Across The River To Route 73

Barrett fidgeted then stood up from the bench and began to pace around the crowded platform occasionally glancing down the subway tracks while anxiously waiting for the next train to arrive.

In another part of the city, Barrett's girl friend Abbey, sat in the back booth of a café sipping on a cup of coffee and nibbling on a hot apple pie while waiting for Barrett to arrive.

Abbey, who worked as a paralegal, had only to walk a short distance to get to the café, but Barrett, who had a job as a dental assistant, in a medical building further into the center of the city, had to take the train.

Normally the café was their oasis where the both of them would meet at the end of each work day to chit chat for a short while over some coffee. It was part of their daily routine. Afterwards they would go back to their apartment to shower, order out for some food, watch a movie together and then engage in their usual sexual activities before retiring for the night.

Having sex with Abbey was Barrett's greatest joy. And Abbey was always thrilled at the happiness she provided for him.

Barrett once said to Abbey that having sex with her was the greatest physical feeling, he as a human being, had ever experience and Abbey who always enjoyed pleasing him, would cater to his every need and sometimes had felt it was her duty as a woman to fulfil his every desire, but today was different.

Today they would join each other at the cafe to carry out their plans to meet up with some of their friends in Camden, New Jersey, where a chartered bus would be waiting to take them to New York where they would attend a music festival together.

Abbey took a gulp of coffee and swallowed down the last piece of apple pie she had left on her plate then turned and looked over her shoulder at the clock that hung on the wall behind her. It was four forty two pm and knowing the bus in Camden would be leaving at six pm, and that it was now rush hour, began to wonder if Barrett would be late arriving.

While waiting she thought back to the last time they had been together with their friends. It was four months earlier during the first week of March when they had spent a weekend together with their friends at a ski resort up in the Pocono's, but because of the winter snow storm and the cold frigid air they were unable to go skiing and were left to spend the two days, with very little to do, in a cabin they had rented. And Barrett, who was never the kind of person to just sit around for a long period of time with the usual chit chat that seemed to be going on, and who was adventurous and never too shy, had livened things up by orchestrating a sex fest, a wild orgy, involving everyone there.

Abbey remembered how enjoyable it had been seeing the naked bodies of her friend's scattered all around the wooden floor of the cabin having sex with one another and knowing that after the music festival they had arrangements to sleep at a nearby camp ground for the night and wondered if this time would be the same as the last.

A loud roar came out of the tunnel along with an ear deafening screeching sound that took its place and echoed throughout the subway as the train came to a stop.

The doors of each car opened and in less than one minute the passengers inside poured out and flooded the platform, pushing and dodging their way through another flock of commuters filing into the train. Barrett was among them hurrying and squeezing his way to a seat.

"Quite hectic today," a voice could be heard from in the crowd of people. Barrett looked up to a man standing before him. The man was medium size, late thirties or early forties, solidly built with straight black hair that appeared to have been tightly pulled from the front of his head and plastered to the back of his neck.

Barrett focused on his moustache, an extravagance as wide as his face, parted into two flaring jet black wings, stiffened with wax, which clashed with his charcoal suit and white buttoned down shirt.

"Yeah," Barrett muttered. "It's always like that during this time of the day."

"I'm sure it is," the man said with a smile. "Ordinarily I have a driver to chauffeur me around, but today is his day off and I had some business here in the city and I guess I had no choice but to rely on the public transportation that this city provides."

Barrett just smirked and nodded his head then pulled up the sleeve of his jacket on his left arm and looked down at his watch. It was now four fifty pm.

The train stopped, the doors opened and half of the cars emptied out and then refilled with a new group of passengers. The doors closed and the train pulled out making its way to the next station. It would be three more stops until 2nd and Market Streets where Barrett would get off and meet up with Abbey at the café.

"The problem with living and working in a big city such as Philadelphia is that it can create a lot of stress and tension in a person causing them to sometimes be unhappy with their lives," the man said who sat down in a seat next to Barrett.

"It sure can," Barrett sighed as he leaned away from the man to allow more space between the both of them.

"I believe everyone now and then needs a place to go where they can relieve themselves of all that may build up inside of them that needs to be released," the man said as he reached inside his back pocket and pulled out his wallet.

"Yeah, I suppose so," mumbled Barrett as he watched the doors open and close then felt a jerky movement throughout his body as the train left the station.

The man opened his wallet and took out a card and handed it to Barrett.

"My name is Raymundo Aznar and may I ask your name."

"Barrett Hughes."

"Well Barrett, I bought some real estate just across the river on route seventy three in New Jersey and there I opened a business of my own," he said with a sly grin. It's a place where one can go and take a break from their life and where one can enjoy the pleasures that I can provide. It's sort of a club, for members only of course, and at a reasonable rate as well."

"I see," Barrett said. "It sounds very nice."

" It's better than nice," the man said, smiling and revealing a set of bright shiny teeth that looked like they had just been whitened up from a laser.

Barrett took the card from his hand and gave it a quick look and not really being interested in what this man had given him, just sighed and stared straight ahead only thinking about getting to his destination faster than he wanted too.

The man continued to talk.

"Just drop on by. I call the place "Selestino" Its Spanish. Meaning "Belonging to heaven" I think you'll enjoy it there."

"Maybe another time," replied Barrett. "Tonight I have other plans."

"Well," the man replied back to him. "If you change your mind we open after sunset and close at dawn. I assure you, you won't regret it."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," answered Barrett as he glanced at the card once more then placed it inside the pocket of his jacket.

"Fine," the man smiled then stood up as the train stopped and the doors opened.

Barrett looked up at the man as he was leaving and felt a burst of curiosity build up inside him.

"Just what kind of pleasure do you provide?" he then asked the man who quickly turned as though he was surprised by his question.

"I'm sorry my friend, but this is where I get off," he said. "Please come by tonight and you can find out for yourself." I promise you won't be disappointed."

The man then left and disappeared in the crowd of people making their way up to the street. Barrett leaned back in his seat as the doors closed and the train pulled away.

His eyes closed as his mind drifted off and became full of visions of being together with abbey and their friends up in New York having a wild time at the music festival seeing and listening too many of their favourite bands. The event was something they all had planned out months ago and now the day had finally come.

The loud sound of screeching brought him back from his thoughts as the train stopped and the doors opened. Barrett then got up from his seat and hurried out of the train and made his way up the steps and out on to the street. He took a quick glance at his watch then trotted along Market Street until he came to the café.

Abbey's hands were wrapped around another cup of coffee she had ordered while her eyes stared through the windows at the front of the cafe. She inhaled a large amount of air and sighed with relieve as Barrett walked through the door and then came rushing up to the booth she sat in. He took his place across from her.

They both stared at one another for a few seconds and then he shrugged.

"Dam patients," he complained.

"What," Abbey asked looking concerned.

"Nothing," Barrett mumbled.

"Well it must be something," Abbey said.

"One patient came in late today," he grumbled. "That's why it took me so long in getting here."

Abbey kept silent and watched as Barrett took in a deep breath of air and then exhaled slowly, trying to will his body to relax. She could see how angry and pissed off he was, but it didn't bother her at all, it never did, as a matter of fact she always liked it when he was that way.

Abbey stared into his hazel eyes. She always liked to look at them whenever he was upset or annoyed by something. It turned her on to see him that way. It always did.

She remained quiet and slightly opened her mouth and raised the cup to her lips and took one small sip of the coffee then laid the cup down on the table in front of her, never taking her eyes away from his. He looked back at her, staring deeply into her blue eyes, now breathing less heavily as a momentary silence came between them.

Barrett once told Abbey that her eyes were like hands that could reach out and touch without ever being physical and that her facial expressions were like words she could use without ever being verbal.

Barrett slowly took in a deep breath.

"Let's go," he ordered.

Abbey was always obedient to Barrett. In the three years they had been together in their relationship not once did she ever disagree with him or argue with him and not once did she ever disobey him.

He was never mean or cruel or unfair or demanding to her, he just liked being the boss. He liked to be the one who set the rules, the one who was in charge, the one who gave the orders. She didn't mind it; she had been used to being treated that way by her father and rather liked being the one to take orders.

So when Barrett gave the order " Let's go" she immediately, without any hesitation, grabbed the small back pack she always had with her and after paying the bill for the two cups of coffee and the hot apple pie, followed Barrett out of the café and out onto Market Street.

The streets were still full of cars and the sidewalks covered with people as Barrett and Abbey hurried their way to south street. It was five thirty one pm when they arrived at their apartment and with very little time to spare Barrett quickly grabbed the phone while undressing, called for a taxi that would take them to Penn's landing where they would catch the ferry to New Jersey. He then dragged Abbey with him, and headed into the bathroom, helping her out of her clothes along the way and into the shower.

No sooner were they in the shower when what seemed like only a few seconds later they were getting out and then getting dressed without getting dry and then out the door to a taxi that was now waiting for them in the street.

They hopped into the back seat and sat tightly next to each other as the taxi pulled away from the curb and made its way down the street.

Barrett turned and looked at Abbey; her lips slightly opened sucking in air while water dripped from her hair that slowly ran down along the sides of her face. Barrett turned her head and starred into her eyes, and with his right hand placed along the side of her face, slowly ran his tongue, licking at the water on her face. Abbey giggled as his tongue ran from the side of her jaw tickling her up to the tip of her ear lope. He then moved around to the front of her face and with one finger he gently wiped away the wetness from her lips as he placed his mouth upon hers.

Abbey loved Barrett's spontaneous affection no matter where or when it would occur she was always happy to accept it that way. So when Barrett began to kiss her in the back seat of the taxi, she responded by acting helpless and weak to him and allowing him to have his way with her. And Barrett always felt like the luckiest man in the world having a girl like Abbey who would always give in to him at anytime he wanted too.

Barrett pulled his lips away from Abbeys to glance at his watch. It was now five forty seven. His mouth tightened and the fingers of his right hand tapped attentively on his right leg as he sighed with disappointment.

"Will never make it on time," Barrett groaned as his fingers were now clinched into a fist and his lips became even tighter on his face.

"I'm sure the ferry has left by now," he complained with a slight sound of bitterness in his voice as he now began pounding his fist onto his leg.

Abbey remained quiet as she always did whenever Barrett was upset and only sighed with discomfort and not pleasure at seeing him so angry for she too wanted nothing more than to be on that ferry going across the river to join their friends who probably were already waiting for them.

It was six thirteen pm when they arrived at Penns landing and in a flash Barrett and Abbey were out of the taxi and down on the docks and to their surprise the ferry hadn't left.

"Come on," Barrett shouted while dragging Abbey by the arm. "We're lucky the ferry didn't leave yet."

The both of them got on the ferry and took a standing position at the front of the boat.

"Now let's hope the bus didn't leave without us," Barrett grumbled feeling un-relaxed and eager to join their friends and be on their way to New York to enjoy the music festival.

Abbey stood next to Barrett and warmly held onto him. She wanted him to cheer up. He wanted her to change his mood too.

They stayed side by side for the twenty minutes it took the ferry to travel across the Delaware river. Once they arrived in Camden the two of them scrambled their way off the boat and trotted along a large green lawn that separated the river from the highway where the bus would be waiting.

All along while the two of them were moving towards the meeting place Barrett's eyes were scanning everywhere searching for any sigh of the bus. When they got to the highway Barrett, not seeing any sighs of their friends or the bus, screamed in anger and cursed out loud while driving his foot into the ground and kicking dirt in to the air.

"Shit, I can't believe it," Barrett yelled. " I can't believe we missed the fucking bus."

Abbey stood there as her usual self, visible but quiet, just staring at Barrett while sucking in air in an attempt to catch her breath.

Barrett stopped to look at Abbey standing there then walked over to where she stood and sat down along side of her leg. Abbey slowly sat down beside him and clutched his hand in hers. The both of them sat there in silence.

A cool chill came into the air as a light breeze began to blow off the river. Abbey leaned closer to Barrett and gently snuggled up to him.

"Are you cold," Barrett asked.

"Just a little," Abbey said slightly slivering.

Barrett then stood up and removed his jacket. The same jacket he had worn earlier in the day. He placed it around her as she stayed seated on the ground.

"Thanks," she said with a smile as she slid her arms through the sleeves, pulled up the zipper and put her hands inside the pockets.

"Feel better now," he asked.

"Yes," she replied with a grin and then motioned for him to sit back down next to her. And he did. They sat there staring across the dark road at the trees then up to the moon and stars that brightened the sky.

Abbey, while her hands were keeping warm inside the pockets, pulled out a card and began to read it. Barrett took notice and remembered it was the card the man he had met earlier that day on the train.

"What's this," she asked.

"A man I met while riding the subway gave it to me. He said. "He just opened up some kind of place where people can go to unwind from their miserable lives and become relieved from whatever bothers them."

"Really," Abbey smirked.

"Yeah, so he claims," Barrett smiled. "He invited me there and even assured me I wouldn't regret it."

"Do you believe that," she said while still looking at the card.

"I don't know," he chuckled. "He sure was a strange looking person."

They both were silent as she again looked at the card and then the both of them looked at one another and as if they both read each other's mind.

"Well, it doesn't look like we're going anywhere," Abbey sighed.

"So, what are you suggesting," Barrett asked. "That we go and check out this so called wonderful place down on route seventy three so we can unwind and relieve ourselves from all of lives bullshit."

"Well, you do seem like you could use some unwinding," Abbey giggled. "After all it has been a very long week for you and having the music festival on your mind and now not being able to go I'm sure it has caused a lot of tension and stress in you and now you need somewhere or someway to release it."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Barrett said with a sly grin.

He reached down and helped pull Abbey up from the ground.

"Let's go and see if we can find a taxi," Barrett said.

Together they walked back towards the river and found a taxi in a parking lot just outside of where the ferries were docked.

Barrett reached inside the pocket of his jacket and pulled out the card to get the address of the place he and Abbey would go too.

There was no numbers to the address just a name of the place and the road it was located on.

"We're looking for a place called "Selestino" Barrett said to the driver. " It's somewhere down on route seventy three."

"Okay, said the driver, a small chubby man with a short stub of a cigar hanging from his mouth. " I think I know this place you're talking about. I took a man there just the other night."

"Oh really," Barrett said while holding onto Abbey who was snuggled up next to him.

"Yeah, it's some kind of private club, or at least I think it is." said the man while coughing out smoke and then opening up the window and throwing out what he had left of his cigar.

"Yeah, that sounds like the place." Barrett replied back to the man.

"So why are you taking a girl with you," chuckled the man. "After all there are plenty of them there already, unless of course she works at this place."

Both Barrett and Abbey looked at one another not fully understanding just what this man was saying to them.

"No," Barrett answered. "She doesn't work there and just what do you mean by that anyways."

"No offense, but it's really not the kind of place to take a girl, it's the kind of place to find a girl. It's for men only," said the man.

Barrett and Abbey turned and faced each other again and just stared into each other's eyes. Both wondered just what the night was about to bring them.

Barrett took his arm from around Abbey's shoulder and leaned forward.

"How do you know this," he asked the driver.

"Well, I really don't know if it is or not," he answered. "I overheard the man I drove there talking to someone on his cell phone saying that it was a place to go for some good sex."

Barrett and Abbey looked at one another and studied each other's facial expressions.

"Well, what do you think about this place now that you know what it is," Barrett whispered into Abbey's ear.

"What are you asking me," Abbey replied. "Whether or not I approve of going there."