Fiends

    ‘Then do it.’

    ‘Well...'

    ‘I’ll go into the bathroom if you don’t want me to listen.’

    ‘No, stay.’ She rolled onto her side, facing away from Roger.

    He put his hand on her bare shoulder.

    She swung her feet off the bed and sat up. Leaning forward, she reached to the telephone and lifted its handset.

    ‘Do you know his number?’ Roger asked.

    She nodded.

    ‘Probably press nine for an outside line, then do the area code and number. That’s how these things usually work.’

    ‘Should I reverse the charges?’

    ‘This is on me.’ He put his hand on her shoulder again. He could feel her trembling. ‘Just go ahead,’ he told her.

    She tapped in the numbers, and waited.

    They both waited.

    Then she said, ‘Hi, it’s me.’ Silence. Then, ‘I don’t know, somewhere down south. Near a place called Wayside, I think… I managed… Yes, I thumbed… I know how dangerous it is. So what? A lot you care…You know what I mean. I saw you with her. Behind the counter…Yes, that.’

    There was a long silence. As she listened to the phone, Tina began to cry softly. Roger kissed the back of her shoulder.

    ‘I don’t know,’ she said into the phone. ‘It hurt, Brad. It really hurt… I love you, too… Sure, I do…You don’t have to do that. Just go to bed and I’ll see you in the morning… The same way I got here… No, don’t. I’m starting back now, so if you drive down we’ll probably miss each other…Yes, I’ll be careful. Could you give my parents a call and tell them I’m okay?… I love you, too.’

    She hung up. Then she eased down onto her back, reached up and curled a hand behind Roger’s neck. She drew his head down and kissed him on the mouth. ‘Thank you,’ she said.

    ‘My pleasure.’

    Then she got off the bed and picked up her paisley dress.

    ‘What are you doing?’ Roger asked.

    ‘I’m going back to Brad.’

    ‘Now?’

    ‘Yup.’

    ‘Why wouldn’t you let him pick you up?’

    She pulled the shiny dress over her head, saying, ‘I can’t let him see me like this.’

    ‘Like what?’

    ‘I’m a mess. My dress is torn.’

    ‘How do you plan to get home?’

    ‘Hitch a ride.’

    ‘At this hour?’

    ‘I’ll manage.’ She buttoned the front of her dress.

    ‘It’s too dangerous. Let me drive you.’

    ‘Nah. I’ll be fine. It’d be all out of your way, and…’

    ‘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?’