Chapter 188

When I woke the morning after the birthday party, Andrew was sitting at my breakfast bar. He had a single cup brewed coffee in his hand. "Is that any good?" I asked, paused a moment, then added "Andrew."

"Best I ever had Miss Porter," he said with a smile.

"You know Andrew I never noticed how plain you were. You walk around like you are a beautiful guy, but you are really quite homely," I said.

"I act beautiful, but I never said I was beautiful. It's all about perception. I try to give you women the right perception." he said.

"Well you sure lost ground with me in the bedroom department," I said.

"Oh why is that?" he asked.

"Karl you are out of bed before I even woke up. That is the sign of a less that enthusiastic lover," I said.

"True but one has to ask why," he said with a grin.

"Oh you are blaming me are you? Why you piece of shit. I have a waiting room only line, when I'm out with men." I said.

"Yeah I noticed," he said. "By the way that wasn't our last time together. I am not going back to the swamp for at least a week. I intend to spend the time with you and the Brit."

"Well you are a little behind with me, but I suppose I can give you a chance to catch up. You seem to be a willing candidate," I said.

"We need to go downtown and get our cars. Both of us are without a car." he complained.

"Well if you want to wait here, I'll go to town and get my cruiser van, If you don't want to wait you can take the motor trike and meet me down there for breakfast," I suggested.

"You got a motor trike?" he asked.

"If I said I do, I do," I said.

"Well I want to see it first," he said. After I finished a coffee of my own I put on more clothes then went to show him the trike. It was stored under a leanto shed built against the rear of the metal box I called a home.

"Son of a bitch it is a Tricycle." Andrew said.

"If it were not so, I would not have told you," I replied going all Gothic on his ass.

"I wan't to take it to breakfast," He said.

"Listen up then," I said. Then I went on to tell him how to run it and where the downtown cafe was located. Then I climbed on my two wheeler and took off for town.

Andrew blew by me before we reached the end of my side road. When we turned onto the main road, he was well ahead of me but I didn't mind. He probably had to wait fifteen minutes at the Cafe on the Square for me. When I got there Andrew was charming the black waitress who was also the sister of the owner/cook.

"'bout time you got here," Andrew said.

"I pedaled my bike you ran a gasoline motor down the road." I said.

"You make so many excuses," he said.

"Well I'm going to take my cruiser/van with the bike rack on back home. You are going to have to take the Trike home," I said.

"In that case lets have breakfast. Since you put me up last night, I'll buy," Andrew said,

"Bet your ass you will," The Brit said as he and Jerome entered. "Since you left without settling your bill, it's breakfast or I call the Sheriff."

"You can't really blame him Brit it isn't often that a woman agrees to take him home without being well paid first." I said.

"How do you like her house, Karl?" Brit said.

"I like it, and she knows my name," Andrew said. "Have you ever ridden that trike Brit?"

"Of course I rode it Andrew. Did you asked her where she got it?" Brit asked. It was shaping up to be, who know the most about me, moment. It was fun, but I didn't want hard feelings with anyone.

"No, he didn't ask Brit. I had it built for me by a man at the edge of the great dismal swamp. It was about the only thing of value I managed to hang onto from that experience." I said.

"I knew your background intimately. I know you have caught more than your share of rough shit. But I also know that you know how to beat the shit out of the odds, After Vera Cruz when shit comes down, you ain't never gonna have to face it alone. Well you might if somebody is holding you prisoner and does it to you before we find out."

"Stop all the crap and lets go some where and screw." I looked at the table full of people and added. "All of us." I laughed.

"Sweetie I am going to have to be a lot drunker than I have been lately for that to happen," Andrew said.

"Damn Jerome, these guys are no fucking fun at all," I said.

"I agree," he said with a girlish laugh. The two guy broke out in guffaws.

"So if I wasn't here what would you do today?" Andrew asked.

I looked first at The Brit and then at Andrew aka Karl and said, "Run down and old boyfriend and see if I was going back into business. But since you are here, I have a few other ideas."

"Oh don't let me stop you. We can get a couple of errands run first for you, then we can go back to bed." Andrew said.

"How is your breakfast Mr Andrew," Lucille the waitress asked,

"That was one of the best breakfast I ever ate. I do not see how these people avoid being fat as pigs," Andrew said.

"Why we all get a lot of exercise in bed," she said and looked at me smiling. "Ain't that so Miss Sylvia."