Part 15 (1/2)
Carnie followed Jake's truck to his house. As soon as they were inside, he took her in his powerful arms and started kissing her. He was twice her size, and she barely knew him. Most women would not put themselves in such a vulnerable situation. But Carnie was fearless. She kissed him with enough pa.s.sion to set a deadman on fire. But after a few seconds she pulled away.
”Let's slow it down, Big Boy.”
”What? I thought you wanted to have s.e.x?” He knew he could have had her right then if he wanted to. She wouldn't have been able to stop him. But he wasn't that kind of man. He would never force himself on a woman.
”Maybe I do. But first I'd like to get to know you better. Let's sit and talk a while, and have a drink or two.”
”Okay. Make yourself at home and I'll grab us some brewskis.”
Jake walked into the kitchen while Carnie sat down on the couch.
The living room furniture looked like a page out of a 1975 Sears catalog. But at least it's clean, she thought-except for a thousand dust mites living down deep in the fabric. Yuk.
Jake handed Carnie a Coors Light. ”So, what do you want to talk about, Jennifer?”
”How about a little question and answer game. You can ask me any question, and I have to answer it honestly. Then I ask you a question. And we take turns until we both agree to stop.”
”Sounds kind of dangerous.”
”Yeah. But youget to ask the first question.”
”Okay.” Jake thought for a few seconds. ”You acted sort of funny tonight when I called you 'Jennifer.' Is that really your name?”
”Oh, good one, Jake. The answer is 'no.'”
He waited for her to go on.
”So, what isyour name?” he said.
”Sorry, it's my turn to ask a question,” said Carnie.
”Ah, come on.”
”You have to wait your turn.”
”Okay. Ask me a question,” he said.
”What is your favorite position?”
”You mean, for s.e.x?”
”No, for the gears.h.i.+ft in your truck.”
”Okay. That would have to be the missionary position,” said Jake.
”So predictable.”
”Hey, I like what I like. Now, my turn. What's your real name? And remember, you have to be honest.”
”My name is Carnie.”
”Then why did you tell me your name was Jennifer?”
”Nope. My turn.”
”Oh, alright.”
”Have you ever killed anybody?” She watched him closely for a reaction.
”What?”
He's stalling, thought Carnie. He haskilled. Good. ”Have you ever killed anybody?”
”Of course not. What kind of a question is that?”
”Hey, if you don't ask interesting questions, the game gets boring real fast. Could I get another beer?” she said.
”Sure.” Jake took her empty can and headed for the kitchen. Then he stopped, spun around and said, ”Ah-ha! That was a question. So it's gonna be myturn when I come back.” He walked into the kitchen shouting back to her, ”I got you that time, Baby. You ain't so smart after all.”
When it came time for their third, fourth and fifth beers, Carnie acted as waitress. Jake never noticed she was not really drinking hers. She kept them coming until he was drunk.
”I don't think you were being truthful earlier when I asked you if you'd ever killed anybody,” said Carnie.
He grinned at her. ”Aw, come on, Honey, don't you trust me?”
”I'm not sure. But I won't sleep with a man if I think he's lying to me.”
”But I'm not lying. Not really.”
”Not really? What does that mean?” she said.
Jake lowered his voice and looked around the room and into the kitchen, as though someone else was in the house. ”It was an accident.”
She glared at him, waiting for details.
”One night I was on my way home. The old man shouldn't have been out walking in the dark. It was after midnight. What was he doing out there anyway?”
”Did you call the police?”
Jake didn't answer.
”So, you were drunk and you ran over a man and you just left him there to die.”
”I was scared. I could have gone to prison.”
”How do you know you actually killed him? Sometimes people get hit by cars and just walk away,” she said.