A Simple Life: Chapter 36 (Patreon)

Winona drives as I sit watching her in the soft reflected glow of her headlights.  We were heading out of town, most likely to her place, and that was fine by me.  With no music there is just the sound of the road between us.

“That hat is so cool on you.”

“You think so?”  She smiles.  “Thanks man.”

“Yeah.”

And that all that is said in the couple of miles between town and her garage.  I sense a tension in her.  Nervousness perhaps.  Not in a bad way I don’t think but something definitely had her on edge.  I could see it in her rapid glances and the way her hands gripped at the wheel.  It is amazing to me that anybody so confident and smart and beautiful as her could ever be nervous about anything.  The closer we got the more uneasy she seemed to get.  These unsure emotions made her so…so…human.  Not so different from me.  And oh so very sexy.

As we roll up to the garage she clears her throat and says.  “We’re not here to…um…”

“I know.”  I say softly.

“It’s not that I don’t want to.”

“I know.”

“I’m not…”  The ‘…that kind of girl’ gets lost somewhere between mind and mouth.

“I understand.”  I say again.  “It’s okay Winona.”

She looks at me…then suddenly grabs me by the neck and hauls me across the cab to lay a firm kiss on my lips.  It is not a deep kiss but it is a hard one, a good solid smacker square on the mouth.  It is broken as quickly as the first one.  She lets me go and I fall back into my seat gasping at the whirlwind of smooch.

“Woah!”  I whisper.

“Ahem.”  She straightens her hat.  “Right.”

There is a hesitation before she turns off the engine but turns it off she does.  We get out into the fresh country air and near total darkness.  I hurry around to her side to find her looking up into the vast universe that had been concealed from us in the lighting of the Meadow.  As I walk up she slips an arm around me.  Together we stand under the star splotched glory of Ehkolie’s endless skies.  This old place might not have all of the conveniences of Kayla’s AI run community but I certainly knew which one I preferred.  Especially with this company.

Winona gives me a squeeze.  “Come on.”

Walking with just the moonlight to guide us we go around back where I catch the familiar shadow of an old friend slinking across the broken pad.

“Mama!”  The moment she hears my voice the cat trills and trots my way.  I squat down to greet her, accepting her nudge and rub as she arrives.  “I missed you.”  I say.  She rolls over and I give her belly a good rub, her nursing teats tickling my palm as I do.  She mews and purrs and rolls around at my feet.

“I think it’s safe to say she missed you too.”

“Yeah.”  I giggle.  “Are they eating okay?”

“Oh yeah.”  She says.  “Hungry little kitties they are.”

“And the orange one?”

“I’ve been watching him.”  She says.  “He’s okay.”

Before too long Mama pads off to return to her nocturnal hunt.  I stand feeling good in my heart.  Having been here so many times to look after Mama or just be alone with my thoughts this place felt like a home away from home.  I turn to the dark silhouette of Winona.  “You wanted to show me something?”

There’s a moment’s pause.  “Yeah.”  Her keys jangle and we enter into the garage.  “Babe, turn on the lights.”

I laugh as we continue to stand in the dark.  “No Babe here.”

“Oh?  Well that’s too bad.”

“Wait…were talking to me!?”

“Was I?”  She says as she starts forward.  “You see anyone else?”

“I-I can be Babe!”

“Too late.”  She teases before disappearing through to the office.

“Wait!”  I close the door and hurry to follow.  I catch my foot against something in the dark.  Muttering swears I stumble forward and catch up with her at her suite door.  The moment her door swings open I snap my arm through to hit the light switch for her.

I stand tall with a cheesy proud grin.  In a voice reminiscent of Babe’s I say.  “Lights on Miss Crow.”

“Miss Crow?  Cute.”  She says.  “But didn’t I tell you to call me Mommy?”

“Oh.  OH!”

With a sly wink she tweaks my nose then takes the jacket from my shoulders.  Walking in she hangs the coat and waves toward the two new major additions to her home.  “What do you think?”

There before me was the very brightly colored love seat that I’d seen a picture of earlier in the day as well as a gleaming new television set.  “Woaaah.  Nice!”

“Right?”  Walking around behind the piece of furniture she slaps the back cushion.  “Try it out.”

I take off my shoes and swing the door closed then hurry to try it out.  Standing in front of it I wait a moment…then sit down rather dramatically.  It was every bit as comfortable as it looked.  A little more so actually as, deceptively, the puffy cushions had just the right amount of firmness to them.

“Well?”

“It’s awesome!”  I say with a little bounce.  “And it fits in so nice.”

“Right?  Thanks to you.”  She walks around to look down at me.  “And this TV!  It’s huge!  Pops got me a hell of a deal.”

“I l-love it.”  I say.  “I love all of it.”

“Yeah.”  She rocks forward and back on her feet.  “Yeah.”  After a few seconds she says.  “That’s…not actually what I wanted to show you.”

“Oh?”

Through her nose she takes a deep breath and I catch her hands grip at her thighs.  Whatever she was nervous about this was the source of it.

“I know I shouldn’t have.”  She starts apologetically.  “I know, I know.  We’ve only just met and…I barely know you and…stuff.”

“Shouldn’t have what?”

“If you’re uncomfortable with this we can just forget the whole thing.”

“How can I forget what I don’t even know?”

“It’s just…”  She rubs her hands together.  “You’ve just been so helpful to me and I was in the city and I saw this stuff…and…I don’t know.”

“Neither do I!”  I giggle.

“I wasn’t going to yet.”

“What yet?”

“But you looked so down today…when I found you.  You looked so sad.  I thought maybe…I don’t know, maybe this might brighten your mood?”

“You already did.”  I smile.

“Yeah.  Well…”  There is a long silence before she finally says.  “This is stupid.”  She shakes her head.  “Forget I said anything.”

“What is it!?”  I exclaim.

“I kinda…sorta…maybe…”  She cringe-smiles.  “…got you something.”

“You got me a present?”

“Yes!”   She blurts.  “I got you something, okay?”

“Okay!”  I laugh.

“Sorry.”  She laughs with me.  “I just…don’t want to freak you out.  Kay always got so weird around presents and stuff.  If I’m coming on too strong…”

“No!”  Grinning from ear to ear I bounce excitedly.  “What is it?  Can I see?”

Seeing my infectious enthusiasm eases all of the hesitancy from Winona as her mood lifts with mine.  “You sure?”

“Yes!”  I say, my mind already buzzing with what it might be and my heart doing backflips inside my chest.

“Okay.”  She says.  “Just don’t laugh or anything.  Okay?  It was kind of on a whim.”

“I promise.”

She nods…pauses…then walks briskly off toward the closet.  Reaching in and to the side she pulls out a shopping bag.  Not a common plastic bag or reusable bag but one of those fancy sturdy paper bags with the rope handles that you’d get at some sort of specialty boutique.  And it was pink!

Chapter 37