Chapter 1

I was waiting for Janice outside Sulli's, smoking a cigarette. She'd wanted to make a last stop in the ladies, and I had to go. I finished the butt, flipped it into the street, and zipped up my windbreaker. I wasn't cold, but the wind was huffing along at a steady pace.

I was debating lighting another smoke when the door burst open and Janice came flying out. Her shoulder hit the trash barrel at the curb and she rolled on the sidewalk, coming to rest against the right rear tire of my Jeep.

I couldn't see major amounts of blood flowing, but I knelt down and asked, "You ok, Jan?"

Her eyes weren't focusing too well and she didn't answer me. I turned toward the door and saw Sue Li standing there with her hands on her hips, glaring at me. She's big for a Chinese girl, probably five-eight and a hundred and eighty pounds. It was her place and she had the right to ask people to leave, but going airborne was a first.

I took a few steps in Sue's direction and she shook her finger at me. "You keep her out! You hear me?"

I nodded and watched the crowd gather in the open doorway and peek over Sue's shoulder. Most of them were regulars, and I didn't see anybody who could have caused Jan's problem. Jan has this thing for fresh meat, and every time a new girl walks into the place Jan hits on her immediately. Most times it gets her a date, and sometimes she gets laid. It wasn't my style, but it worked for her.

I stepped back, held my hands up defensively and said, "Ok, Sue, whatever you say."

Sue nodded her head once, a very emphatic motion telling me she understood. I really wanted to stay in her good graces; she ran a clean place without too much hassle from the police. Plus it was the only place within easy driving distance where I could meet girls.

I picked Janice up and helped her stand, then loaded her into the front seat. Janice started snoring with her head against the window after I'd driven three or four blocks. I sighed in resignation; it would mean another cold shower for her, and I probably wouldn't get any sex tonight.

I got on the road to Duncan and set the cruise at fifty-five. After twenty miles on the two-lane I turned onto gravel and slowed down.

Poor Janice, I thought. She drinks, she laughs, she's the life of the party. Her only problem was she didn't know when to quit. I'd had three beers all night while I shot pool, and had switched to coke when Janice arrived. Janice and I had met at Sulli's about three years ago, around the same time I'd bought my house.

We'd hit it off as pool partners and occasional bed-buddies when nothing else was available. It wasn't much, but it was better than sleeping alone. There was no emotional involvement between us; just hot sex when the need got too great.

The blacktop began again and I slowed to twenty-five for a dozen blocks, then turned right and eased into my driveway. I stopped under the carport and lugged Janice inside.

I dumped her on the bathroom floor and made sure the Jeep was locked, then threw the deadbolt.

I sat on my bed and kicked off my boots, then shucked out of my jeans. I pulled the shirt over my head and removed my bra the same way. I left my panties on and returned to the bathroom to undress Janice.

Her boots and skirt came off fairly easily, and the shirt and bra followed. I wrestled her into the tub and closed the curtain, then turned on the cold water. She gasped a couple of times and let out a loud shriek. I left it that way for a minute or so, then turned on the hot water. I got into the tub with her and started washing her down.

Ten minutes later she was as clean as she was going to get, at least by my hand, and she was awake. She needed a haircut and her mustache needed waxing. I got out of the tub and dried myself, hung a bathrobe on the hook for her and told her I'd meet her in the kitchen.

I pulled a pair of ales from the fridge and cracked one, then lit a smoke.

Janice was pretty and cute, with butter-blond hair to her shoulders and big blue eyes. Her body was above average, and she dressed decently in nice clothes. She always got compliments on her nice ass and perky breasts, but in my opinion she had this self-esteem problem which made her drink too much.

My cigarette was about gone when she walked into the kitchen and spied the bottles on the table. She sat down and tipped hers back, swallowing half.

She burped and said, "Thanks. I owe you one."

"That makes about ten or twelve now, doesn't it?" I asked.

She stared at the table and shrugged her shoulders, "I guess."

Janice seemed to be talking clearly, and the cut over her eyebrow had stopped bleeding. Her eye was advancing on shiner status, and I knew she had a headache.

"What happened in there?" I asked. "You said all you had to do was take a leak."

She sat up straighter, suddenly interested in the conversation. "I saw two girls come in the back way. One of them was that cute blonde I met last week, and I stopped to say hi."

I lit a smoke and asked, "How did Sue Li get involved?"

"The blonde was meeting Brandy, and we exchanged words," she replied.

"That bitch will cut you if you're not careful," I warned.

"I know; that's what brought Sue out from behind the bar," she sighed.

"Your addiction to strange pussy is going to get you killed one of these days," I said.

She nodded wistfully and drained her ale, then looked at me.

I got up and said, "Help yourself. The pillow and blanket are on the couch. I've got to work six hours tomorrow and I need my sleep. Keep the TV down, ok?"

She stood and opened the fridge, looking for the ale. I turned my back on her and went to my bedroom.

I cracked my window and got into bed after taking off my panties. I fluffed the pillows, put my head on them and went to sleep.

Janice wasn't on the couch the next morning; apparently she'd called her mother. The blanket and pillow were on the floor, and I folded everything and put it away. I ate breakfast and got ready for work, dressing in my usual jeans and boots. I put my baseball cap on my head and locked the door behind me as I left.

Work was thirty-five minutes away, a large building at the edge of town that held the biggest machine shop in the western half of the State. I was one of two females employed there, which made some of the guys jealous. I didn't wear makeup or earrings either, which drove them nuts.

I punched in, got a new pair of gloves, and walked to my machine. I turned on the power and checked all my settings. Some of the more obnoxious guys would sneak over during breaks or lunch and change one of the tool offsets. Doing so would either make a scrap part or damage the machine, and they were eager to see me fail.

Some guys wanted women in the kitchen or the bedroom, not competing for a job. If they had told the truth, they would have admitted I was smarter and more motivated than a lot of them. I had a secret that was unknown to most of them however: the boss was - had been - my old high school chum and former lover, Teddy Pendergast.

Teddy had been my salvation when my mother had gone off her rocker and thrown me out of the house during my sophomore year in high school. The county had put me in foster care, and Teddy had become my friend. We were both outcasts; I struggled with my burgeoning sexuality and he was terrified of people.

During my junior year, Teddy and I became more than a couple in name only. He got over his fear of rejection long enough to enjoy some sexual activity with me, which I gratefully initiated. Karen, the girl who had caused my mother's screaming fit, had moved away and I was so lonely I felt like suicide on a daily basis.

I felt very comfortable and happy with Teddy; he didn't talk to my tits and his hands never made unwanted advances on my person. He treated me like a person and not a sexual object, and he talked to me. I think I surprised the hell out of him by giving him the freedom of my body, even though he knew I was mostly interested in girls. He was a very considerate lover too, a rarity among men of my acquaintance at the time. I'd told him about Karen, and he'd provided a shoulder for me to cry on.

I don't know why Teddy liked me. My tits weren't - and still aren't - that big; a modest A cup if not smaller. I'm convinced that somewhere in my ancestry is a very ugly woman, and I seem to have inherited it all. I kept my hair short even then, and my hips and butt belong on a boy. My square-cut finger and toenails are short and serviceable, plus my hands and feet are not pretty in any sense of the word. I'm angular and lanky, with what looks like slightly mis-connected joints. I also have a lot of body hair; not the ape-like stuff, but I don't shave much. I prefer the natural look because it sets me apart from the perfectly-coiffed and manicured set.

I punched the green button when the buzzer rang, and the machine wound itself up to speed. I watched at slow motion through the door until I was sure it wouldn't crash, then hit the full-speed toggle switch. I heard the squealing sound of metal being removed, and sat in my chair. The cycle time was about forty-three minutes, so I had some time to relax. I poured a cup of coffee from my thermos and had a seat.

At quarter of two in the afternoon I used the overhead hoist to lift the shaft out of the machine and set it in the crate. I swept the area and ran a quick wet mop over the mats, then signed my daily production card. I was picking up my lunchbox and thermos when Teddy stopped by.

"Hey, Meg," he said, smiling.

"Ted," I replied.

"You wanna come over for dinner tonight?" he asked. "Marie has this new recipe for venison."

"Thanks anyway," I replied. "I want to go check on Janice. She got thrown out of Sulli's last night."

He got this really sad look on his face and said, "Megan, I wish you'd find somebody else to hang with. That broad is nothing but trouble."

"She's my friend," I protested.

"She knows how to push your 'mommy' buttons, Meg," he said. "She's using you."

"I don't mind," I said. I did mind, but I wasn't going to admit it to Teddy. Not ever.

He put his arm loosely around my shoulders and kissed my forehead.

"See you Monday, then," he sighed.

I drove home, parked my Jeep and went inside for my bath. A weekly bath was one luxury I enjoyed. I was forced to use showers while growing up, and a bath meant something extra to me. I showered through the week, but Saturday evenings I bathed. It was my treat to myself.

I started the water and stripped my clothes, rubbing the underside of my boobs where my bra chafed. I threw in a capful of my favorite bubbles, and gingerly stepped into the tub as it filled. Bath time was for something else, too: a little personal satisfaction. Sex didn't drive me like it did Janice. If I saw a cutie I liked and got to talk to her, all well and good. If she seemed interested and wanted to work something out, we'd go out to the Jeep and talk. Sometimes I'd get to kiss her, and once in a great while there'd be a little more. I'd take her to my place, and we'd fuck. I liked sex, but I didn't live for it.