“‘Bout Goddamn time,” he mumbles. I elbow him in the ribs and he just shrugs.
“Alright, fun’s over,” Cliff announces. “Get the hell out of my house. It’s about time I feed my woman some lunch.”
“Excuse me?” Dorothy asks, her eyes darting to Cliff in surprise. She’s very pretty, and I’d bet she was a knock out back in her day.
“You heard me woman.” He stands up and grabs her by the elbow to help her up beside him. “You’ve been mine since that cheating bastard of a husband you had kicked the bucket two years ago. Before that even. I’ve just been too stupid to say it. I ain’t stupid no more. Those leaves I hate so much won’t matter any longer, because I’ve decided you’re moving into my house. You sell your house, but I’m cutting that tree down before you do.”
My brows jump up at his demand.
“Well, I never,” Dorothy sputters, her hand flying to her necklace and fingering it. “You have lost your mind Cliff Levins. You can’t demand I move in with you.”
His eyes narrow and it takes iron will to not laugh at the two old people bickering back and forth.
“The hell I can’t. I’m old and you ain’t much younger than me.”
I wince at his implication that Dorothy is old. Doesn’t he know you’re never supposed to say that about a woman? Especially to her face?
“You’re an asshole,” Dorothy throws at him in a high-pitched voice.
“Yep, sure am. But I’m an asshole who’s claiming what’s his. I ain’t wasting anymore years, because I don’t got much left. That fall made me realize somethin’.” He steps closer to Dorothy, his gaze softening. “Betty would do more than just hit me upside the head with a broom with the way I been treatin’ you. She would also want me to grab whatever happiness I had left. That’s exactly what I plan to do. Having you will make me happy. You bein’ in my house would make me happier. And don’t even try denyin’ it won’t make you happy too. We need to make the best of the time we got left.”
Okay, so the man isn’t as stupid as I thought he was. I damn near melt at his words and they weren’t even directed at me. I hold my breath and wait for Dorothy’s response, secretly hoping she’ll give in. What Cliff said sounds barbaric, but at the same time sweet. How can you fault an old man for wanting to spend the rest of his days with someone he cares for? If you have a heart, you simply can’t.
“I’m not cutting down my tree,” she persists stubbornly.
Cliff’s serious expression morphs into a playful one. “Fine, but I ain’t raking the yard. We can hire someone.”
After a moment of silence, she slowly nods. Without warning, Cliff drops his head and kisses her. It’s not a simple peck on the lips either. It’s a full-on, lips, tongue, and soft moaning kiss.
“And that’s our cue to leave folks,” JW says, already turning me toward the door. “That’s something I sure as shit don’t need to see.”
Trouble and I both laugh as we walk down the steps toward the trucks.
“I think it’s sweet,” I interject.
“What he said was sweet. What he’s doing to Dorothy is distu
rbing.”
“They’re flesh and blood, just like the rest of us.”
“Yes, but they’re old. Old people don’t do shit like that.”
With a chuckle, Trouble waves goodbye as he gets in his truck. JW opens the passenger for me to climb inside. When he gets in behind the wheel, I ask, “So, you won’t be doing that with your wife when you’re that old?”
He starts the truck but doesn’t pull away from the curb. His eyes jump merrily when he looks at me. “Oh, I’ll be fucking my wife until the day I die or until I can’t get it up anymore. And even when I can’t, I’ll still be fucking her in ways other than with my dick.”
I snort and shake my head. “You’re so crass.”
He wiggles his eyebrows. “Crass maybe, but no less true.”
I roll my eyes. “Just drive, you deviant.”
With a chuckle, he pulls away from the curb.
JW
“HOLY FUUUCK,” I GROAN, my eyes closing in pure bliss. “It’s like my mouth just had an orgasm or some shit.”