'Yes.'
'I did them a favor. A big one. There's something they could do for me. That's fair, right?'
He didn't answer. I told him what I needed. 'Can you get them in now?'
'Soon,' he said.
I told him where to leave the package.
We drove back to the apartment in a two–car caravan. Fancy pulled in behind me. I got out, gestured for her to come to me. I held the door to the Lexus open for her, watched while she fastened her seat belt. Then I pulled off again.
She didn't say a word on the drive, but her face registered surprise when I turned off into the grove by the creek. I hit the power window switch, watched the glass whisper its way down the track into the door. I pushed another button and the seat slid back. Satisfied, I got out, went around to her door and opened it. I held out my hand. She took it, hesitating, still not meeting my eyes. I led her gently around the back of the car down to a soft patch of grass. I took off my jacket, spread it on the ground for her. 'Sit, honey,' I said. 'It's okay now.'
She sat down placidly. I sat next to her, my arm around her waist. We didn't say anything for a while, looking out at the gently moving water, taking the calm.
She slumped against me. I kissed the top of her head. 'Lie down, baby,' I told her.
She rolled across my lap, face down, pulling at her skirt. I grabbed her hand, pulled the skirt back down. I reached up to her shoulders, held her in place as I slid along the grass so her face was in my lap. I stroked her back until she relaxed.
'Close your eyes, girl. Just let it go…it's over, now.'
It took a while, but finally I felt the muscles in her back unclench, heard her breathing smooth out. She nuzzled at the base of my cock through my pants, then turned her head. 'Can I…?'
'Turn over,' I told her.
She did it, lying on her back, face up, gray eyes open and alert in the shade my upper body cast.
'Why did you…do it like that?' she finally asked.
'Like what?'
'Just…whip me. No sex. I thought you…didn't like that.'
'There was a good reason, little girl. I promise you.'
'What reason?'
'Ssshh, baby. You'll see.'
'What reason, honey? Please tell me. I mean, I didn't…mind. But I thought…'
'Fancy, remember what you asked me before? About your mystery?'
'Yes.'
'That was part of it. I can't tell you any more now, but real soon, okay? Will you trust me that far?'
'I'd trust you with anything, Burke.'
'Close your eyes,' I told her.
I watched the brook's current as she slept, watched as it broke over the rocks into a white froth, smoothed out again. Fancy went down deep, the heavy muscles at the backs of her calves relaxing. She turned her head to the side, snuggled into a better position, breath rattling sweetly through her one open nostril. My fingers played with her hair. She made a high–pitched sound I couldn't place, put her thumb into her mouth, sucked deeply, content.
It was just starting to get dark when she stirred.
'Wha…Burke?'
'I'm right here, girl.'
'I must have fallen out.'
'It's okay.'
She shivered, rolled into a sitting position, hugging herself. 'I'm cold.'
'Okay. Come on.' I helped her to her feet, walked her back to the car, my arm around her.
'Where are we going?'
'Just come on, Miss Motormouth. That's enough questions for one day.'
I found a good spot in the parking lot of the mall. Told Fancy to get us some take–out. Instead of waiting in the car, I walked over to an outside phone.
'It's me. They do it?'
'Yes.'
'Would anyone know they'd been there?'
'No.'
'They left it where I said.'
