On the Other Side(79)

“How do you figure? We were doing what comes natural and they tried to interrupt us by knocking on the wall. That sort of thing can be very distracting; knocking on a wall while a man is trying to satisfy his woman.”

Damita asked, “Is that so?”

“It most certainly is.”

“Well, maybe you should be a bit quieter?”

“You started it. You can’t squeeze a man’s manhood like that, between your lips and expect him to remain quiet. That shit was too good to keep to myself. I had to share it with the rest of the building.”

“Don’t forget I’m a wanted woman. We don’t want someone calling the police on us.”

“That is so true.”

Later on Lester was making the sundaes he had talked about and came back to join Damita. Before he crossed the room, he could see she was far away in her thoughts.

“Where’d you go just now?” he asked.

She suddenly looked melancholy. “I was thinking about the fact that I don’t know anything about what happened when I left. I have so many questions that can’t be answered. Every now and then I go on the Internet and try to see if I can find anything at all, related to me or Neal’s death or even anything referencing the Towers and me. There’s nothing. You don’t know how hard it is for me not to pick up the phone and call my mother and Carmella and even find out whether Wendy and Mr. Underhill are still alive. I’m in agony if I try to investigate and I’m in agony if I don’t.”

Each time Damita took a breath or stopped talking, Lester gave her another spoonful of the sundae he had made. His action achieved the desired outcome. Although she was discussing something very painful, the introduction of the ice cream made her smile each time she took another spoonful.

“There are ways to figure certain things out without leaving you vulnerable.”

“What kind of ways?”

“There are a few. First, we could hire a private detective. You could call your mother or Carmella from a phone that could never be traced back to you or your location. Or, you could simply pick up the phone and tell them where you are and why you did what you did.”

“I couldn’t do that. Then everyone would know it was me that killed Neal; they would at least suspect it.”

“You’re probably right about that, so you have to be smart about all this. I know you’re sick of cowering in the shadows, but think about Constance. She’s done it for years and she managed to find her happiness by making a few sacrifices.”

“The difference, though, Lester, is she was able to make those sacrifices without having to sacrifice the closest person to her; you. I miss my mother so much sometimes, it hurts.”

“Then you should find some sort of a way to get in contact with her. From all the stories you told me about your mother, she sounds like a smart woman. Something tells me if you did call her, she’d know how to handle it.”

Damita smiled. “Yeah, my mother is a smart cookie. I should’ve taken her advice when she told me she didn’t think Neal was right for me. She knew right away. I don’t know why it took me so long to figure it out.”

“Do you think your mother would like me?”

“I know she would like you.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“My mother always talked about people being real. Sincerity was important to her. That was the one thing Neal didn’t have. But, you my dear, are a different story altogether. You are loaded with all sorts of sincerity, honesty and integrity.”

“See, you almost had me there for a minute, until you mentioned integrity.”

“You do have integrity.”

“Do you know what I was thinking that night when we got off the bus in Seattle and you were walking toward the hotel? I told you I could help you, but what I was really thinking was if I played my cards right, I would get a chance to spend the night under those nice crisp hotel room sheets with you.”

“I already knew that. That’s what any man would have been thinking under those circumstances.”

Lester faked a pout. “I’m hurt. You’ve reduced me to being no better than any other horny toad in the street.”

“You’re not, baby; you’re my horny toad,” Damita said, kissing him on the forehead.

“Don’t try to soften me up. Now I know what you really think of me.”

“Poor baby. What can I do to make you feel better?”

Lester moved the bowl of ice cream and moved Damita’s head to face his staff, which was once again hard.

“You want to know what you can do to make me feel better? You can kiss it and make it all better.”