"Boy, oh, boy, you really fucked the dog, didn't you?"
"Mike was laying in wait for me. I didn't go looking for him."
Candy turned the car up the road to Morris, and turned her headlights on. Only the right one was working. "Even so, you were hugging and kissing him and Craig saw it. What are you going to do about it?"
"I haven't a clue. I'm afraid I've messed up everything." Since the daylight was nearly gone, Candy wasn't likely to see the tears running down my face. But then I let loose with a loud sob. She stayed quiet for a few minutes while I cried.
"You can stay at the apartment for the night, if you want to let things cool down. Maybe think of what to do next."
Perhaps I should have stayed in Bitumen. I could even have gone to Mike's. It wouldn't take long to bump Cheryl from his bed. Maybe I'd only have to suck him off every other night, too. Most important, Cheryl and I could protect one another from his drunken rages. No question about it, he'd turned me on, a lot. There was no getting past that. Even now, miles away from those blue eyes, I was prepared to do almost anything for him, even share him with Cheryl Norman.
But Craig? That would be completely unfair to him, but what could I do? I should go to him and beg for forgiveness. That might be my best bet. Maybe his pride would make him push me away, but eventually he'd remember that I could give him something he needed, something he'd admitted he couldn't get anywhere else.
While I pondered solutions, I thought about Queen Samara. She may have been only a character in a porn novel, and a pretty crappy one at that, but she was the embodiment of his fantasies. What would the Queen do? She had sex with different men all the time, and they loved her in spite of it, or perhaps because of it.
By the time we reached I-55, I knew what to do. I reached back for my overnight bag and found the heels I'd brought along, but not worn. I pulled off my sneakers and socks, and stuffed them in the bag, and pulled the heels onto my feet.
"Heels?" said Candy. "Penny for your thoughts."
"Naw, these thoughts are worth a lot more than a penny."
"It sounds like you have a plan."
* * *
I stood in the hall outside Craig's apartment for several minutes, building up my courage. Finally, when I thought I was ready, I took a deep breath and turned my key in the lock.
Thump!
He had the chain lock on. I let my breath go. So much for the dramatic entrance. I put my mouth to the opening.
"Craig! Open up!"
There was no reply, but the lights were on, and I knew he was sitting there, listening, probably with a scowl on his face.
I reminded myself that I was still Queen Samara. I lowered my voice to a growl. "Craig, open this door
now
."
After a half minute, he appeared on the other side. "I thought you'd be staying with Mike tonight."
"We'll talk when you take this chain off."
I felt his hesitation. If he refused now, I'd have to go to Candy's apartment for the night and let him stew. But I realized I still didn't know him well enough to judge whether this would push our growing relationship over a cliff.
To my relief, he pushed the door closed, enough to take off the chain. He opened it, looking up at me. The heels made me nearly a full head taller than him. There was no anger in his eyes, only a trace of fear.
"You left without me, and without thanking my family." I snapped, working hard to keep the scowl on my face. "Here I was, showing you off to may family, and now they think you're just a rude snob."