Southern Comfort Ch 02 1

Jon and I had been dating a few weeks and all was quite well between us. We had settled into a comfortable romantic relationship, but it was one that gave us each the time we needed to devote to both our jobs and our family obligations as well. We still managed to see more of one another than either of us expected.

We had both gained a wealth of experience in the time we spent together. We had learned to read one another like an open book. That came in rather handy with Jon being a gambler. He had quite an affinity for gambling and I never saw him turn down a bet, even if the odds seemed to be stacked against him.

I was one of Jon's favorite things to bet on. He'd been doing it since before we met, beginning with the bet between him and Ivan that I would stop dating the guitarist within six weeks. He made a side bet that I would admit to being in love with him, and he won that one as well. In fact, he was making a rather tidy profit off silly little bets he laid on me. I didn't mind. It kept life interesting.

One evening when the weather had recently begun to turn warm, I was having a drink at the bar, when Jon walked in unexpectedly. It was a little after seven p.m., I estimate. He greeted his friends and ordered a drink. He didn't even say hello to me until after he had downed his second drink, and I could tell he had been drinking most of the evening already.

I was engaged in a conversation with a couple of the regulars when he suddenly came over to where I was sitting and abruptly took my hand, interrupting the conversation. He slapped something into my palm and said, "Do you know what that is?"

I looked down at the object for a moment and back at him. I had no earthly idea what he was up to. "It's a piece of candy?" I suggested.

"That's right. It's a kiss," he said as I examined the chocolate Hershey's kiss. "I'm giving you the first one. You have to find the rest. You have until ten," he declared. He leaned down and kissed me soundly.

"A kiss for a kiss," he said. "You bring me all the kisses, and I'll give you something in return," he said slyly. "Ten o'clock, or you go home alone," he warned. He didn't give me any more information, or any hints as to what he was up to. He just turned around and left without another word.

I glanced at my watch. I had less than three hours to do whatever it was he wanted me to do, which apparently was find chocolate candy kisses. I stood up, excused myself from my company and walked out. I was half way out the front door when a notion hit me. I turned around and went back in the bar. I walked up to the bartender and said, "Jon didn't give you anything for me, did he?" She shook her head in confusion.

I started to leave again, when a second thought hit me. Ivan had remained strangely quiet, but he was giving me absurd looks and wearing a smug little grin. I changed course and headed in his direction. I marched up to him. "Ivan Hoe, give me my kiss!" I demanded with my hands on my hips.

"Well, if you insist, honey!" he laughed. He made a grab for me and I slapped playfully at him.

"Jon said you'd ask me for a kiss before you left," he chuckled.

"Ivan, if you have my kiss, you better give it to me, right now!" I demanded holding my hand out expectantly.

Ivan was grinning from ear to ear and the entire group of patrons were watching and laughing. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a silver wrapped candy. He dangled it in front of me and asked, "Is

this

what you're talking about by any chance?"

I snatched at it and he jerked it away. "You want the kiss? You have to give me one in return," he informed me. I gave him a scathing look. "A kiss for a kiss!" he said still chuckling under his breath.

"Oh, alright!" I snorted at him. I stepped up to him and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Now, give me my kiss!" I insisted again.

Ivan looked devastated. "Is that all its worth to you? You must not want it very badly," he sniffed as he put the candy back in his pocket. He turned his back to me. The entire gang was laughing heartily at him now.

"Ivan Hoe! I am not playing with you! Give me the kiss, right now!" I nearly shouted at him as I stomped my foot impatiently.

He turned back towards me and said, "I'll trade you one very sweet, slightly soft and sticky kiss for another. It's starting to melt, so I suggest you hurry up and make up your mind," he said cocking his head defiantly at me. I could see I wasn't going to get anywhere with him without adhering to the rules Jon had set.

I sighed and said, "Okay, okay. Come here!" I pulled at his jacket lapels and he leaned down so I could reach him. I balanced myself against him and he kissed me. I have to admit I was more than a little surprised at how nice a kiss it was. It might have even lasted a little longer than it should have. The rest of the gang let out a whoop of approval. He ended the kiss and I think there was just about as much surprise written on his face as there was on mine.

He took the candy out of his pocket again, put it in my hand, and asked, "Do you know that little place out Belle Chase Highway?" I nodded. "Try there," he said with a nod. Then he turned back to the other guys and ignored me. I pocketed the candy, turned on my heel and left.

When I walked into the little neighborhood bar Ivan had directed me to, I saw no one I knew other than the bartender. I inquired as to whether anyone had left something for me and she said no. I ordered a drink and sat down to ponder what to do next. I looked around the bar and saw nothing that resembled a pair of lips, or had the word 'kiss' on it. Nothing. Not a single hint to be seen.

I was frustrated that I wasn't getting very far, very fast and I was just on the verge of giving up completely when the door of the men's room opened and out strolled David. He was another of the little Happy Hour click from the bar where I worked. I jumped to my feet, rushed up to meet him, and demanded, "David, give me a kiss!"

He looked a little startled when I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him squarely on the lips. I didn't give him much of a chance to respond, much less protest the assault. I felt his hands go around my waist, and he groaned as he pulled at me slightly. I stopped kissing him abruptly and held out my hand with great expectations. "Where is it?" I asked.

He looked totally baffled. "Well, that was a nice hello, Cindy, but where's what?" he asked flashing me a sheepish grin.

"My

kiss

! The one Jon gave you to give to me?" I said trying to prompt his memory.

"I don't have a clue what you are talking about," he admitted scratching his head and giving me a strange look.

"Jon didn't give you a Hershey's kiss to give me?" I asked. He ducked and shook his head shyly in response.

"Is

that

what the kiss was about? Some shit Jon came up with?" he asked. I nodded and quickly explained the situation to him. A light of understanding went on. "Oh, well, I did see Steve a few minutes ago. He said if you came in to tell you to meet him at Undercover in the bar. He said he'd be there until eight. Maybe he has your kiss," David suggested.

"Thanks, David!" I said patting his chest and grabbing my purse.

I was out the door when I heard him call out and laugh, "No! Thank

you

!"

I pulled into the parking lot at Undercover and hurried inside. My time was disappearing rapidly. I had no idea how many other places I had to go yet, and it was taking me thirty minutes or more for travel time and to gather two of my kisses.

I spotted Steve at the bar and made a beeline for him. "Well, hello, Miss Cindy Lou! Fancy meeting you here!" Steve grinned at me.

I held out my hand and wiggled my fingers at him. "Just give it to me, Steve!" I said firmly.

"Give you what?" he asked slyly, cocking his head and giving me a boyish grin.

"You know what! Now, cough it up," I demanded again.

"It's going to cost you," he warned, pulling a now melting kiss out of his shirt pocket and waving it in front of me.

"Yeah, yeah! I know. A kiss for a kiss!" I snapped. He laid the kiss in my hand still grinning.

He stood up and said, "I'm gonna enjoy this! Make it good, or I won't tell you where the next one is," he taunted.

Steve and I were good friends, but there had never been any sexual attraction on my part to him, much like with the others before him; Ivan, David, and probably whomever else I had yet to encounter on my little journey. I stretched up on my tiptoes and kissed him.

He was still grinning when he stopped kissing me and said, "I've been looking forward to that all night. I figured I'd never get a chance to do that. Remind me to thank Jon later," he chuckled. Steve gave me the location of my next stop and I left him sitting at the bar alone.

I hit two more bars and collected my candy kisses as well as two more real kisses, before I was given the information to go to the Cypress. It was around nine thirty when I walked in. I stopped dead in my tracks. There were at least ten men sitting at the bar that I knew. I was trying to figure out how I would know which one had my next kiss. I

could

make a public request for the man to come forward, I reasoned. I was carefully considering my options.

"Hi, friend," Christina called from her seat at the bar. "What are you doing here?" she asked sounding surprised to see me. I waved her off.

"Not now, Christina. I'm in a hurry," I said blowing her off. She looked a little hurt by my dismissal.

Christina was another waitress in the restaurant where I worked. Since she came to work there, we had developed a fast friendship. She was my closest female friend.

"Hey, girl!" Barry called. Besides the string of men at the bar, Barry was also a possibility. "What'll it be, Clem?"

Barry was the head bartender at the Cypress. When the lounge originally opened, they didn't have much of a clientele. I liked the place enough that I began recommending it to others and taking people there after I got off work sometimes. Barry was grateful to me for that, and the fact I always tipped him well for his service. He dubbed me with the nickname of Clem, which was short for Cindy-Lou-Ellie-Mae.

I looked at my watch again. "Nothing, Barry. I don't have time," I said shaking my head at him.

"Well, what can I do for you then?" he asked.

"Give me a kiss," I said. Barry didn't seem to be surprised by my request. He leaned over the bar and I gave him a quick kiss. He grinned at me and I could see from the response that he was clueless as to why I asked for a kiss.

I looked around and made a quick decision. I stalked to the end of the bar where the first man was sitting and tapped his shoulder. He turned to look at me and I stepped up, wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. I made my way down the bar, kissing each man in turn. By the time I got to the third one, total silence had fallen over the entire place.

"What are you doing, Clem?" Barry asked suspiciously.

"One of you has a kiss for me," I said as I prepared to kiss the next man in line.

"Honey, every man in here has a kiss just for you, I'm sure," Barry snorted in mirth. "What's this about, anyway?" he asked again.

"Jon," I heard a surly response coming from down the line. I turned and looked in the direction of the voice. The gentleman who spoke, turned slowly on his barstool and sat facing me. It was Bob and he was frowning at me with a look of disapproval. "Her buddy Jon has her hunting kisses all over the fucking city," he commented coolly to Barry. Bob did not sound very amused.

I decided since Bob seemed to know about my mission, he must possess my kiss. I stepped over in front of him and gave him a wary look. I didn't know Bob very well. He was always standoffish and seemed less than friendly to me. Barry grinned and shook his head in wonder.

"Since you seem to know why I'm here,

you

must have my kiss," I deduced to Bob. I leaned closer and I kissed him. He made no attempt to kiss me back. He just sat there and let me kiss him. There was absolutely no indication of any response. It was like kissing a cold stone statue.

"I don't have your kiss," he said with all the emotion of a dead fish. "I just heard about it when I was at the bar earlier," he said. He spun his back on me again and turned his attention back to his drink.

I was a bit taken aback. There were only a couple of men left for me to kiss. I finished my quest, kissing the last of the men. "Now, who has my kiss?" I asked when I was finished.

All of the men shook their heads and grumbled, "Not me!" I was getting irritated. Someone was holding out.

"Come on, you guys!" I snarled. "I've kissed everyone in the fucking place. Now, one of you has my kiss! Give it up!" I demanded.

"Not

everyone

," came a soft response. I turned and looked to see Christina sipping at her drink and half smiling. She was dangling a silver candy from her fingers.

Real irritation set in. "You have

got

to be fucking kidding me!" I snapped with my hands on my hips.

"A kiss for a kiss," she said laughing now in delight. "I promised Jon. You have to play by the rules." She arched an eyebrow at me.

"Oh, for god's sake! You don't really expect me to kiss you, do you?" I snorted at her.

"I didn't make the rules," she said with a shrug of indifference. "You want it?" she teased.

I sighed in resignation. "Whatever! But, this better be worth all the trouble," I snipped.

I stepped up and ran my hand around the back of her neck. The whole bar went nuts when I kissed her and she kissed me back. When I let her go, she gave me a big smile and handed me the candy kiss. "The Club, friend," was all she said.

The men were all teasing her with questions like "Was it good for you?" and "Could you two do that again?" I noticed the only one who didn't make any comment was Bob. He was just sitting there watching in silence. Something told me he didn't approve of the game much. I stalked from the lounge and continued to my next destination.

The drive to The Club was short. It didn't allow me much time to think about my reaction to kissing Christina. I'd only kissed one other girl in my life. I had no romantic interest or sexual interest in women. Kissing Christina helped me understand the way a woman makes a man feel when he kisses her.

Christina had no hesitation in allowing me to kiss her. She had parted her lips and practically invited me in. It didn't make me want to throw her down and have sex with her, but it had been a pleasant experience. She tasted every bit as good as she looked. Christina was beautiful and sexy. She was the first woman I ever knew who I could appreciate in a sexual context. I wondered what she would say to Jon about the way I had given in to the idea of kissing her.

The Club was the lounge in the apartment complex where Jon lived. By the time I arrived, I had less than ten minutes to meet my deadline. The parking lot was packed. I had to park some distance away. I wondered what the big attraction was. The Club was usually quiet with no more than a dozen customers during peak hours on a Friday or Saturday night.

When I walked in, the bar was virtually empty. There were only five people in the whole place, including BJ, the black bartender. "What'll it be?" he asked as I approached the bar and he placed a cocktail napkin on the bar in front of me. I looked around. I knew no one.

I looked at my watch again. Five minutes left. "BJ, do you have a kiss for me?" I asked suspiciously.

He leaned on the bar and smiled, shaking his head in wonder. "Well, I'll be damned. Jon said you'd do it, but I didn't believe him." He paused, gave me a look, and said, "Yeah, if you really want it." I nodded.

BJ leaned across the bar, and to my surprise instead of kissing my lips, he gave me a kiss on the cheek, and handed me a candy kiss in return for the gesture. I looked at him in surprise. He nodded towards the back door. "The pool," he said. "You've got three minutes by my watch. Hurry up."

"Thanks," I said scurrying towards the door. I heard him call a 'you're welcome' at my back.

I could see the pool area still lit up as I made my way there. "There she is!" someone called out loudly. There must've been two to three dozen people gathered around the pool, most of whom had already either been kissed or who had witnessed the game unfold. All of them were drinking heavily and laughing. In the middle of the crowd was Jon. He was looking completely pleased with himself when I approached.

"I told you guys she'd make it," he laughed. He grabbed a glass of cold champagne from a table nearby and placed it in my hand. "Right on time!" he chuckled at me.

I took the wine, set it aside, and reached for his hand. I placed a handful of melted chocolate kisses in his palm. I looked at him quizzically, and he counted them. "Even Christina?" he teased with amusement.

I stared blankly at him. He tossed the candy over his shoulder, laughing in sheer delight. "I wish I could've been there to see the look on your face with Christina!" he snorted, his eyes dancing. He locked me in a bear hug and kissed my forehead. "I knew you wouldn't let me down!" he said laughing heartily.

"Gentlemen, if you please?" he said when he let me go. He looked around and held out a hand. A line of men formed and each one placed a stack of cash in his hand. Ivan was the last to pay up.

He shook his head and looked at me in dismay. "I should've known better. This is the

last

time I take a bet with him on you!" he said shaking his head in disgust. Jon was roaring in laughter.

"And?" I asked cocking my head at Jon. "This was all about a fucking bet, Jon?" I asked trying to sound angry. His eyes twinkled at me.

"Not entirely," he chuckled. He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a long kiss. When he stopped, he looked down at me and said, "This is what you call a 'win-win' situation."

"How's that?" I asked. About that time, the lights in the pool went off with a loud click. They were on a timer set to shut off at ten.

Jon didn't make any attempt to pick me up. Instead, he pushed me gently backwards towards the edge of the pool as I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Let's take a walk and I'll show you," he suggested, leaning down to kiss me again. Two steps later, we hit the water with a loud splash, fully clothed and still entwined in one another.

When we came up for air, the surface of the pool was covered in money floating all around us. We were both gasping for air and laughing so hard we couldn't catch our breath. We were treading water together when he reached behind me and unzipped the back of my dress. He managed to pull it off and he tossed it at Ivan's feet. "Take care of that, my friend!" he called, wrapping me in his arms again.

"My shoes!" I protested.

"I've got 'em!" he said with a grin. "Be right back!" He left me treading water, and dived to the bottom of the pool. A few seconds later, he resurfaced with both shoes and threw them out of the pool as well.

"You two are fucking crazy! You know that, don't you?" Ivan called with a chuckle as he tried to wring the water from my dress. "I don't know which one of you is worse!" he snorted, tossing my clothes on a nearby lounge chair. "I'm going back inside. I don't think I want to watch whatever it is you have in mind next."

"Hang around, Ivan. You might learn something," Jon chuckled back at him. He was grinning at me from ear to ear as I wrapped my legs around his waist and played with the strands of wet hair on his neck and shoulders.

"The only thing I've learned is not to bet against that girl where you are concerned," Ivan snorted into his glass. "I need another drink! Catch you later!" he said as he stumbled towards the club.

"Your money," I whispered to Jon as a bill floated between us and I plucked it from the water.