*Author's Note: Any and all persons engaging in any sexual activity are at least eighteen years of age.
Thelma saw the girl walking down Barcelona Drive, apparently limping. Thelma knew it was at least two miles to the nearest residence, a complex of Townhouses. She also knew the girl did not live in that complex; she had a townhouse there and knew all of her neighbors.
If anything, the African-American girl lived in the apartments nearly three miles down. It was a long walk on a normal day, but on this hot and humid early summer day in Pinoak, Louisiana, it was a miserable trek.
Thelma guessed the girl had been at the Pinoak Community Athletics Club, most likely the swimming pool. She deduced this from the threadbare towel draped over the girl's shoulder as the girl trudged along the side of the asphalt road.
The girl had on a black tee shirt that had been ripped to expose her back to just below where her bra strap would be and blue jeans shorts that had been ripped or cut off to expose a good portion of her chocolate brown buttocks.
"Why do African-American girls have such delectable bums," Thelma Byrd wondered aloud as she slowed and passed the girl.
The girl had a pretty face, a square face under a mop of black curls, large brown eyes, a straight nose and pouting lips and a square jaw.
"No, no, they're called 'Dreadlocks' not curls," Thelma said as she pulled over to the shoulder of the road.
The African-American girl slowed her stride, regarding the Cadillac with some suspicion.
"Hi; it's just too hot for you to be trudging on this road, don't you think?" Thelma called out through the open passenger window.
The girl smiled in relief, realizing it was a woman behind the wheel, not some creepy old white guy, like the last driver that had pulled over and accosted her.
"Hey," she said as she approached the car.
"Hop in; I'll give you a lift," Thelma smiled, hitting the door lock button.
"Thanks; stupid flip flop tore all up," the girl said as she opened the door of the car.
To demonstrate, she held up her right foot to show that, indeed, the strap that went from her toe insert to the inside portion of the sole had ripped.
"Well, that explains why you are just hobbling about," Thelma agreed.
The girl smiled at Thelma's odd accent as she slid into the car.
A car travelling east blew its horn as it passed them.
"Oh stuff it, bloody wanker, I'm well off the road," Thelma spat at the horn blower.
"Where you from?" the African-American girl asked with some amusement.
"Originally? Hadley Court, Merry Old England," Thelma smiled. "But I've been here in the States now for going on thirty years now."
"I been here all my life," the girl said. "Well, my Nana and me? We was living in Waters. Ooh girl, you don't want be anywhere near that place, know what I'm saying?"
"Well, where to now?" Thelma smiled as she prepared to put the car into drive. "You certainly were not going toward Waters, now were you?"
"Barcelona Circle; them apartments right there," the girl said and Thelma nodded.
"By the way, I'm Thelma Byrd," she said as she checked for any traffic before pulling back onto the road.
"I'm Fiona; see, my momma was all up into Fiona Apple and since we Applewhite, she's thinking that it would be all cool give me that name," the girl said.
"That is pretty cool," Thelma agreed.
The speed limit was thirty five miles an hour; Thelma was one of the few people that actually did travel the speed limit. Most people took the road at fifty, sixty mph.
"Well, I'm just up a bit; Courtyard Townhouses," Thelma nodded. "Unit two oh two."
"Them condos right up here on the left?" Fiona asked. "Ooh, I always wanted see what they look like up on the inside; they so fine looking outside, know what I'm saying?
"Well, I've got some cold things I simply must put up before taking you the rest of the way; mind love?" Thelma said, seeing a slight opening.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah, my Nana ain't expecting me back any time soon, know what I'm saying?" Fiona agreed.
Thelma put her blinker on and slowed to make the turn.
"Take it you've had you a bit of a dip?" Thelma asked as she slowed to go over the speed bump in the parking lot.
"Huh?" Fiona asked, tearing her eyes from gaping at the exterior of the stylish looking structures.
"Been swimming?" Thelma asked.
"Huh? Oh yeah, yeah, see? Got my bathing suit on under this," Fiona agreed, lifting the hem of her torn tee shirt.
When Fiona lifted the torn hem of her tee shirt, Thelma's rear tires jostled over the speed bump. When the car jostled, Fiona also caught the bottom of her bikini top in her fingers. Thelma caught a glimpse of Fiona's nicely formed breast and dark nipple.
With a gasp, Fiona pulled both tee shirt and bikini top down.
Thelma stepped out of the car, pulled the lever for the trunk, and stepped around to the rear of the car.
"Just went to market," she explained as she dug a few bags of groceries out of the trunk.
"Oh here, let me help you," Thelma grabbed the remaining bags and followed Thelma into the unit.
"Ooh," Fiona sighed, looking around the spacious living room.
The room was sixteen feet wide by sixteen feet long. The far wall was at a forty five degree angle, a stone fireplace in the center of that wall. Beyond that was a hallway.
The living room was furnished with white leather sofa, white leather recliner, and white leather loveseat and large white leather ottoman.
There were bookshelves along the walls that extended from front door to fireplace.
A glass table sat next to the loveseat and had a crystal lamp. There was a glass coffee table in front of the sofa and a glass table next to the sofa, with a matching crystal lamp.
Just past the fireplace was a small glass table with four white leather chairs around the table.
"And right in here," Thelma said, stepping into the kitchen and placing her grocery sacks on the counter. "Might as well just leave your thongs by the front door; there's no hot asphalt in her burn those tootsies."
"Leave my what?" Fiona asked.
"Thongs, those, those, whatever you call those things on your feet," Thelma said, pointing to Fiona's torn footwear.
"Oh!" Fiona laughed.
The black girl pointed to her denim shorts.