Running Home (8 page)

“Thanks for the invite; it was
awfully nice of the company to treat its employees to a night of fun.”

I carefully slid into the black booth, as I held the top of my pink mini dress to make sure the girls didn’t make an unwanted appearance tonight.
I caught the two older gentlemen staring at my chest, like two old dogs fighting over the last bone, so I casually ran my finger across my collar bone, hoping to draw the attention upward. It wasn’t like I didn’t like older guys; most of my clients were over the age of forty five. I just didn’t want to deal with drooling business men, whose only thoughts were taking me into the bathroom and bending me over the urinal.

“Roger, you remember Cherri
, right? She did the makeup when you directed movies,” I casually mentioned with a smile.

“Th
at’s where I recognize you from,” one of the guys exclaimed with a sickening smile. I should be used to getting recognized, well at least in this industry. I did get a “Best New Starlet” award at the Woodies last month, even though it had been almost four months since I shed my clothes for a video. It’s not like I was ashamed for being in the adult movies. Fuck, what I was doing now bordered on the illegal side but the money was fantastic and all the extra little perks like shopping trips and diamonds didn’t hurt my ego either.

“I did star in a couple of Roger’s films,” I said with a sly smile. I bet he is trying to remember what my rack looks
like right now; creepy bastard.

“Ladies, what would you like to drink?” Roger asked
, as he signaled for a waitress to come over to the booth.

“Dirty martini,” Cherri answered with a giggle.

“Straight whiskey,” I mentioned,as I locked eyes with the other client sitting at the table.

This gentleman was a litt
le younger than the ‘recognized-me-in-dirty-movies’ guy. His short dark hair and deep tan, with a rugged yet meticulously carefully styled look, reminded me of Walker. There were days that I missed that boy. He was my entire world growing up, and I still found myself wondering what would have happened if I had stayed. But then, I look at my life now and wondered why I didn’t leave that crappy old town sooner.

“That’s a man’s drink,”
the younger guy exclaimed, as he raised one eyebrow while looking at me suggestively.

“
Well ,trust me on this; I can handle myself quite well.” I leaned closer across the table, giving him an ample view of my chest; I knew what he wanted, he was a man after all. His eyes lowered to the top of my breasts; it was obvious he liked what he saw, and Dr. Maclovich did a superior job on them. Maybe tonight would be some fun I am totally down for a little
rendezvous
on my terms for a change, and I’m sure this guy would gladly go along for the ride.

I rolled
my left shoulder around as I sat in the private hot tub of the hotel; it had been aching for weeks now. Getting it looked at would require me to see a doctor, and unless it’s for the mandatory STI screening I preferred to stay away from those types of places. Dropping my head back to rest on the concrete, I caught a sideways glance of Gavin walking back to the tub, holding two champagne glasses.

“Feel good in there?”

“Amazing,” I muttered while reaching up to take a glass from his hands. Gavin slowly lowered himself into the warm water next to me, as I took a long sip from the flute. This was exactly what I needed tonight; a nice relaxing evening of pampering, and a good fuck.

I closed my eyes as I felt the moisture of his lips move over my neck. His hands made their way over to my breasts as he took one in each hand, giving them the attention my body
craved.

“
You’re gorgeous, Carmen,” he whispered, while gently sucking on my neck. I angled my body toward him as I let my hands run down his chiseled chest to his lower body. A groan erupted from his lips when my hand slid over his hard cock; looks like this man was ready for round three tonight. Gavin unexpectedly broke contact on my breasts and grabbed my shoulders, forcefully pulling my body into his.

“Ouch
,” I winced as his hand jolted my shoulder.

“Something wrong
, Baby?”

“Sorry
, my shoulder is a little sore; no worries,” I said softly as I nuzzled my lips into the side of his neck.

“Wait here one
second; I’ve got something to fix that,” he quickly remarked as he climbed out of the hot tub and hurried into the room. I let me body drop back against the wall and released a little sigh.
Well didn’t that kill the mood,
I silently thought to myself.

A few moments later Gavin lowered himself back into the tub, keeping his hand above the waterline.

“Here, take these,” he said, while holding his hand to mine. I accepted the two tiny white pills and studied them in my hand. I didn’t do drugs; this was something I never felt the need to do. Watching my parents all those years suffer from the use was enough to keep them from my system.

“They are just
oxys; completely legal. It would take that edge off your shoulder, make it easier for later,” he said with a smile, as he noticed my hesitation. I sat for another second, mulling the statement over in my mind. I could use a break from the incessant ache of my shoulder, and they are
legal prescription pills
; even if they weren’t technically prescribed for me. One time isn’t going to turn me into my mother. Shit, if it makes the sex better, why the hell not, right?

I quickly popped the pills in
to my mouth, and chased it with the glass of champagne. Sighing, I fought the thoughts in the back of my mind that this wasn’t a good idea, as I tried to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening. I am in total control of my life now; one night is not going to affect me that much.

“Hey Pretty Girl” Kip Moore

Walker

I made the almost three hour drive to Fargo, only having to stop and puke on the side of the road twice. As I sat outside the shop I couldn’t seem to shut the Bronco down and get out. This is where my father and mother had said to come even my aunt had given me her advice when I accidently let it slip during dinner the other night. Everything that signified my future would be inside that building, and this, was, finally the first step in the right direction for me.

As I walked in,
the door chimed, and an older woman behind one of the many counters in the place smiled and headed my way.

“W
elcome to ‘Belle’. I’m Margaret; what can I help you find today, sir?” The woman said with a smile, as she extended her hand to me.  I quickly wiped my sweaty hand off on the side of my jeans and reached over to engulf hers.

“Thanks
, Margaret, I’m Walker. I’m in search of a ring,” I managed to stutter out. I have always been so self-confident. However, this adventure had me strung out like a bully playing dodge ball. I glanced to either side of the room and my mouth about dropped, as there were literally thousands of glittering things inside the lighted cases.

“What kind of ring is it Walker? Are we planning a happily ever after story here?”

“Um, engagement ring ma’am.”

“Well
, you have come to the right place then, young man; follow me.” Margaret genuinely smiled, as she beckoned me to the far wall, lined with several cases. I took a deep breath as I peered into the cases, and something immediately caught my eye. Call it magic, fate, destiny shit, call it sheer luck but the moment I looked down, THAT ring was sitting right below where I was standing. That was the ring I was going to ask Sadie to marry me with. I was the luckiest man in the entire world; she already had my whole heart, this just signified the start of something much much more. 

“Well
, here you go, Walker. I’m so happy we were able to be a part of such a big decision in your life,” Margaret beamed, as she handed me the little black bag with pink tissue paper tucked neatly inside.

“Thanks
, ma’am; this was the easiest thing in the whole process,” I said with a smile, as I placed my baseball cap back on my head and turned to walk out the door.

“Good luck with your future, and may it bring you both happiness
for a lifetime!”

I nodded my head as I pushed the large do
or open, and headed out to the Bronco. The sun was shining down on this wonderful winter day. The snow glistened with the soft color of pearl white; it was going to be an absolutely magical proposal on Saturday; something that she would never forget for her entire life.

The next couple
of days at work seemed to drag on. Nothing exciting was happening in this town, with the exception of everyone busying themselves for the annual Christmas pageant in a couple weeks. I sat at my desk, which had been cleared of any possible clutter about five million times now, when Waylon wandered over and flopped his head down on my lap.

“Hey B
uddy, you bored too?”

Waylon just sat there at my feet, his eyes closed
, as I scratched behind his neck. This last year we have developed into a pretty kickass team, even making a bust in a multi-state drug ring the dealer happened to drive through town, and out of sheer luck I pulled him over for speeding. Waylon picked right up that something wasn’t right with the vehicle; a true test for our working partnership. Not to mention, he was the best roommate I could ever have; cleaned up his crumbs and even shit outside. I hear that is the biggest complaint when people live together; food and the bathroom are never ending battles. I was lucky that Sadie and I didn’t fight. We occasionally had a small argument, but it was always settled quickly, as I couldn’t stay mad at her for long, anyway.

“So
, tomorrow is the big day, huh?” Derek asked, pulling up a chair next to my desk and leaning back to kick his boots up on my desk. I quickly swatted his feet away, while giving him a puzzled look.

“What are you talking about?” I questioned, trying to not let the panic of
someone else finding out set in. It had taken me two weeks to finalize all the details into tomorrow’s proposal. I made sure everything was flawless, nothing was left unfinished, and everything was planned to perfection. I thought I had kept it a secret to everyone but mom, dad, Aunt Patty, and Uncle Jim.

“Don’t play dumb;
I know you are proposing to Sadie tomorrow. Have a little more faith in my detective work, Mason,” Derek complained as he rolled his eyes at me.

“How did you find out?” I whispered.

“Seriously dude? I found the ring when I was grabbing your bow from the hall closet a couple days ago. Put that, and you asking for Saturday and Sunday off, I figured you were finally going to make an honest woman of that girl.” He chuckled as he un-wrapped a candy bar he had stashed in his front pocket. I guess I didn’t give my best friend much credit; he was studying to move up to detective in our bureau, since Willis was retiring at the end of next year. Maybe the man was smarter then he looked.

“Keep it quiet
; you know how people talk in this town. I want it to be a surprise.” I hushed as my eyes glared at Derek sitting across from me.

“Don’t worry, my lips are sealed,” he smiled and let out a small chuckle.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m scared of; seriously don’t fuck this up for me.”

“Oooh, Mason used the word ‘fuck’
; you must be serious then.”

“I will kill you and bu
ry the body where no one would find it.” I threatened.

“Good ol
’ Waylon would find me, won’t you Bud?” He called over to the dog as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a beef stick, tossing it at the waiting chocolate lab.

“Great,” I muttered to myself. My human and anim
al best friend working together; I might just be screwed.

I hurried over to my a
unt’s B&B after work to pick up some of the white Christmas lights that didn’t get used this year on the house. Pulling up in front of the old large Victorian, I couldn’t help but laugh, as the house was the darkest on the block, with a single strand of lights strung over the entrance, and a large wreath hanging on the door.

“Aunt Patty! Where are you at?” I shouted
, as I walked into the entry way and wiped my boots off on the mat.

“Good golly
, Walker, you don’t need to holler; I’m right here.” Aunt Patty remarked as she walked into the room, wiping her hands off on a dish towel.

“Sorry
, I’m kind of nervous,” I muttered sheepishly.

“Really
, you? I couldn’t tell.” She laughed as she beckoned me to follow her into the kitchen. Laid on the table was a picnic basket that had been painted white and bits of holly were tucked into the woven slats. My lips instantly curled up into a smile the size of Texas when my eyes fell upon the basket Aunt Patty decorated for me.

“Now
, here’s the basket. Make sure you stop by here around noon so I can fill the thermoses and give you some of the sugar cookies I’ve got to decorate in the morning,” she said with a wink. “Ooh, I almost forgot the blanket!” Aunt Patty scurried into a different room, then swiftly emerged with a white plush quilt with silver lining the edges.

“Now
, Walker, don’t you mess this up you hear?”

I couldn’t even speak; the basket, lunch,
and even the blanket were perfect. Now, all I had to do was get everything set up and ready to go for tomorrow.

“How late is M
om keeping her at the cafe?” I asked.

“Late enough
; until you get things finished. Trust me, with all the holiday goodies your mother is having her help bake she won’t even have time to give you a jingle till way later,” Aunt Patty said with a smirk.

“Thanks again
, Aunt Patty; I couldn’t have done this without your help,” I gushed, as I grabbed and pulled her into a tight hug.

“Yes you could have
, boy; it just wouldn’t have been this fantastic without our help.” She laughed as I released her from my grasp. I placed a quick kiss to her cheek, and headed back out to the Bronco.

“Walker, you forgetting something
?”

I quickly did a mental inventory o
f things I still needed to get what could I possibly be forgetting?

“The lights? Don’t tell
me you changed your mind? I might beat you senseless if I kept all those twinkling lights off my house this year just so you could not use them,” Aunt Patty threatened.

“Garage?” I ask meekly.

“It’s a good thing you are cute, and I like that Sadie girl so much,” she scolded, while walking back into her kitchen.

I shook my head, and hustled down the steps to place
the basket and blanket in the back of the Bronco. I pulled the gloves out of my coat pocket, and slipped them on my hands as I wandered around back to the garage to find the box of lights. Sitting in the corner of the shop were two large boxes marked ‘xmas’. I took a peak into the top, one and saw the white strand of lights.

Closing the lid, I hauled both boxes into my arms and headed back out to the truck. All I needed to do was swing by my parents place to pick up my father for help, and out to the old farm to finish the job. I couldn’t keep that stupid smile off my face the entire ride over to my parents; this was going to be the most amazing thing anyone in this town has ever seen.

“Dad, there is still enough lights for the other two trees and then the gazebo
, right?” I questioned in a panic, as I noticed he was getting into the second box of lights.

“Don’t worry
, Walker; I stole some of your mother’s lights too. We will have just enough to get the gazebo shining like the Whitehouse Christmas tree.” He laughed from up on the lift, while stringing more of the twinkling bobbles in one of the trees that lined the long driveway to the small farm house. Everything was starting to come together, just like I envisioned. The twelve trees would sparkle in the darkness as we drove down the snow covered entry way and parked in front of the barn.

“Dad
, there is a black hole to the left,” I shouted as I untangled the next strand.

“Seriously
, boy, do you want to get up here and do it yourself?” Dad snapped down at me.

I tossed him a nervous smile and went back to untangling the lights. We
still had a lot to do and the farm grounds started to get dark.

We finally finished a little after nine that night, both of us completely frozen
, but it was well worth it. “Thanks for helping, Dad,” I said as we pulled into their driveway.

“No problem
, Son; and hey, I just want to say that I’m extremely proud and happy for you, Walker. You will make an amazing husband to Sadie, and what you are planning is something special that she will remember for the rest of your lives.”

“I hope so
, Dad,” I mumbled as I glanced at my phone, which still hadn’t rang tonight. I was hoping to hear from her after dad got that call from Mom, saying she just didn’t have any more work tonight for them to do at the cafe.

“Walker
, don’t worry so much. Oh, and your mom expects you two to stop by after the big ordeal,” he said with a smile as he exited the truck. I nodded my head in compliance and put the Bronco into drive, heading back to the apartment.

I notice Sadie’s old
car parked behind the shop, as I glanced over to the building and noticed all the lights were off. I quickly shut off the truck and hurried up the steps to my apartment, noticing all the lights were off up there too. My stomach started to turn, and rapidly dark thoughts started to fill my mind with horrible situations.

“Sadie?” I called out into the darkness. A
silence filled the small kitchen as I rushed into the living room, flipping the light switch as my eyes darted around the room.

A wave of relief came over my body when I noticed Sadie curled up on the sofa
, sleeping peacefully, with Waylon snuggled up on her feet. I took a minute to take the sight of the two of them in; my heart almost came out of my chest in fear of what could have happened to her. It’s not like our town was full of crime in reality there was nothing that happened here to us locals. But it still didn’t ease my mind when I immediately couldn’t find her. I knelt down next to the sofa, and gently pushed a strand of her light brown hair back off her face.

“Sadie, wake up
, Baby,” I whispered softly. Her eyes began to flutter as she stretched her body on the sofa, causing her feet to move and Waylon to finally wake up. “Great guard dog,” I muttered as I started to rub my hand down the side of Sadie’s arm.

“Oh
, hey, sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” she said with hoarseness to her voice.