Buster & Holly

"No, I being dead serious, Buster. I always attracted the kind of scags who just want to take me out back and do the bump and grind in their car before shoving me out and heading back home to their mommies. No one has ever just taken me out to eat, dressed up and all, and just sat across the table and talked to me like you did tonight."

I leaned over and kissed her, holding her chin with one hand while leaving the other tucked in my pants. I wanted her to know it hadn't all been an act. I too had enjoyed our night out despite paying a bill that was nearly a third of my weekly salary.

Holly stepped back away as that mischievous smile once again lit up her face. "Turn around," was all she requested. Knowing it was pointless to argue, I obliged her. "Don't turn around just yet," she again warned as I heard the truck door open then, "Okay, you can look now."

No longer clutching her purse, I watched as Holly struck a pose, revealing beneath that single, bug inviting, light bulb burning all too brightly overhead, that she had removed her bra and slip.

I suppose things would have gone a lot differently if it hadn't been for Barney Fife and his space invading spotlight. There was no verbal call out but the spotlight made it clear, "Leave or else." So I patted Holly's tush and closed the door behind her, walking over to my side of the truck, doggy bag still in hand, waving to the small town black and white.

Two miles outside of town, after Barney had stopped following us, I pulled over to the side of the road. It's one of the many blessing of country living —no one in sight or on the road except the bugs splattering my windshield.

"Come over here," I beckoned my wench. Sliding to sit next to me, both of us took a few more seconds to just look each other in the eye. "Holly, I'm really sorry that your life has been such a shit. And I really would like to keep seeing you. But I felt like everyone at Cy's was talking about us. I didn't recognize anyone, but then maybe someone recognized us -me the married man, you, well... you the easy lay. I think it would just be wiser if I got through the divorce before seriously, I mean . . .I mean if you want to, before I seriously start courting you."

Her eyes welled up and her mouth went all limp before Holly threw her arms around me, watering my ear and shirt collar pretty good before she grabbed my face and kissed me as full and meaningful as any woman ever had.

"Oh silly, of course I want you to court me. I've never been courted before. I've been promised before, but I trust you." Holly dropped her hands, turning half away before resting them in her lap. Looking out into the night, Holly spoke. "I know things kinda have gotten carried away with us and all. I know that for you this is all new and you find it fun and games, but I'm not always miss bubbly or miss I-can-conquer-the-world. I have my crying spells and I have those times when I just want to be left alone. I've been alone all my life, Buster, and I've kinda grown use to it. All I'm saying is that I'm not all lace and laughter."

I brushed her corn silk hair back off one side of her face, kissing her forehead as I pulled her in close to me. "Holly, I mean you no harm. And I'm sure you know that there are no knights in shining armor. I have my quirks too. And I can get stubborn and hot headed as well. But there's one thing I don't have . . . I don't have running feet. I didn't run away from Martha. She and her mom pushed me out of the home and marriage that I was trying my best to make for them."

"I know, Buster. I know you're good people. I know you aint never gonna make me rich and that you wouldn't want that even if it came to you. We're both simple people. I like that about you. I don't have to pretend being something I'm not. I can clean up a little, but I'm that girl you saw standing outside her back door yesterday afternoon when you pulled up. I'm that girl who doesn't think twice about having to shove cardboard in her windows or needing a fancy car. But you need to think about this and think about it seriously. I'll never be able to give you children!"

That was probably the biggest consideration for both of us, not withstanding getting Martha out of the way --children. I had always wanted children as had Holly, but perhaps in a less substantial way because her family life hadn't been very good. I also thought if she ever had kids, they would suffer because of the stigma that would ever haunt her as being the town slut, as untrue as any town rumor ever was.

We made it back to the house pushing the speedo no more than forty-five. Life had slowed for us and I think it was in the back of my head not to rush pulling back into her drive. It had taken a little less than an hour to get there, but a full hour and half to get back. A lazy moon was playing peek-a-boo with a few whiffs of stringy clouds as my rust bucket beater labored to get back up her drive. Every imaginable denizen bug or insect was buzzing around the yellow light bulb as we pulled around back. Holly scooted over to passenger side and waited for me to open her door. Only a few hours before I would have participated in the old bump and grind, but a seriousness had cast its veil over our youthful eroticism. Holly extended a hand as I helped step back out into night.

"I'm sorry for getting all teary-eyed, Buster."

I was quick with a finger to her lips. "Hush now. Let's just enjoy what we do have at the moment --which is each other." Brushing her hair back away from her face, I lifted her chin. "Besides, I haven't had desert yet. And ever since we arrived at Cy's, you've had me dreaming about eating another piece of your sweet sweet pie!"

Normally Holly would have laughed or screamed and made me chase her as she played keep away. But tonight she just gave a weak smile and lowered her head, taking hold of my hand, quietly leading me back inside her house, with that little purse, neatly folded slip and dangling wisp of a bra in the other hand.

We fell asleep in each others arms as we had the night before, exhausted by the events of the day and then our extended love playing. I think I actually surprised Holly a time or two, me being practically so virginal and all. She tried to convince me she had never come as hard or as often. I found that hard to believe but there was something in the way she said it that reassured me, that at least in her eyes at that moment, it was true.

It was even harder driving away so early the next morning, thinking it best to have the old beater sitting out in front of the empty homestead when Martha and her parents drove by on their way to church --as I was sure they would. And so it went that fall and winter till at last the divorce was finalized. Martha was a different after that. She never seems so full of herself though her mom continued to turn her nose up at me till her dying day. Eventually Martha married again, some new pastor right out of seminary, I suppose as wet behind the ears as I had been when I married her. But I was happy for her, always asking about her whenever our paths crossed. And she and padre ended up having their basket load of children. The last time I saw her though, there was an emptiness in her eyes as I walked away, Holly beaming, holding on to my arm just like she had that first night as we walked back to the house naked as the day we were born after making love in that little stream.