Nick's Note: While I may write about my erotic interludes with a variety of women, I am not promiscuous. I do not 'hunt' women, visit brothels, or solicit streetwalkers. My stories cross a time line of thirty years or so, and my relationships with the ladies in these stories have lasted for any number of years; one in particular has continued off and on for the last twenty-five. I had the honor of being allowed to carry one of these true friends to her grave. All of these beautiful ladies know that all they have to do is call, and I will be there, as a friend. However, with that being said, if one calls wanting my body, I'm always early.
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I had been out of the service a little over two years, had a steady job, and was living in a house on twelve acres of Missouri rock that was covered in white oak and scrub cedar.
With letting my hair and beard grow, if it wasn't for the job, and visits to the tattoo parlor, I could've made the cover of 'Recluse Monthly'.
Living alone suited me. The thought of getting into another relationship just to have it taken away, made living alone very appealing; besides, Annie would visit my dreams every night.
I kept busy; remodeled the house, built a garage, started writing and drawing a bit, read a lot; mostly history, Native-American culture and some oriental philosophy; and tried damn hard not to look back at yesterday or hope for tomorrow.
I was headed home from work one nasty November evening when I spotted a Marine trying to hitch a ride. This was during the bullshit about 'baby killers' and the anti-war demonstrations. I pulled over.
The best way I can describe this is; a bald headed bear threw a duffle in the back seat and climbed in the front with his paw out, growling, "The name is Steve, my friends call me Joker, and if you ain't my friend tonight, then no mother fucker is."
"Nick." And I waited for the pain as my hand disappeared in his.
Turned out he lived a good ways past me, and to quote, "I'm a free man now. I'm a free man and alive to boot. I got me a sweet old lady and I'm goin' to show her just how fuckin' alive I am."
I took him all the way home. As we pulled up to the house, the porch light came on and the front door opened. He got out of the car and stood there. A woman came flyin' across the yard and leapt into his arms. She was cryin' and he was laughin' while they spun in circles.
Joker finally put her down, stuck his head in the door and invited me in.
"Naw, it looks like you got some business to attend to."
He took a look at the woman, and then turned back saying, "You got that right! Say, you know Pete's Inn? Well, you just get your ass over there tomorrow night. I owe you big time man and I don't forget shit like that. You be there!"
I watched him throw the duffle over one shoulder and a kicking, laughing, screaming woman over the other. I could still hear him laughing as I pulled on to the main road.
Joker's crowd was an extended family of people that weren't afraid of anyone or anything. People that looked life in the eye, insisting that it give them its best shot; and when life thought it had won, they'd spit on it and demand another round.
Good people, one and all, they drew me in, let me be quiet like I am, but listened when I did have something to add. They made me feel at home. They made me feel like I wanted this to be home.
I woke up the next morning with something worse than a hangover. I was lonely. I lay there watching the sunrise through the trees, weighing the contentment of my life to date against the ups and downs of friendships...
I woke up Joker. Made him sit in his kitchen, drink coffee and listen to me. I started to tell him parts of a story so that maybe he would understand why I was backing off from their offer of friendship. I got as far as Annie dying...
"Fuck! You woke me up for this shit? Fuck Nick, get over it! Get laid! I'm goin' back to bed." He got as far as the door and turned with, "Let me know how it turns out." I could hear him mumbling, just like the bear he was, as he walked down the hall.
His wife, Connie was in the kitchen with us, and as she heard the bedroom door shut, sat down next to me saying, "He can be such an asshole sometimes. You really loved her, didn't you?"
"Still do."
"That's ok. There's nothing wrong with that, Nick. You didn't get to tell her goodbye, did you?"
"No."
"Yeah... Now I'm going to tell you a little story. Joker and I had us a baby daughter. She was born with a congenital defect of her heart. There wasn't anything that anybody could do for her, so we brought her home, and we loved her, and we watched her die a little bit at a time. I could almost envy you, Nick."
She was crying as she stood up and walked to the window, hell, she had me wanting to cut loose. I followed her, turned her around and gave her a big hug that she returned. She finally let up, took a little step back, smiled, and put her hand on my cheek, saying, "Now that wasn't too bad, was it?"
I smiled.
"Now you go on and do like he said, but play nice, always play nice."
Connie and Joker aren't together anymore; they're still friends and still spend a lot of time with and for each other. I go to Joker for answers. I go to Connie for wisdom.
I said goodbye to Annie, got laid a couple of times, bought an old Harley dresser that I stripped down, and never looked back, until I started writing again.
During the summer months, Pete would have a band on Friday nights. Pete was tellin' Joker and me about his problems with the local heat and underage drinkers, adding, "Joker, I want you to be my bouncer. Nick, I know you don't have a mean bone in your body, but you look the part and sometimes that's all it takes. I want you checkin' IDs at the door."
So we did it for friendship and beer.
We never had any problems; Joker is a big dude, most of the people there knew him, and knew what he was capable of.
A fine lookin' middle age woman came in alone the night of the last band date of the year. Damn, she smelled good. I had seen her around a few times and there was no mistaking the fact that she wasn't underage; but she looked and smelled so damn good; and since you never know what you can do till you try...
"I need to see some ID."
"Oh, well that's so sweet of you, but we both know it isn't really necessary, don't we?"
"I need to see some ID."
"Come on, you've got to be kidding me! Are you blind or something?"
"You don't want to mess around with me little girl."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Cause I'll fuck that tight little ass of yours and then I'll stick my dic in your mouth", as I tried to twist around to look at her butt.
She acted shocked and left in a hurry, but returned a couple of minutes later; shoving her license at me.
"Are you happy now?"
"Trust me. No", as she watched me try to look at her butt again.
She came back out around midnight and handed me a beer with, "So...you like what you see?"
