When Gina Met Tammy...

When Gina Met Tammy...Ch.12

On their last day in Texas, Tammy gets to see the origin of Gina's wealth.

Then the long drive home begins.

TAMMY:

Butterfly kisses woke me up Friday morning. When my eyes opened, Gina was in front of my face, smiling. She kissed me and said, "Wakey-wakey, my love." I buried my face in the pillow and begged for 5 more minutes, but she grabbed my ass and squeezed, telling me "C'mon, sweet-cheeks, we gotta get up so we can get goin'. It's 'bout an hour's drive t' where I'm takin' ya an' I wanna get there so we can see all th' good shit at th' flea market 'fore it gets sold out."

Reluctantly, I got out of bed and went to the bathroom -- thank God for odor neutralizer spray!

After I finished and brushed my teeth, Gina went in for her turn. Jerry's shrill whistle for the dog's breakfast rang out while I waited on her, then we got in the shower to get ready for our last day in Texas.

After drying off and getting our hair in shape, we dressed in comfortable T shirts and cargo shorts. Gina told me to wear tennis shoes, since we'll be walking a lot on dusty, uneven ground. In the kitchen, Jerry and Marcie were having some of the pie we'd brought and coffee, so that's what we had for breakfast, too. It was some of the most delicious pie I've ever had!

Jerry said, "So y'all are goin' down the Cap t'day? Tammy, yer 'bout t' see a whole other world, but it ain't even a tenth o' what our state has t' offer." I said I was ready, although I was wondering what was next on my mystery tour. We finished the pie and Gina told them we'd probably be back in time for supper. Jerry said he was going to 'throw some stuff on the grill', and we'd probably eat around 6:00 or 6:30. Marcie asked if we wanted to borrow some ball caps to wear, since it was supposed to be sunny and hot today, but Gina said she planned on stopping at one of the booths at the flea market to get us some straw cowboy hats.

Marcie laughed and said, "Ya better watch out, Tammy. Next she'll be teachin' ya t' Two-Step an' line dance!" Gina put her finger to her lips and said, "Shhh...I ain't told her 'bout that part o' the plan yet!" Laughing, we said goodbye and left, stopping in town for more coffee before heading out.

GINA:

On the way, Tammy asked me exactly what the Cap is. I told her it's where the Caprock ends, and that this part of Texas was weird. Where we were is called the Caprock, the High Plains, the South Plains, West Texas, the

Llano Estacado,

the Panhandle -- any of those names, plus probably more. Because I'm not a geologist, I couldn't explain why, but when we drop off of the Caprock, we're going to get into land that's a lot different than here. Instead of nothing but 'flat' and farmland, where we're going is a lot more rugged, with slow rolling hills and hard ground. I told her all she was going to see was scrub brush and mesquite for miles. It's where the economy really changes from farming to ranching and oil being the main revenue sources.

We'd seen a few pump jacks around my hometown, where small oil deposits were found, but I told Tammy just wait, there's more. Sure enough, the closer we got, we saw more and more of the contraptions, their grasshopper-shaped heads bobbing up and down sucking the oil out of the ground. I said when we got to Granpa Jake's old ranch, she was going to see hundreds of them churning away. The landscape was slowly changing, and when we hit the 'drop-off' point, all Tammy could say was "Oh, SHIT!" Miles and miles of green and brown brush dotted with scraggly mesquite trees and pump jacks filled our view now as we descended into the alien world.

It's been several years, but I remembered enough to get us to the flea market. As usual, it was hot, dry, and dusty. We did beat the crowds, though, so we started walking through the various booths and buildings. I bought us a couple of straw hats like I'd said I would -- these were 'pre-stressed', and I giggled and told Tammy she looked like Debra Winger in 'Urban Cowboy'.

In one of the buildings there was a store that sold boots, and I took Tammy in there. We tried on boots until we found some we liked. Tammy got a pair that was dark brown on the foot part, lighter brown on the top, and had inlays of red roses. A Texas flag covered about a third of the rear shaft, and the 1 ½ inch riding heels really made her butt pop! When I'd moved to Durango, I had to throw my old boots out, since they were beat up and needed resoling, and getting a nice new pair felt good. Mine were a lighter shade of brown all over, and had a waving American flag as the inlay on the front shaft, completed by riding heels also. We wore them for our whole shopping trip, starting to get them broken in. I told Tammy that we were ready now to go to a club in Durango that she'd told me had Country Western nights once a week -- after I teach her to dance, that is.

Tammy was having fun buying souvenirs for herself and to send to Keme and Angie. One of her favorites was shirts that had the slogan 'Lucky Me -- I Love a Texan' on it (I liked that!). She actually got 3 different ones -- a tank top, a T shirt, and a sweatshirt. We shopped for about 3 hours and had a couple of bags of goodies when we stopped to get some

carne asada

burritos for dinner. They came with a salsa that wasn't quite as hot as Miguel's, but it still lit her mouth on fire and she ended up drinking her soda and part of mine to quench the burning!

Hot, dusty, and tired, we made our way back to the car and took off our boots. Tammy kissed me and thanked me, then we drove a few miles to where Granpa Jake's ranch had been. The main gate was closed off, but the sign above it marked the site as the 'Markson Field'. It had 'Posted -- No Trespassing' signs posted all along the barbed wire fence boundary, but from the road we could see hundreds of pump jacks working away. I said, "There it is, baby. That's where our money is coming from." Tammy wrinkled her nose at the smell of the crude oil, but I laughed and told her it smelled like Benjamins to me.

TAMMY:

This state never ceases to amaze me. What Gina takes for granted is a whole new experience for me, and I'm loving it. I've been taking as many pictures as I can, and I'm glad I can upload everything to the iCloud or else my phone would probably be full.

We'd turned around and were heading back towards 'civilization' when Gina stopped suddenly and pointed to some mesquite trees on the side of the road, telling me to look at the base of the trees. I saw my first live nine-banded armadillo digging in the dirt and managed to get some great pictures of it! When it burrowed its way down out of sight (she said they like to eat the roots of the mesquite), she pointed out some dark clusters with tiny whitish berries in the tops of the mesquite trees, and said that was wild mistletoe. After getting some shots of that, we kept going, heading up onto the Caprock again.

Gina started driving towards Lubbock. She said she wasn't going into the city, and that it would take at least 3 or 4 days to really explore this area, but she was going to a winery just outside of Lubbock, called Caprock Winery. I was surprised to find out that besides cotton, the Lubbock area had some award-winning wines that were made here.

Once we got there, we passed on the tasting tour since Gina is driving, but she remembered a couple of types that were good. There was one called 'White Gold' (named after what cotton is called) and the other is 'Flirt'. They weren't expensive, but Gina said she thought I'd like them. We bought a case of each, planning on giving some to Marcie and taking the rest home.

We were back into the 'flat' again, and Gina started back towards her hometown, on a different road than we'd come in on. To pass the time and keep myself from nodding off, I asked Gina what the weather was like here in winter, since it gets so hot in the summer. She chuckled and said that because the Arctic Express would come barreling down the Plains, and there's nothing to slow it down like mountains or trees. The freezing wind would meet the moist warm air from the Gulf. This resulted in snow and ice, usually before we even got any in the Northeast. I doubted her at first, but a quick search on earliest winter precipitation proved she was right!

GINA:

In a way, I'm getting to see all of these things that I'm familiar with the fresh eyes of Tammy, and it's been a blast. I went by the grocery store when we got back to town, buying a case of the Ranch Style beans that Tammy loved. We made it back to Jerry and Marcie's house, and Marcie had just gotten home, her bank having closed at 4:00. We went in with 2 bottles of each of the wines we'd bought. Marcie loved the wines, and put the bottles in the fridge to chill, saying she'd never had the White Gold but had drank the Flirt, and it was an excellent wine.

Tammy and I went to take a quick shower to rinse the dust off and changed into clean shorts and shirts, with Tammy wearing her new 'Lucky Me -- I Love a Texan' tank top. I can tell this is going to be one of my favorites when we DO wear clothes, because she was so damn cute, I could hardly stand it. She put on her boots and hat and had me take some pictures of her in that. Marcie said the same thing I had, that she looked like Sissy in 'Urban Cowboy'.

While we were showering, Marcie had changed into shorts and a T shirt, and freed her 'girls' from their confines. I have to admit, Jerry married a gorgeous woman. Her butt was firm, and her boobs, that looked like maybe 36C size, strained against the cotton T shirt, little tents forming where her nipples poked out. She poured us a glass of sweet tea and Tammy sat with me on the couch, setting up a folder to share all of her pictures and videos with Keme and Angie, instead of attaching a few at a time to a text message. We were all sitting there chatting about what we'd done today when Jerry came in a few minutes later, carrying two bags of groceries with him.

He walked in, giving a low whistle and clutching his chest, saying "Oh, damn, I've died and gone to horny man's heaven!" We all giggled and he said as soon as he changed, he had some news about the Stevie saga. He was laughing, so I guess it can't be too bad!

He came back wearing shorts and a T shirt, and grabbed a beer from the fridge. Kissing Marcie, he sat down and began "Okay, it seems like Steve has swollen, bruised testicles and 2 broken toes. Good job, Gina! Anyway, his ol' man went stormin' into Sparky's office this mornin' demandin' that he arrest ya on assault an' battery, an' damn near blew a gasket when Sparky told him he ain't got a case, an' there's 2 videos t' prove it was self-defense."

We were laughing, and Jerry continued, "Then, ol' Frank thought he'd try and scare Sparky with that 'Don't ya know who I am' crap. He was sayin' he'd go t' th' mayor an' have Sparky's job. Sparky laughed in his face an' told him he'd already talked t' th' mayor, and showed him th' videos, so Frank could take his threats an' shove 'em. Then he told Frank t' get th' hell out of his office an' if he wanted t' start some shit, t' call me."

TAMMY:

Gina whooped and gave Jerry a high-five, then leaned over and gave me a quick smooch. Marcie had been sitting there holding Jerry's hand, laughing along with us, then she got up and dragged Jerry over towards the kitchen. She said, "If y'all will 'scuse us just a sec, girls, I gotta consult with my attorney." Gina and I looked at each other questioningly.

Coming back, Marcie grinned and said she'd just had to check with Jerry to see how much she could say without saying something that would get her in trouble. She said, "Gina, after ya left fer Austin a few years back, things 'round here started changin' a little. Y'know us Texans, we don't do nothin' fast, but people just started gettin' fed up with th' Carters thinkin' they was kings an' we're just their peasants. Anyway, t' protect my job, I can't say much, but it seems like a few federal Alphabet Agencies have taken an interest in th' Carter's business and some o' his hirin' practices. My branch has been busy fer months fillin' requests fer information."

A slow grin started spreading over Gina's face as Jerry added, "So, Gina, I don't think th' Carters are gonna be any more problem fer ya. They're buried up t' their necks in their own shit." Since I don't know the whole history of the Carters, I'm kind of in the dark, but it sounds like a classic 'the emperor has no clothes' situation.

Gina explained some of it to me, telling me the Carters have been hiring illegals over the years, but had bribed, lied, and bullied their way out of trouble every time questions were asked. The same thing applies to how they acquired some of their 'assets', getting them under suspicious circumstances. Giggling, she turned to Jerry and Marcie and said, "At least, I think that what these fine folks are tryin' so hard not t' tell me is th' Carter house o' cards is collapsin'!" Marcie pointed at Gina then put her fingertip on her nose in the symbol of 'you got it' and she and Jerry burst out laughing.

GINA:

Jerry got up and said, "Okay, kids, speakin' o' peasants, it's time fer us peons t' work. Y'all gonna have t' earn yer supper tonight." We all moved to the kitchen, and under Jerry's directions, started getting things ready for the grill. He said that basically we were going to have kabobs but without the sticks.

Marcie got a large bowl of water to start soaking some corn on the cob (with husks), while Tammy and I were tasked with cleaning and quartering some onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos. Marcie went out to start the grill heating and Jerry was slicing and seasoning some thick steaks into chunks, making enough to feed us and cutting up some extra pieces for Rufus and Doofus. Marcie came back and gave us a platter for our veggies, then put the corn on the platter, washed the bowl and put a pile of frozen shrimp in it.

Tammy helped them carry the trays of food out to the enormous grill, then Marcie and Jerry started grilling, and Marcie directed us to get a stack of paper plates, silverware and condiments (garlic butter, salt and pepper) and we set the table. There was a large trash can on the deck, so I moved it over by the table for our corn husks and trash. Meanwhile, Rufus and Doofus maintained a vigil by the grill, happily chomping the pieces of raw meat that Jerry would toss to them, even though they'd already scarfed down their evening meal.

Marcie asked us to open the Flirt wine, saying it would go good with the meal, and we poured a glass for each for us girls and got a fresh beer for Jerry. Pretty soon, a cornucopia of grilled foods was on the table, and we all sat down and dug in. Oh, it was so good! These two really knew their way around a grill and everything was done just right. I told Tammy we might have to get a grill of our own, and she said we could think about it after we worked off the 30 pounds that she felt like she's gained on this trip! I think she may be exaggerating just a little, but she's right. We have been putting away some delicious, BIG meals. I'd like to start working out again myself, so I guess our home gym is going to be the first priority.

TAMMY:

Once again, we stuffed ourselves. The Flirt wine was excellent, with peachy overtones and a very fruity taste that went great with the spices from the food. When we had finished, Marcie got the last of the coconut cream pie and we had that for dessert, then sat at the table in a food coma for a while.

When we were finally able to move, we cleaned up. There weren't any leftovers to speak of, so everything went in the trash, and I took the full bag out to their garbage bins. Everyone was laughing as they carefully avoided Rufus and Doofus, who were sprawled out on the deck in their own food comas, unaware or uncaring of the humans stepping over them.

Going inside, Marcie poured some of the White Gold wine for us while Jerry got himself a glass of Scotch. The wine was a blend of Pinot Grigio and some others, and it was fantastic. Marcie loved it too, and thanked us again for bringing it.

Gina excused herself to go to the bathroom, and I asked Marcie and Jerry if they'd ever heard her sing. They both said no, and I told them they should get her to play some songs for them, because she was really good. I got up and went to the car to get her guitar, putting it down beside the couch.

When Gina came back in the room, she saw the guitar and shot me an accusing stare. I put on my best innocent face and she said "Alright, what's this lil' vixen been tellin' y'all?" Marcie giggled and said, "Gina, yer darlin' girl says ya pick a pretty mean guitar. We kinda hoped ya might play somethin' for us." Looking at me, Gina said, "Okay, missy, that's extra lashes fer ya when I lock ya up back home!" Laughing, she got out the guitar and picked up a hollow tube from the case. Slipping it over her pinky finger, she saw my puzzled look and said it was a finger slide. I've never seen her play with it, so this should be cool.

She warmed up a little, then told us all, "Now, my finger slidin' ain't all that good, but I'll try to get as close t' th' sound as I can." She proceeded to play "London Homesick Blues" by Gary P. Nunn, and had us all nodding and rocking back and forth while she played and sang. It was really marvelous, and we all clapped when she finished.

GINA:

I was surprised when Tammy pulled this stunt, but really, I don't mind singing for my friends. After the first song, I dropped the slide back in the case and did the Jim Croce song, "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song". Giggling while strumming some random chords, I told Jerry and Marcie, "Y'all are gonna have t' excuse me, but it seems like lately, all I can think of is love songs." They both looked at Tammy and smiled, and I played Dolly's "I Will Always Love You". Next, I did "I Don't Want to Miss A Thing" from Aerosmith.

Jerry had his arm around Marcie, and I was glad they were enjoying my playing. I looked at Tammy and blew her a kiss, then launched into the Eagles "Peaceful Easy Feeling". When I finished that, I picked up the finger slide again and told Tammy "Baby, th' other night, I played this on just th' guitar, but Anne Murray recorded one version with some slide in it, an' I'm gonna try that one." Then, to Jerry and Marcie, I said, "Alright folks, fer our last number tonight, we have "Could I Have This Dance." Now y'all remember, T shirts and souvenirs are on sale in th' lobby after th' show."

Finishing my impromptu concert, I put my guitar away, seeing Marcie and Jerry gazing into each other's eyes. They shared a loving kiss, and when I sat down by Tammy, she kissed me, too. They all thanked me, and said it was great, making me feel good. I smiled at Tammy and said "I'm gonna get ya fer that!" She giggled and replied, "Hey, sweetheart, turnabout is fair play. You keep flashing the picture of my painting around, so..." I held up my hands in surrender, since it was true.

We sat there in the living room for a couple of hours, talking about a variety of things. Jerry told me that he'd have the will would be ready Monday, and he would send it to me via FedEx. He said we'd need to get a 2 people to witness the signing, and I said that wouldn't be any problem.

As far as the gift for Keme and Angie, Jerry said he was still checking the laws in Connecticut. Tammy gave him the name and number of an attorney for the Pequots, since the rules for Native Americans might be different for something like this. Jerry thanked her, and promised to get on it right away. After telling them good night, we went to our bedroom for our last night in Texas.