Chapter 7

They had enjoyed their time together so much while I'd been out there last time they had moved in together. They had also both found a new boyfriend shortly after I left. Unbeknownst to the two of them, it was the same guy.

After the terrible discovery, they were both crushed, and illogically they each felt like they'd been slipping around behind the other ones back.

Of course nothing of the sort had happened. Nevertheless, they were devastated because they felt they'd each hurt their best friend. To top it all off, they had also happened to be working in the same show, and it had ended, so they needed to look for a new job too.

"That's it, Jackie, Jerrilyn, pack up your things," I said.

"Pack which things, Tommy?" they asked, in unison.

"All things. Pack up everything you own, every dress, every blouse, every pair of panties, all of it - cooking pots and pans, dishes, sheets, towels, pictures, everything. I'll be out there in two days with my trailer and I'll be bringing both of you home with me."

"But what will we do about jobs?" Jackie asked.

"You don't need jobs, I'm rich, and I own a big home. You'll move in with me and forget about finding sleazy boyfriends in Las Vegas," I said.

"Oh," Jerrilyn said.

"Are we gonna be, like, kept women?" Jackie asked, "Not that I'd mind it you understand."

"No, you're going to be, like, my wives. Only I'll have two. We can even get married before we leave if you'd like. We'll just have to use a different chapel for each of you."

"I won't really need to have a ceremony to feel like I'm your wife if you say I am," Jackie said.

"Me neither," Jerrilyn said.

"I can just convince myself you're my husband," Jackie said.

"Me too," Jerrilyn said.

"Good, then it's settled," I said.

"Uh, Tommy, are we going to have a honeymoon?" Jerrilyn asked.

"Of course we can," I said.

"Where are we going for it?" Jackie asked.

"Anywhere you'd like."

"I don't want to fly anywhere," Jerrilyn said.

"Me neither," Jackie said.

"We don't have to fly if you don't want to," I said.

"Un, Tommy, can we go camping for our honeymoon?" Jerrilyn asked.

"Yeh, Tommy, can we go camping?" Jackie asked.

"Can we ever!"

Hoping to make the best of my time on this trip, I called the horse trailer sales lot in Shreveport, the one I'd bought the ten-horse trailer from. They didn't have a larger trailer, but they told me the same company which made my trailer had models like it which could haul up to sixteen horses.

After a little checking with the manufacturer, which happened to be located in Amarillo Texas - everyone agreed it would be just dandy if I stopped by on my way to Las Vegas to pick up my brand new trailer, and I did.

In Amarillo, while picking up my new trailer, there was a slight snafu when I tried to connect my light pigtail and found the company was now using a new style of receptacle. They were kind enough to offer to make me a conversion cord that could receive my old style connection and plug into their new style unit.

I thought about it for a minute or two and couldn't help understanding this jury-rig would offer approximately sixty percent more chances to fuck itself up somehow. So I was kind enough to offer to buy my trailer elsewhere if they didn't get the new style receptacle changed out for the old style in the next hour.

I'm often surprised by how quickly small details can be ironed out when a thirty-five thousand dollar sale is about to get into his Silverado and drive off into the sunset. It actually took them an extra thirty minutes to make absolutely certain everything was up to their exacting standards, but I can be flexible when I'm getting my way.

It was a tearful reunion when I knocked on Jerrilyn's and Jackie's door and no doubt it would have turned into a sexual one, but I was double parked, what with the long trailer. After a few minutes I suggested we start moving their possessions.

"Oh, there's nothing to worry about there. We've already called the movers and they have almost everything stored and waiting for you to come over and pick up," Jackie said.

"Movers?" I asked.

"Sure, we've both always used the same one to move from one apartment to another," Jerrilyn said.

Come to think of it, I could remember visiting Jerrilyn in several different apartments over the years.

"They have all our stuff in their boxes. We only have a suitcase each here. And our car, of course," Jackie said.

"Car?" I asked.

Neither of them had owned a car the last time I was out here. They always went to work in a cab, as best I could remember.

"Yeh, since we moved in together we bought a car," Jerrilyn said.

"What kind of car?" I asked.

"Oh, it's just the cutest little thing you ever saw," Jackie said, "It's a Triumph TR-3."

Visions of repair bills danced in my head and I wondered how the two of them could afford to keep it running. I knew showgirls made fairly good money, but good God.

"I don't mean to pry, but isn't it a little expensive to keep it running?" I asked.

"It was for about the first two weeks, until we stopped driving it. It seemed like it needed a tune-up every time we went to the store in it, so we waited until a good parking spot in front of our door was vacant, and parked it there. Now we just wash it once a week and spend a little time sitting in it every day or so to keep it from being too lonely," Jerrilyn said.

"Do you think it will start?" I asked.

"It always has, every time we tried," Jackie said.

"Starting doesn't seem to be the problem. It will start up fine, but it usually doesn't sound like it's running right when we drive it," Jerrilyn said.

"Why don't we go down and look at it then," I said.

As advertised, it was parked right in front of their door. In fact, I'd taken a glance at it on the way in and thought it was in excellent condition for such an old classic. You rarely saw one which looked so good out on the streets.

Jackie handed me the keys and after unlocking it I got into the driver's seat. I turned the key and it fired right up to a fast idle. As the engine warmed and the choke opened fully the idle dropped, and in minutes it was loping like a champ from what couldn't possibly be the standard camshaft. I shut it off.

"Has anyone ever mentioned anything about the engine to either of you?" I asked.