Chapter 4

Pilar Paloma, our not-so-little roommate, was becoming even more independent, more of a force.

She sat down with Vanessa and me, looked directly at me and said, “I’m not going to fuck Walker, not until you’re okay with it.”

A surprise. And a relief.

Vanessa smiled, “That’s a kindness, Pilar. We appreciate it.” Actually, Vanessa didn’t care if Pilar did fuck her little boyfriend. But out of courtesy for me, love for me, she hadn’t told Pilar that.

And, if it weren’t for the age thing -- I wouldn’t mind either. It’s not like Walker is some blushing virgin; Mindy fucked the fuck out of him for a couple of years.

I know that Pilar and my son have oral sex; they’ve never tried to hide the fact. And I know it’s not illegal. Yet, it doesn’t seem quite as unlawful as fucking. Irrational on my part, but there you are.

Pilar continues to teach Walker Spanish. And I’m sort of absorbing the language myself. Osmosis, I suppose.

She is strong-willed in her quiet, purposeful way. Clearly the alpha in her relationship with Walker. But even though he’s 15, I remind myself that he’s still a boy. Much as he tries to act grown-up, he’s barely a teenager.

Pilar definitely calls the shots, but so unobtrusively, it’s hardly noticeable. Unless you’re looking for it. As I am.

Vanessa, so strong-willed herself, tells me not to worry about it. “Walker’s fine, babe, just fine. And Pilar is simply ... well, any girl who sucks cocks for seven months just to make it to the United States ... she’s earned her toughness.”

Vanessa and I were learning, over several months, that Pilar’s sexual participation turning the long trek from Hondo, Colombia to Hidalgo, Texas had been more active than we had first realized.

Pilar’s mother, Lina, has grown close to Vanessa, especially since Lina became the hostess at Euforia. Lina told Vanessa and me, “Pilar became almost protective of me. I’d explained before we left home that I’d probably have to have sex along the way. In addition to paying bribes.”

We nodded sympathetically. What an ordeal they’d gone through.

Lina said, “We’d reached Tenosique, just over the border in Mexico. We were waiting to catch Le Bestia.” Freight train.

“We were hiding in a boxcar, on a side track. But someone spotted us, a boy, around 10 or 11. He ran to tell his older brother and then six boys, all teenagers, jumped me. Tore my clothes off.”

I sighed.

Lina said, “They weren’t really bad guys, Winter, not like some who fucked me. They were just boys, just wanted some pussy. I knew better than to fight them.”

Lina flashed that brilliant white smile, “ I mean they all fucked me, they kept us for almost 10 hours. But every time Pilar sucked one of them off, that was one less fuck for me.”

Lina seemed almost fond of the end of their Tenosique experience. “When they were all fucked out, they gave us to their brothers.” She giggled, “Virgins, I bet. It was like getting fucked with a bunch of hyperactive fingers.”

Vanessa said, “Did Pilar... ?”

No, I protected her and dressed her to look 10 rather than her age. And that set the tone for the rest of our trip. She told me we were partners and that she’d fuck right alongside me. I thanked her, but told her to try to keep her cherry.”

I said, “Which she did, right?”

“Si. We had a couple of close calls, but ... si, she’s still a virgin.”

Lina said, “It was a quick learning process. For both of us. We learned to read the signs, to know when sex was ... inevitable. It became obvious that it was better for us to become, or seem to become, eager participants. They beat us less, or less hard, when I just stripped and pretended to enjoy it. Thanked them.”

Later, in bed, I told Vanessa, “I got the impression that Lina might have enjoyed some of the sex.”

Vanessa whispered into my ear, “She did, some of it.” Then she licked my ear and one thing led to another.

Loose Park

Barry stood up, the envelope with $5,000 still clutched in his hand. He walked, zombie-like to the parking area north of his assigned bench. Got in his black Lexus sedan and drove south along Wornal.

I waited to leave the Gifford house until I saw Birdy Cummings drive by in her nondescript tan Camry. Then I sat in my truck for another five minutes before I collected Buster. We put his bike in the back of my truck and I followed Birdy’s directions.

South on Wornal. East on 63rd. I listened on my cell, Birdy said, “I’m heading past Oasis, still going east.”

When she told me that Barry had turned south on a residential street, I said, “Keep going a couple more blocks, then park.”

Buster was uncharacteristically quiet, sensing, I like to think, the seriousness of the night. Didn’t stop him from checking out my boobs though.

Barry had circled the block, someone was checking for a tail. I realized I should have had somebody in the car with Birdy, back-checking traffic. And probably another couple of Irregulars trading off.

Although in fact, it was entirely possible that no one other than Birdy was following Barry. He could be receiving cell instructions from miles away.

All the while I was receiving sporadic updates from Barry on another cell. Hands-free so it didn’t look like he was talking to anyone. It wouldn’t fool a pro. Which maybe we were dealing with.

Mostly Barry was talking, shakily, and understandably, about one thing. “Winter, they had a laser beam on me. Like a gunsight.”

“I saw it, Barry. Serious stuff. But where are you now?” We were far out of range of his flag pin transponder and he gave me his location every few blocks on his second cell. Which I relayed to Birdy. She was now following him on a parallel path.

Barry was receiving driving directions on his personal cell. The one the blackmailers instructed him to use. Barry and I were operating two phones each. Birdy, just one. I wanted her concentrating on her driving.

The evening festivities came to a humdrum ending. Barry drove around in circles and ended up on the Country Club Plaza. Bought a ticket at the Cinemark Palace multiplex. Left the $5,000 inside the second stall in the men’s room of the western-most theater section. It was reached by a skybridge that stretched across and above Jefferson Street. This area of Cinemark is in the Bank of America parking garage.

As instructed, Barry retraced his steps. Came out the theater entrance next to Noodles & Company, crossed Jefferson under the skybridge and returned to his Lexus. Which he’d parked in that same garage.

I sent Birdie home and drove Buster back to Raytown. Paid them both $200. I didn’t bother staking out the movie complex. Even if a cutout hadn’t collected the cash, whoever did wouldn’t flash it.

Pilar sought me out when Walker was out on some boy errand. We sat at our kitchen table and she said, “I’m sorry about that lifeguard, Winter. I wish I hadn’t done him.”

Lifeguard. On that luxury yacht, The Globe. Pilar and her mother were guests for a week. Thanks to the generosity of my friend, and client at the time, Phillip Montgomery.

I can still picture Pilar, that tiny white thong contrasting with her bronzed skin, walking around and around that swimming pool. Flirting with the handsome lifeguard. Trailing him when his shift ended. Sucking him off.

Even though she was my son’s girlfriend, I didn’t begrudge her some, mostly, innocent fun. And I certainly didn’t resent Lina when she fucked the boy herself. And a few men too. After what they’d been through on that harrowing seven-month odyssey from Colombia through Central America and Mexico.

No, they deserved a break. Some fun.

So I was surprised that Pilar apologized. She looked at me solemnly, with those round, black eyes, “I didn’t realize back then how much I care for Walker. Now I feel like I was cheating on him. I feel bad. Guilty.”

This was good news. Not that Pilar felt bad, but that she cared that much for my son. Because Walker sure as fuck cares for her. Loves her.

She told me, “I was going to tell Walker about the lifeguard. But Mama said not to. That it would be selfish of me. I’d feel less guilty, but it would make him sad.” She nodded to herself, “So I’m not going to say anything.”

“Good. Lina is right, no sense in hurting his feelings over something you can’t change.” I didn’t say that Walker would also figure out that I knew about it since I was right there with Pilar and Lina.

Oh what a tangled...

Showtime

Lina Paloma came by for breakfast around 8 that Saturday morning. Pilar fixed omelets for us while Walker deep-fried shoestring potatoes.

Vanessa smiled across the table at Pilar, “Did he have a wet dream last night?”

Pilar smiled at her boyfriend, “Nope, he was a good little boy.”

Lina looked puzzled.

Pilar said, “He’ll shoot more cum, Mama.”

“Oh. Of course.”

I looked at my darling son. Embarrassment was losing out to excitement. Today was the day. He’d suck himself off in front of Lina. He’d had a crush on his girlfriend’s mother for months. He wouldn’t have the fantasy fuck he’d been dreaming of, but the experience would certainly be sexual in nature. Very sexual.

Walker’s ears were only slightly pink. Yes, he was a little embarrassed, but he’d been looking forward to this for weeks. Ever since I gave the okay.

Vanessa and I cleared the table and started doing the dishes. She smiled at Walker, “Remember, lamb, take your time.”

“I will.”

Lina looked him up and down, frankly appraising him. A tall, good-looking boy. Blonde, like me, slender, my blue eyes. He was wearing, and it was all he was wearing, a black tee with white lettering, ‘My Mom Sucks Cock.’