Chapter 16

Nora stood beside the bed stretching after a good night’s sleep. The gesture lifted her breasts in an extremely attractive manner. Her body was perfect in proportion, weight, and shape. Even without makeup, her face could have graced the cover of any fashion magazine. A small well-trimmed patch of hair graced her pubic mound, attracting the eye without diminishing the attraction of the region below.

Her status as sex symbol and film star was understandable. Millions of women couldn’t understand how she could turn her back on fame and fortune. Fans, reporters, and co-workers had besieged her with questions over her decision. The people that worked for her and whose livelihood depended on her working were angry at the sudden change in their fortune.

She was homeless now. The house in Los Angeles had been sold and she hadn’t yet bought a place in Pennsylvania. The showy possessions had been auctioned off or donated to charity. All that remained were the few items that meant the most to her. Among them were her acting awards, a few childhood mementos, and her rock hunting gear.

Hearing that Kelly had left with the children, she had stopped by to cheer up Ed, knowing how much he would miss his wife and children. Ed had arrived at home from the airport long after she had come to the house.

Last night had been spent making long slow love. Over the course of several hours Ed had explored her body, touching her in ways and places that she didn’t even know was possible. Her body reacted to just the memory. She was not surprised to discover that her cunt lips were swollen, parted, and wet when she reached between her legs. Standing beside the bed, she looked down on his body studying the individual scars. This long lean cowboy would never be given a role in a Hollywood movie; he didn’t have the androgynous features that moviegoers wanted in their male stars.

Ed shifted in bed, wrapping himself tighter in the sheets, now that the warm body that had slept beside him was gone. Nora watched him with a smile realizing that it would be more difficult to wake him with a blow job. She wondered if he would be able to get an erection after the workout the night before. Her body shivered from the memory of that most wonderful organ entering her, stretching her more than she thought possible.

Putting on a simple sundress, she left the room to get breakfast. She headed towards the kitchen, not sure if the chefs were awake or not. At the door, she paused to smell the aroma of a professional kitchen. The overriding scent was that of bread rising under the action of yeast. Traces of herbs and spices tickled her nose, giving hints of the flavors that would emerge from the room later in the day.

Marguerite and Shuana were seated around the kitchen table reading recipé books, smiling when they found one they thought Ed might enjoy. They looked up at Nora when she entered the kitchen with a very satisfied look on her face. Shuana said, “Looks like someone was well fucked last night.”

Looking back down at the recipé book, Marguerite commented, “I don’t know about that. She can still walk.”

Going to the coffeepot, Nora poured herself a cup and joined the women at the table. Grinning, she said, “I’m glad I’ll be sitting most of the day. Of course, I expect the car seat to be soaked by the time I stop tonight.”

“You are leaving today?”

Nora added some cream and sugar to her coffee. Using a spoon sitting in front of Marguerite, she stirred it before taking a sip. She looked up at Marguerite, she said, “Is this what I think it is?”

“Probably.” Marguerite smiled knowing that Nora probably drank it all of the time. Shuana doubted the former actress actually knew what kind of coffee it was.

Recalling the initial question about leaving, Nora said, “I’m leaving just after breakfast. I’m driving to Pennsylvania to look for a new house.”

“Oh, I thought you were staying for a while.”

Smiling, Nora said, “No. I’m in the process of moving. Kelly called me two days ago and told me that she was leaving yesterday. I decided to stop by here at the last minute. I figured that Ed was probably going to be pretty depressed and could use some cheering up.”

Shuana giggled and said, “You and a dozen other women showed up yesterday to cheer up Ed. Needless to say, the females on staff were quite disappointed.”

“Then I won’t be needed around here. I’m glad to hear that,” replied Nora happy in the knowledge that Ed would be taken care of by the women of his town and in his house.

Ed stumbled into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee fully unaware that he had interrupted a discussion. In his typical morning behavior, he drained a cup of coffee standing at the coffeepot and refilled his cup before looking around. He spotted the three women and mumbled, “Plotting my demise?”

Putting on a very sweet smile, Marguerite answered, “You’re already dead. You’re just too stubborn to lie down and let us bury you.”

Shuana and Nora laughed as Ed yawned with a roar. He said, “I’ll come up with something witty later.”

Shuana smiled and said, “This I’ve got to hear.”

“Good, at least you won’t bury me until you get my reply,” Ed muttered as he took another sip of his coffee. It was about that time that he noticed that the coffee tasted different from normal. Making a face, he said, “This coffee is horrible. What’s the matter with it?”

Marguerite was about to make a joke until she saw the look on his face. He was serious in that he didn’t like the coffee. She was disappointed that he didn’t like the coffee that she had special ordered for him. Resigning herself to his simple taste in coffee, she said, “I’ll make another pot for you.”

“Thanks.”

Turning to Shuana, Nora asked, “Do you think he understands that it’s Jamaican Blue Mountain?”

“You really did recognize the flavor?” Shuana had only tasted Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee twice, once when they tried a test brew and this morning. It had been the best cup of coffee that she had ever tasted.

“Oh, yes. It’s a staple among certain wealthy circles,” replied Nora. She had no idea how many times she had been served a cup of coffee with the comment, ‘This is Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. It’s the most expensive coffee in the world.’ Such pretension had not bothered her at the time, but the memory of it was distasteful.

“I guess it would be,” replied Shuana. She looked over at Ed, noticing his impatience at the coffeepot as he waited for a fresh cup of coffee. Poor Marguerite returned to the table like she had lost her best friend. She reached out to her friend as she said, “He likes the coffee that comes in a can from the grocery store. We aren’t going to be able to change that.”

Sighing as she watched Ed sip his coffee with pleasure, Marguerite decided that he would never accept a Gourmet Coffee. They had tried a dozen different coffees on him over the past few years and he had rejected them all.

This wasn’t the first time that Marguerite had served him a foul tasting coffee. Ed turned to her and said, “It must have been a bad can. That happens occasionally.”

“Yeah, I guess it was a bad can,” replied Marguerite wondering what he would say if he knew that it cost $40 a pound. Connoisseurs of coffee worldwide would be shocked at his reaction to this coffee. Ed didn’t like the coffee at any of the coffee shop chains, preferring the coffee available at convenience stores.

Her words rang sour, as though she were lying to him. Surprised, he asked, “Did you brew that horrible stuff on purpose?”

“Yes. It’s a very expensive coffee,” replied Marguerite. At the expression on his face, she added, “The most expensive coffee in the world, in fact.”

Standing there, Ed tried to recall what he could about expensive coffees. He remembered something that he had heard on television and stared at Marguerite. Shocked that she would consider serving him that coffee, he asked, “Do you mean this is that monkey crap coffee?”

Nora burst out laughing as she realized what he was talking about. Shuana looked blank at Ed. When Marguerite finally figured out what he was talking about, she giggled at the thought of serving Ed that coffee. He’d never forgive her. Nora said, “Don’t worry, this isn’t the monkey crap coffee.”

Her words were true and Ed relaxed. Shuana asked, “What’s this about monkey crap coffee?”

“Kopi Luwak is a coffee that is made from the beans that have passed through digestive system of a monkey,” replied Nora. The animal that digested the beans wasn’t a monkey, but a marsupial called a Luwak. It ate only the ripest and best coffee berries. Unable to process the bean, it passed through the digestive system and was left on the ground under the coffee trees. It had become one of the most sought after coffees in the world, bringing a high price because of production quantities of 500 pounds or less, a year.

Shuana couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Eyebrow raised, she said, “You’re putting me on.”

Ed shook his head at the thought of drinking coffee from monkey shit. The idea really bothered him and his whole body shivered in revulsion. Marguerite noticed his reaction and, with a smile, replied, “It’s true. Of course, the next time Ed complains about my cooking...”

Realizing that she was joking, Ed interrupted as he said, “I knew it. You are trying to kill me. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“And why should I be ashamed of myself?” asked Marguerite knowing that he wasn’t going to say that she should be ashamed for wanting to kill him. Based on the smug look on his face, she knew that his answer was going to be a real zinger. She held her breath, unable to guess what he was going to say next.

“For involving a poor innocent monkey in your plot,” replied Ed with a smirk.

Nora was unable to control herself any longer and burst out into laughter. Ed turned to look at Nora. Holding up a hand as she tried to get control of herself, one look at his face was enough to cause her to laugh even harder. The laughter was contagious as Marguerite and Shuana burst out laughing, also. It wasn’t long before Nora was laughing so hard that tears were coming down her face.

The three women were laughing, all control lost, as Ed watched with a smile. He took a sip of his coffee knowing that he had delivered an excellent exit line, but he didn’t have any reason to exit. Nora struggled to stand while still laughing and cried, “I’m laughing so hard I’m going to wet my panties.”

Barely able to talk, Shuana said, “I can imagine the monkey testifying at the trial. All I did was shit coffee.”

In a voice as if he were introducing a new movie, Ed said, “First it was the Scopes Monkey Trial. Coming soon to a courthouse near you is the Biggers Monkey Trial.”

At that, Nora lost it totally and ran from the room doubled over with laughter hoping to reach the bathroom before she lost control of her bladder. Marguerite and Shuana soon followed her out the door. Chuckling, Ed said aloud, “Cleared the room with that one.”

It was five minutes before Nora returned, still wiping tears from her eyes. Grinning at Ed, she said, “It has been years since I’ve laughed that hard. Not since I started acting.”

“It’s a lot easier to laugh when you are happy,” remarked Ed.

Nora came over to him and gave him a big hug. Since she had announced that she was quitting the movie business, her quality of life had undergone a radical change. She woke and planned her day rather than spending the day responding to a schedule planned by others. Events that once had been obligations, now became welcome breaks in her time. Rather than spending hours reading scripts, she was able to spend the time reading books on minerals. The greatest benefit had been in privacy, since a staff no longer surrounded her at all times of the day. She said, “I’m so much happier than I have been in years.”

With a smile, Ed said, “We can’t have that.”

She laughed and asked, “So what are your plans?”

It was a good question and one that he had hadn’t given much thought. Jerry and Lynn were taking care of his businesses, he wasn’t teaching this semester, and he had not arranged a major rock hunting expedition. Three months at home had recharged his energy and he was ready to do something, but he didn’t know what. A smile crossed his face as an idea came to him. Looking down at her, he said, “I’m thinking about bumming a ride across the country with a retired actress.”

The possibility of traveling across the country with Ed was a total surprise to Nora and she exclaimed, “That would be great.”

“It will take me about ten minutes to pack up.”

Nora jumped up and down excited to know that she wasn’t going to face the long drive alone. As a woman, traveling alone was scary. As a former actress, she had been concerned that her public image would cause additional problems for her. It was comforting to know that a man would accompany her. She cried, “That’s great! I’m so excited!”

Ed looked out the door and realized that Marguerite and Shuana had not returned yet. An idea came to mind and he went over to the table. “Nora, stand at the door and keep Marguerite and Shuana out of the kitchen for a few minutes.”

She looked at him blankly, taken about by the sudden change in subject. Seeing the smile on his face, she went to the door to watch for the chefs. It only took him a minute to clear off the table. He removed the single flower that was in the vase. Lying down on the table with his hands crossed on his chest, he held the flower so that it was standing straight up in the air. Nora looked over at him and smiled realizing that he was going to get Marguerite back for her comment that he was already dead.

Marguerite and Shuana approached the kitchen still giggling about the monkey comment. When they entered the kitchen, they stared at Ed in surprise. As Shuana giggled, Marguerite quipped, “Shuana, go get the shovel before he gets up again. He’s already stinky smelling, and the sooner we get him in the ground, the better.”

Ed couldn’t hold it back any longer and started laughing. Nora said, “Too late. He’s starting to rise.”

Walking over to the table, Shuana bent over and examined his crotch. Shaking her head, she said, “Nope, no rise here.”

At that point, they all broke out in laughter. It took time, but Marguerite and Shuana recovered and chased Ed out of the kitchen saying, “Get out of here or we’ll never get your breakfast cooked.”