Natalie answered the phone.
You have received a collect call from Martin, an inmate at the Maricopa County Jail. Do you accept the charges?
Natalie was caught by surprise. She didn't know what to do. She had never answered a call like this before, but something about the call had the air of truth to it.
"Yes."
"Nat- tee .... I need you to come to the jail in Phoenix and bail me out." Said Natalie's boyfriend. The sound of booze, clearly present in his voice.
"How much is your bail Martin?" Asked Natalie.
Natalie could hear muffled voices. It was obvious that Martin had put his hand over the receiver. After a moment, Martin came back on the line.
"It's ten thousand dollars."
"Wait ... What? Ten thousand dollars, why so much?"
"The cops say I ran over someone. Can you believe it?" Slurred Martin.
Natalie fumed. Martin's drinking had taken off like a wildfire over the last six months. It was just a year ago that she had agreed to resume dating him. After she gave him an ultimatum .... Booze or me, not both.
"Martin, I don't have ten thousand dollars, and if I did, I wouldn't spend it getting your drunk ass out of jail. We are through. Do you understand me. This is the last time." Screamed Natalie before she slammed the phone back into the cradle.
"Drunk bastard has lost his mind." Natalie said to herself. Ten thousand dollars might well have been a million. Natalie put her head down and began to cry.
She had been looking forward to this weekend for months. Martin, or Senior Airman Martin Ford had been on temporary duty in Alaska and had just returned to Luke Air Force Base. She was so horny.
Natalie had been through a lot with Martin. They had started dating two years ago when she was just eighteen. She had thought she was in love with him when on their third date, she had given him her virginity. Now two years later, after numerous fights over his drinking, Natalie had reached her limit. There was no way she was going to spend her life waiting for collect calls from the jail, or worse, from the morgue.
Clay had been quietly sitting on the stairs and had overheard Natalie's side of the conversation. He didn't need to hear Martin's side. What was there to hear?
Clay had harbored a crush on Natalie for years. At twenty, Natalie was two years older than he, and he thought she was the sexiest woman alive. Natalie knew that Clay had a thing for her, but she didn't know that he thought about her regularly while jacking off. She still thought of Clay as a child. It wasn't really her fault. Clay was super small for his age and a real late bloomer. He looked like he was fifteen and not eighteen, although that was rapidly changing.
***
"No Sharon, I'm done with him." Whispered Natalie to her best friend. "I know we were supposed to spend the weekend partying. Yes, I'm super disappointed. I shaved and everything. God I'm so horny. It's been since January. Yes, I am talking about down there. Do you think I would tell you that I shaved my legs. I do that every week anyway. Alright, I gotta go. Talk to you tomorrow."
Natalie got up and it was then that she saw Clay sitting on the stairs.
"How long have you been there? Oh, god. Were you listening to my call?" Said Natalie.
"I have been here for awhile. I heard most of it I think. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop on you. I had no where else to go."
"Why aren't you hanging out with Jimmy? Oh, god .... He's fucking that whore again isn't he."
Clay just sat there and nodded.
"How much did you hear?" Asked Natalie.
"Pretty much all of it. You did the right thing."
"What do you mean I did the right thing? You think I don't know I did the right thing? I don't need your approval. Like a fifteen year old knows what is best for me." Said Natalie her face turning red.
"I'm eighteen, and I'm not judging you. I'm trying to support you. What you did was hard. I know that, but it's better in the long run. He's never going to change. Once a drunk, always a drunk .... Like my dad."
Natalie fumed. She paced the living room letting it all sink in. Clay just say quietly.
"Okay, you can hang out with me. I swear, I don't know what he sees in that cum dumpster."
"Really?"
"Really what?"
"You really don't know what he sees in her?"
Natalie was silent for a moment then snorted. "Okay, you're right. He's getting laid. That's what he sees in her."
Clay followed Natalie up the stairs. He had radar lock on her tight little ass in those Daisy Dukes. Natalie was five foot three and weighed a hundred pounds. Brunette with pert little A cup titties.
Natalie pointed for him to sit on her bed.
"God Clay, I can't believe that you are really eighteen. I remember when we first moved in, you were like eight years old." Said Natalie, reminiscing about the past.
"I was thirteen." Said Clay.
"Sorry Clay, I don't mean anything by it. You look how you look."
"I'm starting to grow. I out grew two pair of shoes this year, and I have outgrown my jeans too. Thank fully, I always wore them cuffed. I was able to undo the cuffs and still wear them."
"How is you mom?" Asked Natalie, gently. "Is she dating anyone.
Clay's dad had been killed in an accident a year earlier, hit by another drunk driver, a twenty year old from Arizona State. A drunk on drunk crash.
"She has a boyfriend. They are in Mexico for the long weekend." Said Clay stoically.
"Where's your sister?" Asked Natalie.
"She's at her dad's house in Scottsdale."
"So you have the house to yourself? Why are you here?"
Clay looked down and was quiet for a moment. "I guess I don't like being alone."
Natalie studied Clay. He seemed really sad. This wasn't the Clay she knew. With the exception of a few weeks after his dad died, she had never seen him down. All in all, Clay was a happy, sweet kid. He brought out the best in her brother. And that's saying something. Thought Natalie.
"Hey Clay, do you want to swim?"
"No, my trunks are still wet. You know how gross it is to put on a wet swimsuit." Said Clay glumly.
"Ah, c'mon. It will only be gross for a minute, and I don't want to swim alone. In fact its against house rules to swim alone."
Clay thought about it for a minute then got up and walked towards the back of the house.