Chapter 30

Shawna and Eddie bonded to say the least. She’d have sex with him and Sam, and Rachel when she joined them. But Eddie rarely fucked her. Instead she pleasured the women, sometimes when Eddie fucked them, but mostly not. And then she’d go. Told Eddie she liked sleeping with Nigella. Which was mostly a lie. She spent much of the night with Cheryl and Joe, though about half the time it would at least start out in Joanna’s bed. And it always ended there.

Nigella had been wrong about Shawna being submissive. It didn’t turn her on the way Joe and Nigella treated Joanna. It didn’t bother her. It actually fascinated her.

Aside from her choice of sleeping partners, she stayed with Eddie like a shadow. Sam didn’t mind. They liked each other. Rachel got a woman who actually liked sucking her cunt, so she definitely didn’t mind.

As Eddie had predicted, Rachel came into town before the Thursday gig, bringing vodka and cocaine. Getting Eddie pretty wasted. Shawna sampled, but managed to keep relatively sober. The Longhorn show didn’t actually disappoint. The nearly sold out performance left the audience more than satisfied. The punk attitude remained. But the intensity, the high wire daring, seemed lessened. Joe wondered if that intensity needed fueling by chemicals, realizing there was no way of knowing if Eddie had reached a new level because or despite his intoxication. Ever since the Tower in store, he almost always had been on coke and booze. And pot, but he had always been stoned on pot.

During the show, Shawna remained beside Cheryl and Joe, definitely getting into it. She replaced Lori in that way from the last gig. Lori watched from the other side of the room with her boyfriend.

The Flamingos had played a gig on the same stage the night before. The first time Joe had seen them. Pretty rocking. Decent songs. A couple really catchy ones. Definitely tight. Probably one of the better local bands. But not the best like nascent but already promising acts like Husker Du, the Replacements and the Suburbs. And the Monsters. Bands that pressed out against the barrier of commonness or shittiness of the norm that prevented any others from going beyond the local. The Flamingos didn’t seem to have that destiny.

Lori only joined Joe for a couple songs during that show. The room was full of friends and fellow fans after all. But in the end, she let him know Ted wanted to be exclusive. Not even Cheryl budged his decision. It made Lori love him more, which Joe could understand. He figured her for the monogamous type, which he certainly wasn’t. She still wanted to work on the ballet. He told her to keep mulling it over. To draw her ideas. To talk to him or Constance about them. But that they wouldn’t be pulling it together until at least a month or two into the next year. It looked like the friendship developing between her and Joe and Cheryl, what with the simmering sexual interest beneath it, would probably no longer happen.

They shared their disappointment. But ended up shrugging it off pretty quickly. Que sara sara.

After the Thursday show, after being with Eddie and Sam and Rachel for the first time, and coming to the study, since Cheryl and Joe didn’t visit Joanne that night, Shawna and Cheryl and Joe had a long, lust filled time before settling down. And talking.

“What did you think of the show?” asked Cheryl. The first time discussing it with her, since she’d zoomed in on Eddie even before he finished.

“Amazing,” she replied. “I know how great Nige is, but never got why she’d be in a rock band. She really drove that band, and seemed to love every second of it. And Belle really shone on stage. They all did, actually. Of course Eddie shown far brighter than any of them. He was...”

“Amazing,” Cheryl giggled.

“Yeah. He really was. But I got this weird realization. This ... vision.”

“Tell us,” Joe said.

“It’s weird, because, you know, the whole gay thing is associated with, like disco or something. The whole diva thing. Like Nige told me about this club. Crisco Disco. Crisco, like you know...”

“Lubricant,” Joe said.

“Yeah. Disco. But ... sorry. I sound like some dumb teenager. I’m just trying to get it out I guess, because it’s so weird, but so true I think. The Monsters are like the gayest band I ever saw. Or more like gay and lesbian. Because you have these two pretty boy brothers. And then you have Belle, this ultra-sexy, ultra-intense dyke. And then this weird, almost tacky presence of Nige with her huge white afro, tight shimmering red pants that show off her incredible ass. And like a man’s shirt, unbuttoned to reveal a shimmering red bra. And then there’s Eddie. Sexy but not macho. Angry and yet vulnerable. Like a pissed off but scared adolescent. With his tight black jeans and his flouncy tuxedo shirt and maybe his smaller stature and his halo of near shoulder length unkempt hair, when he’s not reaching for his lowest octave, his slightly high voice, I actually saw...”

“A girl?” Cheryl asked.

“Yeah. A really sad girl,” Shawna concluded. “I guess I was pretty stoned.”

“Joe?” Cheryl murmured.

“I know,” Joe said.

“What?” Shawna asked.

“You said you talked a lot about your sexuality that first night?” Joe asked her.

“Yeah?”

“Is that still a common subject?”

“I don’t know about common, but sometimes he’ll be staring off, and then he’ll ask me something about my attraction to slutty girls or how I managed to stay with boys or if blow jobs bother me or...”

“Anything about family?” Joe asked.

“We’ve talked about it, yeah. About my relationship with my mom and dad and my brother and sister. He’s only ever talked about his brother. Sounds like a juvenile delinquent,” she chuckled.

“Basically,” he smiled. “Anything about his parents?”

“A topic he tends to avoid,” she said. “I’d even say it made him uncomfortable. Why?”

Cheryl and Joe looked at each other. Silently agreeing as they were wont to do.

“One more question first,” Cheryl said. “How is he at cunnilingus?”

“I don’t know. He never does. I guess that’s my job, like Sam’s is blow jobs.”

“And Rachel’s?” Joe had to ask.

“I don’t know. Boss? Selfish cunt? If you don’t mind me saying.”

Cheryl giggled. “Of that we’re in complete agreement.”

“Yeah, I caught the glares,” Shawna said.

“When was that?” Joe asked.

“When she tried slinking up to you. I’m starting to think my attraction to sluts is a bad thing. Except you Cheryl.”

“Thanks, sweetie,” Cheryl grinned and gave her a kiss.

“So what’s going on?” Shawna asked.

“We’re thinking Eddie might have been sexually assaulted,” Joe said.

“Incestuously,” Cheryl added.

“Shit. But you’re not sure?”

“No.”

“We could be totally wrong about it,” Joe added.

“So why... ?”

“Different things,” he explained. “His lack of interest in cunnilingus probably the least of it. I’m sure many men don’t like it, but damned if I know why.”

“Yeah,” Shawna grinned. “I had a boyfriend like that.”

“Then there’s his hurry up and cum,” said Cheryl. “And even being reluctant about continuing after.”

“Yeah, but that’s men too,” said Shawna. “Joe’s a bit unique.”

“Yeah, he is. Unique.”

They giggled.

“Maybe that makes Eddie more heterosexual,” Shawna suggested. “Getting too excited and then ... being wary of his own cum?”

“So you’re implying Joe’s gay?” Cheryl smirked.

“Maybe.”

“Nope,” he said. “Definitely not.”

“I don’t know,” Cheryl pointed out, “You’ve bumped balls more than once.”

“Not my favorite part of double teaming.”

“And enjoying fucking my anus?”

“I love asses. Both inside and out. But exclusively the female kind.”

“If you say so,” Cheryl giggled.

“And it’s as much for you. You and Joanne both like being double penetrated. And especially when I go to places I’ve cum in. Anyone else’s? No thanks.”

“Okay Joe,” Cheryl smirked.

“He sure is defensive,” said Shawna.

“I know. Right?”

“Jeez,” he said.

Suddenly Shawna laughed. Full body, with tearing eyes. “You guys,” she said. “The way you talk. The way you’ve gotten me to talk.”

“Not so shy hunh?” said Cheryl. “We like it when you talk dirty, don’t we Joe?”

“Sure do.”

“But seriously,” Shawna calmed down. Joe and Cheryl too. Her laugh was infectious. “What else about Eddie? He has this sadness. You said something about parents.”

“Yeah,” Joe said. “Mr. Gold’s a piece of work. I assume you’ve read Catcher in the Rye.”

“Yeah,” the ladies basically responded.

“He’s the sort of adult that turned Holden off to them. He’s got this sort of fake smile. Like he knows something no else does, because he’s smarter than the rest of us.”

“Smug,” said Cheryl.

“Yeah. And smarmy. And kind of stiff. Cold.”

“Lascivious looks?” asked Shawna.

“Maybe. But that’s more Mrs. Gold. She ... stares sometimes. Like she wants to memorize me for fantasies or something. And ... she’s cool. About Eddie pretty much doing whatever he wants. But maybe a little too interested in the sex part. It’s funny, especially seeing how a girl reacts. But it’s creepy too.”

“So you think it might have been Mrs. Gold?” Shawna asked.

“I don’t know. She’s always seemed more interested in me than Eddie. Which is a problem, actually. Because Eddie thinks she cares a lot more about me than him. It’s carried over to his women. Joanne ending up with me. Simone.”

“You fucked Simone?” asked Shawna.

“He basically chose her for his play to fuck her,” said Cheryl. “Do you blame him?”

“No,” said Shawna.

“No you wouldn’t,” said Cheryl. “Your ideal girlfriend would be a slut who goes both ways.”

“And smart. Like you,” Shawna said.

“I’m taken,” Cheryl showed Shawna her ring. “But the problem is, a girl who advertises her sex like that probably can’t be trusted. Nymphomaniac tendencies, at worst. At best, sex is more important than relationships.”

“Unless she doesn’t even know how sexy she is,” Joe suggested.

“Someone who dresses down,” Cheryl added. “But can’t quite hide it.”

“Maybe that bothers her,” said Shawna. “All the looks she gets.”

“Maybe she’d rather have girls look at her,” Cheryl continued the thought.

“Or she could resent it,” Shawna said. “Like she’s more than what she looks like.”

“And you’d like that,” said Cheryl. “Even though her body was why she attracted you.”

“You could befriend her the way you befriended your boyfriends first,” he suggested. “Then, when you finally unwrap her sexy package, you could praise her body.”

“Or not,” said Cheryl. “Just enjoy it. Like she’d enjoy you’re sexy body. And I bet she’d have the bigger surprise. Because you’re very pretty, Shawna. Beautiful when you relax, which you seem to have done more and more lately.” Which was true. She even started losing her stooped shoulders. “But I think, more than anyone I’ve met, you look better naked. Deliciously so.”

“Thanks,” Shawna replied shyly.

“I’m part of the problem too,” Cheryl told her. “I mean about Joe seeming to take Eddie’s girls.”

“So you fucked Eddie too?” Shawna asked. “I think I could tell.”

“He’s still got a thing for me,” Cheryl agreed. “From the beginning I told him my true affections lay with Joe. Literally. That he was more a project than any sort of ongoing lover.”

“You told him that?”

“My fault,” Joe said. “Because solving the whole thing with ladies choosing me over him had to do with him learning to pleasure girls better.”

“I was his teacher,” said Cheryl. “Mostly because I actually need more attention before I cum. A quick fuck just doesn’t cut it.”

“Does it ever?” Shawna asked.

“No. But I made him make me cum. And being a challenge, we figured he’d get the training he needs. So his girls don’t sneak off, horny, and get it from Joe.”

“Like me,” said Shawna. “I guess I already figured out that finding me with another man might damage his male ego. Just not how damaging it might be.”

“Yeah,” he said.

“So I should probably go.”

“I wouldn’t mind feeling your incredible tongue on my cunt again,” said Cheryl. “I’ll do the blow job chores. You won’t taste Joe inside me.”

“You just want your turn being fucked,” Shawna said.

“True,” Cheryl admitted. “It started out as just a cuddle and pillow talk night until you showed up.”

“I’m ... Never mind. No need to apologize.”

“Never,” Joe moaned, Cheryl enclosing his cock in her mouth.

Shawna chuckled before getting down to business. Joe pulling on her narrow hip, though flared out more than suggested when she was dressed, with a fuller finer round little ass as part of the surprise, brought her pussy to his mouth. He tasted the remnants of latex, but that went away with her juices. She was much more responsive than Cheryl, which made him wonder, and worry, why Eddie couldn’t get her off.

She stayed atop his mouth when Cheryl rode the erection she made, with them kissing and fondling over him. Once Cheryl got her cum, they changed things up. Cheryl on hands and knees, with Joe fucking her furiously behind her, enjoying the view and feel of her incredible ass. Shawna made her exit then, giving each of them a kiss and donning one of Joanne’s robes. Reaching around Cheryl, plucking her nipples and rubbing her clit, Joe managed to make her cum moments after he came. He didn’t mind not feeling the entirety of his orgasm. Not when he felt Cheryl’s interior throbs, and her moaning his name.

Joe slept as long as he could, but the kids needed to be attended. A dressed and ready Joanne kissed him awake after she had him drink some juice. He didn’t apologize for not making her breakfast. Not only would she resent it, but she understood he had a very late night. He let Cheryl sleep.

By the time he pissed and dressed the next morning, Joanne had gone. The usual stack of work had the note from Joanne he needed. The kids played in front of him, with Essie interrupting his thoughts with her series of several questions. He never minded. Contributing knowledge to her insatiable, prodigious mind felt like a worthy occupation.

Just before 11, the phone rang. “May I speak with Cheryl O’Connor?” the female voice asked.

“Who should I say is calling?”

“Carol Dosse for Jan Wenner.”

“You’re kidding.”

She laughed. “She there?”

“Just a second.”

Setting down the phone he rushed to the study. Surprisingly, Cheryl was up and writing. “I had this idea when I woke up,” she explained.

“The call’s for you,” he told her excitedly.

“Oh? Who is it?”

“Jann Wenner.”

“You’re shitting me.”

“I shit you not.”

“Why would he call?”

“It’s actually his secretary, or I think she is.”

“Hello,” she’d already picked up the extension. “Yes, I’m Cheryl O’Connor. Of course.” She looked at Joe, wide eyed, her hand over the receiver. “I’m on hold for Jann fucking Wenner.”

“Why talk to the publisher?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I won’t have to give him a...” She removed her hand. “Yes sir. Thanks. Since High School. I guess I’m embedded,” she giggled. “Their promotional guy’s my boyfriend and Eddie’s best friend. Yeah I do. Seattle. I thought San Francisco, but ... Yeah. Makes sense,” she chuckled. “Maybe LA after? What about NME? Okay. Okay. Sure. Next week? Wednesday afternoon? Eddie’s ... okay. Great. Jann, can I ask ... uhm ... why are you calling? I mean ... That’s really nice of you to say. I do actually,” she laughed. “Yeah. I’ll be there. I’m looking forward to it. I’ll bring them. Okay. I’m definitely looking forward to meeting you. Thanks again. Bye.” She hung up.

“Jann fucking Wenner wants me on his staff,” she told Joe.

“Wow,” he said.

“No shit. I guess he’s a fan. He wants me to do what I’ve been doing with NME. Wants me to bring all the stuff I’ve written about the Minneapolis scene that I haven’t had published. And he’s aware of Eddie. One of his staff caught the Richard Lloyd show.”

“The article?”

“Yes asshole. He says he’ll publish it. Even talked about a cover, but I very much doubt it. Putting an unknown on the cover of the Rolling Stone.”

“We should get Caroline’s photos.”

“Good idea.”

“So ... Wednesday.”

“Yeah.”

“So we’re talking about a column?” Joe asked.

“I don’t know. There’s a scene thing. Pretty rudimentary. Hopefully they’ll give me a little space to make it less like fucking People Magazine.”

“If not?”

“We’ll see what he offers. And if I’m staff, hopefully there’ll be assignments. Or they’ll listen to my suggestions. I don’t know.”

“Makes me worry about a contract.”

“Damn. You’re right.”

“I bet Moe’s dad would know a decent contract lawyer.”

“You just want to see her.”

“I...”

She laughed. “I like her Joe. She’s hot and smart. And I won’t lose you to her, mostly because she wouldn’t want you like that.”

“I...”

“No one’s going to love you like I do. No one’s going to accept your dickheadedness like I do.”

He laughed.

“What?”

“I just wanted to say there’s no chance I’d want to be with anyone else, Cheryl. Once I got my head out of my ass, I realized the girl of my dreams was right in front of me.”

“I hope you showered first. Yuck.”

They laughed. And kissed. She broke it. “Morning breath,” she said.

“Don’t care,” he replied and slid beneath her. She straddled him. Genitals rubbed while they kissed.

“Uhm Joe?” she murmured. “The kids?”

“Quickie?”

“I don’t want a quickie. Maybe we could leave them with Constance.”

“She’s at a hotel.”

“Exactly.”

“I’ll call,” he said.

“Maybe call Joanne’s travel agent.”

“Later,” he replied, kissing her and rubbing.

“Joe,” she scolded him, but was reluctant getting off his lap. “I’m going to shower.”

He watched her leave, focusing on her ass. He took a moment to calm down so his excitement wasn’t too obvious. Well, a couple moments. Retrieving the card with Caroline’s hotel info on it, which was the same as Constance’s, he headed back to the living room.

When the desk transferred his call to her room, she asked, “Anything wrong, Joe?”

“No. I was just wondering if you’d watch the kids this afternoon.”

“Of course. Any reason?”

“Uhm ... Cheryl and I want to celebrate. Looks like she’s being hired by Rolling Stone magazine.”

“That’s great Joe. I’ll come there. You can use my car. Parking’s paid for. And my room.”

“You sure?”

“Just put up the privacy sign after. I’d like to smell you on my sheets.”

“We could join you after the show tonight?”

“Even better.”

“Maxine and Caroline get you horny?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll come prepared.”

“Oh.”

“You’ve been a bad girl.”

“Fuck.” She hung up.

Laughing he called the travel agent. Got an indecently early flight Wednesday morning, and a late one back Thursday night. He also had her book a room at the Holiday Inn. His favorite hotel clerk worked there. Realizing she’d bill Joanne, he had her hold, found Cheryl’s American Express card in her purse and had the woman charge it on that. He knew not only would Cheryl not mind, but she’d prefer it.

He called Moe next, but she was out to lunch. He was about to ask the replacement receptionist to have her call him back, but realized he wouldn’t be there to answer it. “Just tell her Joe called,” he said. “And I’ll call back later.”

Returning to his work, not long after he looked up to see Cheryl and Shawna, dressed and freshly showered, descending the stairs. “Look at who I bumped into in the shower,” Cheryl giggled.

“Shit,” he said as Shawna approached him. Cheryl headed to the kitchen to make lunch.

“Some greeting,” she laughed but hugged him nevertheless. Her hugs felt different from the others. Like he was finally hugging a woman his size. Both Constance and Joanne were all the tall side for women, but Shawna had three or four inches on them.

After the brief kiss, he explained, “I just called someone to look after the kids.”

“I’d love to look after them,” she said, releasing the hug.

“I know. I guess I thought when I saw Sam leave earlier, my mind attached you to her exodus or something. So you just woke up, or...”

“Or,” she chuckled. “More chatting.”

“Cool.”

“Yeah.”

They stepped away from each other when Eddie came down. “Going to work,” he said. “Seen Nige?”

“Basement,” Joe said.

Eddie smiled. “Of course.”

They joined Cheryl in the kitchen making tuna fish sandwiches.

“That t shirt a hint?” he asked her. She wore her oversized Cramps shirt which hung low enough to nearly conceal her shorts. And the bounciness revealed no bra.

“No,” she chuckled. “Well maybe. Might be tonight or tomorrow.”

Unlike most women he met, Cheryl didn’t mind fucking during her period. It just meant no pussy licking. He didn’t mind his fingers getting blood on them. Or his cock.

“Constance is horny,” he told her. “I thought...”

“She coming here?” Cheryl interrupted.

“Yeah.”

“Take her upstairs.”

“She said we could use her hotel room.”

“Sounds fun.”

“And we’d be with her after the show.”

“Don’t make her wait, Joe. Take her upstairs. We’ll watch the kids.”

“You want to join us?”

“Delayed gratification,” she giggled, giving him a kiss. “I can wait. You know she’s more comfortable just with you.”

“True,” he said.

By the time Constance arrived, he had eaten most of his sandwich. “What took you so long,” he growled, putting his food aside. “Upstairs.”

She gulped and her eyes sparkled. “Yes Joe.”

He probably freaked out the kids. He hoped Cheryl’s laughter softened the blow.

Following her into the master bedroom and shutting the door, he growled, “Hurry up,” but didn’t wait, turning her around aggressively and tearing off her buttoned blouse, sending buttons flying. She pulled off her Bermuda shorts as quickly as possible.

“Position,” he growled, slapping her butt hard. “Tits,” he said when she lay on the bed, ass high and head low. Her fingers immediately pulled aggressively on them. And she moaned. “Quiet!”

He quickly stripped, grabbed the crop and the smaller whip. He set the whip aside and gently slapped her face with the crop. Grabbing her hair, he pulled her over his hardening cock. “This should keep you quiet.” He used her hair to guide the mouth fuck. But she let him know when she wanted him in her throat. Tossing aside the crop, he began whipping her ass. Ever stronger. Ever closer to her center, which, with her thighs fairly wide, became exposed to him. Wisely though, when the whip made contact with her cunt, he had pulled her off his cock. She trembled. Cumming.

“Horny slut,” he laughed. Moving from in front of her, he looked at the crop and the whip handle. The former too thin. The rubberized handle of the other, two rough for her. But he remembered something he hadn’t used yet. He got the butt plug and lubricant out of her bag. Leaning down behind her high ass, he tasted her. Because he wanted to. Coating the overly thick plug and readying her anus after with fingers, he pushed it through her sphincter.

“Ugh,” she muttered.

“Quiet,” he spanked her. The plug wasn’t ideal. He couldn’t really fuck her with it. Just put pressure on it and pull back a little to keep her mindful of its presence. But that worked. And he soon had his cock deep. The plug did make her vaginal canal narrower, which he enjoyed. “Giddy-up,” he said, whipping her ass and hips like a jockey with the crop as he fucked her hard after a couple of slow strokes. She fucked back against him, which could be an interpretation of a horse.

Backward thrusts became uneven. More undulations. Becoming writhing. He brought the crop around her, awkwardly, blindly slapping as close to her clit as possible. Hitting his shaft guided him, and the pain, slight though it was, actually stimulated him. Once homed in, he made a greater impact on her clit, and it obviously affected her more than it had affected him. Somehow her gasps sounded desperate. “Let me hear you, Constance.”

“Oh! Fuck! God! Joe!” she exclaimed, each word louder and higher and more extended. Whether it was hearing his name or feeling her convulsive pussy surround his cock or her deep throat had readied him or that extra bit of stimulating pain or everything above, he pushed deep and let loose what felt like torrential spurts of cum.

“Thanks Joe,” she murmured, trembling.

“My pleasure, my pain slut,” he answered, easing out the plug.

“Fuck that’s weird,” she said.

They both laughed breathlessly.

“But good?” he asked.

“Fucking intense,” she said.

He pulled her torso up, his cock just barely inside her still, and kissed her. It ended with her moaning when his cock slipped out. He kissed her again while gently massaging her tits. Rewarding her for her dirty words.

“Shower,” he said.

“Yes Joe.”

After cleaning the butt plug and tossing it aside, she cleaned his cock gently. “I love you,” she told it. When he laughed, she smiled up at him. “All of you.”

“Me too,” he said, and carefully cleaned her sore parts.

After the shower, he told her, “You should lie down so I can put some ointment on you.”

“Give me a minute?”

“Yes Constance.”

It took longer. Pooping and cleaning delicate tissue. He dressed and waited.

“Sorry,” she said.

“Understandable,” he chuckled.

She took her position. He applied ointment to her backside. “Over,” he said, and applied some to her tits and some places close to her clit.

“You should go,” she said, “if you still have it in you.”

“I’ll have it in Cheryl, don’t you worry,” he chuckled. “And she loves it when I last.”

“Who doesn’t?”

“You’d be surprised. I can be pretty relentless. I think Cheryl’s the only one who’s never had too much.”

“Bragger,” she said, gaining a hard twist of a nipple, and, lifting her ass, a hard spank.

Letting her go, he leaned down to kiss her. “Not bragging,” he said.

“I know,” she grinned and received her kiss. “Just don’t miss your show.”

He laughed. Four hours until they planned to meet. They had to set up things. Chairs. Platform. Background. The lights remained fixed. Nothing taking much time. But he also wanted to give notes, as did Constance. And they’d have dinner. And time to get their heads back into it. And stretch their bodies and exercise their mouths and vocal chords.

“You should rest,” he said.

“What about the kids?”

“Taken care of.”

“Who?”

“You’ll meet her. She’s a sweetie.”

“Yes Joe.”

“Good girl.”

More than twice his age. But she liked it when he called her a girl. Both good and bad. Probably bad more.

What with talking added to making love twice, the second time he fucked Cheryl almost as long as when he was high on heroin, he barely made it to the theater on time. Both of them tapped out and sore, Cheryl sorer than him. Her period actually started during their brief shower. “Fucking definitely helps the cramping,” she smirked.

They had to stop by Joanne’s to pick up Constance. He had her car after all. “Joe, you never called Moe back,” Cheryl reminded him. He actually planned to call before they left for the hotel, but Cheryl didn’t want any more anticipation.

“Shit,” he said, looking at his watch. An hour later. She’d definitely would have left work. He ran in, passing Constance on her way out, to call Moe’s professor’s place. The voice on the machine sounded much older somehow. He called her dad’s. No answer. Probably upstate with her mom. He left a message anyway. He didn’t have her mom’s number. Panicking, he went through my several slips of paper. Found Nigella’s old number. Called.

“Hello?” a woman answered.

“Is Moira there?”

“Who?”

“Moira? Moe?”

“Oh, the new girl. No she’s not.”

“You think you could leave a message?”

“Just a minute,” she said, not sounding pleased. “Go ahead.”

“Just have her call Joe. Late. It doesn’t matter how late. Okay?”

“Joe?”

“She’ll know.”

“Okay,” and she hung up.

He went to his car, the others waiting outside it. “Sorry,” he said, unlocking it. “Where’s Eddie?”

“He’ll come by later,” said Constance. “Shawna will drive him.”

“Okay. Cool,” he said.

“Relax,” said Cheryl. “So you didn’t get hold of Moe?”

“I should have called earlier,” he said, taking a breath and laughing. “I really am a dick aren’t I?” he said to his fiancé.

“You’re my dick, Joe. And what a nice dick it is.”

“Amen,” said Constance, making them laugh.

“I don’t think we’ll come to your hotel,” he told her.

“You hit the spot Joe. I’m fine.”

“Good.”

“You’d rather it just be Joe,” Cheryl asked her.

“Yeah. I’m okay with Joanne, but...”