Meet the girls- Leslie and Sally, characters from my novel Man of her Dreams

Boy, getting ready for production is such a busy, but wonderful time! I'm happy to report that I've gotten my edits from the coolest editor,

So I came across this scene yesterday and couldn't help falling right back into Sleeping Falls, eating chili dogs with the two best friends in the scene. *WARNING: explicit language.



***Snip from Man of her Dreams, due to be released Aug. 13th

Three days passed and Leslie had yet to hear a word, much less catch a glimpse, of Jay. Finally, she called Sally and the two met for lunch.

     A teenage waitress in roller skates glided over to the car.  Her short skirt billowed around lean, tanned legs. The orange and black cuff on her tube socks read Foamy’s.    

     “Chili-dogs, fries, and two root beers,” she said, chomping on a wad of gum. She hooked the red tray on the car door window panel. “That’s six-fifty.”

     The girl balanced the tray with the confidence of someone who’d been doing this for years, although judging from her age; more than likely only a few months. 

     Leslie handed her the money and then passed the plastic basket of food and drink to Sally. Caramel colored suds dripped over the mug of icy root beer.

     Sally licked the foam off the side before setting the glass on the dashboard. A foamy mustache lined her lip as she took a bite of the hotdog, chili-sauce filling the corners of her mouth. Sally chewed enthusiastically stopping only long enough to blot her lips with a napkin, swallowed, then chased it down with another swig of root beer.

     The minute Sally shifted on the seat and gave ‘the look,’ Leslie knew she was in trouble. “Okay, you want to tell me what’s loosened your hair pins?”  

     “I’ve never worn hair pins in my life, unless you count the Christmas dance when I was thirteen.”

     “You know what I mean. I thought everything went according to plan. You found Jay the other night and took him home, right?  And stayed for the entire night. So? What’s the problem? Why the droopy hound-dog face?”

     Leslie sighed; dazed that this woman she barely knew could know all the intimate details of her life already. “First of all, it wasn’t a plan, Sally. I didn’t plan for anything to happen, okay?”

     “Whatever. You know what I’m talking about. Did you or did you not have sex with him? And what… did it not work out? Was it mind blowing? Come on. Details for grips sake, will you?”

     “I’m not trying to keep a secret. I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea. It wasn’t like I went to the bar planning to take him home. Honestly, I didn’t expect what happened between us to happen.”

     “All right-ie…gesh. So you were surprised. What did you expect, Les? I mean, be honest. At least with yourself. You knew he’d been gut-kicked. And judging from the end of the conversation we heard, he and his mom weren’t exactly having a heartfelt reunion playing catch up or anything.”

     Sally was right. The whole trailer experience had been surreal. The turquoise beaded curtains, herbal scented incense, tapered candles and crystal ball resembled a scene from The Wild, Wild West television show. 

     “I know. They hadn’t seen each other in years. I have to wonder how many times they were within miles of each other and never met.” Leslie said. 

     Sally finished off her hotdog, chewing intermittently. A look of sadness crossed her face. “Yeah. It’s one thing to reconnect with a long lost relative, like a cousin you hadn’t seen in years…or an uncle, you know. Maybe someone you heard that had been Shanghaied when you were a kid and finally got a face to go with the name. Whatever. But a mother, his mother, running off like she did, well, that bit of news should have given you a good indication as to what condition Jay would be in. He was wiped out, wasn’t he? I mean totally trashed, right?”

     “In a figure of speaking, yes. You could say that.” Jay had sat hunched over the bar; a hazy fog of smoke surrounded him like a lonely man on a pier. “And exactly what I thought. From the moment I walked in the Bull Pen I figured he’d gone there to get shit-faced.”

     “And?”

     “Thinking he was plastered, I insisted on driving him home.”    

     “That was very responsible of you, Les. Nice.” Sally raised her mug of root beer in a mock salute. “I’ll make it a point to tell your mom. You can never have too many points in your favor. Besides, I’m sure Jay appreciated it.”

     “Oh, I’m sure. Especially since he was only pretending to be drunk.”

      “You’re shitting me! But it must have been at least three or four hours from the time we left Luella’s and you picked him up. And the whole time he sat front and center of Rowdy’s bar and didn’t touch a drop?

     “Nada. The only influence he was under was from Reba’s southern sugared tea.”

     Sally’s eyes grew wide. “But you said Jay was staggering and—” 

     Sally set her mug down and slapped the dash, then squealed with laughter. “Oh, my God! I wish I’d have been there. I mean, the guy has restraint of steel. I should be so blessed. I wouldn’t wake up with a throbbing head and old Loose wheel banging on the floor.

     “Excuse me if I sound dumb, but… if the two of you got hot and heavy, spent all night doing the nasty… what exactly is the problem? And why the hound dog face?”

     Leslie blinked back her frustration. Although things between her and Jay were nowhere finished, they’d definitely ended on a sour note.

     The memory of their night together was all she could think about. For two days she hoped Jay would come over. Or at least call her. The sizzling sex had to have crossed his mind, at least once.

     When he didn’t show, her mood sank lower. “Everything was going fine. We had a great time until Luella showed up.”

     Sally’s hand froze, the half empty mug inches from her mouth. “You mean Madame Luella came to his house? Why, for God’s sake? What did she want?”

     Leslie picked up a French fry and doodled through the ketchup with it, making loopy trails in the red. “What does she want? The woman’s still there.” 

     “Sweet Jesus!” Sally’s green eyes sparkled and she leaned across the five-speed gear-shifter and stared pointedly at Leslie as if she were counting zits or freckles. “That is freaking unbelievable.” Leslie squirmed, the sudden inspection made her uncomfortable.

     “Is she moving in with him?”

     “Technically, I think she has. Some big-rig trucker dude hauled the famous camper for her. It’s parked in Jay’s yard right now.”

      “Wow!” Sally leaned back against the seat, shaking her head. “That is un-freaking believable.”

      “You said that already.”

      “I know, but,” she said and mouthed the word un-freaking believable silently. “What does Jay think about that?”

      “What can he say? His mother claims to have hit a rough spot or something and needed some place to go.”

     “I hear that. A person’s gotta have family. Just knowing that somewhere you have a bloodline can be lifesaving.”

     The parking lot was filling up. Leslie stared absently out her window. “I guess. I’m surprised Jay felt he had to do anything for her. How can she show up now, with her mobile home on wheels and pop back into his life like…well, like she means anything to him?”

     “She means everything to him. She’s his mother. That’s one connection that’ll never be severed.”

     A gush of emotions flooded and Leslie’s eyes grew moist imagining what Jay must have endured. Being deserted, or worse, abandoned at the carnival like what…an abandoned child waiting for her to come back? Tears fell fast, and there was no stopping them. She gripped the steering wheel and rested her head on her arms. More importantly, how will it affect him when she pulls out again?

     “I don’t know if I could do it,” Leslie said as she raised her head to look at Sally.

     “Sure you could. It’s a built in obligation, like me and Lucille. When I married Cooper, I pictured happily-ever-after.  You know, the whole romantic nine yards. I sure as hell never planned to be living alone with his antique furniture and Lucille while ol’ Willy boy’s out finding himself.” Sally took Leslie’s hand. “Some things we can’t predict or control. This is one of them.” 

     Leslie shifted in the seat, suddenly feeling very selfish.  This wasn’t about her. It was about Jay. And if he had the chance to, well, bond with his mother Leslie should be happy for him. And look at Sally. A great gal whose husband skipped town.  Sally probably missed him. Loved him for all anyone knew. After all, she was married to the guy.

     “How do you do it, Sally? How can you stand not knowing where Cooper’s at or what he’s up to? Doesn’t it drive you crazy?”

     “Crazy for sure. Every time I open the mail. Bills, bills, bills. He’s leaving a paper trail of debt a mile long.”

     “What’d you mean?”

     “I get unpaid phone bills, insurance cancellations and a few weeks ago I get this bill from some hospital in Corpus Kristi for their emergency room. Seems Will showed up needing their services.”

     “Was he hurt?”

     Sally pursed her mouth and narrowed her eyes. Slowly she wet her lips and said, “I could be so lucky.”

     “Now who’s stalling? Come on, Sally. What happened to him in Texas?”

     “This is all hearsay. I haven’t gotten his version yet. Not that I’d actually believe anything that worthless—”

     “Okay, okay. So it’s not a fact, but still… What have you heard?”

     “I get this bill in the mail so I called the hospital, namely for an explanation of services they provided. ‘Ring removal from penis.’”

     Leslie nearly choked on the French fry she’d been eating and quickly dropped the fry into the basket. “What the heck is that?”    

     “My thoughts exactly. I’m like, WTF? So I called the place and learned that Mr. rat-fink Cooper was treated in the ER because his cock had swollen around his wedding ring!”

     Leslie couldn’t stop herself and laughed despite the fact Sally was very serious. “I’m sorry, Sally. I’m sure it wasn’t funny. Probably very painful.”

     “Let’s hope.” Sally dimpled her cheeks and Leslie wondered who in their right mind wouldn’t love Sally? And she hoped Will Cooper got everything coming to him.

     “How did it get there?”

     “Normally, medical procedures are strictly confidential.  But when something as strange as this occurs, well, it sticks in your mind. I was lucky enough to locate the nurse assistant who was on duty that night. She vividly remembered everything.”

     “No doubt.”

     “The nurse gave me the name of the woman who brought Will into the ER near hysterics. So I called her and she admitted that she and Will had been together that night. He’d asked her to get something from his pocket. I don’t know… money for pizza or beer. Something. Not important. The thing is, that’s when she found his wedding ring. He’d slipped it off and put it in his pocket. So, once he fell asleep, she put the ring on his penis and left.”

     “And came back?”

     Sally nodded. “Yep. Halfway across town, the chick started to worry and drove back to whatever flea infested joint they shacked up in and found Cooper standing over the bathroom sink lathering it up. The ring wouldn’t bulge. By then it was purple there was nothing she could do but take him to the hospital.”

     “That’s bizarre.”

     “No, what’s bizarre is the fact that after he arrived at the hospital, he was too embarrassed to admit his dick fit through a size seven wedding ring. And get this. When they asked him what happened, he told them ‘it fell there.’”

     Leslie shook her head and for the moment, all her troubles disappeared. “Some things in life are just unexplainable.”

     A flash of chrome pulled alongside of them and a deafening roar from the cycle blasted her ears. Leslie glanced over and watched the guy remove his Nazi style helmet. Her heart lurched.

     Spike.

     He balanced the heavy chopper between his legs and planted the helmet on the seat in front of him. His oily head and thick jaws sent shivers all over. Her stomach dropped to her lap and with shaking hands, she set the basket of food on the tray.

     “I thought he was in jail?” she whispered.

     Sally sat back against the seat. “Oh, yeah. That’s another thing. Spike made bail.”

http://www.amazon.com/Man-Dreams-Daydream-Believers-Book-ebook/dp/B00LBKD5U0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1417786931&sr=1-1&keywords=teresa+blue