Chapter 24

Lena was delightfully drunk at the Yellow Orchid. She had grown used to not having Lisa with her. It was mid July and Aida was due back from France within the month. Since Lisa got religion, the wedge between them had widened. They talked daily on the telephone but more and more Lena believed they had less in common than when they were almost one in all but name.

"What about it baby?" one of the newer girls named Becky asked. She was smitten with Lena and had been trying to bed her since they met last month. This girl had everything that Becky didn't. Beauty, quick wit, sensuous clothing, big melons for breasts, and always made up to get any girl she wished.

"What about what?" Lena asked, taking a sip of her Singapore Sling through a straw."

"You and me going to your place and getting down on each other."

"Can't tonight, I'm on the rag," Lena said. The last thing she wished to do was sleep with this girl. Becky Stone was a slob. She stunk to high heaven, wore the same thing for days on end, and Lena thought that she never heard of a bath.

"You always have some excuse," Becky sneered.

"I've got a date with Shasta as soon as my period is over and we're going to go somewhere for a week," Lena explained. Becky was not welcome at her table of friends but the damn girl couldn't take the hint. She was tall, 5'10", weighed about two hundred pounds, worked on a construction gang putting up a new building in downtown San Diego. The nights she was too tired from the hard work, were the best for Lena at the Yellow Orchid.

"What's wrong with me?"

"Do you want the truth?"

"Yeah!" she took a healthy pull on her long neck.

"It'll hurt your feelings," Lena warned. "I don't like doing that."

"I'm a big girl, I can take it."

"Take a bath, doll up, wear some clean clothes then come and see me."

"You bitch," Becky stood up, clenching her fists.

"I guess you're not that big of a girl," Lena said as the rest of the table laughed. "Why don't you do as I say. Taking a bath or a shower and putting on some deodorant isn't painful, you know. I understand you working so hard at construction but go home first, clean up then come here. Then look me up."

"You fucking bitch," stomped out of the bar.

"You don't want to fuck with her," Jessica warned Lena. "I've seen her fight before. She kicked a man's ass one time."

"I'm not worried," Lena shrugged, taking another sip from her drink. "I don't like her but she has every right to be here but she doesn't have the right to my pussy." Again everyone laughed.

On Sunday after Church Lisa suggested a picnic at a park west of San Diego. She had made fried chicken, biscuits, baked beans with molasses, bought potato and macaroni salad from a local deli and a gallon of fruity lemonade. She packed it all in two woven picnic baskets and anything that was perishable was in a cooler with ice.

"For our date I decided on a picnic," Lisa flashed her killer smile at Morris. It was a perfect day weather wise so she wore a white silky dress that flared out, short puffy sleeves, two inch heels in white, and a large straw hat with a wide ribbon sitting in the back seat of her car. She still drove the same red Camry she purchased when they arrived in San Diego a few years ago.

They drove out to an isolated area in Balboa Park that Morris knew they would have some privacy. On the way they chatted about Morris' practice as a corporate attorney. No battles in court, no examining or cross examining witness, no sifting through evidence of any kind. He worked for a major air plane manufacturer in a nine to five job that was not too stressful at all. Most of his work was research.

They talked about her job as a publicity agent for the Padres and Chargers. Being so beautiful, people sat up and listened to her presentation why they should buy seasons tickets for individuals and seasons tickets in blocks if they were a business or corporation. She had been told that she was their best agent. The salary wasn't all that great but she didn't mind. She had millions plus her share of the drawings in the safety deposit box. Lisa usually wore satiny blouses, tube skirts to the knees, and high heels when she worked which was usually three times a week.

"This is delicious," Morris praised her as he bit into a chicken leg. "Not a bit greasy and wherever you got that chicken buy it there from now on." He washed it down with the lemonade.

"Thank you," she blushed. "The salads are from Isaac's deli. I'm not too confident on making those yet. The chicken I made with lard which increases the flavor of the crust. It doesn't get too greasy."

"Everything else is great too," he continued his praise. They had been seeing each other for seven months now. She brought him out here to tell him of her past. This would make or break their relationship. Lisa felt she was falling in love with Morris and believed he felt the same toward her. They had been together several times a week. Being an agent for the Padres, she could get tickets to any game. So most of their dates were for the baseball games. They attended a few movies which were PG, a few summer symphony concerts, or just walk around the city holding hands while licking an ice cream cone. Baskin-Robbins was her favorite food store.

When they were finished eating, they cleaned up and then settled at a vacant park picnic table. There were a few kids tossing a ball back and forth but other than that, they were at least one hundred feet from anyone else.

'Okay, here goes, ' she thought. "Morris, I have to tell you my past. I want you to know all about me because I'm getting serious about you. I know you have feelings for me. You wouldn't be asking me out so much if you didn't."