This can’t be real. Okay, let’s go back to the beginning of the dream…
Shannon had been settling herself in for the night, dressed in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, in an apartment that she kept at a comfortable 65 degrees. It wasn’t in the best section of Steel Canyon. It was near the precinct, which, contrary to popular belief, held the worst of the more secretive crimes. Prostitution, drug dealing, shakedowns were common here.
Luckily her apartment was in the middle second floor of a two-floor “U” shaped building. She usually kept the curtains closed and kept her cat indoors. You never knew what the Tsoo would do with a pet.
She was at the stove making a grilled cheese sandwich, the TV low in the background spouting the five-thirty preview of the six o’clock local news, when the phone rang. She went to the caller ID. It was a cell phone number.
Curious, she picked it up. “Hello?”
“Hello, Shannon?”
Her heart skipped. It was Bomber. At least that’s what he called himself. He said it was short for Bombardier, what they called him in the Army. After that first kiss in the parking lot a few days ago, he brought her to a small quiet diner whose grill was open late night. They ordered coffee and talked late into the night – or early in the morning, as the case was. They exchanged kisses and phone numbers after that.
“Y…yeah. Bomber?”
“Yes,” he said, his voice seemingly sexy over the phone. Or maybe it was her imagination. “I saw you weren’t working. I was wondering if you’d like to get together?”
“I…uh…sure.”
“Give me your address, I’ll pick you up. You can ride on my bike.”
She stammered. “Bomber, I don’t think I’ll fit on your bike.”
“Nonsense. What’s your address?”
“178 Aetna Avenue.”
“Be there in fifteen minutes.” He hung up.
She hung up the phone and looked around. Oh, my God, what to wear? And her apartment was a disaster, with books and mail all over the kitchen table, her living room a mess of jumbled clothes and more books, her bedroom – she didn’t even want to contemplate that mess. There was no way she was going to clean it up in time.
It didn’t stop her from trying. She at least picked everything up, throwing it all into the bedroom and slamming shut the door, just as she heard the roar of a bike outside. She still hadn’t gotten dressed.
She looked around wildly, and realized her clothes were in the bedroom, on the floor or the bed. She dashed inside, and panicked – what was clean? What was dirty now? She pawed through the clothes on her bed, knowing those should be clean, and then the doorbell rang.
Shannon looked down at herself. Well, at least she wasn’t in her penguin sleep pants and her ratty flannel night gown. She could answer the door in her sweats. She could use a female’s prerogative that he didn’t give her enough time to get ready. Yeah, that’s it.
She tried to gather herself up and went to the door. She opened it, and he stood there in the doorway, dressed in his biker leathers and carrying a helmet. God, he was so hot. She stared up into his blue eyes, and forced herself to speak. “Hi,” she got out.
“Hi.” He smiled at her.
“I’m not ready yet,” she said. “C’mon in.”
She let him into the room. He surveyed the place and nodded. “Nice apartment.”
“It’s a disaster. Let me get dressed.”
“Actually,” he said, and turned slowly to her, “we can stay in.”
“In?” She looked near mortified. As in, here? In my apartment? “I don’t have anything to eat, really, just lots of canned stuff–”
He slowly walked up to her, and said, “I didn’t come here to eat…that.” He took her in his arms, and again gave her one of those mind-blowing kisses.
Things happened so fast after that. Somehow he got her shirt off, then his came off. He was so big and buff, she couldn’t believe that a man like him would want her. He picked her up effortlessly, carrying her into the bedroom and kicking aside the door, even against her very lame protests that the room was a mess.
Without a word, he pushed aside the clothes on her bed and lay her on it, and in the dim light undressed her with kisses and light tugs of clothes off of her. He took her hand and pressed it against his own crotch, and she gasped at the size of him, even through the leathers. It’s too big, she thought. It can’t fit…
But it did. Not all of it, but enough to make her know without a doubt what he was doing. This man made love to her, all without a word, sending her over the edge over and over, in ecstasy near constantly, with his kisses and touches.
No, this isn’t a dream.
He towered over her when she realized he had finished. She stared at his face as it relaxed, his lips seemingly red. He kissed her lightly on the lips – she thought she could taste iron. “Did you like that?”
She wanted to burst into tears. In fact, she didn’t realize she was crying until he passed a thumb over her cheeks and it was wet. “Aw, sweets, did I hurt you?” He looked thoroughly concerned. “I tried to be gentle—“
She shook her head. “No,” Shannon said quietly, “It was so beautiful.”
He nuzzled her neck – he seemed to like that maneuver a lot – and got off the bed. He looked around for something, holding a rubber in his hand.
“Kitchen, under the sink.”
He opened the door, and she heard a hiss. Her cat, Boots, was standing, back arched and seemingly all the hair on her back standing straight up, her teeth bared and hissing at Bomber. Bomber tried to step over her, but she took off, getting some distance, and hissed at him from there.
Bomber returned, and climbed onto the bed, pulling Shannon into his huge, strong arms. “I’m glad you liked it,” he said, and sounded sincere.
They talked about inconsequentials, and he said he couldn’t do it with her again because he’d only brought one condom. “I wasn’t expecting this,” he said, kissing her lightly.
“I’ll buy a box tomorrow.”
“Oh, I dunno if I c’n come over t’morrow, sweets.”
“That didn’t mean you had to come over tomorrow,” she said, trying to cover up her disappointment.
He caressed her cheek. “I’ll come by when I can, okay?”
She only nodded. Why couldn’t he come by tomorrow? She looked at his hands, looking for evidence of a ring. However men often didn’t wear wedding rings. Then he kissed her again and she forgot about it.
He left at ten, saying he had to go to work for 11. She left him at the door, another gentle kiss, and watched him ride away. She nearly skipped to the stove, to the frying pan, intent on tossing her cold grilled cheese. She opened up the cabinet door under the sink and pulled out the trash can. Lying on top was the used rubber, and she found herself smiling. Then she looked closer. She wasn’t brave enough – or desperate enough – to pick it up out of the trash, but she could tell.
It was flat and empty.
Words: 1,235
Inspiration: Continuation of “Bomber’s Herd”
Music: Love Gun – Kiss (natch)