Sintown Chronicles II: Through Bedroom Windows (36 page)

She laughed. “I'm not going down that road tonight, Frank."

“I guess you have to work tomorrow?"

She nodded. “I work six days a week, Saturdays included."

“I think I'll spend the day looking for a site for my business. I may drive over to Charlotte and check on equipment prices. May I see you tomorrow night after work?"

She grinned. “What do you think?"

“The diner is closed on Sundays, isn't it?"

She nodded.

“So what do you do on your day off?"

She leaned back in the chair. “For one thing, I sleep late. I usually go to church, come home and fix a sandwich for lunch, do my housekeeping and laundry and, occasionally, take a nap."

“Would you change your routine for me this Sunday?"

“It depends on what you have in mind."

“I would like to go to church with you and then to the Korner Kafe for lunch. I want you to spend the afternoon showing me around Dot."

She laughed. “That last part won't take long. There's not much to see."

“Maybe not, but I want to see Dot through your eyes."

She smiled at him. “Sounds like fun. Now, let's watch a dirty movie on TV."

“I thought you said you didn't watch those channels."

She joined him on the sofa and picked up the control. “So I lied,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Frank turned off the lights of his pickup truck after turning into Maggie's driveway and parked as quietly as possible. He tiptoed up the front porch steps, slipped his key in the lock and gently pushed the door open. Carefully he groped his way across the living room, found the table lamp and snapped it on. He paused to listen at Maggie's bedroom door and smiled when he heard nothing.

As quietly as possible he sat on a chair and removed one shoe. His heart jumped as the room was flooded with light.

“You're home early tonight,” Maggie said with a mock stern look on her face as she rapidly patted her foot on the floor. Her magnificent breasts were clearly visible through the thin cotton nightshirt she wore and he silently castigated himself for looking at his sister's beautiful body as if she were his lover. “One thirty,” he said quietly. “I tried not to wake you. I was taking off my shoes in order to be quieter."

“You don't have to whisper. Sewana sleeps like a log."

“You're my sister, not my mama,” he joked as she sat on the sofa and tucked her legs beneath her.

“Did you bag her tonight?"

He pulled off the second shoe. “Didn't try. I told you. She's a virgin and I'm not going to have sex with her until we're married."

“So what does she think of all this?"

“She doesn't have much experience, Maggie. At this point I don't think she knows what to think."

“Frank, do you really love her? You've known her for only two days."

“I loved her the instant I first saw her. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before."

“Have you asked her to marry you?"

“I told her before I asked for the first date that I was going to marry her. She agreed to go out with me. I take that as an affirmative response."

“I mean have you really asked her to marry you? You know, got down on one knee and pleaded."

He laughed. “I'm not that romantic, Maggie, but we did talk about it tonight. That's why I'm so late. Fortunately we can all sleep late in the morning."

“Come on, Big Brother. You're holding out on me. Tell me about your conversation with June about marriage."

“I was getting ready to leave when she brought it up. She asked if I was really interested in marrying her. I assured her I was. She asked if I was willing to gamble that she would be adequate in bed."

“She said that?"

He nodded.

“She wants you, man. You should have jumped her bones right then and there."

“She's willing, all right, but I'm afraid that she thinks I will quit loving her unless she spreads her legs for me."

“Big Brother, you are a real surprise to me."

“I told you, Maggie. I love her. Anyway, we talked a couple of hours about what married life together would be like. I would like for her to join me in my business, but she wants to continue as a waitress."

“Thank goodness for that. She's good and I would hate to lose her."

As he turned to face Maggie, his elbow knocked something off the mantle. He picked it up and looked at it curiously.

“I don't know what it is,” Maggie said. “I was weeding the flower garden in front of the house and found it. I don't know why I kept it. Just toss it in the trash."

He looked at the trashcan in the opposite corner of the room, assumed a stance as if he were playing basketball and heaved the missile.

“Two points,” Maggie squealed as the lump of lead bounced off the wall and rattled in the bottom of the metal basket. Frank, what are you going to do tomorrow?"

“I thought I'd spend the day looking for a location for my garden shop and maybe drive to Charlotte to price equipment."

“Why don't you go with Greta and me?"

“Go where?"

“Panning for gold."

“You have to be kidding."

She smiled. “Sit down, Big Brother. I have a tall tale to tell you about a ghost, a diary and a treasure map."

Frank smiled his toothy grin and sat on the sofa bed. “I'm all ears, little sister."

Maggie stretched out beside him. “As you know, when I first came to Dot I worked at the Korner Kafe as the manager. Eddie Crow and his wife, Greta, also worked there, although Greta later came to work for the Dollars as their housekeeper. It seems that the house the Crows are renting is occupied by the ghost of the former owner, Miss Ida Jenkins."

Frank continued to smile. “I haven't heard a ghost story since I was six years old. Go on."

“Well, Miss Jenkins told Greta there is gold in Dot. Frank, this former schoolteacher left behind a gold map and a huge notebook on panning for gold. I not only have seen it, but also read it. When Greta shared her story with me, I became interested. We've been panning for gold on weekends ever since."

“Have you found anything?"

Maggie rolled off the sofa bed and beckoned Frank to follow. She snapped on the kitchen light and motioned for him to sit at the table. She pulled three coffee cans from a cabinet and sat them on the table.

“Wow,” Frank said. “Are you sure this isn't fool's gold?"

“It's the real thing, Frank. Panning is easy and fun too. Say you'll go with us."

“Wild horses couldn't keep me away now,” he replied.

“You can work on your business Monday."

“Actually, I have a heavy date planned for Sunday. June and I are going to church and then she plans to show me the big city of Dot. I can search for a location for my business then. Tim made several suggestions I want to check out."

Maggie stood and stretched. The filmy cloth seemed pasted to her breasts and Frank looked away. “There's food in the fridge. Help yourself, but don't wake me if you get up before I do,” she said as she headed for her bedroom door.

“Maggie, I need to ask you a personal question."

“Hurry up, Big Brother. I'm asleep on my feet."

He stood behind Maggie, placed his hands on her stomach and pulled her to him.

“Damn, Frank. You have an erection!"

“Don't be alarmed, Little Sister. It's not in your honor. I still have June on my mind."

“Your question?"

“Did it hurt much, Maggie?"

“Did what hurt?"

“The first time you had sex."

“What makes you think I'm not a virgin?” she asked but her chuckle made the question rhetorical. “I screamed bloody murder the first time—and loved every second of it."

“I don't understand."

“It's a woman thing."

“I don't want to hurt June. Is there any way to avoid it?"

“I thought you weren't going to boink her until you are married."

“I'm not—at least not until we are as good as married."

She pulled away from him and studied his eyes. “You've never been with a virgin, have you Frank?"

“Not that I know of. Please, Maggie. Is there any way to be sure she enjoys the first time?"

She pulled away and studied his eyes. “You're serious. You really care about this girl."

He nodded.

“Frank, some women don't even have a hymen when they have their first sexual experience. The things can rupture from riding a horse or bicycle or from playing with themselves if they use a dildo. Some women have very thin hymens and hardly feel anything when it ruptures. Mine must have been very thick,” she chuckled.

“Let's assume hers is still intact and is very thick. Can anything be done?"

“It can be surgically lacerated."

“Would you talk to her about it, Maggie?"

“Sure. I'll just walk up to her and say, ‘Oh, by the way, June. Frank wants you to go see Dr. McGee and have your hymen punctured."

“Forget it,” he grumbled as he struggled with the sofa, turning it into a bed. I sure will be glad when Sewana moves out, he thought.

It was almost ten o'clock Saturday night when Frank knocked on June's apartment door. He fell into her arms and hugged her tightly. “I'm sorry, June,” he said. “I didn't take time to go home and shower."

“It's okay, Frank. I understand. They broke in on the television with a news report. It must have been terrible.” She steered him into the living room and he sat heavily in a recliner. “Rest a minute. I'll get you a Pepsi."

“Better make it a beer tonight,” he said.

She quickly returned with the frosty brown bottle and sat cross-legged at his feet.

“Like I told you on the phone, we spent the entire day panning for gold. As Maggie promised, it was fun and we found a lot of the stuff. When we got back to the Dollars house, the place was swarming with deputies and others. Tim Junior was missing."

He took a long pull on his beer and she began to massage his legs.

“All of a sudden Greta burst out that her husband, Eddie Crow, must have kidnapped Junior. She told a wild tale of Crow coming to Dot to get revenge on several people, including Sandra Dollar. He apparently killed two people—Bobby and Adele Elliott—and kidnapping Junior was another part of his plan."

“But he didn't kidnap Junior?"

Frank finished the beer and continued. “No, but we didn't know that then. The deputies went looking for Crow and the rest of us just stayed at the house, trying to comfort the Dollars."

“According to the TV, Crow died in a gun battle with the deputies."

“Yeah, and Junior showed up, unharmed. He wandered off earlier in the day looking for Maggie, Greta and me and got lost. Somehow he found his way back home.” Franked smiled faintly. “His biggest fear was that Sandy might spank him."

She sat in his lap and kissed him gently. “The TV said that the deputies found Sewana in the Crows’ basement in some kind of torture chamber."

“Frank nodded. Crow was insane. He had to be. I have no idea how Sewana was involved. Poor thing, she was planning to move into a new apartment Monday."

“She's not dead is she?"

“No, but they say she's in bad shape."

“Maybe ... maybe we can help her move when she gets better."

He slid off the sofa, balanced on his knees and hugged her affectionately. “Lovely Lady, I'm not fit company tonight. I wanted to see you and hold you in my arms. Now I think I'd better go home and get some sleep."

“You can crash here, if you like."

“That's an invitation that's hard to turn down, but I need a shower and a good night's rest. I want to get all gussied up in the morning for our big Sunday date."

She helped him to his feet and walked him to the door.

He hugged her passionately. “I love you, Lovely Lady."

She kissed him and said, “I love you too, my handsome hunk."

June beamed as she stood beside her man who was dressed in a conservative, blue serge suit, black socks and oxfords, white shirt with button-down collar and a plain wine tie. He was one of those people who felt at home with strangers, and it was obvious that the church members would not long be strangers to Frank Skinner.

Following the benediction, he pumped the hand of every man he could corner and hugged the wives and children. Thirty minutes after the service it was well known in Dot that Frank Skinner, Maggie's brother, planned to open a garden shop and become a permanent resident.

As she listened to Frank issue compliments right and left, ingratiating himself to the citizens of Dot, she felt a sense of triumph. Throughout the service, she felt the eyes of the female worshipers looking at her with envy. It was a totally new experience and it filled her with excitement. She was pleased that Frank included her in the numerous brief conversations and grateful that he said nothing to her neighbors about his intention to marry her. Yet, a part of her wanted to shout to the world, “This man loves me and thinks I am something special. Eat your hearts out, ladies."

The preacher, Mack McGee, was the last to greet them. He commented on Frank's beautiful voice, which the minister easily identified during the singing of congregational hymns. Frank enthusiastically agreed to join the choir and attend the next rehearsal on Thursday night.

The Korner Kafe was crowded when they arrived and people were waiting for tables to become available. June tugged on Frank's sleeve and nodded towards Tim and Sandra Dollar, sitting at a booth near the back of the restaurant.

Frank flashed his toothy smile and waved as Tim motioned the couple to join them.

Leading June by the hand, Frank approached the Dollars, squeezed Tim Junior's shoulders, and said, “Young man, it won't be long before you won't need that high chair."

Junior giggled. “Hi Frank. I'm mad at you."

“Junior!” Sandra scolded.

“Maggie lets me ride on the mower with her when she cuts the grass."

As he preceded June into the empty seat Frank replied, “Hey, man. I'm sorry. You can ride with me anytime, and you can help weed the flower garden too."

Junior wrinkled his nose. “That's not fun."

“Frank,” Sandra said. “You're new here. You must learn to slip out of the church service during the benediction in order to get a seat at the Korner Kafe."