I had an encounter with a very sweet young woman in Atlantic City. It brought the perfect end to a short trip that Linda and I shared in the middle of March in 1990. I had occasion to go to a convention as part of the research I was doing on a metal alloy that had recently become available. It showed promise of improving our sand casting operation. If it also had good machining properties, it might be something that we could use. I could get it written into the specifications of a small up-coming project and test it that way.
I planned to be gone four or five days depending on what travel arrangements I could make. I asked Linda to go with me. I told her that we could play together two of those days. I wanted to mix some pleasure with business.
We hadn’t ruled out the possibility of some extracurricular activity but neither of us planned for anything to happen. My intent was to have a good time with Linda.
Linda is very small and very pretty. She had turned forty years old in September the year before but could easily pass for thirty or even younger. The giggle in her talk and the wiggle in her walk, along with her shapely figure, blond hair and green eyes got her a lot of attention everywhere she went.
As fate would have it, an older gentleman by the name of Jerry Horn shared an elevator ride with Linda on the first morning we were there. He flirted with her. She has always been vulnerable to older men with just a touch of grey in their hair. She said that he was very smooth and she was impressed with him immediately. Linda allowed him to pick her up for an hour’s worth of conversation and a tour of the casino. Their relationship escalated quickly. I think, they both knew they only had a few days to make something happen. They both wanted something to happen.
Linda has written about this trip earlier. I read her account and learned a bit more detail than I wanted to know. We had our usual truth time after this trip and Linda had told me that they had been very nasty. She uses those same words when she talks about her adventures with Bobby Wilkinson. I knew that she meant anal sex. I could tell that she had enjoyed being with Jerry. That was enough for me. I didn’t ask any questions and she didn’t elaborate. That of course, is okay. I rarely tell her everything about my activities unless she asks.
I’m going to skip ahead and relate what I did the last night we were there. Linda spent the night with Jerry and she gave me a pass for a free hunt. That had never happened before. I was very excited with the possibilities of the situation.
I went to our hotel room, showered, shaved, and changed clothes so I would be fresh. I packed my light bag with the things I would need to spend the night elsewhere. I couldn’t stay in this room with a guest because Linda might need it. She wasn’t sure that her encounter with Jerry would work out. I planned to have a guest, so I would need another room.
I had met a woman that had offered to share her room with me. That happened at the meeting I had attended to discuss the new metal. I called her. She wasn’t available. That didn’t surprise me. She was a beautiful woman, away from home and it was her intent to get laid. I’m sure she had no trouble finding a playmate.
I walked across the street and down a block to another hotel. I took a room there. I went up to the room and dropped off my gear. I made sure that it had everything I needed and a well-stocked bar. I decided I could get by. There were even a half dozen single shot bottles of Crown Royal. It was time to go hunting. I checked my look in the mirror and found myself to be presentable.
I decided the best opportunities would lie in either a bar or a dance hall. In my opinion, a slow waltz is the fastest way to get up close and personal with a strange woman. I asked for directions and I was directed to a small dance club. I sat at the bar and had a drink while I surveyed the room.
Two ladies drew my attention immediately. The first was a pretty woman who appeared to be close to my age. She was sitting with a male companion. She was bubbling as they talked together. She appeared to be full of mirth and energy. I took her to be a tourist that doesn’t get away from home as often as she should. That’s my kind of girl. All I had to do was take her away from the guy she was sitting with.
The other was a cute younger woman sitting alone. She was drinking a coke and seemed to be in deep thought. She had a handbag and there was a small suitcase sitting under her table. She looked as if she was at the end of a long day. She was well dressed but not properly for this environment. She was out of place. I became curious to know her story. She appeared to be half my age and I almost decided she wasn’t what I was looking for.
The older gal’s escort stood and walked away from their table. I noticed that he had left his drink. That indicated that he was coming back.
I thought, “This might be my only chance.” I abandoned my interest in the younger girl and approached the older one. She was really my first choice anyway.
I approached her and said, “You are the prettiest woman in this room. Would you consider honoring me with a dance?”
She looked up at me and beamed. Her smile was bright like a candle in the dark. She said, “Oh you beautiful man. I would love to but my husband will be back in ten minutes.”
That had been a nice answer. It boosted my ego but it did take the wind out of my sails. I wouldn’t entice her to cheat even if I could. I thought, “What the hell, she is very pretty. Dance with her anyway.” I held out my hand, gave her my best smile and said, “I am Luke Bowman. Give me five of those ten minutes.”
Her smile became even brighter as she took my hand. She said, “You have a silver tongue, Mr. Bowman. Please call me Kate. My husband won’t mind if I dance with you.” I helped her from her seat and led her to the dance floor. She came easily into my arms and we danced well together.
I whispered in her ear, “Please call me Luke.”
She whispered, “Luke,” and moved in closer to me. She allowed me full-length body contact as she snuggled in even closer. The monster moved and she felt it. I felt her laugh under her breath.
She said, “You are wearing some lucky woman’s ring.” She asked, “Where is your wife?”
I answered her truthfully. I simply said, “She is not with me tonight.”
Kate said, “You are terrible, Luke. You are a long way from home and looking for a bed partner.” She paused and said, “Oh God, I haven’t felt this way in a long time. I fell in love with you when you first smiled at me. I would get into a lot of trouble with you if I were here alone.”
I guided her into the dark and kissed her without even thinking about it. She bubbled with excitement and shared herself with me for a moment. She broke the kiss and said, “I think you are the Devil, Luke Bowman. Please take me back to my table before I agree to sneak off into the night with you.”
We beat her husband to the table and I didn’t have to interact with him. I left her there flushed and fanning herself. Her reaction to me had sent my ego into orbit. I felt like Jack, the giant killer. I believed I could have any woman in the room. That is a very good feeling for a man as far beyond his youth as I am.
I looked at the younger girl. She was still my second choice. A young Hispanic man was sitting with her now. I thought, “Maybe I fucked-up by dancing with Kate and lost my chance with this one.” I went a bit out of my way to walk near them on my way back to my place at the bar.
I noticed that he was holding her wrist forcefully. I heard her give him an emphatic, “No,” as I walked by. He didn’t let go of her. She was struggling with him and at the same time trying not to make a scene.
I sat at the bar and sipped my drink while I watched them. I sized the young man up. He was about five-six in height and couldn’t have weighed more than one-sixty. I thought, “He is a little light to be a badass.”
Her struggle became slightly more desperate. When I saw that, it took me less than a second to decide to take a hand in their game.
I walked up behind him and grasped his little pencil neck in my strong right hand. I squeezed him hard. His right hand went to his hip pocket. I squeezed harder and said, “Freeze.” He froze.
I said, “Now, listen to me. You can’t have this girl. She is my niece.” I continued, “If you come out of that pocket with a weapon, I will shove it up your ass, pinch your head off and roll it down that aisle like a bowling ball. Both of his hands came slowly into my field of view. They were empty.
Having been freed, the girl sat up in her chair and moved back a bit.
I asked the man, “When I release you, what is your plan?”
He answered in heavily accented English. He hadn’t been in this country long. He said, “I do not fear you, Hombre. I could cut you up like a jigsaw puzzle. When you release me, I will leave this place. I choose not to go to jail tonight.”
I said, “I don’t care why you leave so long as you leave.” I prepared to pinch his head off if need be. I squeezed him even harder for a second and then released him. He rubbed his neck as he left his seat and moved for the exit.
I watched him until he was out of sight and then turned my attention back to the girl. She said, “Thank you. Please sit with me for a few minutes in case he decides to come back.” She paused and then said, “I really do have an uncle that is much like you. He is a farmer in Kansas and he is very strong. He has always loved me. He would have hurt that man.”
I said, “My name is Luke Bowman. What is yours?”
She turned her bag so that I could read the nametag. It said, “Kandi Kain.”
I laughed and said, “I think I deserve to know your real name.”