‘I don’t mind.’
‘Thanks, but… nah. I’m going back to my guy, you know? Wouldn’t be right, you taking me. Not after what we did.’
‘But it’s the middle of the night.’
‘I can take care of myself.’
‘Why don’t you at least stay here till morning? Maybe we can find somebody in the coffee shop. Somebody nice and reliable to give you a lift home. Preferably of the female persuasion.’
‘I can’t wait that long.’ Done with the dress, she stepped over to Roger. ‘Thanks so much for everything. You’ve been great, really great.’ She bent over and kissed him.
He didn’t let himself enjoy the soft touch of her lips or the warmth of her body. In minutes, she would be gone. He would probably never see her again. It was better, now, to let himself get no closer to her. ‘I hope everything works out,’ he said.
‘Thanks.’
‘You really ought to wait for morning.’
‘I know, but I can’t.’
‘It won’t be safe out there. Everybody in the world isn’t… there are lots of nuts out there.’
‘Fiends, too,' Tina said. She smiled gently and pushed her fingers through his hair. ‘I’ll always remember you, Roger.’
‘I’ll remember you, too. Sure will.’
‘You go to sleep, now.’
After watching her leave, he rolled to her side of the bed, reached up and turned off the lamp. Then he lay back. He stared for a long time into the darkness, wondering about what he’d just lost.
28
Willy took a long pull at the bourbon and gave the bottle to Marty.
She pretended to drink while Willy drew his fingernails up the inner side of her thigh. The nails made her squirm with a sickish, hurting tingle. Then his hand pressed between her legs and rubbed her through the soft cloth of the shorts.
The headlights caught a road sign. Willy’s hand stopped moving and he read aloud, ‘Wayside. Pop, a thousand ’n twenty-two. Issa biggy.’
There were a few homes scattered along the roadsides, most of them dark at the windows as if abandoned to the night. At the edge of town, the Dairy Queen was open and crowded.
‘Lookit all the babes!’ Willy slowed down and stared out at them. ‘Nice. Really really nice. Hey, lookit the titties on that one!’
‘Want her instead of me?’ Marty asked, trying to sound annoyed. ‘You can take her to your cabin.’
‘Shit, I’d take ya both. Wouldn’ mind that. Wouldn’ mind at all. Not a bit. Little variety… I’d screw ya one adda time, ’n both at once. Wouldn’ mind that.’
But he kept on driving. Past a closed gas station, into the town’s business district. All the stores were closed. Some kept their signs turned on, but most didn’t. Every store had a light inside casting a dim, lonely glow onto the deserted sidewalks in front. The marquee of the movie theater near the end of town was dark. Its ticket booth was empty. Through the glass doors of the lobby, Marty could see a man in a purple coat talking with a uniformed girl at the snack counter.
‘How come you didn’t stop for that queen of tits at the Dairy Queen?’ Marty finally asked. ‘Thought you wanted…’
‘You’d of tried to get away.’
‘No, I wouldn’t. Not anymore. I’ve been… remembering. How it was the last time.’ She rubbed his hand against her groin. ‘How good it felt.’
‘You were screaming.’
‘Just ’cause I was scared. But I loved how you felt. Inside me. I want you inside me. Just like before.’
‘Liked it, huh?’
‘It was the best ever. If we weren’t in this damn town, I’d make you pull off the road right now and fuck me.’
‘We’ll be outa here in a minute.’
‘Hurry.’ She stood the bottle on his leg. Willy took his hand away from her and lifted the bottle to his mouth. As he drank, Marty squeezed the front of his jeans. His penis was hard. She felt it move under her hand.
The tires bumped over railroad tracks at the end of town.
Pretty soon, Marty thought. Can’t let the town get too far behind.
There were houses on both sides of the road. Then an open gas station, a cafe called Bab’s Burgers, a motel with its big sign flashing Wayside Motor Inn.
‘A motel!’ Marty blurted. ‘Why don’t we go in and get a room?’ She gave him another gentle squeeze. ‘Think how nice it would be. We’d have a bed.’
They had already left the motel behind, but Marty didn’t give up. ‘Come on, Willy. It’d be great. You oughta turn around. We’d have a big old bed. And a shower. We could take a shower together. Have you ever done it in the shower? We’d both be all slippery…’
‘Shit!' Willy blurted. ‘Lookit her!' Marty saw her, and groaned.
It was a girl, probably no older than sixteen, slim and blonde and walking backward along the roadside, her arm out, her hand closed, her thumb pointing behind her. She wore a paisley dress skimpy enough to guarantee rides from men.
Willy’s foot lifted off the gas pedal.
‘Don’t stop,’ Marty whispered.
The girl took a wide stance, her dress drawing taut across her crotch.
‘Shiti’Willy said.
Now the girl was behind them, and Willy’s foot was lowering onto the brake pedal.
‘Don’t stop, honey. You have me.’ Marty capped the bourbon bottle and set it on the floor. ‘You don’t need anyone but me.’
‘Need her.’
The car stopped. Marty looked over her shoulder. The girl, bathed in the eerie redness of the rear lights, was starting to jog forward.
So young…
Too damn young! Just a kid.
‘Drive,’ Marty said.
She jerked open Willy’s belt, unbuttoned his jeans and pulled the zipper down. He had no underwear on. His penis was a thick, pale column tilting upward, its tip almost touching the steering wheel.
Marty heard footfalls in the gravel. In the side mirror, she saw the girl hurrying toward them.
Closer and closer…
Only a few strides away…
‘Drive!’ Marty said and dropped down toward Willy’s lap and took him into her mouth and sucked.
Willy stepped on the gas.
‘Hey!’ the girl yelled.
Willy sped away from her.
Marty slid her mouth, licking and sucking.
‘Uhhh, yeah,’ Willy gasped. ‘Yeah. Oh, babe! Suck me off. Do it, do it! C’mon!’
She had saved the girl.
He might go back to her if I stop.
She kept on.
Gotta get him into the woods. Away from the car and Dan.
If Dan’s even still in the trunk.
If Dan’s even alive.
If she finished Willy with her mouth, he might not bother taking her into the woods. He might take her straight to the cabin.
Don’t wanta go there.
She tried to take her mouth away, but Willy gripped the back of her head and held her down.
Pushed her down, ramming deep.
She gagged and struggled to pull away but Willy only forced her head down harder.