Chapter 24

"This special girl is Lana," John introduced his girl friend. She was an inch or two taller than him. Pretty face, gorgeous hair, trim shape with small breasts and perfectly straight white teeth. She smiled shyly at the those who sat with her. Erin was the first to embrace her, kissed her cheek and complimented on whatever perfume she was wearing. Being cold, Lana wore a heavy, high collared, white knit sweater, tight jeans, and leather boots with a two inch heel. Her chestnut colored hair flowed past her shoulder blades. Rick gave a brief hug then sat down.

They sat themselves in a big round table at IHOPS private room. The server was a waitress with a name tag of Laura. She seemed to be new as no one had seen her before. Only Philip and Lana had coffee. The rest wanted Dr. Peppers with their breakfast. Vonna was making good money at Shelly's.

"I loved your show last night," Lana told Erin. "It was very erotic. You could go far in show business."

"This is as far as I want to go," Erin explained. "I own the place, I have the world's greatest husband...

"Ahem," Beth cleared her voice.

"He is to me," Erin continued. "I make big money every weekend night, plus we are even open on Sundays for mature couples for fine cuisine and dancing. We've turned the corner on Sundays and are starting to make money on that. However, the weekend nights of Friday and Saturday are our biggest money maker."

"Are you making money on the tapes?" Philip asked.

"More than ever," Rick said. "We sell about twelve hundred a night at twelve fifty per tape. We get royalties from the producers of her tapes nationwide and into Canada."

"You could go on forever," Lana seemed interested in business. The waitress came. All ordered the same dish except for Lana, she only wanted poached eggs on toast.

"I'm at my prime," Erin said. "In about ten years I'll slow down, get a little older, and not keep up what I am able to do now. Rick and me have discussed about me quitting and just be a clerk in his construction office."

"A clerk," Beth sounded surprised. "I'm the clerk type, you should go out and get into fashion designs. Most of your costumes are so hot hot hot, you should go into business for that."

"To be a success in that kind of business, I'd have to move to Dallas or Houston to do that. The girls around here are hotties in their own right but they are jeans and half top types. Not slutty dressing," Erin said.

"Say, I gotta joke for you, want to hear it?" Philip asked.

"I'm always up for a good laugh," Rick said.

"You are up for some other things," Erin took a sip of Dr. Pepper.

"There's this doctor, dentist, and a lawyer on a yacht...

"Oh Daddy," Erin groaned. "That one is as old as the hills."

"The yacht catches fire," Philip ignored his daughter. "They grab life jackets and jump in the water just seconds before the thing blows up."

"Lucky them!" Erin murmured.

"Along comes a fifty foot great white shark, it weighs over ten thousand pound. It circles around the three, goes under ... snatches the doctor and takes him away to eat him..."

"Does the shark have enough salt?" Erin laughed. "Get it darling, enough salt. Their in a salty ocean full of salt? Now that is funny!"

"Erin, please!" Rick snapped. No one noticed her soft eyes turned hard. Her nostrils flared as her smile disappeared. No one noticed the look of hate cover her face. After a moment, her countenance turned placid but she had no smile.

"The shark comes back an hour later and grabs the dentist, takes him away to eat him," Philip sat up to deliver the punch line."

"The shark returns. Sniffs around. Goes up to the frightened lawyer then swims away. Why?

"I don't know," Rick shrugged.

"Professional courtesy," Philip grinned.

Rick roared with laughter. "That's a good one. I'll try to remember this to tell the other guys on my construction sites."

"What's the matter, babe," Rick asked, driving back home. They only had one more week before moving into their brand new two story house with a large porch supported by tall white columns that Erin fell in love with the style when she saw Gone With The Wind and the Tara mansion. She wanted one built exactly like what was in the film.

Erin had her arms folded across her chest looking out the passenger side window, pouting.

"What did I do?" he asked.

"You made your Widdle Ewin want to cwy back at IHOPS. I'm vewy mad at you."

"What did I do?" Rick repeated.

Erin remained quiet.

Rick drove on. He felt she was playing one of her games. He had to drive to Dallas to help set up her extravaganza at Cowboy Stadium and look into how his leg was doing. He should have gone to the VA a month ago. He had called Joyce to have lunch with her and Maxwell. Erin hadn't decided whether to go or not. The closer to the date of her Dallas show came, the less interested she was.

"And don't get it in your head that Widdle Ewin wants to fuck when we get home," she stated firmly.

"Okay!" Rick shrugged, as he drove on.

This was the first time she used her baby talk outside of wanting to have sex. She almost used her baby talk exclusively prior to getting laid. Now she told him in her baby talk she didn't want to fuck. Was she teasing with him or did she mean what she said.

She meant what she said! She slept in the bed as far away from him as she could. When he decided to apologize to her by reaching out for her arm, she turned on him bearing her teeth with a fire in her eyes. Erin grabbed the blanket from over him and stomped out of the bedroom slamming the door behind her. He found her hours later asleep in a fetal position on the couch.

He could not understand what he did to make her so upset with him. He sat on the edge which caused her to open her eyes. She looked even angrier than before.

"Erin, I just want to know I did wrong," he said, softly.

"You don't know?" her nostrils flared. "You really don't know, do you?"

"I don't."

"I've grown beyond you! You don't have the feeling that Honey and I do. You were once wonderful. I loved you, but I doubt if I do now. I am taking a shower, getting dressed, and going to the club. If you want to be there tonight, that will be up to you. I don't care if you come or not."