The Trouble Way (16 page)

“
It’s fifteen, Jess, the price is fifteen. Sorry.”

“
This is a fuckin’ rip-off.” Jesse pulled his wallet back out and found a five and tossed it at Candy who made a grab to catch it and missed.

She bent and picked it up.
“It’s not my fault, Jess, I’m just telling you what the price is. You don’t have to be an ass about it. If you don’t like the price, don’t buy it, find your own pot.” She looked at the bills and gave them a flip in his direction. She turned her back on him and began searching her purse for her smokes.

“
It just pisses me off, that’s all,” Jesse said. He bent and retrieved the bills and handed them back to Candy who ignored him. “Here take them. I know it’s not your fault ... here Honey, take them.”

She looked up at him and held her hand out. He placed the bills in her hand.

Jerk
. There was no apology in the offing and Candy had learned not to expect any. She’d just scored another five bucks. She had learned how to extract apologies. Sometimes it cost Jesse five bucks more for a lid, sometimes a twenty in underpaying her rent.
You’re
so stupid.
She’d pick up all the five dollar bills he cared to toss at her but she’d much rather he deliver them straight into her little fist.

1970
’s

“
It is company policy that there is no fraternization between management and the employees,” Mr. Hedd said during the first three minutes of their indoctrination meeting. “Just want to be up to speed with you on that matter. Fact is, some of the new trainees think of Big Richards as their personal meat market, to use the lingo of this new generation. I certainly hope you are a man of higher integrity, Mr. Forest.”

Jake
’s hand moved to rub his cheek, hopefully masking the jaw imperceptibly dropping a fraction.

Fuck me. Fuck me again. Fuck me with a rusty spoon … crap-o. Did not see that comin
’.

Ol
’ Mr. Dick Head, with his stooped shoulders and prick snout did not inform him of that particular canon during his interview at the Oregon State University Placement Office. Not that it would have made any difference. Jake was in a bite, no denying it, still, it would have been nice to have had a bit of forewarning, not just clamp the virtual chastity belt on every female in his peripheral vision. It had been the one perk he was counting on. His general preconception of working retail was quickly becoming overwhelmingly negative.

What the fuck.

“I can’t imagine someone in management even putting himself in such an obvious compromising position.” Jake hoped his sober expression and slight headshake of indignation convinced Mr. Hedd of his sincerity. “Can’t be a smart career move, I would imagine.”

Living in the brewery and not able to scrape off the suds from the liter size mug of brew. Come on, man, give a guy a break, surely there
’s got to be some jiggle room here.

“
Well, Mr. Forest, not all of our junior managers have the obvious high moral integrity you seem to possess, to their peril. I had a feeling about you, Mr. Forest, during our interview at Oregon State. I had a sense of your character reading your resume about being in the Air Force and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps the way you have. It’s not often a person of your obvious socio-economic background is able to work their way through college successfully. Welcome to the team.” Mr. Hedd put his pink hand forward and gripped Jake’s in a damp, fingertip shake. “I’m going to turn you over to Mrs. Rebecca Brinks, our Director of Personnel.”

Mr. Hedd led Jake to the outer hallway and to the open door where he introduced Jake to Mrs. Brinks who rose from behind her desk and extended her hand.

Mr. Hedd made an about-face and left the personnel office, leaving Jake alone with Mrs. Brinks. She turned to Jake and stood for several seconds, her eyes giving Jake a quick once over. “I’ve been expecting you, Mr. Forest. Please do have a seat and we’ll slog through some boring paperwork.”

“
It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Brinks,” Jake said holding her hand in a bit of extended shake.

“
Oh, no, no, no … please call me Ms. Becky,” she said. “Mrs. Brinks is so formal. Sometimes Mr. Hedd is a bit of a fuddy-duddy, if you know what I mean.” She glanced at the open door where Mr. Hedd had been standing. “At any rate, please call me Ms. Becky, or, if you like, Becky.” She shuffled through his file on her desk. “Hmmm, isn’t this a coincidence.” A smile formed on her lips and she glanced up and looked directly into his eyes.

“How’s that Ms. Becky?”

“I pass by your apartment on my way home.” She held his gaze, then looked back at his file; the smile still on her lips.

To Jake
’s relief, Mr. Hedd did come through with the bucks, damn few, and a muted reminder that that would be the first and last instance of an advance. Jake put a deposit and the first month’s rent of seventy-nine dollars on a converted motel room-turned-apartment thirty miles from the store in the neighboring city of Renton, just south and east of West Seattle.

It had been late the rainy night after his indoctrination with Old Peter Hedd. Mr. Hedd had given him the remainder of the day off to get settled into an apartment. After looking through the endless classifieds, Jake took possession of the first apartment he looked at. It was in Renton.

Nine years ago, he had lived in a garage with his ex-wife for ten months. His new apartment was a step up from that, albeit a baby step.

Ah, fine memories
.
I’d rather have spent those ten months in Vietnam … in North Vietnam, if you want to know the truth.

He could always relocate, but, for the moment, all he needed was a bed and a hot plate.

Hell, I’m livin’ life in the Big Tent now. Life’s good as puddin’. Flyin’ down life’s highway in my brand new Chevrolet. More like, in my shit-ass Bug with a rebuilt engine cruising in third gear at thirty-five on every hill … but who’s complainin’. Anywho … movin’ is movin’ is movin’.

High on Jake
’s priority list, after getting settled, was to sell the old VW he’d purchased for two-hundred fifty bucks just before leaving the military and buying a new one. As bad as the ol’ beater was, it got him through four and a half years of college and to Seattle to his first real job after the Air Force.

Jake-O, as the ol
’ lady always called me, one thing at a time. On deeper reflection it was actually, Bastard, that she called me
most often. Anywho, a new Bug is going to have to wait for a month or two. Better settle my ass comfortably in the saddle before opening the gates and setting the calf loose.

“
Ann, I’d like to introduce you to our newest Assistant Manager Trainee.”

Whoa! Well, slap my ass and call me a Judy, what have we here?

“
This is Mr. Jake Forest.” Ms. Becky said. In her role as the personnel manager, she had a duty to introduce all new employees to other appropriate fellow employees. In his capacity of the new assistant manager, Jake was to be introduced to all of the employees at Big Richards.

Ms. Becky, Jake heard
on the grapevine, had recently celebrated her fortieth birthday. She still prided herself on her distinctive appearance. She stacked her thick bleached hair big on her head, tendril falling from her temples. Her scrumptious lips were red, and she appeared to require a Carhartt’s industrial-strength bra to contain equally sumptuous breasts. Even though she could no longer spy thirty even with a pair of Bushnell 12 X 25 binoculars, she was, in Jakes opinion, certainly someone he wouldn’t “boot out of bed,” as he and his college buddy Roy used to say when commenting on a viable female. Ms. Becky’s cheeks seem to turn a sickly pale pink as her gaze seemed unable to keep its self from bouncing between Ann to Jake and back as Ann fluttered her long lashes in Jake’s direction.

Ann quickly averted her eyes when Jake put his hand out.
“I’m very happy to meet you, Mr. Forest.” Ann voice was an easygoing whisper.

“
Call me Jake. Glad to meet you too, Ann.” Jake found it difficult to pry his eyes from the silver locket nestled in the canyon between Ann’s breasts.

When Jake met her eyes again, he noticed Ann
’s eyes were locked on his. He felt his face flush, realizing her eyes must have followed his as they took a time-out on her cleavage. He got the impression from her charming smile she was not displeased.

“
I’m afraid that is not possible, Mr. Forest,” Ms. Becky said. “All management personnel must be referred to as Mister or Ms. So and So. Company protocol … you are well aware of that Ann.” She talked as much to Jake as to Ann but her eyes remained locked on Jake. “Ann sells sandwiches,” Becky said and then bent and whispered to Ann. “… top button …,” was all Jake was able to glean and watched as Ann, still facing him, leisurely button her sweater. When she dropped her hands, Jake could see that the button was not up to the task and put an untenable strain on the buttonhole. “Let’s scoot Hon,” Ms. Becky said, ignoring her just stated protocol, “we have much to cover.” Ms. Becky edged her way between Jake and Ann and gripped his elbow, nudging him toward the Jewelry department.

Jake glanced over his shoulder.
“Nice locket.”

Ann
’s head was bowed and she was looking at him with fantastic, huge, lemur eyes.

That was a wink.

She gave the slimmest of smiles and took a deep breath; the buttonhole surrendered to the unrelenting stress.

Was that a twinge of green in your cheeks, Ms. Becky? Plainly, Ol
’ Peter Hedd is oblivious of the intrigue brewing beneath the surface in his little meat market. Wonder what ol’ Roy would have to say about her, “Scoot in next to me, let’s test those cushions for comfort.”

I think I
’m beginning to crave a submarine sandwich. “Oh Ann, throw in a jumbo side of fraternize, please.” And here I was beginning to doubt whether there is a Lutheran/Atheist God in Seattle. I will never doubt You again … except, of course, until I do.

Jake put down the book, leaned over and switched off the bedside lamp, plumped his pillow and settled on his side. He caught a shadow passing his window and, an instant later, heard several nearly imperceptible taps at the door. He slept in his birthday suit, so he grabbed the knitted afghan -- an old flame from college knitted for him -- from the armchair beside the bed and wrapped it around his shoulders.
“Just a second,” he said as he clicked the light on and went to open the door.

“
Hi Hon,” she said. “Care for a bit of company?” She waggled a bottle of Merlot to him. “My treat.”

“
Sure, I guess so,” Jake said. “You are probably the last person I was expecting to be knocking on my door. What a surprise.”

“
Are you disappointed, Hon?”

“
No, I’m not. Let me throw on some clothes. Make yourself comfortable.”

“
Don’t bother on my account, Hon, stay the way you are. I’ll just make myself happy; be a good boy and grab a couple glasses.” She handed the bottle to Jake.

He took the bottle and held the afghan with his free hand, went into the kitchen alcove and grabbed a couple of wine glasses from the cupboard, found the cork screw and pulled the cork from the Merlot. He returned to the bedroom so see she had tossed her jacket and blouse on the chair. Her skirt lay crumpled on her shoes on the floor. She was perched sideways on the edge of the bed wearing purple silk panties and matching bra. She reached for the wine glasses.

“Let me help you.” She held the glasses while Jake poured. She handed one glass to Jake and took a sip. “Thank you, Hon. Sit here.” She replaced the book he had been reading on the nightstand and patted the bed beside her. “You like history, eh, Mr. Forest?”

“
Yeah, I like reading about the Civil War. Actually, wars in general. That’s about a poor guy, Nathan Bedford Forest. Went from private to general and was a war hero to those of the South. Never lost a battle. Just the war.”

“
Is he an ancestor of yours?” She said.

“
Nah, wish he were. Maybe I could have inherited the hero thing. The name is just a coincidence.”

“
This’s probably pretty boring to you.” He sat where she had patted and let the afghan drop from his shoulder and drank from his glass and set the glass on the bed table. “Well aren’t you just a fashion statement with your matching bra and panties.”

“
Thank you, Hon, but I could use a little help. She pointed over her shoulder. Do you mind giving a helpless girl a hand?”

The bra was definitely not Carhartt brand but a shiny purple silk . He could feel the weight of her confined breasts fall free as the last of the hooks popped free.
“To be honest, I’ve been fantasizing about these.”

“
I hope you are not disappointed?”

“
Nope, not at all.” Jake said and reached around from behind and put his hands under her breasts and lifted them, pulling her back to his chest. He felt her nipples roughen as he snuggled her neck. “I was wondering how they might feel.”

“
And?”

“
They feel better than I had imagined.”

“
My goodness, Hon, you make me quiver but please don’t you dare stop.”

“
Don’t worry, but there is something that you should know.”

“
And what might that be, Hon?”

“
I don’t think that we should screw.”

Her breathing stopped and her body became motionless.
“Why ever not, Hon?” She said when she could breathe again.

Jake nuzzled his lips through her thick hair and kissed her ear. Her head arched back and her breath quivered. In a voice she could not have heard if she were even an inch further away, he said,
“You’re married.”

“
My goodness, I am, aren’t I. Did you happen to notice that I am in your bed, naked and my breasts are at this very moment resting in your hands?”

“
You got me there … I do have my weaknesses. I have been curious about your breasts since first laid eyes on them. You sort of put me in a position where the temptation is just too overpowering.” He held both breasts and worked his fingers back to her nipples. “I can resist just about anything but temptation.”