Sunshine Valley

Furniture

     They sat in the floor in silence. He knew he ate like a wolf. But she nibbled. Just like at church dinner, she had gotten a small portion and was just pickin’ at it. 

     “What did you get accomplished today? Or are you allowed to talk about work?”

     Talk about work. He never talked about work. Well, only to Teka through the fence sometimes. “Today was kinda borin’. Watchin’ the same spot for 10 hours with a pair of binoculars.” He nodded, “borin’”

     “I noticed you’re not drivin’ the SUV.”

     “How?” He stopped short realizing she must have installed security cameras. If she had looked out a window, he didn’t notice. “I rarely drive the SUV home. And I discourage my deputies from doing it. They, we,” he corrected himself, “are on duty the minute we put those uniforms on. I encourage them to leave their uniforms and cruisers at the station.” He had on jeans and a t-shirt. “Sometimes our job is nasty. We don’t need to be packin’ that home. Plus, I don’t feel like it’s the tax payers job to pay for us to go to the grocery. Drop kids off at school.” He just stopped. 

     “Dillon?”

     His stomach was full. For the first time today, he was cool. Evie was sitting in the floor with a foot under the opposite thigh. Creating a v with her visible legs. She patted the floor at her knees. Dillon slid around, lying down. She massaged his shoulders. Rubbed his temples and played with his hair. 

    

     “Evie, I have a house full of furniture. Come pick out what you want. I even have some stuff in the barn that was in the house when I bought it.” She started to speak but he cut her off, “please.”

     He was almost asleep. “Thank you Mr. Pace. I will look at it.”

    “Evie, what do you do?”

     “I created my own job. Remember those 1-900 numbers that were all the rage growing up?”

     He smirked, “Sonny Deaton racked up a $1,000.00 phone bill. Remember his mom chasing him down the road swinging the phone at him?”

 

     She laughed, “Yes. I’m surprised she didn’t kill him.”

     “He got a good floggin’.”

     “It’s kinda, sorta like that. People need to talk. I provide them with a body to listen. I’m not a therapist. This is for entertainment purposes only but nothing kinky. I’m not anyone’s mistress.”

     His breathing changed. She smiled knowing that he was now asleep. 

Sunshine Valley