Wednesday
"About time," Lorelei says smiling and stretching to put her arms around my neck. Her braless tits shimmy under her tight t-shirt. I enjoy them even more when she rubs them against me. Her hardening nipples match my growing stiffness.
Squeezing her tight we kiss hard. She thrusts her crotch into mine. Hearing the office door open, we let go taking a few steps back.
"Crawford, get your ass out here. We got a problem in the cat reforming unit."
"Sure, thing boss." I turn back to Lorelei. "I'll call you about that instrument problem before you leave for the day."
She smiles sitting down at her desk.
Outside her office RJ, my boss pushes me into the back of the instrument control panel. "What the fuck dude. I don't care who you fuck, but do it on your own fucking time. We have issues with the unit."
"What do you mean?" I can't help my cat who ate the canary grin.
"Yeah, yeah, keep grinning. I'll remind you of that when her LAPD husband puts you in the hospital."
Ignoring the comment, I follow him into the central control area before going to my unit's control panel. I evaluate the instrument readings representing the temperatures and pressure inside the equipment. I glance back at my boss. The petroleum process unit is running fine. The jerk only wanted me to stop fucking around.
Gathering my hard hat and data logger I head outside. Outside to begin my rounds looking at the actual equipment. It's the start of my afternoon shift and my week. It's strange beginning your work week on hump day. The day everyone else begins looking forward to the weekend. I'm verifying the process equipment is in good operating condition. Finishing I arrive at the refinery exit gate at the dayshift mechanics' quitting time.
Catching up with Lorelei before she leaves. "Hey, you going to be home later tonight?"
"Ah, well."
"Not a problem. I'll catch you another night."
She smiles giving me a quick hug. I watch her walk away, shaking my head. "I'm pretty sure there are several other guys her husband would beat the shit outa before he got to me."
My walkie-talkie radio squawks, "Hey Crawford, you got a call."
"Who is it?"
"Your wife."
"I'll be right there."
Entering the central control area, I walk to the Head Operator's desk. "You said I had a call?" RJ motions with his head to the other HO's desk.
"That's strange," I mutter. Stacey Lyn doesn't usually call on that line. "Hello?"
"Don't hang up. I'm in trouble."
"Fuck!" The eight operators in the control looked at me.
"Please. I need you to call your parents and have them come and pick up our daughter."
"Where?" I walk away from the desk. As far as the phone cord will let me.
"I'm at the corner of Western Ave and Lomita Blvd."
"Your car broke down? No, you have the Pinto. Right? The year-old Pinto. Did you forget to get gas again?"
"Well, ah no. I mean yes I have the Pinto, and it has gas, but the police stopped me."
"The police?" Again, the operators are looking at me. I lower my voice. "You couldn't wink and show some tit to get out of it? Like you always do?"
"Well, no. This is more serious. They're saying I have a stolen registration."
"What the fuck did you do?" I hear RJ answer his phone and chuckle. I look at him.
"Crawford, it's your wife on the phone."
My shoulders droop, and I lower my head. Then I stand up straight. I know what happened. To my ex-wife on the phone, "You stole the registration to my car?"
"I'd hoped you wouldn't notice."
I hear RJ tell my wife, "He'll be right with you." He covers up the phone receiver.
I lower my voice a little, "What the fuck do you do with all the fucking money I give you in alimony and child support?"
"I-"
"Don't fucking answer that. I'll call my parents." I slam down the phone, a bit too hard.
Neil, the other Head Operator looks at me. I stomp to the other desk, taking the phone. "Hi, what's up?" I try to sound upbeat and happy.
"Hi back at ya." I can hear her sly smile. "I, ah, wanted to let you know I was going to spend the next few days up at my cousins, in Friant Lake."
"Is everything OK?"
She pauses, "No. Aunt Jerri told us she has lung cancer."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. No problem. I'm sure I'll find something to do while you're gone." Her laugh has a touch of sadness. "Right now, I going to call my parents. Seems the ex has screwed up again. I need them to get Pattie. I guess the police are taking Gale to jail."
"No shit?"
"Yeah, I thought that would make your day." We both laugh. "Drive safe, OK?"
"Be safe at work."
I push down the receiver button and look at RJ. "A quick call to my parents to pick up my daughter. OK?
"Sure."
And it was. As soon as I told them what was wrong, and where to pick up their only granddaughter, they hung up.
I was thinking of making another phone call. But I could see RJ wasn't happy with me taking over his desk. Besides, he knows way too much about my sex life, already. I glance over at the unit's control panel before leaving the central control area.
Wandering through the rest of the building, I'm looking for an empty office. Some of the dayshift engineers don't lock their doors.
Finding one, I step in and shut the door. I dial her number. I know I'm taking a chance her husband could be home. She answers the phone, "Hello?"
"It's me."
"What? No, I'm sorry. This isn't a good time." She pauses for effect. "No, I don't want a subscription. And don't call back tomorrow."
"Shit," I hang up. Why isn't Derek working tonight? Damn!" Throughout our not quite yearlong love affair, we've developed a code. Not a good time means he's home. Don't call back tomorrow means he's going to be gone tomorrow. I stop and think about the various operational schedules. "Oh, he has FOTP, for the rest of the week." I smile, I may not get laid tonight, but I will tomorrow. And a good chance the next couple of days, too.
My walkie-talkie radio chirps, "Hey Crawford, you got a call."
This time it's on RJ's desk.
"Hello?"
I hear the sobs of a little girl.
"It's OK. Your Mom will be OK. It's only a little misunderstanding. You're safe with grandma and grandpa, OK?"
"No, I want to be with you."
"I understand, Kid. I really do, but I'm at work. I won't get off until way past your bedtime and you need to go to school tomorrow."
"Will you take me to school tomorrow?"
"You bet. I'll be there when you wake up, OK?"
"OK! I love you, dad." She tries to keep the tears out of her smile.
"Love you too kid." Hanging up I remind myself, I'm doing the best I can. I may not be the best dad, I'm sure as fuck better than her mom.
I look at my watch, it's lunchtime. Halfway through my eight-hour shift. I head to the kitchen.
Eating lunch, I'm joined at the table by a co-worker. "Love you kid. Ha, ha, ha."
"Fuck you, Owens."
"Don't you know paying alimony and child support is a sucker's game? If you don't acknowledge they're yours, you don't pay."
"Fortunately for me, she looks exactly like me. I couldn't deny her if I wanted." We both laugh.
Off work, an free, I pull out my emergency Joint from the glove box of my 1973 Datsun pickup. Taking a couple of tokes, I put my truck on autopilot. It knows where to go. It takes me to the parking lot of a local bar, The Lama Room. It's between work and home.
Inside, it's hoping for a Wednesday night. I grabbed a spot close to the bandstand. Sipping my beer, I see why. I know the band that's playing. They're an excellent cover band, especially my friend Jim, the lead singer. I signal to the bartender I'll be right back. Walking out the back door, I see several members of the band trying to hide something. "It's cool I'm Jim's friend Steve." They relax and go back to smoking the joint. Jim is off to one side talking to two women. One is taller than him and thin. The other is somewhat shorter, but still taller than him, and shapely.
I stand behind Jim and smile at the women. He's five foot five, inches shorter than me. Seeing them smile Jim turns around. "Nice to see ya, man. Didn't know you hung out here?"
"Shit dude, didn't know you played here."
Jim turns, "Monica, and Becky, this is an old friend Steve."
Monica waves, but Becky steps up to me taking my arm. "Hi."
The way she said it reminded me of an old Rolling Stones song, Spider and the Fly. And like the song, I replied, "Hi." She is wearing the smallest halter, wrap-around style 'little black dress' I've ever seen. Designed for maximum exposure of her massive, noticeably enhanced breasts.
"Buy me a drink?"
"OK." I choose to ignore Jim shaking his head no.
Ushering her through the back door, I'm close behind. She stops and I stumble into her. I wrap my arms around her to keep from bouncing off.
She adjusts my hands onto her tits. "Oh, I do like the feel of a hard man."
Taking her lead I thrust it harder into her. "Come on it's almost time for us to go on,"
Jim says nudging me to get out of the doorway.