Range - Chapter 40

   Panic woke up to Merry slipping back into their double sleeping bag and snuggling up to him.

   "What time is it?"

   "Before noon. We… got done just before sunrise. Five hours, give or take. Normally, as your sleep consultant? I would recommend another couple, several hours. Or…"

   "Or?"

   "We could go shopping."

   "My trophy rapist wants to put me into the poor house that much quicker, huh?"

   "Funny. I'm not hung over. You?"

   "A little tired. Not hung over. Water?"

   "Here honey…"

   She handed him a large coffee mug, filled with cold water. He drained it.

   "Thanks."

   "I drank so much when I woke up a little bit ago, I've been squatting in the bushes for the last 20 minutes. Bitty Kitty is following me out now, and he pissed the last time I did it."

   "Ha. Told you, yer my cat. Now I got proof."

   "Would… it do anything for you, to start watching me squat and pee in a litter box in here?"

   "With the right outfit on? I'd watch, but… I'm not beating off to it or anything. Mind you, I'll sit and watch three circus midgets tumbling, if I'm bored. Take it for what it's worth. Wait a goddamn minute, why are we having this conversation? You hit me with this shit the instant I open my eyes, when my defenses are down… that's not fair."

   Merry squatted down next to him waking up.

   "Just making a joke. On account of someone said they were going to pee on me, in the shower. I remember telling you, that you could pee on me, when… I was over the whole… DC thing."

   "I just got up. I'll hose you down right now, if it'll do anything for you."

   "I think Bitty Kitty would enjoy the big litter box in here, more than I would. But, peeing on me? Eh, that's going to confuse him, I think. I can't afford a cat therapist."

   "Okay. I'm awake now. Remind me where we're going shopping at noon. It slipped my mind."

   "The secondhand store? It's Saturday, dear. I don't think they're open on Sunday."

   "That's right. Where's my mind been. We need to get what Speedy would call a 'rape kit' put together for you."

   Merry curled up the corner of her mouth a tad.

   "Yeah, we do."

   Merry lifted up the sleeping bag covers and peeked in at him.

   "Hmm. You were fed two or three times last night. I remember when you used to be a morning person."

   "I think I have rug-burn."

   "Wouldn't that be cock-burn?"

   "No, that's when you leave chicken in the oven too long. Maybe dick-burn…"

   "No, that's something they give you a shot for these days…"

   "Guess that's why it's called rug-burn then. The second hand-job, took a little bit longer."

   He lifted up her jeans, and felt her ankles. One after the other. Rubbed them and sat up.

   "Someone took off their braided leather. Glad you left the little gold chain on the one ankle. It's cute."

   He idly kissed her decorated ankle, then sat up fully.

   Squatting down near him, she held out her wrists as well, and lifted her chin up. She left all her jewelry on, but had lost the braided leather off of her wrists as well.

   "I'm gonna miss those. They're cute on you… even before they were for that."

   "Well… we have to wait for my ass to clear up. I'm stuck in jeans and T shirts for a couple days. So…"

   "Plus, isn't it a science girl signal to me, that I'm not allowed to…"

   "Go on… say it…"

   "…not allowed to rape you now?"

   "When you see all four of them again? Do your thing. Till then? You can't eat the same thing every day, dear."

   Panic poked his index finger at the crotch of her jeans, as he stood up and put a pair of his boxer briefs on.

   "That? I could."

   "You, are so sweet. Thanks for getting up for me…"

   Bitty Kitty walked onto the now empty sleeping bag. Did a little dance and ran around in place before settling down and wrapping his tail around his face. Open bed became available? Bitty would snatch Merry's area of it.

   After he got dressed, and before he left… Panic on a whim leaned over and went into a push-up position over Merry's side of the double sleeping bag on the big air mattress they used. Wondering, he sniffed around. The cat poked its head up and looked at him.

   "You're better at this than I am, aren't you boy. I'm an amateur to you, huh."

   He ended up noting Merry's natural body scent around the general area where her torso would be most of the time on her side. He closed his eyes, and took several long slow breaths. Huh. He could smell her. She was right about scent. Like animals, they had marked their nest by simply sleeping and exerting themselves in it over a short time.

   He didn't know Merry was standing back in the doorway to the cabin, he had thought she went outside.

   "Someone… likes my scent?"

   "Yeah."

   "That's romantic. We're pair bonding. It's beginning."

   They drove into town. They both waved at Steve, the cop they sometimes had donuts with at the donut shop. He was always friendly and waved back. Steve was yet another "bait shop" customer when off duty.

   Town wasn't a big thing by any any stretch, at least the town proper wasn't. Panic parked the car. He was about to lock the doors when he smiled and remembered he wasn't in the city, it wasn't nearly the necessity it was when there.

   He and Merry walked hand in hand around the block, looking around at the day. People weren't scurrying about like in DC, they were just… walking at their own pace. No one was in any particular hurry.

   "It's a nice warm day out still. Nights barely have a light chill, and warm as toast in the sun, honey. Wanna… walk around a little? We got time."

   "Sure. Where?"

   "Wherever. It's a lot more fun walking around than what I'm used to."

   They walked up and down several streets. They weren't hand in hand per se, more of interlocked fingers. They ended up at the secondhand store, and realized they had to walk back to the car. No sense in carrying however much used discounted stuff around for no reason. They lazily walked back to get the car.

   Panic realized that most people would think they were a married couple if they didn't know them personally. It suited him just fine, the thought of it. It didn't amaze him or surprise him, simply a fleeting thought. Anyone that nodded and smiled as they walked past, they both did it back. The city? More like being one of the lemmings, with the occasional 'fuck outta the way' now and again.

   No trouble finding a parking spot close to their destination store. Merry seemed inordinately happy, but in a subdued way. No bouncing around as she was capable of. No boisterousness. Just a fairly constant upturned lip in a tiny smile.

   He looked at her several times. Jeans and jogging shoes. Cute little gold chain on her tan ankle peeking out. A cheap gold chain on one wrist. Cheap choker doing it's thing. He half marveled at the play of her tan neck cords when she swiveled her head around, how it set off the little gemstones to doing their little dance. He liked her wrists and the little gold bracelet.

   "What are you looking at, hun?"

   "You."

   "What?"

   "Nothing. I'm… other than just enjoying looking at you? I'm… not jealous. Just… liking the way boys and men turn and sneak a peek at you after we pass them. Jeans and a T shirt, and they stare some. You… have this tiny curl of a smile on the one side of your lip. It's constant."

   "That's what bonding is, Panic. It's chemical."

   "I thought that was for… desire."

   "That too. But… there's a low level constant chemical thing too, honey. That's? What you're feeling. I'm feeling it too. Our bodies, now expect to get a little dose 24 7, 365. Mother nature wants us to feel good, about having a mate. The chemicals? Are addictive. It keeps mates together. Smell my neck. I don't have anything on."

   He sniffed her neck, then came in and drank in several large lungfuls.

   "Deodorant?"

   "That's about it. It's even a no scent deodorant. You're smelling me. And you like it, right?"

   "Yeah. It's not perfume, but, it's similar. A little bit."

   "That, is real romance, honey. Not… the blast of chemicals from making love, not the high from major purchases. Not the… whatever it is when those… 'power couples' walk around and get off on that feeling. This… this is what people are missing in today's world. We're… getting cheap shit for our little cabin. We're… like two mice gathering dried grass for their little hole."

   "Right up to the mouse part? I think I was feeling the romance part. I mean, initial thought? Aw, how sweet. The mouse couple, arranging dried grass. Moving the grass around. Sweet… then? I can't remove the image of mice moving mouse droppings out of their nest."

   "Housecleaning. Is it so bad?"

   "They move their turds out, with their mouth, Merry."

   Merry laughed.

   "You? Have watched one too many wildlife documentaries, dear. Don't worry… on our big night coming up? I promise you, I won't make you move my turds around with your mouth."

   "That's something. Thanks for clearing that up. They have a website for that, believe it or not."

   "Oh. Ugh. I file that under abnormal psychology. Those people need… something done with them."

   "Your bull-dyke psych professor you mentioned? Would probably bitch at me, they were just… expressing their sexuality or some shit like that."

   Merry giggled.

   "Most likely."

   "We should have Speedy here, to help us shop."

   "Why?"

   "State cop? Remember, we're shopping for romantic rape stuff."

   "Hmm…"

   "What?"

   "Chapter title. 'Romantic Rape'. Has a… ring to it."

   "Huh. Not a bad spin for that chapter. Romantic rape."

   "Well. If nothing else? We should get the mattress."

   "Can I get raped and tortured on one that doesn't have someone's pee stains on it?"

   "Sure. Only the very best for my victim…"

   They kissed a little, right in front of the store. Nothing too outlandish, but long enough anyone would definitely know they were a couple.

   "All right, you're putting this off. Get your ass in there, you little slut…"

   She swatted his ass playfully to scoot him into the store. They were both laughing as she tried to tap his ass a few times coming through the door, the little bell above the door ringing as the door opened into it.

   The old man at the counter looked up, both of them smiling from playing in the doorway.

   "Hey, you're the people from out George's spread, right? Hi."

   "Hi."

   "Hi."

   "Look around, or… what you need."

   "Me and the little lady need some cabin stuff. Unexpectedly got another month of vacation."

   "Eh. Right place for that. Cabin stuff comes in regular. Rented cabins get cleared out every so often, all ends up here. I got more shit in the back, if you wanna look around. Most of it's duplicates, but other stuff too."

   "We got a cat, and we're on an air mattress. The two things, cat and inflatable? That love affair will not long last."

   "That's the back wall, you can see it. 10. 20. 25. Size is everything. If you don't go nuts over what an old mattress looks like… you're good. Wife washes and sterilizes old bedding, what you see in the piles back there? I got boxes of that stuff. Pillows, throw pillows, blankets, you name it. Go check 'em out. Get started."

   Merry trotted back to the mattress wall in the back, and Panic stalked around idly.

   "Oil lamps, oil lanterns, that kinda thing?"

   "Oh hell, I practically give them things away. I ain't got nowhere to put 'em all… every cabin has a zillion of them, they end up here. Got packs of wicks, gallons of oil. All in the window aisle. If the little lady's an interior decorator? I got more in the back. I can't get rid of the ones with the colored glass, everyone wants the clear. A buck a piece on anything with a colored glass on it, if I can pawn any off on ya."

   Merry's voice lilted from the back, running her hands over old mattresses.

   "They throw colored light?"

   "Yeah. I got red, I got blue. Green and any shade of amber you can think of, too."

   "That sounds pretty!"

   "The wife's in the back. Have a ball. More mattresses back there, too."

   Merry fell in love with the idea of colored oil lamps. She walked back and Panic could hear her talking to the wife and heard glass tinkling. Merry brought out a box of oil lanterns. Asked if they worked.

   "Ain't nothing to them. If the glass holds water? The thingy turns? They work. Gimme five bucks? You can have the whole box, can't get rid of the things. Don't rightly figure, though…"

   "How's that?"

   "Well. People like the colored ones, they buy them new, how else they end up here. Everyone coming in? Wants the clear ones, for the extra light. Hold wicks up to the thing and turn the thingy. It grabs the wick and moves it up and down? You're golden."

   Panic grabbed wick packs, and spotted a small box of wicks almost as long as new. Put the packs down, and took the box up.

   "Buy oil? You can have the used wicks. Ain't nothing to break on 'em, just a hair shorter than brand new."

   He went back and brought up two big gallon containers of oil.

   Merry picked up an old egg timer, the kind you cranked and listened to it click clacking, then finally the bell rang. Put it with her now treasured colored oil lamps no one else wanted and she fell in love with.

   "We got digital, no one likes these anymore. I ought to label the old ones as paperweights. Even the digital is cheap nowadays."

   "Oh, no, my mom used this kind, it's what I grew up with."

   "Fifty cents suit you?"

   "Sure. How much are digital?"

   "A buck…"

   "Oh, honey. Get Skykid a digital one. For his gourmet cooking at the bunkhouse. He's always checking his phone for times…"

   Panic shrugged. If Merry was going to start cooking, he didn't care if she liked the ancient one and gave the digital to Skykid.

   "Grab a digital for me too, honey… I'm gonna go see the other mattresses. Come back and look, it's not like you won't be on it too."

   Merry said she wanted the kind with handles on them. So she could move it around easy. She wasn't too picky other than that, and avoiding any with really bad pee stains.

   The husband came back to help mattress shopping.

   "Give you a deal on a box springs if you want one…"

   Panic looked at Merry.

   "No, this is like college for me. Throw a mattress on the floor and you're done with it. As long as I have handles that work? I can move it around to wherever."

   "As you can see, I have twin and full coming out my ears. The queens are popular for couples. You… guys wanna deal? You take that monster out of here, today. I swear, ten bucks, I'm sick of looking at it. California King they call it. Look at that sum-bitch. Not heavy mind you, just awkward as hell to get in and out the rooms. You need handles? Two at the head, two at the foot. Three or four down each side. Like I said, floppy and awkward to change rooms and do doors, these old stairwells are tight. You take that thing? Yer doing me a favor, I tell you. Look, thing ain't that old, just too big to move around much."

   "Merry? You're the interior decorator."

   "You want the monster one? It's pretty clean."

   "Sure. You got soft rope, a bunch of it somewhere? I need clothes line anyways, and, if I'm gonna have to lash that thing to the hood of the car? I don't wanna scratch the paint up."

   "You want cotton. Tons of it. Whole box of it… that corner. Every camp house has tons of it. Hang lights. Lash hunting crap. Clothes lines. You wanna mind yer paint? There's a whole stack of boxes of it. The plastic stuff is indestructible for weather, can't knot it for shit though. If you're gonna be moving stuff? Cotton's the cat's meow."

   "We have room for Bitty Kitty on the bed now, with a big mattress."

   "Me and the wife will be happy to help you carry that floppy thing out of here. Ain't no love lost, between me and the old lady and that big thing. Moved it too many times, already."

   Merry went and peeked through the boxes of cotton rope. When the husband and wife bullshitted about cats and whatever else, she had a few seconds to make sure no one caught her fingering them for feel. She grabbed the third box down and replaced the boxes above her pick back on.

   Panic and the husband drifted back to the front and added everything up preliminary, while Merry and the wife went through the boxes of old bedding. Panic and the husband heard a little peep from the back out of the unheard conversation about old bedclothes.

   "Sounds like the wife found something in the way of bedding she likes. Honestly didn't think there would be that much stuff fit the monster, but, if you're just tossing blankets around. Not a problem."

   "What's the damage?"

   "I'm working on that. We're waiting on the girls. How long you and the wife been together?"

   "Actually…"

   Panic's first inclination was to tell the truth, and explain they were just boyfriend and girlfriend on vacation. He checked himself. Smiled. Why not? It would be fun.

   "Actually? Not too long yet."

   "Cute girl. Lucky man. No offense, mind you."

   "None taken. Thanks."

   "Things going good? Another month's vacation, things must be going good. You're smiling. She's smiling. It's nice, ain't it?"

   "It is…"

   "Nope, nice to see a happy couple your age in here. I swear, half the people these days? Arguing about the car, the house, the vacation house, all that shit. You guys don't go through that?"

   "Oh, none of that. I'm… only in the doghouse at the moment over donuts, if you can believe that one."

   "Donuts? Eh, get used to that shit, kid. I ain't got diabetes, but you can't prove that to the wife. I gotta watch how much sugar I eat. Too much in my coffee, too much on my cereal. You want my advice? Tow the line, then go out and get a few donuts. Secret to a happy life. I go out and grab coffee, just so I can get as much sugar as I want. It's better to get caught for sneaking sugar, than any of the stuff other people get into."

   "Hi honey."

   "Hi donut boy."

   Panic smiled at the old man.

   "See?"

   The old man smiled.

   The wife poked her head out of the back room.

   "Heard you, asshole… guess who has to play find the magic mouse for the sugar bowl next couple days. Need a hint? Looks just like you. Back at the ranch, though? She does leather craft-work. Any kind of used leather. Ain't there a box of old belts somewhere? She says she can use 'em…"

   "Yeah, yeah. Beside the water heater."

   "She makes Indian stuff. Like, Indian stuff instead of the civil war thing?"

   "Right, right. I'll keep an eye out looking for other stuff. If I see any leather, I'll try to remind you if I see you again. Another month and all that."

   "Thanks. How much?"

   "If it's cash? Forty. No tax. It'll save you what? Couple bucks. That's with you taking the box of old belts off my hands, I been getting rid a clothes, damn things don't sell anymore. Hunting stuff, and work clothes, about all that moves."

   Panic paid the guy, and him and Merry started taking stuff out in boxes and stowing it in the back seat. They came back in, and the four of them maneuvered the awkward rock star mattress out the back door which was a much shorter trip, and Panic and Merry brought the car around to the back. They had an old dock there, left over from whatever the store once was, before secondhand goods. Flopping it onto the roof was a surprisingly easy deal that way. There was way more cotton rope than they needed for it.

   The old couple stood and smiled and waved as they idled out of the gravel back lot that cut to the alley and back on the main street.

   "Drive us home, donut boy."

   "Right after we hit the hardware store. Door lock. You can't be too careful these days."

   "I like the idea of privacy…"

   "Do you?"

   "Sure. City? We don't even need a loud TV or music playing now out here. No neighbors to hear you squealing like you're gonna be…"

   "Ooh baby."

   "Tell me about it. I'm gonna have fun doing this…"

   "Whatever you want."

   "Hmm. Whatever I want. That is how it works, if you remember."

   Other than a door lock, Merry wanted a little box of gloves for cleaning and washing. They set off, holding fingers again.

   Merry liked her colored oil lamps, it seemed to be her favorite purchase. It was the main topic of conversation on the short ride back. On the way in, the guys at the entrance joked idly about the mattress. After that, they said they would tell everyone not to bother them.

   "Thanks. We only got a couple hours sleep. I'm thinking more nap time than anything. Late night."

   It didn't take but minutes to undo the mattress from the hood, and drag it in. It replaced the air mattress in the otherwise mostly empty room.

   Panic did the door lock, in about twenty minutes. There was already a hole cut for the lock and it went smoothly. No handle, the handle hole was used by the deadbolt.

   "Here's the keys. Wanna try it out?"

   "Well. We're all alone to try out our new rock star mattress. Why not?"

   She smiled. Turned the key on the deadbolt and it snicked home. She turned her little boombox up fairly loud.

   "Privacy. Hmm."

   Merry started going through the boxes.

   "I was going to wait. Then I started thinking, you would want another… taste test. I really couldn't decide. Then? After seeing all my new toys? Well… I just gotta try it out some. See how I wanna use you. Okay?"

   "Sure."

   "Good. Strip."

   "Just like that?"

   She smiled and walked up to him, and grabbed him rough by the chin.

   "Yeah. Just like that, donut boy. Remember? I told you how I just ordered them that they better be naked on the bed by the time I got upstairs? You're not naked. Get that way. Now. See, after a nice long first time? They know what they're gonna get. So, they pay attention to anything I say. You? Don't know that yet. If you're not naked and on that mattress, by the time I get back to the bed? You're gonna fucking wish you had. Move it, donut boy."

   Panic was naked on the mattress by the time she turned back and approached the bed.

   "The belts? Ain't for craft-work, slut. I was thinking rope. Did you notice the soft rope? Then, I actually wanted leather to try to make stuff, but, belts? Just too good a thing to pass up for this."

   She knelt on the bed, and got over his hips and sat on him. Poked her finger into his chest.

   "Last chance, donut boy. After this starts? I swear I won't quit. You understand, right?"

   He nodded.

   "No more talking outta you, got that? Won't matter soon anyways, but, I don't wanna hear any whining until I shut you up. I'm warning you, mister. One word? You're getting extra time. Don't smile. I thought I told you last night. It's not funny, it's no joke. You had better not piss me off at all in the next couple minutes until I shut you up."

   "Let me show you what all the used belts are for… you might like this."

   She grabbed one and located it under his head and shoulders and with a sawing motion, slid it back and forth slowly until it was located above his elbows. Smiled, and buckled it tight.

   "Hmm. Too easy… I mean, this is easy to do? But… you're easy too. All sluts are easy…"

   She slid the next one around just over wrist height.

   "Ha… I love this."

   She grabbed another for thigh level. Buckled that one tight as well. One around the knees.

   "Hmm. Needs something."

   A particularly long thin one was last. She wrapped it twice around his ankles, but loose. Wound the rest around the space inside, and it left a foot long handle flapping out.

   "Oh. Yeah. That? Is working just like I thought. Bet you can't wait to see what that's for, huh? You're about to find out. I don't think you're gonna like it, but, we'll just have to find that out, won't we? Yeah. We will. Watch this…"

   She put the egg timer right by the bed, a stretch and it was an easy reach.

   "Guess what that's for. I guess it's not an egg timer anymore. Mommy's slut timer now. Mmm. You know something? My twat got wet this morning. Standing there, watching you smell my side of the bed. You? Were doing so good today, I was gonna let you off the hook easy. I really was. Then? You had to fuck it up."

   "Yeah, still doing good. Walking around with me. I got wet again, talking about real romance. I was so impressed. And you wrecked it. What? Thought I didn't hear about the donuts? I was right fucking there. You thought that was funny, didn't you? Let's just see how funny."

   She leaned down to put her face on his. Licked him soaking wet, a couple of long slow ones.

   "That? Is how you kiss a slut."

   "What were you even thinking. You think its funny? To make jokes about your little donut whore. Hmm. We'll see about that. Right. About. Now. Open up your hole."

   She shoved in another pair of panties, wiggled them around in his mouth. Not bothering to hold them this time, she smiled.

   "Oh no. I want both hands, for this. I got a new trick."

   The last belt was really thin, and fairly short. It went around and held the panties in as firmly or even more so than her strong hands ever did. She smiled as she reached down and pushed her jogging shoes off, then sat up on him, her strong thighs tucked in firmly around his hips and upper legs.

   "You know? I was gonna just give you another little taste test, but no. I was gonna be naked for it, too. You know, more fun? Uh uh. See this little slut timer? Let me show you how that works, right… after… this.

   She smiled and started tickling him. Within seconds, he started wiggling. Making noise. She did it non stop for what had to be a minute or more, but it seemed like longer.

   She leaned down, and crossed her arms on his chest. Her face on his.

   "That's nothing. You… have had it. Donut boy. You knew I was jealous of that shit. You knew how mad I was. And you're gonna joke about it? Oh, no way in hell."

   Another couple minutes of non stop fingertip attack. He jerked and twisted. She laughed. Picked up the timer and held it for him. Wiggled it in front of his face.

   "Haven't even set this thing yet. We haven't even got started. Let's see… how long… last night? Couple minutes and you were a squealing mess. Couldn't sit still. Lets see… I think… 5, no… 10 minutes is a great place. To start. Then? We'll just have to see, won't we. We'll reevaluate the whole thing. See how it's going."

   She set the timer, and smiled.

   During the 10 minutes, things went predictably. She gave him the entire time, non stop. Laughed. Made fun of the noise. Made fun of the bucking and twisting. Imitated the noises. When the timer went off, she laid back down on his chest. Smiling.

   "How we doing down there. Having fun? Hmm. What's that? If you tell me no, I'll stop. Oh, that's right… you can't tell me no with my panties in your mouth, can you? How… about… that."

   "Now. What… are we going to do next, hmm? I'm just taking a little break. If you haven't figured out? I… can do this? All… day… would you like that? No? Aww. That's too bad, donut slut."

   She attacked his neck with her mouth. For a couple minutes and quit.

   "Bet you wish I was naked, huh? Nope. I was gonna be, but, you had to pull your little donut joke. Now then… let's just see where we're at, huh? Are you sorry about your little donut stunt at the store? Oh, you are. Are you sure? Cause, I don't really know. Convince me."

   "No. I just ain't buying it. I don't know, I just get the feeling… you'd say anything right now, wouldn't you? Nope. We're not there yet. We're getting somewhere though. I mean, Its a start. Now, where do we set the timer. What do you think, a minute? Two minutes? Oh, no way. Tell you what. I was thinking another 10 minutes, would be just the thing. Then? We'll see how far we've come along, all right? Yeah, let's do that.

   She set the timer in front of his face like before. Before she started it, she laid down on him and smiled in his face.

   "This? Could have been so much easier. All you had to do? Was not make donut jokes and laugh. Why would you do that, when you know how bad it makes me feel, hmm? Did you think it was funny to hurt my feelings like that? No? Then why. You knew you were going to end up helpless like this. You know I enjoy this. Oh yeah, I do. It just makes it more fun for me. The louder you squeal. And trust me, you're a little squealer. One of the worst squealers I ever heard."

   "Thought you were having fun with your little donut joke, didn't ya? Well, mommy's gonna have her fun now. With you. Right now… 10 more minutes of it. Then? We'll see where we're getting to. You see, I want sincere. I want promises. That I can believe. Are you capable of promising me? Yes, you are, but… I just don't believe it… yet. Maybe, 10 minutes from now, but, we'll just have to see."

   She reset the timer to the 10 minutes to account for time talking.

   "Ready?"

   She did it again for 5 minutes straight. She laughed more. Made even more fun of the noise and commotion. Made jokes. When she was 5 minutes in, she stopped. Laid down on him.

   "Are you at all curious why we stopped? Yeah? Well… that's cause I'm gonna try something new. Okay? Yeah, you want that? Good. Let's see how you enjoy this."

   She rolled him over face down. Sat down across the small of his back, and adjusted herself. Tucked her thighs in. Her feet ended up just past his head.

   "Ready? You can really impress me now, with how loud you can squeal."

   Laughing, she grabbed the loose end of the ankle belt, and drew it up. She spent the next 5 minutes tickling the bottoms of his feet, and reaching back and around to do ribs. Back and forth she worked him, giggling. She made sure to laugh at the higher pitched squealing and the extra squirming and bucking.

   When the timer went off, she unceremoniously rolled him back over, and took her seat across his hips again. She smiled and laid down on his chest.

   "Now. I wasn't making it all up. You did make me wet this morning. I was… floating on air. The talk about real romance on the street? The finger holding walking? I was wet all over again. I was on cloud nine. Honest to shit? When I heard you, let that old man at the store just go on thinking we were married? My knees got weak. I was just planning on bringing you back here, and, you know, a little fun taste like last night. And… I had plans. I was going to do things for you. To you. Anything I could think of? To reward you. Did you know that? Now look where we are."

   "When you pulled your little donut joke? I was crushed. I wanted to cry. You hurt my feelings so bad? Well, here we are. In case you haven't figured it out by now? You really can be a little dense sometimes, you know… this isn't for fun. It's punishment. Have you figured that out? Hmm?"

   She got up and off him. Stood over him looking down at him.

   "I haven't decided what I'm going to do with you yet. We're not done. I'll be right back… don't go anywhere."

   She stepped into her jogging shoes and went outside. She was back a short time later, and re-locked the door. She stood on the mattress, looking down at him. She stepped out of her jogging shoes and kicked them off the edge of the mattress, and laid down next to him.

   "I don't know what to do now. I mean, it's obvious I can do anything right now, hmm? See, here's the thing of it. Normally? I do however many minutes I do. I get my promise I want… then? My thing was to always repeat the whole thing over again. You get 5 minutes, I believe your promise? Then, you get another 5 minutes to make sure you keep it. Do you wanna do that?"

   "Aww. Why not. What's another twenty minutes, huh? Ooh… we might be getting somewhere. I'm hearing squealing, and I'm not even touching you. That? Is a start.

   "You know, the original plan? Was I felt like crying when you did that, so… I was going to make you cry. And I still might, you're not off the hook, trust me. But… I didn't actually cry. So… maybe… and I mean fucking maybe… you don't have to cry. Wanna try it that way? Oh. You do."

   She ran her fingers over him, but didn't tickle him, she just smiled and pretended.

   "Ooh. Scared? Good… you should be. I'm right at the point, where I decide… another 20 minutes? Or… maybe, and I mean just maybe… we'll try it the nice way. You wanna try it the nice way? Hmm? I… think maybe you do."

   She patted him.

   "Now, here's what we're gonna try. Not do, but… we'll try it, okay? We'll take that off. For now, anyways… the rest stays on. I wanna hear what you have to say. Now, in case you can't guess, I'll warn you… one fucking time, right now, and I swear to you, it's the only warning you'll get."

   She sat on him, and laid on his chest. Face in his, and counted off on her fingers.

   "One. I want an apology. I mean, a real one. It better be sincere. I… better believe it."

   "Two. After the apology? And that's even assuming I take your little apology, and I even remotely believe you're sincere? I wanna hear some begging and pleading. It better be good. Real good."

   "Three. I want promises. How this donut shit? Will never be any issue ever again. I want it explained to me, all the various ways how this is done. Be fucking thorough. Or else."

   "Four. If we're going to try this, the nice way, like this? You're risking a lot. I was going to repeat the whole thing, like I always did. That's a happy memory now. Gone. I don't like any of the apology? The begging and pleading? The promises? I swear to god… you'll fucking wish you did it all better. Then? We'll try this again. But…"

   She held the timer out and wiggled it in his face. Set it for a whole hour.

   "Oh, yeah. That's right. I don't like one bit of anything? I don't think its sincere? We don't repeat it… we're going to do the whole hour, and you're lucky I'm not getting the digital timer out."

   She bit her thumb.

   "You know what? That's a good idea. You fuck this up? At all? In any way? That digital timer… yeah. That's what we'll use. That little puppy I can set for two hours. Or more. And hey, I can do it. I got all day. Kinda… bored. You already figured out, I enjoy hearing a little squealer, huh? Fun… now… you wanna try this the nice way? Oh. You do. Don't fuck it up, donut slut."

   "All right, we'll try it. Don't start speaking until you're told to. You got that? You know what happens if you fuck that up, don't you? Yeah, I thought you did."

   She undid the mouth belt, and gingerly took out the panties.

   She laid back down and put her hands on opposing elbows on his chest, staring right in his face. Smiling. Wiggled her butt and rubbed her legs a little. Got comfortable. Sighed.

   "You can start with the apology now, and, don't stop until I tell you. You can start with my sincere apology now. Go."

   About five minutes into the apology phase she stopped him.

   "Problem. It seems… sort of sincere? But… you're starting to keep saying the same bullshit over and over again. I don't know about that would work. I'm gonna have to think about that."

   She picked up the wet panties, ran them over his face, then set them back down.

   "Okay. Let's try it again. No repeating the same shit over and over. You don't wanna bore me with this apology, do you? Yeah… I wouldn't do that, if I were you. Try again. From the top… go."

   She smiled after a while of it, and put her finger over his lips.

   "Shh. All right. I think, and that's a firm maybe, mind you… you might be a little sincere with your apology. I mean, I guess it'll have to do. So… let's move onto the begging and pleading part. I… have to really feel that we understand each other over this donut whore shit. Get on it."

   Again about 5 minutes in? She picked up the panties.

   "This is the only warning you're gonna get. This isn't begging and pleading, this is whining. I want you to beg me. Plead with me. See, I have to believe, that you sincerely don't want this to happen again. I'm just getting a sense of whining. Start over with this part. This? Has to be a lot better. I punished you. I let you off before you cried. We still can, if that's what you want. I mean, if you're not scared of being punished again? Well, we'll just have to do it again, and I'll have to do my part, to make sure. I mean, 20 minutes? Pffft."

   You're looking at a whole hour. Maybe? Even two. Do you realize how bad that will be? We're talking you sleep in a puddle of tears, on the new mattress. Now, start the begging and pleading over. Be sincere. Be thorough, but, no repeating. I wanna believe you, but… I think? You should concentrate on how you know what an hour will do, how much you're afraid of two hours. Remember? I got no fucking problem doing it. I think you know that now. Let's hear this pathetic shit all over again… go.

   After quite a while she put her fingers over his mouth.

   "Shh. I guess, that wasn't too bad. Maybe? We're actually getting somewhere. Now. This is the last one. The promises. Better be good, that's all I got to say. Don't even think you're just gonna say I wont do it ever again, I promise. Over and over again? Uh uh. You start there. Then, you better think of something else. Promises of what you're going to do, to make damn sure this never comes up again. And I'm warning you, if this ever is any kind of issue, ever again? Oh, I honestly feel so bad for you. Minimum? I mean, the fucking minimum possible, would be… a whole hour, non stop, face up like this. And? We will definitely do the repeat. Why? Because this didn't work… I'll have no choice, but to do it much more thoroughly. So, we're talking an hour and a half, then? I flip you over for the last half hour. Did you hear how loud you squealed when you were flipped over? Now, lets hear these promises. Make me believe. Go.

   Merry laid on him and listened to a series of promises. Nodded her head. Gave the occasional "Hmm" or "Aww"…

   "All right. Let's take a break. Oh, don't even think yer done, mister. But. We're getting somewhere. I want you to kiss me. We're gonna kiss, and I mean it's going to be a while. See, I got all my clothes on. This make-out isn't going anywhere. It's what I want. You wanna try that?"

   He did, in fact, want to try it. She wormed her way under him, and got her jeans legs wrapped around him, and rested her bare feet on his legs. They kissed passionately for quite some time. She had them take turns doing the neck attack. She gave him instructions, and everything she said and did was slow, methodical, and passionate. In her bedroom voice. It was something new, that she wanted her earlobes sucked and licked and gently bit, much like her neck.

   "Now, this is how it could have been all along, without all that other business. Do you like this better?"

   Turned out he did.

   "Now. I'm thinking about letting you go. Thinking, mind you. Haven't decided yet. Now, have you learned anything? Hmm. I guess we'll see. My advice? To you, mister? Would be this… I want you to remember, all night, how you feel right now. This… sudden desire to please me? Be nice? This sweet thing? If I were you, I would stay just like that. That? Would, I think anyways, be your best bet. You're maybe almost out of the doghouse, for now. You wouldn't wanna fuck that up."

   She was smiling, and seemed to just be about to let him go, when she suddenly stopped. He protested the panties going back in, which seemed to really piss her off.

   "Did you just try to tell me no? Oh… bad idea… I was just teasing, and was gonna start being so nice, then you had to go and fuck it up. I'm done playing around with you. Can't be nice about it, huh? Oh, that's fine. Putting this fucking thing right back on…"

   She laughed and teased him abut the belt holding the panties.

   "How many times did I warn you, huh? You will not tell me no. I thought you got that. Guess not? Fuck it."

   She got the timer and wiggled it in front of his face. Set it to punctuate every thing she listed off.

   "5 for that no shit, right off the fucking bat. Don't ever say no tonight, you got that? You don't, but… you will, I can promise you…"

   "Let's see. Four things? Fucked every one of them up. I had to restart every one of them. That's what, 20 more? Fine by me. Here we go. 25? Fuck that… whole half hour. No, no… don't even start. We're doing it."

   She laid down on him.

   "Now. This whole next half hour? That's going to be your apology, mister. You're going to have to cry me your apology. Aww."

   She went for fifteen minutes straight. When she got the tears she wanted, she laughed. Licked them. Made fun of his plight. When she stopped, he looked relieved. But, she rolled him over with her foot and sat down on him like before. Instead of holding the ankle handle she had made, she used another belt as well. Brought the ankles up and down to the thigh belt, and belted both together.

   "Now. That's how we're going to do this shit."

   Sitting there laughing, she used one hand on the now immobile soles, held back for her easy reach, and the other for ribs. The bucking was gone this way, immobilized. Most of the last 15 minutes? Simply complete shaking and crying.

   "Oh no, you can cry harder that that. Your not going anywhere… I like having both hands, you can't even wiggle away. Pffft… scream all you want. Ha, I can do this all… day. Just think, donut boy… we're gonna do another half hour, so you really get my message. You like that? I do… let's give you something to scream for, huh?"

   She did hands and ribs simultaneously, making fun of all the wild commotion.

   "And you think that this is bad? This ain't shit… we're not even halfway there. I can't wait to hear how loud you get when we start all over. Again. Then? Probably more. I know I don't care. Tell me no again, I dare you."

   When she was done because the timer went off, she laughed and asked him if he thought it needed repeated. She found it hysterically funny that he now didn't dare to shake his head no, which she pretended to take for a yes. She laughed at the new explosion of tears, simply from pretending and teasing the timer was going to get repeated.

   "Now we're where we needed to be, all along, aren't we… yeah, we are, I think. I so much as tease you? I get more cute little sniffles and those tears. Aww. That's better."

   "Now? I think maybe, when I warn you about something, maybe you'll listen to me, huh? Or… do we need to continue this little lesson. Ha! Almost got a no out of you."

   She got down in his face again.

   "That would have been… a very bad idea. Good job. I would have no problems, repeating it."

   "Well, well, well… we finally got somewhere. Won't say no… and that half hour apology? Really wasn't that bad. Now then, let's see if we can try, the nice way. One… more… time. Okay? Fuck it up. Slightest thing, we start right over again. I dare you, donut slut… try me. One more tiny little slip up? We'll start over, then we'll do the repeat. You fucking hear me? Two straight hours, guaranteed."

   She laid there, looking quite contented now. Chin on crossed arms. All wiggled in for comfort. Watching the time it took for him to calm down. Quit with the outbursts of fresh tears.

   "You all done? I'm not listening to that whiny shit. When you're all done, we'll start fresh. Make sure you're done with this annoying little slut shit, though. Make… sure… you burst into tears after the panties come out? They're going right back in. Another lesson. And I promise you? It will be a long one. I don't have a problem with it, you know that now. That long lesson? Will definitely be repeated. Maybe repeated twice. Whatever it takes, I got all day."

   That brought a few fresh tears, but nothing major.

   "Where we at now, slut. I'll tell you! You're just about to get made to scream and cry for a really long time? Because you won't stop crying and whining! Keep it up, you must like it, I think. That's so much more like it. Crying, because I just threatened you. Don't even have to touch you? Tears. I'm telling you, this whiny slut shit better quit soon. It's boring me. I get a little more bored, guess what?"

   "Okay, now we finally got somewhere. I just suggest it could happen? I get tears. Good… we're both on the same page now. Happy? It's obviously what you wanted. And, you got it. Why do little sluts always whine and cry, when they get what they asked for? I don't know. You think you're ready now? You sure? All right… remember, wait to be told to speak, donut slut."

   She took the mouth belt off again, and retrieved the wet panties. Smiled as she teased him with them some more.

   "Now. Let's try the nice way. The way it could have been, if you didn't make donut jokes. As you can see, this is no laughing matter, is it? Whole thing, didn't need to be. But, you asked for it. Little sluts? Get what they ask for. Now? I know how to handle it. Now then… does my little slut want to do things the nice way? The way I wanted to do them? Or, we going to keep doing things the hard way. Speak…"

   "Nice way…"

   "Well, for starters? Don't go ripping my clothes off. I like that? Not right now though. Your best bet would be to keep this little sweetness act up. I'm starting to believe you feel bad about hurting my feelings. Can you do that? You wanna try? Or… should I just keep you like this. Wanna see how you can do? Hmm?"

   "Yeah."

   She rolled over on top of him and undid all the belts slowly. Kissed him all over as she went about it. One at a time, slow motion.

   "I wanna switch out being on top for this kissing. You okay with that?"

   They took turns. She gave him constant instructions, in that soft, sultry bedroom voice. Using her best bedroom eyes. She was now a rotisserie of romantic fun.

   "Now… isn't this better? This is what you get when you make me feel good. Now… how many times have I gone over, how much I hate cheating, huh? Tons. A little bit of joking about its funny, but… not when you know you're making me feel bad. All right? I'm not kidding about this, honey. I was devastated. You betrayed me, you humiliated me… I know it's just a joke, but, please don't do that again, all right?"

   "Okay."

   "No. It's not okay yet. But… we're getting there. Maybe I've been too good to you. Have I spoiled you? I give you anything you want, anything you ask for, and I even come up with things you never would have asked for. Treated you to things, I don't normally do. Do you not understand that?"

   "I do."

   "Okay. This. What we're doing? This is closeness, this is affection. It's not sex. I like this, too. Are you just doing this because you don't want punished again? Or, do you really mean it."

   "I mean it… I promise…"

   "Shh. Stop that whiny shit. You start crying? I told you what will happen. You give me that whiny shit, start crying? You know I'll do it. Don't risk it. All right now. This? Is going to be added to the menu. I want this once in a while, all right? It would be nice, if you initiated this once in a while, okay? Please don't fuck this up. I'm starting to forgive you. Just a tiny bit. This is helping make up for it, all right?"

   "Yes."

   "Now… you like my ankles, right?"

   "Very much."

   "Okay. Rub my ankles. An ankle rub. After a while? I could use a foot rub. I was walking on rocks and wood last night, I want a foot rub. Would you mind doing that? Hmm. Okay, you're being good. You can say no now… I allow you. Would you mind?"

   "No."

   "All right. Do the ankles for a while, then move on. Slow and sincere, then back to the ankles again. Then repeat. Okay?"

   "Okay."

   After a while, she brought him back up for more kissing with an alternation of who was on top.

   "Now? If it wouldn't be too much trouble, do my wrists and hands the same way. And my arms. Repeat them over. Go on…"

   Her constant kissing and bedroom voice convinced him he was getting somewhere.

   "All right. Let's have your hands under my shirt. My back is the best thing for me, but, you can do everywhere else. My shoulders? Are second place to my back. Don't go crazy on my tits. Don't linger on them. Only warning you'll get…"

   "Yeah. Scratch my back. Up to the neck. Yeah…"

   "You know how you liked the first, slow, nothing-fuck?"

   "Yeah…"

   "I like this. You're giving back when you do this. Don't rush this. You'll ruin it, like you ruined things earlier. You don't wanna fuck this up. You won't get punished, that's over. For now, maybe. You'd disappoint me, that you know I love this, and you don't do it after you know I like it this much. Understand that?"

   "Yes."

   "Okay. You're doing very well, for now. Keep it up. We're not having sex, this is making love. It's different. Does it feel different?"

   "Yes."

   "Do you like it? Or are you just telling me what I want to hear. I understand if you are, but please don't do that. I want to trust you. It feels different than sex. You're sure…"

   "Yes."

   "Good. Do you mind when I put my feet on your legs like that? Move them? I like it, but you might not."

   "I like it."

   "All right. I want you to take my jeans off. Do it very slowly. Can you not go nuts when the jeans are finally off?"

   "Yes."

   "All right. Start. Do it as slowly as you possibly can. Rub and kiss and lick every square inch of skin that comes out, as slow as possible. Every tug? You go back over all the skin you uncovered, okay? It should take you a while. Go on…"

   After a slow time of accomplishing this feat, he realized he had lost track of all sense of time. It did feel like "floating on air" as she claimed to have felt earlier that day. This was different from sex, and it definitely was right up there with sex itself.

   "Very good. Now? Do the ankles and the legs. Then under my shirt. Then the back and shoulders. Scratch my back. Then repeat. You're doing very, very well. Do you really like this?"

   "Yes."

   "I believe you. Want to know a secret?"

   "What?"

   "I can hear it in your voice. It changed. You're not sounding cold, and you're not being a comedian. This… is something new. Don't mess this up. I love this."

   "Wait a little while, then I want you to slowly get my shirt off. Just like you did my jeans, all right? Do the same thing with every slow tug, and it will take you longer than my jeans. I want you to roll me gently over and over as you work around what you uncover, all right. Don't flip me around, you're just guiding me. I go with your lead. All right?"

   The slow twisting and turning and skin contact didn't drive him sexually wild, like sex acts did, this was calming and soothing. Again? This was a new thing from sex.

   "Don't rush for my panties. They stay on for a while. Do ankles, legs, then my top. Rub slowly, don't rush. You can rub what's under my panties? Just not my twat. Everything else is like the skin. Take your time. You're doing very well. Go on, I trust you now. You're all naked, I'm in those pesky little panties, and you get to rub me all over, just don't touch my twat at all, okay? Do you promise me? Yeah? Now, I'm gonna lay back. You know how to flip me now, don't you… gentle… your hand suggests I turn, and I'll move with you… go on… rub me everywhere… except."

   She locked her eyes on his. Big, huge dark pupils. Slow, heavy breathing. She wasn't sweating like after running, this was different. He could smell her body now. It was mildly intoxicating. During their now and again passionate slow kissing, he smelled her neck as much as gave it the familiar gentle attack.

   She smiled, and noticed it.

   "Someone can smell me now, huh?"

   He nodded.

   "Mmm. Smell all my skin. Go on… what is that, huh? You wanna know? Yeah, you do. I can see it. Grab mommy's reading glasses. Put them on me. Science girl will tell you… go on… I won't bite…"

   Then? She bit him gently on the neck. Giggled.

   "Well, maybe just a little."

   He gingerly put her glasses onto her face. Low on her nose. Cuter. So he could keep staring at those huge dark pupils that had spread out and covered most of her eyes now. The flecks in the brown really stood out now. Tiny… green flecks? With some microscopically small hint of blue around those tiny flecks. The normally brown eyes, the brown was like strands of muscle, and when doing this, let the flecks really show around them. It fascinated him to no end, and she smiled and bit her lip.

   "Bedroom eyes. You like them, I can tell. Wanna know a secret? Anytime you see that, people say oh, that person's eyes can change colors… this, is what they mean… when people say someone has a twinkle in their eye? It's those flecks that are visible. My brown eyes…really show them, I know…

   "Listen to me, okay? You like smelling my skin? Taste it. You can actually taste it. Go on… try my neck. Good. Do my wrist, then my ankle… go on… yeah, see? Now… do the front of my knee… go on… Hmm. Nothing, huh? I'm not sweating. Those chemicals? Aren't in the sweat. You can't taste them everywhere, like when they're dissolved in my sweat. You can only get them right now, in the locations they come out of. Those? Are… the scent markers. We don't have glands like an animal, but… that's where they come up at. Out of my pores."

   "Now, that's why you're always staring at my ankles and my wrists. That's why you like it, when a girl you like? Wear's anything there. Now… smart guy… tell me where a girl wears jewelry… we'll start easy. Where, does a girl that doesn't wear anything else, start at? Hmm? Go on…"

   "Wwll… the neck…"

   "Yeah. You're getting this. The girl's neck? Is one of the best places this happens. The girly girls? Don't even know why they always start out with a necklace. They don't know, they're trying to send a signal. That's picked up, by men that don't realize it either. See how this works?"

   He nodded. Smiled.

   "Where else? List them."

   "Ankles. Wrists."

   "Yeah. Number two locations. Right behind the neck… wanna know where a weird one is?"

   "Where?"

   "Small of a girl's back. Can't put jewelry there. So… what do they do?"

   "Little tattoo…"

   Merry smiled and nodded.

   "Even with no other tattoos? They get just that tramp stamp. Boys don't even know why they like it? They just do. Its a signal."

   She smiled.

   "Where does a girl dab her perfume? Tell me."

   "Neck."

   "They all put it there… where else?"

   "Wrists… and…"

   "Uh huh…"

   "Ankles…"

   Think that's an accident? Hmm? Now… what's the perfume for… what function does it serve… go on, science boy… tell me… guess."

   "Pretty smell…"

   "Uh huh… coming from where…"

   "The… spots…"

   "Mmm. Makes her seem prettier than she is, doesn't it?"

   "Yeah…"

   "Now… analyze mommy… what did I do?. What was I doing, when you found me? Go on…"

   "No jewelry. None."

   "Uh huh… more…"

   "No perfume…"

   "Good. More… what about my hair? My face? Go on…"

   "No big hair do… no… make up…"

   "What about my clothes?"

   "You… dressed down."

   "Good. Now, you know my history. I didn't lie… why was I doing this?"

   "You… were taking a long break… you… didn't want the… extra attention…"

   "Very good. I didn't want to send out fake signals. Generate fake attention. Just to fuck, like girls do… what did mommy want… what was mommy waiting for… go on…"

   "You said you wanted a nice guy, in… a city of… selfish assholes."

   Merry nodded.

   "Let me help you. Give you a hint."

   She whispered in his ear, hoarse and wet…

   "What do I keep telling you, made me wet? Why did I notice you? Pick you out… you remember everything I say, I notice that… what…"

   "You, said more than once. You were peeping on me, and eavesdropping… you heard me tell George… I… gave up everything. To help other people…"

   "Yep. Oh, I was already checking you out. Just like all girls look at all guys. You know, minimum specs? Just to chat about at work for fun with the girls. I like that one. No, I like that one more. Girl talk. Like you boys… discussing girl's butts. For something to talk about."

   "And…"

   "And? When I overheard that. My knees got weak. My stomach? Flip flopped. I swear I got wet, I'm sure it was just a drop or two, but, it was so quick? I thought a little squirt came out. I ran back to the girls… they were like, okay, but… look how strung out he is… it was so obvious you weren't sleeping. Big, dark circles… I had to try, though. They were like okay, whatever does it. Don't know what you're seeing."

   She kissed him some more before continuing.

   "They were teasing me. Bad… Merry? Maybe if you try walking on your hands? Maybe that'll work. I figured you were either playing hard to get? Or… you were blowing me off. I wanted to cry… one in a million? Now poof and gone."

   More kissing.

   "Then? You wandered back in. I said… ooh, here's mister hard to get. Still nothing though. Is he gay? I don't think so… free food… free coffee… I got the girls doing their background check on you, interrogating you… boys in the back were trying to see if you were strung out on coke…nothing. Just killing yourself slowly. Helping people you never met. Got you back to my place."

   More kissing.

   "Then? Nothing. You were more interested in my cat than me. Food. Wanted to watch the damn movie. Fuck it, I got you there. Try next morning… 8 hours later? You perked right up. Did everything but rape you. The more I figured out the sleep thing was that bad, even everyone else you knew was concerned? Amazed I… relaxed you? You have no idea what a strong signal that was.

   More kissing.

   "Now… what did mommy do, to try to keep you around? You tell me…"

   "You fucked the shit out of me."

   "Uh huh… go on…"

   "Fun sex games. Anything to make it fun…"

   "Uh huh… more…"

   "Food…"

   "Yeah… and you being you? Bitty Kitty was every bit as good of a bait as the food and the sex was, huh?"

   He nodded.

   "I started wearing a little eyeliner, didn't I?"

   "Yeah…"

   "You liked the smell and the taste of my sweat."

   He nodded and smiled.

   "See where we are in the story now? I found my… primary characteristic I wanted so bad. In a decent looking guy. Could eat you up. Like cake… then? You had to go and smear frosting and icing… all, over the cake."

   "What icing?"

   More kissing.

   "Duh, every girl likes tough guys. It just moves down the list, if they want something else, silly. Money is a big one, shoves the natural tough guy thing right down to number two. Women want it so bad, they'll move it down to number three, and take any guy. Fat. Mean. Stupid… just to get that…"

   "Girls like funny, smart, nice… but it gets shoved down the list. Then? I figured out you're hiding it. Now… I had to see. Remember I smacked you across the face a couple times? You know why?"

   "Couple drinks. You wanted my attention. It was important…"

   "A little, but… really? I wanted to know if you would ever hit me. Only way to find out. I don't slap guys every day, to show off. Little sissy girls are spoiled they can do it and and get away with it. They do it way too much. Honestly? I'm a woman. I'll fucking say it… when some guy smacks them back? Serves them right. You're comfortable playing with monsters, day at the office, and you won't hit a girl. Rare combination. I was prepared to take a nice slap back, just to see."

   She kissed him slowly.

   "Remember in my apartment? When you met the boys?"

   He nodded.

   "I couldn't believe it."

   She snapped her fingers.

   "You're not that big a guy. There was a pack of them. I know those guys, and I couldn't believe their body language. That wasn't the first time. The first time? Remember the busboy and the cook? They were sure you weren't sleeping cause of coke… remember?"

   "Yeah…"

   "All sweet, all polite… then? You scared the busboy when you told him you were going to have to put your hands on him, if he didn't lay off the 'coke shit', I think you said, right?"

   "I apologized for that…"

   "What you don't know? All us girls? Teased the busboy about how nervous you made him. The big heavyset cook? Stuck up for him. Said he walked over, to give the hint you can't hurt his busboy? He told us… he walked away, because he didn't like the look you gave him."

   "Your little performance in my apartment meeting the boys? We all saw what they saw. They were right, us girls didn't believe them. Then the little talk we had? I was afraid I had an actual sociopath on my hands. I was worried. But no… just another layer of… icing on my cake for me to just eat you up, and lick my lips."

   "Glad you like eating me so much…"

   "Yeah, I do…"

   Another smile.

   "Uh huh… we're almost there… do you understand now, when I came out the back room of the store? Heard the donut joke, you're laughing about sneaking out for donuts? That was like having a knife shoved in my guts, and twisted. That's how it felt, all right… do you understand that?"

   He nodded.

   "Mmm. All right… last thing, okay? Let's talk about… donut whore. No, shh. It's okay now, I promise. Remember the eyes? Rob's been there with us, he saw it. He doesn't know why, he just knows she likes you, and is throwing herself at you. Right… in… front… of… me. She knows what she's doing. She gives me the shit eating grin every time she does it. Little Robbie and Sky even suggested it to you, no more donuts, didn't they? You didn't get that hint either. You miss these things. I know that. It's okay…"

   "I'm sorry about that---"

   She kissed him.

   "Shh. It's all okay. No, no… shh. Just… listen. Remember your dog pack book you talked about? The behavior books you read?"

   "Yeah…"

   "You were concerned about the males in the pack. Why they do what they do, right?"

   "Well, yeah…"

   "Shh. This? Is the girl dog book I'm reading to you from, okay? Listen, this is important. You remember the little coke skank behind the bar? Your precious donut slut, is the same girl. She's just in the donut shop, instead of on that stupid milk crate so she can peek on her tip toes over the bar. She's treating me? The exact… same… way."

   Another kiss.

   "We're going there. Tonight. No, listen to me. We are. You? Are going to notice her eyes when we walk in. She doesn't get the bedroom eyes until she's leaning over you, talking to you a while. I want you to look. In her eyes, like you do. I want you to notice, how the eyes twinkle and change. She has brown eyes, like mine. You're gonna see the little color flecks come out. You won't miss it, it's ridiculous."

   "No…"

   "Shh. You know what I want you to promise me you're gonna do? Look at me…"

   "What…"

   "Let her go. Keep looking in her eyes. She'll like it, trust me. Coffee? Fine. When she starts her free donuts routine? I want you to tell her this…"

   Another kiss.

   "Look her up. Look her down. You know, you're checking her out? Then tell her no, and ask her… why are you doing this to yourself? You need the donuts more than I do. Then? Just ignore her. Then? I want you to start staring at me. Smiling at me. Start kissing me without making too much of a scene. Not all at once? Slowly. Over time. Build up to it. While ignoring her. Wanna know what she's gonna do? Find something to do in the kitchen. She won't be available for a while. Then? She's gonna stomp like a spoiled little brat into the bathroom, to cry and pout. That? Is when I'm gonna go to the bathroom, and smirk at her."

   "Anything you want. If it'll make you feel better…"

   "Oh. It will. You? Have no idea… are we on the same page here? Do we have our… intelligence and battle plan worked out? Hmm?"

   "Anything. I don't wanna hurt you. That's the last thing I wanna do… you're my cat."

   "Ooh. You? Are going to make me… very happy."

   A period of the slow kissing ensued.

   "Honey?"

   "Yes…"

   "But… what am I telling her?"

   "I… just told you what to tell her."

   "But… how's that gonna make her pout and cry. I don't get it. Not taking… food… hurts her feelings?"

   Merry's eyes widened, and her mouth hung open. She bit her lower lip, and put her face in her palm.

   "Fuck me. You're serious?"

   "I'll do anything you want right now, I promise, I'm just curious why…"

   "You're calling her anorexic. She thinks… look. Here's her game plan, trust me. You hang out with cops. At a donut shop. Free donuts. Free coffee… she's smirking at me? Because she knows you're gonna wander in one night, why not get the free donuts, what the hell… and eventually? You'll be the only one there. It'll happen eventually. Then? She's gonna pounce."

   "Really? She's married."

   "Like that ring means shit these days. You, are being groomed, like a child molester luring a child, with candy. Sooner or later? Spring the trap. When the kid eventually wanders in alone? To get the free candy one too many times? Mommy isn't there to keep an eye on things?"

   "Really? You sure, you're not just jealous?"

   "Hmm. Okay, I give you that. Most women are crazy. Jealous, emotional, fucking basket cases. They can be a hot mess, some of them. But… let's test it then, huh?"

   "Okay."

   "Honey? If you were planning a side piece? Pretend. What do you look for?"

   Merry started counting off on her fingers.

   "One. Already attached. Fun fling and and it ends, doesn't ruin her marriage, and she gets to keep her husband and his gravy train she's riding. He pays the bills, she's difficult and not in the mood, and… wants a side piece."

   "Two. Look at me? Look at her. I'm tall, she's short. I'm healthy and strong, she's dieted down to a stick. I'm tan? She's freckled and pale. Something different is always fun to try. Like a new food."

   "Three. Timing is perfect. New guy in town. Staying just long enough to pull it off, have enough fun, then you leave."

   "Four. Best part for her? You're not here for the girls normal hunting season. You boys are all here just before hunting season. Duh."

   "What… what the hell has that got to do with it?"

   "Honey? This a resort town, sort of. A whole crop of hunting boys comes in, every year. Year in, year out. Wives and kids at home. In packs. The wives and girls here? Are fucking hunting just like the boys are. I'm a girl, the wives in town already had little girl talks with me."

   "Like what?"

   "Stick around, honey… fresh meat's coming in pretty soon. You don't wanna miss it. One wife? Called me a bitch, but was complimenting me."

   "How?"

   Merry imitated her voice…

   "Oh, aren't you the sly one. Got all those guys to yourself, working out at George's place. You got yours, you selfish bitch… why ain't you bringing the strays in for us to play with? Her girlfriend chimes in… yeah! Why aren't you sharing? Or you conducting a train out there? Come on already, we ain't had this much fresh meat outta season since the boys working on the railroad were in town one summer."

   "You're shitting me…"

   "That's the married women. At the diner. The fuck you think goes on in the girl's room? Honey… why in the hell do you think it is, that literally one out of five kids, ain't daddy's. Across the country. That's the average… this place? It's worse. These nice small town wives? I swear, it's worse than in the city."

   "I don't believe this shit."

   Nice, long kiss.

   "So? We go to the donut shop tonight. Test it. It's one of two things. Either I'm masking this all up, and I'm a crazy, jealous, hormonal basket case. Or? It goes exactly like our little… battle plan. Then I'm right. Wanna bet on it?"

   "Uh, no."

   She laid her arms on his shoulders, tightened up her tan thighs into him. All but hugging him to her with her legs. Licked him a sloppy doggy kiss up his face.

   "Ha. My icing… honey? You mentioned how the boys and the men notice me, a little bit? It's normal. New girl in town."

   "Yeah…"

   "Sweetie. The wives around town? Are doing the same thing to you. Now, you do the donut shop tonight? Pull it off like I said? Every girl has her type she likes. Bet you? Anything in the world, honey. Ask the cops? To describe donut girl's clueless husband. Bet he's tall, blue collar, fair skin. Mmm, works with his hands somehow. Probably was once in the service. I bet… everyone describes him? Polite guy. Not a hell raiser. Just like you seem to be on the surface. Then? You'll know science girl isn't a crazy hormonal mess, all right?"

   Merry tightened her grip on him, with her hands and her legs both. Started in on his neck again, in earnest. Purred into his neck.

   "Now, do you see why it was like having a knife shoved into my guts and twisted around? Laughing at my no donuts rule? What were you even thinking, mister…"

   "I don't know…"

   "Yeah… now? You do…"

   "I'm sorry. Do you believe me now?"

   "I think so. Now. Let me show you something. Stand up on the mattress. Do it."

   They both stood up. She put his arms around her, on her shoulders.

   "Now. You better keep your arms there. Or else. And you know what 'or else' means, don't you?"

   He nodded.

   "Open up. Or else. Do it."

   The panties went back in. She smiled. She ran her fingers over him, standing there with him hugging her. She winked at him. Started tickling up his ribs. He shuddered. Twisted. Made a little noise, but… it wasn't at all like before. She did it for a long time. Then suddenly stopped.

   "See? That wasn't bad, was it?"

   She did it some more. Grabbed the timer, showed him five minutes. What would have been crying material before during the thick of what had been 'punishment'… she brought them both to their knees, and smiled. He kept his arms on her neck, while she did it quite insistently, for the whole five minutes. He shuddered, danced, and squealed… but nothing like any of the five minute periods prior.

   She took the panties back out. Wry grin on her face. Winked.

   "What the hell?"

   "Hmm. Fun again, wasn't it?"

   "Yeah… as fun as last night… maybe better?"

   "I know, right? All I did, was pop your little tickle-fuck cherry. You take a break? Like we did? Come back to it… it's fun. I can do this all night now. No tears. You'll fucking love it… kinda hot, isn't it?"

   "Yeah…"

   "So, if my cherry's popped…"

   She stood up suddenly. Put her hand on his head firmly to keep him kneeling. Stuck his face on her panties. He could feel the moisture. Smell her.

   "Don't get too brave. This is a cherry that magically grows back every morning. Oh, your safe, all night tonight if we want. But make no mistake, little donut slut… when we first start out next time? I can do the same thing as you just got. So, what do you make of that…"

   "If I don't know, will you tell me?"

   "Good answer, slut. Very good. Your… half hour apology we ended that with? Fresh in your mind, hm?"

   He nodded.

   "We're good. For now… but next time? Remember, and don't forget this. I'm warning you. Because you still have to get the cherry-pop to get started, hmm? Oh yeah, that's right. Not a problem if you're a good boy. Don't stick a knife in my guts. Couple minutes… long break… then? Fun… all… night. Dirty slut fun, that you like. But… don't you dare forget that, because if I have to do it again? On the same issue? Oh, I swear to god… we'll be talking about, oh, I don't know… say, one hour minimum? Followed by a repeat hour to make sure? Flipped over? How fun would that be…"

   He shook his head.

   "So… we understand each other? Yes?"

   "Yes…"

   "Okay. You made me cry. I made you cry. We're even."

   He nodded.

   "Now. Let's have some more fun with our new mattress. We have some time before our donuts dinner, okay?"

   He nodded. She laid back down on the mattress, and pointed at her panties. The ones that were soaked to the touch. The pair she was still wearing.

   "Slow. Remember your first nothing-fuck?"

   He smiled and nodded.

   "I want that. With your tongue. Make it take a while. I'll let you know when you're done…"

   "Okay…"

   "Okay my ass, donut boy. Get on it…"

   A short while later, Merry exclaimed.

   "Oh… yeah… a girl could get used to this…"

   A somewhat longer while later, Merry was still enjoying the same thing as previously, however, certain salient points of the situation differed. Unlike the flight had started, with Merry ordering him to get started and directing the before-flight activities? Once in the air a certain amount of turbulence had developed.

   The astute pilot and copilot, now armed with experience dealing with such matters, altered the flight plan as needed to keep things going in the proper direction, which is always of course, a fucking landing.

   These turns of events ended up with Merry getting told to shut the fuck up several times. After one too many such impolite sound bites from pilot to copilot, the copilot took over flight control. Which is to say, he called Merry a dirty little slut, and shoved her soaking wet panties into her mouth.

   Taking the flight by the horns, the copilot having assumed flight control, seized both of the captain's legs and had them up and over his shoulders. Seized both of her wrists next, and held them at her waist none too firmly, despite muffled protestations that came out of the communications system.

   The copilot saved the flight, and overstimulated the airliners engines, several times, to keep the flight in the air and refusing to ground the flight until he was sure the situation was safe.

   When the flight ended? The captain was out of breath and complained but was unable to be heard on the flight recorder, albeit with a silly smile on her face. The copilot retrieved the captain's panties out of her mouth, thus restoring normal communications. The pilot and copilot both agreed that the flight had been a novel experience, that they both enjoyed.

   When they had both regained their composure, they dressed in the clothes they had started in, and went to go to the donuts and coffee shop for supposedly dinner. Merry proclaimed that they were going out to dinner "smelling like sex". Panic wanted to know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, and Merry simply shrugged.

   The waitress working the night shift, was normally thought of as a friendly and smiling little creature, all sweetness and sunny disposition. The chief of police and Steve the cop were sitting with Panic and Merry bullshitting, and having a grand old time.

   The chief of police and Steve the cop, both looked at each other in amazement, wondering why in the hell the normally friendly waitress, all of a sudden stomped off into the back and no longer waited on them for a time. They were further amazed, when the same little girl tromped and stomped much like a spoiled six year old brat, into the bathroom. She wasn't a teenager after all, she was a married thirty year old woman.

   Merry, ever sweet and helpful, offered to go and see if she could help any. It being the little girl's room and all, the other three men there were hardly in any position to enter the ladies room where she had taken up residence. Stevie voted that it was necessary. The chief made the sage call, that coffee and donuts being held up does not an emergency make that called for such.

   Merry came back, and said…

   "The bitch is crazy, I think. I don't know what the fuck her problem is. Must be rag day, or she needs medicated. These days, who can tell."

   Neither the chief nor Steve could ascertain how in the hell a person turning down a free donut, but accepting the free coffee? Would produce such a result. Both shrugged and said "women" to each other. Chief smiled, looked at Panic and Merry and said…

   "Present company excluded, ma'am. You always seem like you got your shit together. Thanks for trying anyways, I appreciate it."

   Merry proclaimed, during the girl's long absence, that she had worked in a restaurant for ten years or thereabouts, and got everyone coffee. When the chief suggested she might get donuts? Merry shrugged and went back and got a plate for everyone.

   In the course of idle conversation, Merry wheedled out of the chief what the girl's husband looked like, what he was about.

   Mechanic. Almost 6 foot tall. Fair skin, on account of having Johnny Bull in his family. Four years army, jeep mechanic. Employed as a mechanic. Always working or at home except for bowling night, and always reported to be one of the nicest guys you ever met, shy and quiet, polite guy. Steve and chief both agreed he was a swell guy.

   Merry slid Panic the biggest shit eating grin he had ever yet seen on her pretty little face.

   Merry's weird fascination with the crazy waitress's husband now gone, Panic's line of conversation went to what the town was like. In the course of general descriptions? Chief related it was really quiet, by most accounts. Only real problems were small town stuff.

   Fistfight here and there. Usually over some girl being in the wrong car late at night with the wrong driver.

   Merry shot Panic another shit eating grin.

   The chief finished up that other than dealing with all that petty personal shit that was always going on, there was no real crime, unlike the city he had retired from with a half pension just to get the fuck out of being a cop there.

   Steve the cop, always a sense of humor, egged the chief on to tell the hilarious story of 'the dating game', as they unofficially called it down at the station. Apparently, near as anyone could figure? One guy married, was out with another woman, also married. Which would be wonderful, except for the fact they were not married to each other.

   Then, while out, this happy couple ran into another equally happy couple. That couple, as fate would have it that night? Against all odds, ended up being basically the same situation. In the course of the ensuing argument, held at a restaurant couple towns over that none the less was required to call for backup when their small town force couldn't handle the situation… one on duty and one off duty cop responding? Can hardly be expected to quell a full scale riot in a restaurant, naturally.

   Four jurisdictions were tapped, to come in and help. All hands on deck, was the local euphemism for out of jurisdiction backup calls. These four geniuses that had "started" it all? Started calling and telling on each others peccadilloes. Which quickly had two more wives and two more husbands, in the end, down into the fracas quickly taking over the restaurant.

   Dishes were flying, men and women were rolling around across the place, legitimate customers were calling in. One was hiding in the restroom, another in the kitchen, some naturally got dragged into the quickly escalating fisticuffs. Scared employees had to later be rescued from the freezer, hiding it out. The assistant manager hid in the manager's office and locked the door and hid under the desk, which highly pissed off the manager, who thought he was entitled to hide under his own desk. Those two were fist-fighting over that side issue, by the time the police arrived. Which made ascertaining what the fuck was even going on? A hard matter to ascertain for the first two cops on scene.

   In the end? Not wanting to resort to gun-play, and also not wanting to let it go on any further, the 6 or 8 combined cops finally decided to try to mace… simply everybody. Running out of mace, they resorted to fire extinguishers in an attempt to use what was at hand and available to them. Despite regulations otherwise? Apparently almost all extinguishers were sadly inoperative. No one called the fire department to lodge a formal complaint, however.

   Three or four of the officers, despite their best efforts, ended up into the ongoing battle royal. Eyewitnesses reported, among other things? Four to six little cub scouts, in uniform mind you, all ganging up on "some guy" that hit "Terry's mom" in the face. After having declared her to be a "whore". The cub scouts, motto always prepared, apparently resorted to the "swarm technique". No one was able to ascertain if this completed a valid merit badge, though the officers claimed "it damn well should have". The cub scouts had armed themselves with forks and spoons.

   Panic and Merry were laughing their asses off. And, how did this fun night wrap up they naturally had to hear. Apparently, the best solution ended up being turning on the sprinkler system. Dousing all the slightly intoxicated patrons with icy cold water. That, was fairly effective. Lacking anything resembling enough squad cars to run everyone in and get statements and try to sort out the mess… which everyone knew would prove impossible… and lacking even enough handcuffs to attempt it if they could locate more squad cars… the cops all decided, along with the manager… was it not perhaps best to simply tell everyone to get the fuck out, no harm no foul. The restaurant? Closed for repairs for two weeks.

   The manager had to destroy the videotape, so that the insurance would believe the wild story he made up, to try to explain how all the damage occurred. To try to get someone to pay for all of this shit. Apparently, it was decided that the insurance company "most likely" would not consider "Terry's mom is a whore" to be a valid reason to pay out. He had a waitress thrown through one of the large windows out into the bushes, thank god just a couple stitches and he could bribe her to claim it was from a kitchen knife when she slipped. A guy bloody and unconscious up in the salad bar where someone had knocked or thrown him.

   Someone's 70+ year old grandma? Was said to have been up on her seat, pegging "everyone" with vegetables from the salad bar. Whether Granny was engaging in lawful self defense, or simple assault? No one ever got to the bottom of that one.

   As the chief said though, this was obviously an extreme example. The chief and Stevie referred to normal such arguments with 4 or less people involved… "too many poles in the holes" calls. Standard Operating Procedure, was naturally to ignore it, send everyone home, write nothing on paper. It only led to more fistfights and disturbances, lost jobs, divorces, and kids that caught the bitter end of divorce.

   Then? All participants in these things, could all claim later at home to have been an innocent bystander. Sucked into the argument trying to help.

   The chief explained the logic of that.

   "Panic? Merry? Off the record humor."

   "Okay."

   "Sure."

   "All right, this is simple math, this one. You got a man and a woman married. That's two cheating bastards. Now, they tend to have two kids as soon as they get married. So, the two cheating bastards make two more cheating bastards. Nature? Those kids are cheating bastards on account of genetics. Nurture? Raised by cheating bastards. Same result, does not matter."

   "Now, follow this. The number of cheating bastards in my jurisdiction, will stay exactly even, provided? They never get divorced. Which is what happens with paperwork, names, arrests. Lost jobs mean instant divorce, because the women are also gold diggers. We need the cheating bastards to stay together at all costs. Why? Glad you asked."

   "Now follow the opposite viewpoint. If those two cheating bastards get divorced? I'm fucked. Why? Simple. They instantly remarry, all cheating bastards must be married, it's a fucking rule. I think its under zoning, but I digress… they will each remarry two other cheating bastards? Bang, two more kids each. It's a rule, you must shit out two puppies each ring ceremony. Zoning again I suppose."

   "Now what you got? Instead of the two cheating kids, grow up to replace the cheating parents when they die, where you hold a steady state. They get divorced, you now have the original two kids, then four more kids when they remarry and have two more with their new spouses. Now, you got six cheating bastards, replacing every two original cheating bastards."

   "Again, I ain't got the budget for that. If there ain't gun-play? Everybody knows. You see flashing lights for the disturbance coming? Get the fuck back, we're gonna hose everyone down with mace. Men, women, dogs, I don't give three shits. Why? Blind cheating bastards harm my officers much less often than sighted ones."

   "Example. Terry's mom? Is a cheating whore. She gets maced too, along with her husband and her boyfriend fighting, fuck everybody, its everybody's fault. Go home and use cold water."

   "Terry's mom, laying there crying? I'm blind, I'm blind… good! Terry's whore mom can no longer find another cock, and it'll be one less pole hole call for me. I honestly liked it better? When husbands killed both cheaters when they caught them. They used to let them off on 'hot blood' defense, temporary insanity. I'd be happy to see that come back."

   Panic and Merry were in absolute stitches.

   "Nothing but cheaters fighting?"

   "Eh. Some property damage, but again? Why you gonna go and break a car window? Almost always cheating bastards at fault. Why? Simple. You break the car window of the guy banging your wife. You run his mailbox over."

   "So? Most of the property damage, is in reality? Yet another pole hole call. Theft is rare. No murders. Drugs? Not really. Is some business owner buying coke for his BBQ parties? Probably. But, no one is shooting the place up over it, so, it's not a call. When people call in on themselves doing drugs? It'll become an issue."

   "I freely wonder, if I could eliminate cheating altogether? I might not even be needed in this town. Doubt we'd even need any police, to be honest. The nationwide DUI problem? Spare me. If you don't run into anything? I give three shits. I got one cop on duty after dark, patrolling thousands of people… you do the math what your odds are making it home after the bar."

   "No bad domestic calls?"

   "Not really, no. Rare. I guess, most cheating bastards go out to cheat, so… they tend to get caught there, get into the disturbance there. My job? Hose them down with mace, and send them home."

   "I worry about wife-beating, though."

   Panic looked at the chief…

   "Oh, guys are beating their wives here?"

   "No. Nobody does that shit anymore, I want them to start doing it again! Terry's mom was getting smacked for being a complete whore? The husband dotted her eye for it? That restaurant wouldn't have looked like a tornado went through it. I know, I know, I'm an asshole? But… only an off the record asshole. On record? All women are little fucking darlings. Look… simple as…"

   "Terry's mom got a black eye for getting caught cheating? Costs no one, nothing. Reduces crime, too. She's been the creation of a number of disturbance calls. Husband ain't allowed to introduce her to the back of his hand? I got about 25,000 dollars damage at a restaurant, how many people out of a job temporarily, I got a number of citizens in the hospital, there were a number of cops injured there, too! Which one makes more sense… I'm just saying, do the math."

   "Chief?"

   "Yeah Stevie…"

   "Tell them about the health problems around here. You have a duty to inform the public about health problems."

   "Yeah, you're right Steve… Panic? Merry? He's right. We have two problems. Addiction, and allergies."

   Merry looked at Panic…

   "But chief, you just told us that there wasn't really a drug problem…"

   "Not like you'd think. Seems all the wives, between the ages of 20 and 50 are susceptible to be addicted to cock. Practically all of them. Now, you would think that women addicted to cock being married and all would be an okay deal. Unfortunately? They are also all allergic to their husband's cock."

   Panic and Merry were giggling again and exchanging amused glances.

   "I don't know. Seriously? Most men I talk with, I hear the same thing. My wife almost never wants to put out. Why did I get married? Take my one buddy for example, no names. Now… he's complaining his wife never wants it. Eh. Problem… wife is away at volunteering for some church bible study horseshit, 50 miles away, every weekend. Now, I ain't saying there ain't no one talking to Jesus, I'm just saying it's being done in a motel room somewhere. My theory."

   "Now, to be fair? It takes two to tango. Now… what's the husband supposed to do after his own wife refuses to sleep with him hardly ever, and runs around constantly. Eventually? Someone's wife will start fucking him, guaranteed. I swear though, my gut tells me? Most men want to bang their wife, that's why they married them. Women? I'm honestly not sure why they married them then. Decent paycheck? I wouldn't want to speculate. On account of I'm always accused of being an asshole. Off the record, every time."

   "I honestly hear this shit all day long, from all the guys. Then? I ride around in the patrol car after dark on the weekends? I see their wives out doing whatever. I… can't say anything. The husbands. Are they dumb? Don't care? Or… what are they going to do about it. You shoot a spitball at your wife? I get a call. I have no choice. Take them to county. You can't hit her, you can't get divorced, you lose all your shit and your kids pay for it."

   "A man cheats? His wife divorces him and takes all his shit. A wife cheats? She gets divorced, and takes all her husband's shit. Can't smack them, cant kill them. Where's the penalty? Why shouldn't the wives all run around and do as they please. No consequences, and you get cash and prizes no matter what happens. Why the fuck not, I guess."

   "No one is shooting at me and my officers, so, that's something. I couldn't say that when I was in Chicago, I can tell you that. I just don't know what anyone was thinking when they made the system like it is now. It's crazy."

   Chief claimed that knowing such wisdom, was why he was the chief after all. Steve backed the chief up on this claim.

   The chief looked at Panic and Merry.

   "I'm sorry, you two are staying here couple months or some shit. George mentioned something about Panic might even move here. Shit, here I am running him off the town. I mean, other than what I describe? It's otherwise a great place. Really. If a man and his wife are 100% not cheating? It's a fairy-tale to live here."

   Panic chuckled.

   "Merry? Do you still want to live here?"

   "Honey. How does any of this concern us? Sounds like entertainment. I wish I had enough money to fund a complete DNA study of this town's inhabitants. That? Would prove interesting, I'm sure. Think how many interesting articles I could write about listening to all the stories in town."

   The chief was puzzled…

   "You… wanna track down all the ancestors, of all the inhabitants?"

   "Oh, no chief. I'd pluck a hair from every father and every child. Send it in for testing, then post the results on a website."

   The Chief spit coffee out across the table…

   Stevie the cop, almost choked on his donut…

   Both recovered, and had trouble recovering because of laughter.

   "You two… seem happy. What's your secret? How do you two prevent… whatever."

   Merry looked at Panic and smiled. Grabbed his arm and smiled and laid her head on his shoulder dramatically for humor.

   "Honey? Are you going to be rude and not answer the nice police chief?"

   "Well. If the women in town are the problem?"

   Merry smiled and nodded her head "yes, yes, yes" to be funny.

   "Then it's about me trusting Merry. Honestly? I'd like to see the guy that lays a finger on her. Merry? Explain your technique?"

   "I zap em. I only give one warning. My restaurant in the city the last 10 years? Bar crowd, go figure, someone always starts poking me in the butt, honey get me this… now… the first guy touches me? Don't care where it is… butt? Arm? Doesn't matter. I stand right up on the nearest chair, and loudly announce it. The next sum-bitch that so much as puts a finger on me, at all? Is getting the taser! You've been warned!"

   Chief shrugged.

   "That work?"

   "No. But 10 minutes later, when it happens again? No matter who it is, they were warned… I taser their ass. I have to do it every so often, but, I only have to do it once on any given busy bar crowd night. Now that? Fucking works."

   Panic smiled…

   "Like I said, I'd like to see a guy try it."

   Chief said…

   "That's Merry… and, what protects your precious Mr. Panic, from the wretched clutches of women of loose moral virtue, otherwise known as all other women, Merry. What's your secret."

   Merry batted her eyes for dramatic effect to be humorous.

   "Panic? Once again, are you going to answer the nice police chief?"

   "Uhm. First off, I'm actually not out looking. Second off? I'm actually in the doghouse at the moment. I wasn't even doing anything."

   Merry piped up.

   "We had a case of eye rape concerning my Panic? I'm not putting up with that shit. He got a lecture, and a bit more. Panic? Care to explain what happened?"

   "Uhm. I got tickled."

   Steve and the Chief both spit out their coffee…

   "I'm… I got equipment around me? Merry is telling me about the eye rape problem going on, as she so adroitly phrases it, and… well, she… more or less… sat on the equipment, pinning me? Tickled the shit out of me."

   The chief laughed and so did Steve… as did Panic as well… the story was humorous. Merry winked and stuck her tongue out at him. Blew raspberries.

   The chief wagged his head in amusement.

   "Well? Whatever works. I guess that cured your eye raping women in town, huh?"

   Merry piped up again.

   "No such thing. He was getting eye raped. Flirted shamelessly with. He claims, he didn't realize it was happening."

   Chief chuckled.

   "He knows now then…"

   "Yep. Honey? Are we clear on the matter?"

   "Yes dear."

   "Will we have any further issues over anything even remotely like it in the future?"

   "Not if I can help it."

   "And if he can't help it? I sure can."

   The chief giggled.

   "Really. Zap them women too, huh? Good plan. I like it."

   "No. I've learned to get the root of any problem. Example. Anywhere I go in the city? There's forever some… 90 pound little skank, running her mouth, like she's something. 'nah nah nah, nah nah nah, nah nah nah', I get tired of the shit after a little while."

   "So, what do you do?"

   "I try to be polite, but… now, you know the kind of little skank I'm talking about, they're the ones with the big mouth, always slapping big guys, think they're hot shit for a mouth and guys won't hit a girl back. They get to thinking they're hot shit, because the men won't smack them back. I'm a woman. I played triple A ball. I work out. I weigh twice what they weigh, they're always a foot shorter, never played a sport except for a cock…"

   The chief and Steve? Once again, spit coffee out across the table…

   "I can run a bitch like that over like a freight train. It's no contest. I always get this yapping little 'you can't touch me' or 'I'll do this and that'… I end up just knocking them the fuck out. I'm a woman? I can do it."

   "Eh. So, they settle down when you get in their face, I could see that."

   "I wish. They usually end up picking themselves up off the bathroom floor an hour later, with a big old goose egg on their head. They usually don't even know what hit 'em. Pity. Must have slipped and bumped their head."

   Panic chuckled.

   "That's my sweet little darling…"

   Merry made a big smile, and twisted both index fingers into imaginary dimples.

   The chief laughed.

   "Merry? I give you points for initiative. Good luck fighting half the women in town. Most of 'em could use a good smack up side the head."

   Steve complained about the time.

   "Chief? We got 15 minutes to get back to the station. Break's over. Shift change."

   Steve and Chief both smiled and shook hands and patted the shoulders of their coffee and donuts friends they always stopped with half the time.

   Steve looked at the chief when he stopped in the doorway.

   "Chief. Should we wait for her to lock up?"

   "Steve, is she still in the bathroom?"

   Merry piped up.

   "Oh no, I saw her run into the back a while back…"

   They shrugged and went off. No one had ever robbed the place, what would they get anyways. Coffee? Donuts? Flour? Oil? No self respecting burglar ever once cased a donut shop with a sign that said 'no cash on premises after closing'…

   Merry finished her donut. Panic finished his. Five minutes later, they followed the chief and Steve out the door. Merry gathered up the donuts they didn't eat, and asked Panic if he wanted free donuts to take home, after refilling their giant Styrofoam coffee containers.

   "Am I allowed to accept them?"

   "You are from me. Or, do you need another lesson, so soon. Hmm?"

   "Depends. Have I been good enough to get another lesson tonight. Runs in my mind, I haven't been fed today, and you got fed several times."

   Merry kissed him sweetly right before they left. She closed the main door carefully, and even shut the front lights off. They stood outside the car, a little ways down the street. Chief and Stevie beeped and waved on their way back to their station change.

   "You? Have been very good ever since. I'm actually impressed. You… could score a lot of brownie points, with mommy, if you were to practice what I taught you right after your lesson was over. I liked it, I told you that. Will you do something for me?"

   "Name it."

   "I'm starting to like having my wrists and ankles licked. Your little fascination with my ankles is starting to get to me, I think."

   They made out for a little bit in the car before setting off on the short drive. It wasn't the frenzied pawing thing they had started off their relationship with. It was the slow thing Merry had recently started.

   "I… will do your ankles for as long as you like. Not something I mind, trust me."

   "Hmm. That sounds like fun. Then… the slow thing? I liked it."

   "So you keep telling me. Again, not a thing I mind."

   "Fine by me. A smoke, finish our coffee… even get to sleep at a decent time. Great night."

   "Merry?"

   "Yes dear."

   "Did… I do okay. With the donut whore."

   "You did fine. She… cried her eyes out in the bathroom. She deserved it. No big thing. Now… what about taking care of you."

   "What do you mean?"

   "Smoke, ankles, slow thing, whatever, sleep. What do you want for the whatever."

   "What are my options. I know I'm eating off of the no braided leather menu temporarily."

   "Oh, that… could change at a moment's notice. You never know. For example? You're going to be licking my wrists and ankles, rubbing them during the slow thing, right?"

   "Yes."

   "Well… maybe, and I mean maybe, I might put them on for you. You do seem to like seeing me in them, even aside from their… intended use."

   "How am I back in your good graces, so quickly. Not that I mind."

   "The answer is… multifaceted. Want me to try?"

   "Sure."

   "Where to begin. I was right. About your little donut whore. I was right, about some of the women in this town. Despite everything? I honestly had some small part of me, that thought you were letting it go on, and that as long as you didn't actually do anything, it was okay."

   "You actually didn't trust me or believe me then."

   "Nowhere near that bad. I was wondering about a sliver of blame. Maybe."

   "Now you believe me though?"

   "Yes. I'm thinking that a sliver of doubt that small, and, I really thought you were teasing me about the donut whore in the store… and… those two things. Combined… led to me taking your… last apology for a half hour? I'm feeling like I was swatting at fruit flies with a sledgehammer."

   "What are you getting at?"

   "Well… at the tree? You were concerned about your friend's well being. Now, I was wearing my leather jewelry after that talk, and though you didn't exactly take my apology because I had been teasing you to do it? Even if it was like that, you only took what. A five minute apology that you know I like giving anyways for fun."

   "And?"

   "And… I was actually wrong. You? I barely suspected a sliver of wrong, that ended up being no wrong at all, and I took a thirty minute apology. An apology you really didn't tease me for because you enjoyed it."

   "Are you having trouble saying that you feel bad?"

   "Honey. Remember the knife in my guts I described to you? The hurt and betrayal."

   "You… took something the worst way possible, and I know that feeling you described."

   "And you're not mad at me."

   "Not really. No."

   "I… know I kind of deliberately took advantage of your situation."

   "Merry, I'm not a 100 percent on where exactly this is going. I'm only so so with it, but enough to let me remind you. When I go in? I go all in. Do or die. I want an objective? I'm willing to pay ten times the correct cost, to get it. Whatever it takes. Remember, I agreed to let dangerous men drown me, on basically a dare to be allowed to join a club I wanted to join."

   "But…"

   "There's no buts about it. If you… extracted… a thirty minute apology, when none was really needed, or, ten minutes would have sufficed? Or, was worried about the women mainly, and just wanted to make sure I knew how serious you were about it? Then… you drowned me. So to speak. Merry, the objective is what's important. Not the price."

   "But…"

   "No buts, Merry. Are you satisfied, you got your point across? That you got what you wanted, whatever that was? Don't worry about it."

   "You should be mad at me, maybe. You should be… maybe a knife in your gut feeling I took it out on you, what the women were entirely responsible for. Or… are you waiting, to… get me back? We're glossing over, what you did for me back in DC. None of that was even your affair."

   "Merry. I'm not mad at you. I don't report a knife in my gut feeling. I'm not waiting for my moment to strike back at you. DC happened. The guy was coming for me too, even if he didn't know I'd be there. Nothing has changed before, or after, you extracted your apology you wanted."

   "But… what do you want?"

   "Coffee? Before it gets ice cold? To lick your ankles. Whatever. You drowned me, am I in the club now? Cool beans."

   "Hmm."

   "Merry? I really enjoy sitting here and necking like kids parking in a car. Makes me feel like I'm… reliving my failed childhood, and this time around? I'm dating one of the coolest chicks. You make me feel like that. To sit here, and just talk about standard Poke and Panic issues, is fine. I want to have a talk. Can we have it at the cabin?"

   "You sound so serious dear. You just said everything was fine with us."

   "And? I honest to god hope it is. No harm can come from two otherwise seemingly intelligent people sitting down to talk, look at things. Whatever, right?"

   "So I'm not in the doghouse?"

   "Not that I know of. You forget to tell me anything about us?"

   "I don't think so."

   "Then why would you be."

   "Let's go have your little talk then."

   "Thanks. We'll clear up whatever, then… the path to licking your ankles will be cleared. Cool?"

   "Yeah."

   "All right."

   Panic was a little quiet. Merry tried to engage him in conversation, but he mumbled. Then they pulled in and around the cabin, and went in. Panic left his gun rig on. Merry looked at him, and cocked her head at that. Didn't say anything, but, she didn't have to. Noticing him in the chair, leaving his rig on was enough acknowledgment something was out of place. Her looking at it was the same as asking about it.

   "Merry? We need to have a talk."

   "Okay. Is this about… you're mad?"

   "No, Merry. Is there anything I need to know?"

   "About…"

   "Merry, I think something's up. See, you know how most guys like to, appear really tough and cool to their new cute girlfriend? I mean go figure and all. You should know by now, that I'm the reverse. I pretend as best I can to be this average guy, and we both know I'm hiding. I'm not wearing it."

   "It surprises me. It really does."

   "That's nice. Merry, if I tell you I'm smart, would it surprise you that I tend to play that down too? Not bragging, and maybe simply because it's me, it might seem a little more… believable. Merry, you used the word multifaceted. Good word. I like it. This… little talk will be multifaceted. Is that all right?"

   "Sure, hun. You sound… different."

   "This is my… I call it my sing song voice. I use it when I'm going through things, and I want to stay logical, and I don't want to start raising my voice. I don't want to get emotional and get sidetracked. I want to stay focused. Nothing's adding up."

   "With what?"

   "Don't take this the wrong way. With you. I can't add two and two, I keep getting the square root of negative seven. In fact? Nothing adds up right."

   "What, honey. You sound so serious."

   "I am serious right now, honey. About as serious as a heart attack. Merry, when you're around your biker buddies, you know when they're agitated. Like the way that one guy manhandled that girl at the bar. I don't get like that. I maintain my cool. I won't manhandle a girl like that man did. Not without a super good reason. I'm not like that. My father? Was what the old timers called, not a hard ass? He was a quiet hard ass. I got that off of him."

   "This is… weird."

   "Let's start doing arithmetic. You told me, a million times? You're not complicated. I'm finding you to be very complicated. With every corner I turn? There's some new fun aspect of dealing with you. Do you… deny this?"

   "I have my issues."

   "Merry? Can we stop playing all the fucking games? I want you to quit being evasive. Merry… I'm not all connected normally. But right this moment in time? I'm temporarily connected and plugged into DC, FBI, at least two different State Police states, not just two barracks. Right this moment in time? I just happen to be plugged into FBI internal affairs, and the DC city force internal affairs. Merry? There's a time to wait, and there's a time to pull the trigger. You played sports… all the muscles and speed and practice and ability are all useless, if you can't sense when to pull the trigger and bang, score a goal."

   "What do you mean."

   "Merry? You're into something. My sixth sense is telling me it's something big and hairy and complicated. I don't think you're ever going to have a better chance, if you wanted to… try to figure out a way to… whatever. I can't use all these temporary resources to help you? If you don't talk to me? I can't possibly help you. You should already be fucking dead. Laying inside that dirty FBI agent's chalk outline. Normal people don't have dirty FBI agent's partners come to make a hit on a steakhouse waitress."

   "You know how all that…"

   "No. No, I don't Merry. I only know you tell me that. I've been buying it at face value? Nothing's adding up, so… do you think I'm stupid?"

   "No, I don't…"

   "Merry. Don't make the mistake of thinking I don't have street smarts. Military tactics and experience. The kinds of things only special forces and black ops units know. If I run your jacket? And believe me, I can. I can pick up the phone and get it. Anything any police agency in the country ever had, will have, or ever suspected… on you. Phone call."

   "Really?"

   "Merry. Let's sit this down, and circle back. Straight out… are you the kind of girl that… likes a man to put his hands on her? I know women, that they only respect a man that's man enough to handle them. I think the whole thing is… puppy shit. I'm no tougher, if I act like that guy at the bar that night? And… do not mistake this, Merry… I'm no weaker if I choose not to act like that."

   "Lotta stuff could make all this add up, but, you don't pipe up and say anything. You're trying, right now, to work your brain faster than mine… come up with all the pat answers, and I'm unloading on you left and right. Hard to cover all the tracks. From day one, I found it weird, that you don't have any pictures around your apartment."

   "Well… uh…"

   "Merry? Let's make it harder for you to jump ahead of my brain pace, shall we. The bikers at the bar. You? Are no simple biker chick. Tell me I'm lying. I know what an enforcer is, and you're more than just some steakhouse waitress, that slept with a bad boy biker boyfriend. That reaction at the bar? You're no regular member. Care to explain what royalty is? I can just pick up the phone, call the FBI, get any answers on terminology I need. I wonder what files they have on you, Missy."

   "See… it…"

   "How did you put that to me? Dare me. To pick up the phone and order all this, like I order a fucking pizza."

   Merry finally didn't say anything.

   "Merry? Care for me to blow your fucking mind now, just when you can't keep up all of a sudden? Sorry, hun, no one can make up all the lies necessary to cover all the holes I'm throwing. Can they?"

   Silence.

   "Come over here Merry. Please? Come and sit with me."

   She walked over. Stood a few feet from him.

   Panic pointed at the ground…

   "Sit."

   Merry sat Indian style. Looked up at him, and down.

   "Eyes up here, Merry. Eyes."

   She reluctantly met his gaze.

   "Merry, care to explain how a steakhouse waitress, just dates some biker for a while… then you can go to any biker bar at random, and get the treatment you got at that bar? I heard you talking. They already knew your story and name. Are you seriously going to make me call? Order the info I need? I don't know the technical term, but, you're some kind of 'biker princess'…"

   "I don't… know how to…"

   "Eyes. Dare me, but eyes… I want you, to look me, right in these two eyes? And tell me how you think I'm fucking retarded. Don't you move your fucking eyes when I say or ask this, Merry. Been playing me with hot sex, thinking it would keep me sidetracked? Eyes! Stay! Merry? Please tell me, that you didn't use hot sex, to keep my brain busy and thinking of me, you, and the tickle games… right before I watched you commit a serious felony tonight. Tell me, I didn't watch you TELL the chief of police, exactly what and how you were doing it, right in front of him."

   "What?"

   "Merry. Why do you know so much about sociopaths? Hmm? Very odd material. Abnormal Psych isn't for an associates, you'd only get a few paragraphs in an overview book. Eyes!"

   Nothing.

   "Merry? Why did I sense when you were enjoying your thirty minute apology, after a twenty minute preamble. Your words were odd. How many times did you say 'I have no problem with this. You see that now'… why did I pick up a sense of not sadistic, but… calm. How are you into rough sex, but, you don't have toy one in your motel room. Doesn't make sense."

   Nothing.

   "Merry? Is the donut skank just knocked out in the bathroom? Or is she neutralized. Merry, that's not a normal level of violence, for a little woman hitting on your man with a few free donuts. That's… biker hit woman, I'm sending a message, big ego bullshit. Speak!"

   More nothing.

   "Did you really think the hot and heavy, and the me you thingy, would cloud me like I bet you do this to any man you want?"

   "Merry. Donut girl. Alive? Or dead. If you just knocked her out, like I know you can… I'm really not mad. We could maybe fix it, if you're just a jealous girlfriend. She probably doesn't even know it's you that got her."

   Nothing.

   "Are you going to speak?"

   "I don't know what to say."

   "Lets start simple. What the fuck are you in the biker scheme of things. I call it biker princess royalty. What's the real word for it…"

   "Merry? If the girl is just knocked out? We can go back. Place is unlocked. Husband didn't miss her yet. Bet she doesn't even know who hit her. We find her and take her to the hospital, we'll be treated like good Samaritan heroes. What? Put a mop bucket and water there, she slipped. We found her wandering outside. Want to fix it? Or is she… gone."

   "What am I to you, Merry? Some kind of… cover? Make you look respectable? Am I even your real boyfriend? Or… are you just faking it to get what you need. A cover."

   "Merry. Donut girl. Alive or dead?"

   Nothing. Panic's gun went from holstered to in his hand. He held it in his right hand, on his lap.

   "Merry. Do I need to call the chief? Or, does a simple bopped on the head girl need her… scene cleaned up. I might be able to do that. If you start talking, and stuff adds up."

   "You'd, still help me?"

   "Depends if you open your mouth. Speak to me. I can't help you, if I don't know what I'm dealing with."

   "I can't tell you stuff."

   "You were always talking up a storm."

   "About me you stuff? Yeah."

   "Well, let's start there. Me. You. What are we?"

   "A girl met a boy. They hit it off. They like each other. What else is there to know?"

   "I'm not your cover? You're not after anything I can get you, I can't imagine that would be anyways."

   "Me? You? Bitty? That's all real."

   "That's a start. So, you actually like me?"

   "Of course."

   "How do you expect me to believe that?"

   "I don't."

   "Why does this sound like a boring Broadway play? 'Me, you, and a cat'…"

   Merry looked up into his eyes, and chuckled. Just a little. Then the smile lessened, and faded.

   "I'm going to keep calling you Merry. Unless…"

   Weak smile.

   "Naturally."

   "You wanna know where your psychology books failed you?"

   Merry rested her elbows on her knees, her hands drooping to the interior of the triangle formed by her Indian sitting. Eyes, not head, back up at Panic. Wiggled her brow to ask silently with her overly expressive face.

   "You're way too suspicious. Of everything. That was my screwdriver into thinking about it. Do you really have an almost not quite graduated associates in psychology? Or, just made up."

   "Guess."

   He stared her in the eyes.

   "Let's lock eyes. Merry. Or can I just give you a fucking nickname now? Oh, by the way. Go in that small box by the wall near you? Would you do me a favor and hand me the knife that's in there? Please."

   Merry glanced at his gun in his lap.

   "Do you really need a gun?"

   "Merry Whoever? Formal logic… until I get both my IA buddies to provide files on people. Now, that we're conversing? Once again, from the top. Is the donut girl, dead or alive? I'll just keep the gun. And hand over the knife in that box, please. Now."

   Panic didn't level the gun at her, it actually rested of it's own accord on his thigh. His hand was conspicuously on it, however.

   "Miss Whoever? Would you be so kind, as to please accompany me to that bathroom of the donut shop? Unless the owner checked up on it, we didn't lock it or anything. We just kicked the lights and left. What will I find, directly in time, when we go there to look?"

   Merry smiled.

   "You will find, probably still, an unconscious white female. We've been gone minutes, not hours, dear."

   Panic smiled thin.

   "No matter who you are, did you think I wasn't going to notice the story that you told, was you telling the chief what was going on, right while you were doing it?"

   "Well. I knew you were noticing. You actually sat there, and sipped your coffee, and noticed. Did nothing. Why?"

   "Number one, I'm a civilian technically. I have no arrest powers of my own. Number two? I thought you were my pretty tomboy biker babe. I thought it was very flattering. I'm not sure the last time women ever came to blows fighting over me."

   She eyed him easily. Half a smile.

   "Well, anything I say about nothing adds up, I'm not hearing any arguments. Which means you're avoiding the question. Logically, you should be my hot biker babe, but, if you weren't… what would you be then."

   She eyed him hard.

   "You. Be very careful what comes out of your mouth next."

   Panic simply handed her his gun.

   "Logically? You should be my hot biker babe."

   "I am."

   "Was I careful enough with what came out of my mouth next?"

   "Careful enough. Hmm. Doing it in front of the chief, though. That gave myself away. Which I meant to. How long did you suspect something was up?"

   "It came on slowly… something was up."

   Merry smiled up at him a little. Tossed the gun away from her onto the ground, by the box.

   "I don't need a gun to handle you. I just need a pair of my panties handy."

   She stuck her tongue out at him, and they both chuckled.

   "So. Is my motel apartment that bad? You said that was one of the things that tipped you off. I need to do better next time. Didn't really think about it. I mean, I can't have trophies and ribbons from my triple A days. Can't have my college stuff. I can't have family pictures around. What can I do?"

   "Find family pictures. Doesn't have to be your family. Put them out. Show them to people like me that you meet. Like any woman would. Take what your scared of? The fake pictures? Make it your centerpiece. Point the pictures out. Tell a story or two."

   "No… more lies to keep track of that way. Less stuff? Less lies."

   "No… tell real stories that are interesting, but give nothing away. You just point at the fake dad photo, and tell the real dad story. The story is real. They can feel that."

   She pursed her lips and wagged her head.

   "Hmm. I like it. Of course… I like it here, too."

   "I'm asking you a question, and I'm asking politely."

   "Shoot."

   "When's this egg timer go off."

   "What do you mean?"

   "Don't bullshit me. I'm your toy for now. You'll move on when your game is over. I can see now, you're a lady jock. Keeping up with the boys, huh?"

   "What do you mean by that crack…"

   "I mean. I'm gonna wake up one day, no matter what. You'll leave me a cute note. You'll be… Gina the barmaid somewhere else. You'll get a new toy."

   "Well. Let me answer some of your questions then. I dated Pound. Pound was a national enforcer. As his girl? My property stuff is signed by him, and a national officer. Yeah. It impresses them. Pound is gone, I'm still around. They call it royalty when you have national signatures. What did you call it? Biker princess? That's cute."

   "Feel free… miss Whoever."

   "You asked about rough sex toys. I can't have guns because I'm supposed to be a working girl in DC. I can't have handcuffs around either."

   She narrowed her eyes at him playfully like normal.

   "This job doesn't end. I'm not after anything. My job is to just be present, keep my mouth shut and my eyes and ears open. Long term. I don't wear a wire, I'm not allowed to. I report to my handler now and then. If my… operation goes like it should? My job is to just 'be a biker babe'. Nothing else. There's no raid. Mommy is keeping an eye on the bad boys, make sure they're behaving. The intelligence feeds the files. It's a cheap operation, it should go on forever. If there was something, I wouldn't be a part of it."

   "A dirty pig came to grease you. You're blown. It's okay, we got blown before. Got raided by the zombies. It happens. Move on."

   "Why. There's no known leak between the FBI and the bikers. You can't put them in the same room together, it's like oil and water. Did you not see the treatment I got when I stopped in to say hi, that I was in the neighborhood."

   "Aren't you automatically blown because a dirty pig came to grease you?"

   "Not really. Not blown with the bikers anyway. Operation hit a pocket of turbulence, flight continues as normal. When things are rolling easy? Head down and shut up. My ex? The star asshole? Would be who blew me to the DC locals. My guess. Blown for being a loose end for the cops, not for anything else."

   "They're being rounded up…"

   "There will be a small pack left we didn't catch of the locals. The city cops were infested. The FBI only had two. My ex… and his partner. His partner, you already met."

   "Well, you're not working now."

   "I'm not? Betcha I can get to tend bar at that place. I need a steakhouse replacement anyways. That would be better."

   "Someone came to grease you. I greased him 14 to 1. I'm considered a god in somebody's eyes."

   "Mine? I was supposed to do what you did. I froze. But I know what you meant. Wanna know a secret?"

   "I'm getting tired of secrets."

   "What's one more. You? The boys know you did it. They love the idea."

   "Yeah, wonderful. I don't wanna be a biker. I guess if I did, I would have been started in the hobby by now…"

   "Nothing has changed. I have a boyfriend. You see how I'm treated. I don't get pawed up like the bike skanks. Plus? Two kinds of girls. Joke was 'skanks and tanks'. I'm a tank, if you couldn't guess."

   "What's a tank."

   "Well, you know what a skank is? Whatever girly girl the guys are bending over their bikes at any given time. Tank? Is a girl that fights. And between being a national's property girl, and being an obvious tank…"

   "We get a biker princess."

   "Yes. With you as my real boyfriend, I don't have to deal with any of the guys. You're 'pig-sticking' as they call it? Makes you a respectable citizen. We both have credentials."

   "How lovely. Help me with my resume. I said it once already, I don't wanna be a biker."

   "Good. I find it less suspicious if you don't want to socialize with them. I'm Bloody Mary, I do have my reputation to uphold. I don't want to start a fight with a local girl, but I have to pick one anyways."

   "Donuts girl."

   "Yeah. Might as well be someone that pisses me off anyways. Have you noticed, that I feel bad about this, and I'm trying to tell you the truth about some things. Ask me about college again."

   "Just shy of a two year degree in psychology. Survey says?"

   "I was a triple AAA girl. I went to a big college free. Sports scholarship. I got my associates, and my bachelors, and my masters. All in psychology. College athlete. After my bachelors, the school asked me to get a free masters if I kept playing. Older girls doing that? Are captains and co captains."

   Panic grinned…

   "The FBI looks for sports stars with good grades. You followed the boy jocks to the recruiter."

   "Right. Out of the academy, I was placed in the undercover pool. Had to get a job in town near the building. My job was to date agents and report on them. Wasn't hard. None of them know I'm anything other than Merry the waitress. The FBI wives thing? You know me, you know how that happened. The Pound thing, was a bonus. New operation, since I was dating him anyways. After he had to leave town? Here we are."

   "Here we are."

   "Here I am with my property. In their lingo? You're my 'property', you like that?"

   "I can live with that. Why are you telling me?"

   "You're honest. Sincere. I really did get wet listening to you pretending we were married. In case you're wondering? You're mostly off the record. Just the attack. Anything else you need to know? I think of you as my home life."

   "So I'm not in trouble for the Gamma."

   Merry smiled. And blushed…

   "No. You said it was for your case, so, whatever."

   "But, you live as a waitress…"

   "Yes. I have to. My paychecks are deposited in my account automatically. I get paid a lot higher, because I'm considered working, 24 hours a day. More, for what's considered hazardous duty. Most agents want a house. I have to live in the city as a waitress, so… I can't touch my own paycheck. It would be a security risk. Undercover pool is a desirable assignment; it's toxic to relationships."

   "Aren't we glossing over that if they sent a pig to grease you? A dirty little piglet at that. Won't they next time send a big bad pack of dirty piggies, like a fucking cheap action TV movie. Doesn't that mean that you're blown in DC? Get out. I don't like this. I would encourage this? But for the blown thing. I think we both know what I've been careful enough of."

   "Gee. Thanks for bringing that up."

   "So. Do I get brownie points for my forest and underbrush tricks? Jealous or not. Tell the truth."

   "You? Are all boy in the woods. Very scary. Are you teasing when you say some of the tricks are simple, I could do that?"

   "Yeah, Merry. Want me to give you 33 percent of the tricks right now? Kiss me. It's simple."

   She smiled and kissed him.

   "This better be good."

   "One third was those loud crashes. You allowed yourself to be driven by those scary crashing noises in the woods at night. I throw rocks. I can herd you in the direction I want. Remember the radar ears and the pointing for direction? I wanted you at that tree. For reasons that are now obvious."

   "Remember? You… even knew it was a game, I smiled and told you. Just imagine? If you thought you were alone, and it happened. How much more scared would you have been. Tell the truth."

   Merry gulped visibly.

   "Kiss me again, and I'll share the growl?"

   She gave him some lip action, and they separated.

   "Once again? This had better be good."

   "Did you ever hear the phrase 'phlegm rattling growl', I use some saliva held in my throat. I had to get used to some weird tickling feeling in my throat to be able to growl that deep."

   He briefly demonstrated it.

   "Kiss for the last one?"

   The kiss happened.

    "That little twig. In the dark? So thin it's invisible. From right on front. You're looking? Nothing, but you get touched. They shit their pants and flee. They injure themselves running. Tire themselves out."

   "And I'm remembering now that you just said it. They don't know any of it's a game. At night."

   "The only part you didn't know now? Is a few tricks about moving around. I disappear on you, by timing it. We look ahead, we glance back. To reassure ourselves. I wait until I can just stand over behind something real close by. If I'm close enough, I get behind it and wait. I'm always real close, when I first disappear."

   "Then there's the matter of movement after that. I move only when you move. That covers my light footsteps. If you stop to listen? I've already stopped. That's the trick to silence. Everything else? Practice makes perfect. You play games at night to work on it."

   "That's the basic, what's the advanced?"

   "Work on the basics until its breathing. Advanced? Easy. Switch out the blade of grass, for a knife or spear. The only other advanced topic is using objects. I always move in a direction that keeps some large object between me and my prey. This means my prey can't see me if it looks in my direction."

   "You make it sound very… quick to learn."

   "Easy to learn, difficult to master. But, you drill the basics, practicing."

   Merry smiled at him from sitting on the floor in front of him. Backed up to the mattress crawling backwards like a crab, she could easily support herself on her hands and legs. Once on the bed, she posed and rolled around, and made a show of getting comfortable.

   "So. Anything else you need to know, couldn't we talk in bed? And… if you don't need anything, come here anyways. Aren't you my property?"

   Panic sat there looking at her, smiling.

   Merry pretended to pout and laughed. Patted the mattress next to her hip. His spot.

   "Come."

   "Is that one of those Freudian slips?"

   "Probably. Let's talk about that."

   After he laid down next to her, Merry rolled over and stretched for her little jewelry box and prepared a large cigarette for them. When she handed it to him to light up, he looked at it, and to her, with a quizzed look.

   "What's with the smoking. Don't you get in trouble?"

   Merry smiled.

   "Work perk. An assignment like this? Helps me fit in perfectly. I don't fuck for lines like the bike skanks. I buy and sell my own weed, like a man would."

   "Now, where were we, before all this came up."

   Merry counted off on her fingers…

   "You were going to start with my ankles… then I want the slow thing. Then? We'll see… something. In between all this, I figure we'll plan you're upcoming romantic rape."

   "Will this rape be violent?"

   "It could. If you want it to be…"

   "Or?"

   "Or… it could be one of those gentle date rapes. Depends on my mood. What you like. If you listen to me or not."

   He sat up at the edge of the gigantic old mattress that was in surprisingly good shape. Deciding. She slid her jogging shoes off at the foot of the mattress, after scooting her body on her hands. Scooted back up to her original position.

   "I have trouble believing I have to sweet talk you back into this. Nothing's changed."

   "Everything? Has changed…"

   "What? My face and body? The same. My name? That's not changing. What I want right now? Not changed a bit. What you like? Not changed. Has it? What… I have a few more psychology classes than you thought I had. Big whoop. We'll talk later… but right now? Let me help you…"

   Merry held her leg out and up. Pointed down her leg she held up.

   "What?"

   "Why don't you just stare at my ankle for a while. Then decide. Hmm?"

   He looked at her little gold chain in her ankle, the one that played peekaboo when she walked around in front of him. The one he liked staring at. At the moment he was in, that did it for him. He started licking her ankle like always.

   "Now. That's a good little boy… don't stop…