Bayou Rouges: Dirty Part 14

Hmm. Now this was a slippery slope. She promised not to tell and Clara was his boss. She desperately wanted to tell her though. "I promised I wouldn't tell. He's worried he'll lose his job."

Clara frowned, and then threw her palms in the air. "His business is his business. You and I just happen to be friends. However, I'm not G.o.d so I won't be judging."

Courtney laughed. "Well we went to this French place that I like. It was a mistake from the get go." She shook her head. "I've been eating there for years and, as a woman, I didn't even think about his attire. Of course he had to wear the loner jacket. And then there was the wine sommelier-honestly I couldn't have made the divide between money and us any larger than I did that night. Completely unintentionally mind you."

"Oh." Clara's eyes grew large.

"Yeah, he's got some hang up about my world and the one in which he lives. To top it off we ran into my ex, who was very nasty to poor Sawyer."

"Hmm, it doesn't sound so bad. Given a little time, I'm sure you'll get your chance again."

"I had s.e.x with him. Raunchy, dirty, three-o.r.g.a.s.m s.e.x."

"Oh. My. G.o.d!" Clara squealed, her hands landing on her reddening cheeks.

"I know."

"Wow. Three-o.r.g.a.s.m s.e.x is the best. Keeper?"

Courtney laughed louder than she had in a year. "Whoever does end up with him is in for the time of her life."

"Gotta be you."

"I sort of lied about my last name. When Travis let it be known that I'm a David, Sawyer stiffened on the spot."

"You lied?"

"I thought it would be nice to meet someone who didn't know me for my name or the money I'm connected to."

"That makes total sense to me."

"He is actually employed by my father."

"He is?"

"The construction of the restaurant."

"Oh yeah, he mentioned that." Clara leaned in. "So how the h.e.l.l did you get from there"-she pressed her index finger into the counter-"to s.e.x?" She pressed the index finger of her other hand down on the opposite end of the counter.

"We were arguing all the way down the sidewalk. Things got heated." She shook her head. "I don't know. The desire...that longing...it was all around us. Super charged. He insinuated and I took the bait. That's all it took."

"You went to his house?"

Courtney smiled. A little embarra.s.sed, she felt her cheeks heat.

Clara's hands cupped her face. "Oh my G.o.d, were you here?"

"No. We were next door."

"Next door. While the bachelorette party was going on?"

"Yeah."

They both nodded and their eyes stilled in thought. For a few beats nothing was said, no movements were made as each woman thought about three-o.r.g.a.s.m s.e.x from their perspective viewpoints. They sighed simultaneously together.

Clara cleared her throat. "So, you've left him alone with his thoughts then?"

Fresh from her daze, Courtney wasn't following. "What?"

"You haven't spoken, texted, emailed with him since?"

"Nope."

"He's pretty shaken up about his dog."

"I know. I feel terrible."

Clara gasped and her eyes twinkled-it was her I've got it! look, and it was dangerous. "You should bring him dinner. You already know where he lives. Surprise him." She stabbed her finger in the air.

"You're such a schemer. Your scheming ways have landed me at your game night with a total loser and had me taking Sawyer out for a much too French dinner."

"Hey, I think you and I both agree that it ended in the best way a French dinner can." She folded her arms across her chest and c.o.c.ked her head to the side. "The best things in life...you've got to fight for him."

Courtney vaguely recalled little Clara doing just that for her man Jackson, pushing back interference from her beast of an older brother. Maybe Courtney could learn a thing or two from the young girl who fought for love at all costs.

Clara held her finger in the air, indicating she'd thought up something brilliant. "That's it...you take him dinner and you wear a jacket. Under the jacket you're wearing skimpy, s.e.xy lingerie and nothing else."

"s.h.i.t, Clara. My life isn't a Hollywood romcom." No, but Clara had given Courtney an idea. "Anyway, back in the real world a neighbor of ours has a liver-colored lab that just had a litter. Pups should be about ready to be weaned from the mother. I was thinking it may help Sawyer to get over his dog if he had a puppy."

The floor of Clara's mouth fell. "Oh my G.o.d! It's just perfect!"

"You think?"

"I do. When he said he was going to be late because he had to bury his dog I started crying and I think he was too."

Courtney's body yearned to comfort him in his moment of need. The lump in her throat was burning and rubbing her esophagus raw. She couldn't eat her lunch because she was in pain for him. Nauseated, she pushed the cheese board setup away. She cared for him and she knew he cared for her too. She'd felt evidence of it the night of her ordeal and even during their s.e.xcapades. She wouldn't let their connection be denied or extinguished just because they lived in two different realms. She would fight...she'd fight hard and she'd be getting to the bottom of whatever it was he was hiding.

Chapter 9.

Jessica sighed, "You put corn in the sloppy joes?"

"I thought you would like it. You guys like corn."

"Not in sloppy joes."

"You can pick out the corn."

Jess lifted the spoon from the pan and took a bite, chewed, and then swallowed, nodding her acceptance. "Who wants tea?" She asked as she stirred in the sugar.

"I'd like a gla.s.s," Sawyer answered.

"I don't like tea. I want Kool-aid," Riley pouted.

Sawyer squeezed her shoulders. "We're out of Kool-aid. I'll go to the store this week. What flavor would you like?"

"Blue raspberry."

"Done, but tonight it's water or tea."

"I'll take tea," she mumbled through a frown.

"Ouch!" Jess waved her finger in the air to take out the sting. She'd burned it while trying to warm the buns.

Sawyer grabbed her hand and inspected the burn. "You okay?"

"Yeah, but I wish we had a pair of tongs."

"Put it on the shopping list. I'm doing construction right now. Money is good."

Jess walked to the pad on the counter and wrote the item down.

"M-A-S-S-A-S." At the table Riley slammed down her pencil in a frustrated move. "How do you spell Ma.s.s-a-shoe-sits?"

Carrying the tea and tumblers to the table, Jess sat next to her. "First of all, it's Ma.s.sachusetts." She poured tea for three, and then focused on Riley's troubles. "Let me see." She took the pencil and helped her complete her homework. "And what is the capital?"

"Boston."

"Good."

"What about Delaware?"

"Oh, that's a hard one."

"It's still going to be on the test."

"Can I have a clue?"

"Starts with the same thing as the state."

"Oh! Dover."

"Okay. I'll be quizzing you later. Make sure you're ready." Riley's head flopped to her forearm as she groaned.

Sawyer dropped three plates of sloppy joes on the table and sat to join them. "Riley, you're up."

They folded their hands and listened. "Bless us, Oh Lord and these thy gifts which we are about to receive through thy bounty. In Jesus' name, amen."

"Good girl." He nodded. "Ladies, tell me what we have up and coming-schedules, expenses, needs, wants. Let's hear it. I'd like to stock up while we're in the money." He took a huge bite of his sandwich and chewed with purpose. He'd said goodbye to his dog today and he just wanted to be surrounded by his little family.

"I wanna get a puppy." Riley offered.

Jess slapped at her arm. "Hush. Eat your food." Jess turned solemn eyes on Sawyer. "I'm sorry, Murph. I told her to shut up, but she can't help herself."

"It's okay Jess. Thank you anyway."

"I'm sorry. I forgot."

"It's okay, Riley." Sawyer chuckled in spite of his loss. The girls could always be counted on to make him smile.

Jess cleared her throat. "So uh...there's a Winter Wonderland dance coming up and I uh...I got asked and would like to go."

Whoa! His little sister who was thirteen was invited to go to a school dance? An eighth-grade dance. He remembered attending one himself, but found this news of Jessica's tough to take because it meant she was growing up. And who was asking her to a dance? "Who asked you?"

"Dallas Garner."

"Chuck's boy?"

"Yeah."

Well at least he knew of the kid. He seemed to have a good head on his shoulders. And Chuck, being ex-Army, wouldn't tolerate any shenanigans.

"I'd need you to take me for a dress and shoes. And I'd need somebody to fix my hair, but if we can't afford it I'll tell him no."

"We'll go this weekend and have a look." s.h.i.t! Where would he take her to get those items? He'd seen some nice stuff at the supercenter, but he didn't think a dress for a dance could be found there. She surely couldn't get her hair done there. Maybe he could ask Courtney. f.u.c.k! Why did his mind constantly go to her? He'd been fixated on her since day one-no matter what he tried he couldn't shake her blue jewels out of his head. After the way he'd treated her she'd never speak to him again.

"I know a lot of girls like Forever Twenty-One." Riley added.

Riley was quite girly where Jess on the other hand was a total tomboy. Jess and Sawyer shared a quizzical look before Jess asked, "Is that in the mall?"

"I don't know," he admitted.