Chapter 16

When we arrived at the Dance Hall, Jenny Sander met us at the door to lead us to the owner's section in the back of the club. She was in a much better condition than we had seen her earlier in the morning.

I commented, "Jen, you look like a new woman. What happened to that physical wreck we left at Sal's place this morning?"

"One word created the miracle you see before you, sleep. Your dad and Mary loaded all the kids in her SUV and took them to her ranch for a day of horse back riding and playing cowboy. Mary even started gun safety lessons for the kids, but she told me Jeff was paying as much attention as the kids. Is there a new NRA membership coming to your family? Inquiring minds want to know. Anyway, Lola Hutton and I slept the entire day. I haven't sleep that well in months.

"We were so grateful we were going to offer your dad a blow job, but Mary said that was her job. She was quite adamant about making her point. Looks like love to me. Well, it's strong lust anyway."

She pulled me away from the table. "What's wrong with Sal? She looks like something seriously bad just happened?"

"She had some words with her daughter, and it turned nasty. I've never heard a daughter talk to her mother like that before. I knew Mamtha was a little temperamental, but she went over the top this afternoon."

"What'd she say?"

"Jen, I don't think I should say any more than I have already. I feel bad enough about this?"

"Why should you feel bad about that?"

"Because the discussion centered on me."

"I was afraid that would come up sometime."

"What?"

"It's about your ages, right?"

"Yeah, I guess it is. I can't think of any other reason for that bow up. She could have a point, but I'm really serious about Sal."

"Well, I'm here to tell you about Mamtha. That's just wrong headed thinking. Sal is definitely not a cougar. She is a young middle aged woman who has been fortunate enough to find a second chance at love. I can't tell you how much like Sam you are."

"That looks like it's not enough for her family. I can't come between her and the rest of her family."

"Dewey told me last night that you are the best thing that has happened to his mother since she became a widow. Speaking of her oldest, did you know that Sal was fourteen when she had Dewey? He's twenty six. I'll let you do the math."

"What about Mamtha?"

"She's twenty five, but you can't let her ruin your life. She was pampered by her father, and when he died, Sal gave her too much of herself to help Mamtha get through her loss. Sal gave so much that she didn't take time to heal her own pain.

"Mamtha is a selfish, self centered viper. Don't let her poison what you and Sal are building here. She's worth fighting for isn't she?"

"Yes, she is. I just need to figure out what to do about it."

"Boy, are you lucky that I'm here to coach you. Now here's what you're gonna do..."

When I got back to the table, Sal had three empty tequila shooters lined up next to five ready to down. If I didn't move fast, Sal was gonna be in no condition to be convinced of anything. Mandy was next to Sal trying to slow her down, but the only thing that was going slow were her efforts to slow Sal's drinking.

"I'll be right back, I need to hit the can," I said as I headed for Sander's office.

When I got there, I knocked and quickly entered. "Sander, this is an emergency. I need to borrow your office for about an hour or so."

"JD, I don't let just anyone use my office on a Friday night. This is an important part of the clubs security. Tell me why."

"It's between Sal and I, and I really don't have time to explain. I need someplace where I can talk to Sal without interruption."

"Why don't you use Billie's lounge? She'll be on the floor for the next two hours. It's the next door down, and you can lock everyone else out. I still want to know what this is about."

"Thanks, Sander. Jenney can explain everything to you. I need to get Sal before she gets too melancholy to reach. One more thing, could you have some coffee delivered to the lounge? I have a lot of work to undo."

I almost ran back to the owner's table. Sal was just about to finish her eighth shooter. I took it out of her hand and sat it back on the table. "You're coming with me. Can you guys get back okay?"

Billie walked behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. "I just talked to Jenney. You take care of Sal. We'll take care of everything else."

I pulled a placid, or was it drunk, Sal to her feet. She quietly followed me to the back of the club. I did get an arched eyebrow when I opened the door to Billie's lounge and pulled her in.

"Woman," said I. "We got a lot of bull shit we need to get behind us before we leave this room. Sit down and grab a cup of coffee. As of right now you are cut off the sauce. I am not going to set on my dumb redneck ass and lose the most wonderful woman I could ever dream to meet.

"I don't care what anyone says, you are mine, and you are worth fighting for. What we have is something I've never had before. You are the most significant person I have in my life. Goddamn it, I love you!"

By this time tears were rolling down her cheeks. "But JD, I have children older than you."

"Fuck that shit! We have already gone through this. What really counts is how you feel about me. If you were a man and I a woman, there would be no problem with our ages. If that's your problem, I'll go see Billie's doctors and get fixed up. You are my life."

"JD, I can't just ignore my daughter."

"Why not? She's smothered you since your husband died. She has taken and taken for years, and never offered you anything in return. You deserve to consider you own feelings. You deserve your own life. Again, what do you feel for me?"

"It's not that simple."

"It sure as hell is. Do you like me?"

"Of course I like you. You are a younger incarnation of Sam. It's almost scary."

"You know most men would be offended to be compared to a dead man, but you are too important for that to matter. If that's the only way I can get your love, I'm enough of a coward to accept that. Meet me half way, Sal. Stay with me until I can prove that I'm worth loving for the sake of our future together."

"But what will everyone say?"

"Let me tell you what everyone who counts will say. I've had people come to me and thank me for giving your life back to you. One of those people was your son. Your extended family, Billie, Sander, Jenney, Mary, Poly, Anna, and even Les are dancing a jig they are so happy to see you coming back from oblivion. Hell, even Pinkie thinks it's a good idea. Can't we join that dance?"

"What about Mamtha? She hates you."

"So? If I don't care about that, and I don't, why let it be the deciding factor? We'll just have to work on that. I'll make a deal with you. I'll let her hate me until I can charm her into not hating me. If it takes fifty years, I will keep working on making her like me, and I'll break that ice. Don't waste the time we have waiting for her to work through her problems. There is only one opinion that matters to me, yours. Only one person has the right to an opinion about us. That's you. Marry me."

"What?"

"I love you Sal. I want you for the rest of my life. Marry me.

She shook her head. "My daughter called you a gigolo, and now you want to marry me."

"You know something? Unless you're a multi-billionaire, Pinkie has given me access to numbered accounts around the world that would Bill Gates look like street trash. I'm not after your money!"

"No, no, JD, that's not what I meant. I know this has nothing to do with money. Jesus, I love you so much, but I just am having trouble getting my arms around the fact that you love me too.

"Regardless of what you believe, as we age, I will become a burden that you'll have to carry. I don't want to take advantage of you."

"Sal, shit happens. Anything could happen to anyone. Les just beat the big "C", but that could have gone either way. She had to fight for her life. Why shouldn't we fight for ours? Marry me Sal.

"My mother and father were the same age when they were married. She died of cancer when I was a kid. Pop cherishes every moment they had together. God willing, we'll be together for a long time. If he's not willing, I'll thank him for every minute I have with you. Marry me Sal."

"But JD, this is so sudden."

"No, it's not. You've felt it building too. I can tell. Marry me Sal."

"Ask me again tomorrow, and I'll say yes."

"Sal, I'll ask you now. I'll ask you tomorrow. I'll ask you the day after tomorrow. I'll ask you the day after that. I'll ask you every day until you say yes or shoot me for bothering you. That's the only choice you have, Lover. It's the only choice you have. I'll never take no for an answer. Marry me!"

"All right, I'll marry you. There will be a lot of baggage. I hope we won't be sorry."

"Sal, you know Sander and Billie, and you can talk about our little carry on case of baggage?"

Sal giggled. "You have a point there, JD."

I pulled Sal into my arms and gently kissed her lips. She put her hands behind my head and pulled me deeper into the kiss. She tasted faintly of tequila, but this kiss was sweet. Then it turned into heat. Before either of us could realize what we were doing, we were tearing at each other's clothes. My shirt went over my head without unbuttoning it. Sal's blouse was luckily closed with snaps so there was no damage there. Sal's breasts fell lose when she finished removing the industrial uniform type bra she had to wear when she worked.

Somehow we got out of our boots, and removed the rest of the obstacles between us. We returned to our kiss. The movement of her lips against mine shot bolts of lightning through my entire being. When her lips opened for my entry I could feel sharp needles of energy surrounding and compressing us into one.

Carole King once described her love as, "I felt the earth move under my feet." I now understood what that song was all about. That is as close to words as the moment can be represented. Details, if they still exist, would cheapen the experience.

After the kiss I don't remember what happened. I've heard people claim that moments like that were memories of a life time. Bull shit. Some things go way beyond descriptors the mind can grasp. Some joy is so intense the brain moves to a lower level of resolution in an effort not to burn out and remain rational. I, for one, believe that.

Time stood still as we explored the rest of our lives with our bodies and physically committed to each other's happiness. Flashes of consciousness still come back at times. A breast here, a taste here, a feel there, were all snippets of the moment that return in the form of dreams as I bask in the aura of Sal's being. The next solid thing I remember, we were finally sated. We lay in each other's arms until we caught our breath.

When we got back to the table, everyone was still there with the addition of Sander and Billie. As we walked past Jenney, I gave her a wink, and was rewarded with a million dollar smile. I whispered, "Couple of bottles of champagne and some glasses."

The smile dialed up a notch or two, and her mouth turned into an 'O' and she rushed to the bar.

Sal and I sat next to each other, and she leaned into my chest when I put an arm around her. "Hey, Okie, I have a problem."

"Oh, and what would that be Little Brother?"

"I need a best man. Know anyone who would be interested in the job."

Before anyone could say anything, Tom and Jerry showed up. Each carried an iced bucket with champagne and a stand for the bucket. Jen followed with a tray of crystal champagne flutes.

"That God damned son-of-a-bitch is fucking my mother, and she's too fucked up to see that he's only after her money. Robert! Give me another beer."

"Mamtha, are you sure? Maybe you should slow down. You've had quite a few. Let me get you something to eat and a glass of iced sweat tea. It's on me. How about a steak? I'll have Tom-Tom put one on for you."

"No, Robert, I need another beer. That fucking Texan is fucking my mother. What am I going to do about it?"

"Sal's all grown up now, Samantha. Do you really have the right to do anything about it?"

"She's lost her mind. I can't let her get hurt by that gigolo. It's a child's job to take care of a parent when they can't take care of themselves."

"Mamtha, you're not going to be able to help anyone if you don't get something to eat. How about a hamburger?"

"I'm not hungry. I want another beer."

"Let me get you something to eat and you can have another beer with your dinner. You need to eat, little girl, so you can grow up big and strong like I did."

Mamtha sighed and smiled at Robert's attempt at humor. "Oh, okay, how about a chicken salad sandwich?'

"Good, I'll be right back." Robert went through the kitchen door at the back of the club room to enter the order.

Mamtha turned from the bar to survey the room. There were only a dozen or so customers setting at tables and booths around the club. That was unusually slow for a Friday night. "I wonder where everyone is tonight?" she asked herself out loud.

Robert came back from the kitchen and answered, "It's early yet. Things will pick up in an hour or so."

A seemingly nervous man wearing a hat and sunglasses came through the door and walked to the bar. Without a word, he grabbed Mamtha by the hair, pulled her into his chest, and put a knife to her neck. "Money, I want your fucking money," he slurred his words as if he were drunk. A scarlet line of blood started to trickle down Mamtha's neck as the knife nicked the skin on her throat.

Robert quickly put his hand up in a nonthreatening manner. "No problem, sir, please don't hurt anyone. You can have the money."

"Don't tell me what to do. I'll kill this fucken dyke and send her directly to hell if you don't do what I want. Give me the money and keep your queer mouth shut."

Robert nodded and pulled the bank bag from under the register and hit the no sale key. He then put all the bills in the bag and started to step away.