin.” He paused for a
moment and watched the glass coffee pot fill. “I admire you in a way. You’re
out there, and you seem to have everything figured out. You know who you are
without a doubt.”
Tom
laughed. “I wish! Seriously, I have my own troubles.” He went silent. “I have
my secrets.”
****
The
man in black stood on the side of the rural road and carefully lit a cigarette.
One thing he couldn’t deny was that the air up here was the freshest he’d ever
breathed. Living in the city, one didn’t often get the luxury of clean air
unless it was run through some sort of shit purifier.
He
didn’t think that they’d spotted him. He recognized the friend’s truck even in
the darkness. He didn’t know who the woman was, but the friend had been up here
earlier that day and. He followed the friend. He had to figure out if this guy
was somehow connected with the money that Tom had stolen from the Leone
brothers. The pressure was on, and he sure as hell was feeling it. They wanted
this job taken care of quickly. They wanted their money and Tom dead.
He
got back in the car and started it. Going back to the house wasn’t safe. The
woman had been spooked, and he’d barely made it out of there without her seeing
him. If she’d gotten a look at him, everything would have been shot to hell.
Things would have gotten messy, and he really didn’t want that. Extra cleanup
was nothing more than a hassle.
The
motel where he was staying wasn’t bad. It was a no tell motel like many others,
but the room was decent and clean. He’d head back into Pine Bluff and take the
rest of the night off. There wasn’t anything else for him to do here. He’d take
care of business tomorrow. It would end then. He looked forward to seeing Tom
again.
****
Jayne
heard Keith and Tom talking. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she crept
quietly from her bed to the closed bedroom door to hear them better. She’d
heard the word bisexual spoken a couple of times, and it was absolutely killing
her to know the dynamics of Keith and Tom’s relationship.
“I
tend to say too much.” It was Tom who spoke now.
“It’s
okay. I’m tired and moody. Let’s have our coffee and relax a little,” Keith
replied.
Jayne
pushed against the door a little, and when it fell open under her weight, she
went scurrying into the other room. She stumbled about three steps before she
managed to stop from falling flat on her face.
“What
was that?” she heard Keith ask. And before she could get back into the bedroom,
they were there with her, staring like she had two heads on her shoulders.
Her
cheeks quickly flushed, and the palms of her hands started to sweat. What they
must think of her now? “I was coming out for a drink of water.” She cleared her
throat to emphasize what she was saying.
“Right,”
Keith said. “Did you hear anything interesting?”
“Whatever
do you mean?” she asked. “You think I was listening at the door?”
“Yes,”
Tom added. “We do.”
“Okay,
fine. Maybe I was. You two interest me. Listening to you is like research for
me.” That excuse sounded halfway believable, and suddenly, Jayne was rather
impressed with herself for thinking of it. And to think it came off the top of
her head. “Keith, you know what I write. I’ve been thinking about expanding my
writing ambitions. I think bisexuality is interesting, especially when it comes
to men.” She was nearly rambling and though it best to stop talking while she
was ahead. She feared that anything else would sound stupid coming from her
mouth.
“That’s
one way to put it,” Tom commented. “Have you ever had a lesbian experience?”
“Shit,
Tom. You can’t ask things like that. Not to a woman you don’t even know,” Keith
scolded. “Have some common sense.”
“I
don’t
“That’s
fine. I don’t fault you for wanting that or anything period. I’m the one with
the problem. It’s me who’s not comfortable in his own skin.” He paused for a
moment and watched the glass coffee pot fill. “I admire you in a way. You’re
out there, and you seem to have everything figured out. You know who you are
without a doubt.”
Tom
laughed. “I wish! Seriously, I have my own troubles.” He went silent. “I have
my secrets.”
****
The
man in black stood on the side of the rural road and carefully lit a cigarette.
One thing he couldn’t deny was that the air up here was the freshest he’d ever
breathed. Living in the city, one didn’t often get the luxury of clean air
unless it was run through some sort of shit purifier.
He
didn’t think that they’d spotted him. He recognized the friend’s truck even in
the darkness. He didn’t know who the woman was, but the friend had been up here
earlier that day and. He followed the friend. He had to figure out if this guy
was somehow connected with the money that Tom had stolen from the Leone
brothers. The pressure was on, and he sure as hell was feeling it. They wanted
this job taken care of quickly. They wanted their money and Tom dead.
He
got back in the car and started it. Going back to the house wasn’t safe. The
woman had been spooked, and he’d barely made it out of there without her seeing
him. If she’d gotten a look at him, everything would have been shot to hell.
Things would have gotten messy, and he really didn’t want that. Extra cleanup
was nothing more than a hassle.
The
motel where he was staying wasn’t bad. It was a no tell motel like many others,
but the room was decent and clean. He’d head back into Pine Bluff and take the
rest of the night off. There wasn’t anything else for him to do here. He’d take
care of business tomorrow. It would end then. He looked forward to seeing Tom
again.
****
Jayne
heard Keith and Tom talking. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she crept
quietly from her bed to the closed bedroom door to hear them better. She’d
heard the word bisexual spoken a couple of times, and it was absolutely killing
her to know the dynamics of Keith and Tom’s relationship.
“I
tend to say too much.” It was Tom who spoke now.
“It’s
okay. I’m tired and moody. Let’s have our coffee and relax a little,” Keith
replied.
Jayne
pushed against the door a little, and when it fell open under her weight, she
went scurrying into the other room. She stumbled about three steps before she
managed to stop from falling flat on her face.
“What
was that?” she heard Keith ask. And before she could get back into the bedroom,
they were there with her, staring like she had two heads on her shoulders.
Her
cheeks quickly flushed, and the palms of her hands started to sweat. What they
must think of her now? “I was coming out for a drink of water.” She cleared her
throat to emphasize what she was saying.
“Right,”
Keith said. “Did you hear anything interesting?”
“Whatever
do you mean?” she asked. “You think I was listening at the door?”
“Yes,”
Tom added. “We do.”
“Okay,
fine. Maybe I was. You two interest me. Listening to you is like research for
me.” That excuse sounded halfway believable, and suddenly, Jayne was rather
impressed with herself for thinking of it. And to think it came off the top of
her head. “Keith, you know what I write. I’ve been thinking about expanding my
writing ambitions. I think bisexuality is interesting, especially when it comes
to men.” She was nearly rambling and though it best to stop talking while she
was ahead. She feared that anything else would sound stupid coming from her
mouth.
“That’s
one way to put it,” Tom commented. “Have you ever had a lesbian experience?”
“Shit,
Tom. You can’t ask things like that. Not to a woman you don’t even know,” Keith
scolded. “Have some common sense.”
“I
don’t
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