Author's note: This fictional tale includes interracial incest, mature and group sex, and a bit of violence (non-sexual). All depicted sex involves live humans aged 18+. This is a requested alternate version of AS SIMPLE AS BLACK AND WHITE? with significant changes to relationships. Thoughts expressed are not necessarily those of the author. I welcome your constructive feedback.
*****
Faces in mirror are closer than they appear
The tall black girl's name tag claimed she was Dora. As she rang-up my purchases at the stop-n-rob's battered register, she asked, "I seen you a lot, fella, ever since I started this job - d'y'all live around here?"
"No, I'm down from Fontana. My aunt's house is nearby. I look after her." I eyed Dora's buoyant boobs filling her tight uniform blouse and paid in cash.
"Wow! So you come all the way here to Long Beach, like what, every two-three days, and you're always buying her groceries and shit?"
"Yeah, I'm a good nephew, and there's nobody else around."
I hoisted the bag holding milk, bread, lunchmeat, eggs, a few veggies - nothing super-fresh but not too old either. At least this corner gas-n-food joint has pretty fast turnover. Nothing smelled bad. And unlike the typical 'convenience' store sale, mine did not include cigarettes, booze, jerky, or Lotto tickets.
Dora called out as I pushed open the security-bar-covered glass door, "See ya next time, fella!" I waved back at her and got a bright smile in return.
I walked down the messy residential block to Aunt Vanessa's tidy expanded "California Bungalow" from the 1920's, rimmed by a tall 'firethorn' pyracantha hedge. My scruffy old Volvo was parked in front. I unlocked the hedge gate, threw the latches on her door's five locks, relocked once I was inside, unloaded the food in the kitchen, gave the living room a quick squirt with air freshener, and then tip-toed to the furthest bedroom to check on Nessie.
As usual, my aunt was asleep. I woke her and got her cleaned, dressed, and fed. I did not know how long I could continue this. She slept more and more. Eventually, she would have to be institutionalized - I saw no way to avoid it. It was only a matter of time. The paperwork was already in process.
That was Tuesday. I returned on Thursday for the same routine. Well, not quite the same.
*****
"Does your aunt ever go shopping or anything?" Dora asked when I brought my first armful of fairly fresh foods to the counter.
I brushed my sandy hair from my eyes. "No, she never goes out. She has problems."
"What kind problems? D'ya mind if I ask?"
I went to the back of the little store to look at canned goods.
"Her name's Vanessa; I call her Nessie 'cause she's sorta like the Loch Ness Monster - just as hidden, and maybe near extinction. You won't see Nessie outside. She's got extreme agoraphobia, rabid paranoia of outdoors and open spaces. And she has some kind of narcolepsy, always sleeping unexpectedly. And there's a few other problems. Her life is all inside her house."
"Wow, that's the shits. What are you..."
Dora was interrupted when the store door opened and two sloppily-dressed Latino guys entered. They looked around nervously and pulled snub-nosed revolvers. They pointed the barrels of their Saturday Night Specials at Dora. I smelled a taint of old sweat. I do not think they noticed me in the back of the store at first.
"Okay beetch, open the focking register, c'mon, empty eet, now, NOW!" the taller asshole yelled.
The shorter shithead saw me then, and waved his pistol at me. I stood only ten feet away.
"Hey,
mericón
, get your faggot ass up here, no tricks now!"
I put my hands in the air. I saw Dora look at me. I jerked my head to the side.
"Huh? What?" Dora asked, startled.
Both slime-bags looked at her when she spoke. That was my cue. I was next to a shelf of canned slop. My hand moved quickly. I pitched a can of overpriced
chili con carne
underhand, rather hard. It bounced off the back of the shorter turd's head with a 'thud'. His partner spun towards me, just in time to receive a can of his own, dead-on to the middle of his forehead. Another thud. Both went down, fast.
I quick-stepped up front and kicked their heads, hard enough for concussions but not fractures, probably. Then I kicked their revolvers away from their limp hands.
"I already hit the alarm button," Dora breathed. "Cops'll be here quick."
I kicked the assholes' heads again, just to make sure they would not get up anytime soon. An ounce of prevention, y'know.
A black-and-white rolled up front maybe a minute later. A second was right behind. The first cop through the door had his service revolver out. His partner held an alley-sweeper shotgun at the ready. Dora and I stood quietly, she behind the counter, me in front, both or us with our hands visible.
"Hey there Dora, having fun without us, huh? What we got here? Oh, it's LuÃs and Ferdé!" The first cop grinned as he holstered his piece and kicked the pistols on the floor toward his partner.
"Hiya there Teddy. These dickless dipshits cruised in, waved their little toys around. But my friend here took care of them." Dora looked over the counter and down at the floor. "Dennison's chili, huh? I knew that shit had to be good for *something* besides laxatives. Hey guy," she laughed at me, "that was pretty good throwing!"
"I'm a star pitcher in my softball league. I don't usually throw beanballs, but there's a time for everything," I admitted.
The second cop had safed his shotgun and called an ambulance. The backup fuzz stood nearby pretending to be useful while they eyeballed Dora. As paramedics hauled the cuffed turds away, the first cop, Teddy, who looked to be Cambodian, asked Dora, "Does your friend here have a name?"
I carefully pulled I.D. from my wallet and passed it over. "I'm Rory Cooper VanOwen."
Dora did a double-take. "Cooper? That's my middle name too! What's happenin', cuz?"
Picture us: Dora was WAY darker than café au lait, and I was almost as light as vanilla ice cream. Dora looked about a decade younger than my thirty-five years and she almost matched my six-foot height. We were about equally thin. We both looked to be in good shape. But we sure did not look related, not with our skin tones and not much with our faces. Well, maybe our eyes...
Officer Teddy glanced up from my I.D. "You're a long way from Fontana, Mr VanOwen."
"My senior aunt lives nearby. I'm pretty much her only caretaker for now."
"Well, you just take extra care of your own self. Messing with punks like these can be hazardous to your health, even worse than smoking. Hey Dora, gimmee a pack of Camels, okay?" He pocketed the smokes, and then looked at me again. "Cooper, Cooper... you any relation to Vanessa Cooper Nelson on Walnut Street? Been here since forever?"
I was impressed by his local knowledge. "Yeah, that's my aunt."
Officer Teddy whistled tunelessly and shook his head. "You got your work cut out for you, I gotta say. How's she doing now?"
"Not great. And I've got to get back to her pretty soon. You need me here any longer?"
"Well, a statement from you would be good, but I'll bet the surveillance cameras will show all we need to ice these shitheads for a while. Naw, that's okay. Get going now. If we need anything more, we'll get in touch with you. Good luck with your aunt."
"Hey Rory, can we talk?" Dora asked.
"Sure, but I don't have time today. You here Saturday? I'll be back."
Dora came out from behind the counter. "Yeah, my shift is over at 4:00 then. Look, fella, I gotta thank you. Those shits could have *hurt* me. You saved me!" She hugged me. She felt good. Didn't smell bad, either.
"Get a room!" Officer Teddy ordered as he closed the store door.
All the cops and robbers and medics and guns were gone now, and it was my turn to go. I scooped up my grocery bag. Dora had added the two slightly-dented cans of meaty chili. "Souvenirs," she laughed. Or disposing of evidence?
*****
Earlier than usual that Saturday, I shopped, and got another sweet hug from sweet Dora, and tended to fragile Nessie. I was back at the stop-n-rob at shift-change time. Dora wore her almost-skin-tight uniform out the door.
"How about we go down to the harbor and have some decent coffee at the Lighthouse, maybe a snack, too?" I asked her.
"No, how about we go to my place and get to know each other better?" she replied almost innocently.
I was almost innocent too. "Sounds like a plan. Need a ride? Here's my car."
Dora did not sniff at my old Volvo. I held the passenger door open for her, then slipped behind the wheel. She directed me to an apartment building not far away - the usual two levels of stained stucco cells lurking stiffly around what had once been a swimming pool and patio. She led me up the outside stairs to her triple-locked door.
Dora's rooms were bright, neat, colorful, small, and smelled floral. Her bed was large, soft, clean, and had just the perfect bounce.
I learned this right after Dora shucked-off her uniform. She pulled down my cargo shorts and boxers and shoved me onto my back. My head hit the pillows. Yes, I bounced. She quickly finished removing my footwear and lower clothes.
"I *really* want to thank you, Rory! You *really* saved my ass. Now it's yours, all yours. The rest of me, too." Her dark brown face's ruddy mouth descended on my rising pale penis.