14.6.2009
Impala Cruise 6
http://www.netsaga.is/media/files/And%20then%20came%20dieter.mp3 "So, he’ll pick you up at Whataburger," she said. "Yeah. He’s moved way out in the country, and he says we’d get lost trying to find his house. Of course, he’s gonna be late. Johnny is always late." "Well, you should have told him 9:00. Then he’d be sitting there waiting for you when we pull in at 9:30." "I don’t mind waiting. Besides, I can’t lie to him." "Oh, that’s right—you’re a preacher. Or you used to be one." He looked down and sighed. "I’m sorry. That was mean." "Besides, he just came off a graveyard shift." "What kind of work does he do?" "He’s a welder. They’re working a shutdown," said Obadiah. "It means they shut the plant down so they can do maintenance work on it." "I know. My uncle is a pipefitter at the Exxon Mobil plant," she said. "Well, are you about ready to go?" "Sure." She handed him the car keys and a twenty-dollar bill. "I’ve got to make a quick trip to the Ladies Room. I’ll be right out." "Okay." Obadiah paid the bill and walked out to the car. Impala was alone in the restroom on her cell phone. "…yeah, about 9:30…okay, bye." ********** They drove into Silsbee at around 9:30 a.m.. The Whataburger parking lot was nearly full. "Well, thanks again for everything," said Obadiah. "And I’ll pay you back as soon as I get a job." "Don’t worry about paying me back." "No. I insist," he said. "But I really could use…just a couple more bucks, if you don’t mind." "For coffee?" "Yeah. I may be waiting for quite a while." "No problem. In fact, I’ll come in and have a cup with you." "Oh, you don’t have to do that. You probably want to get home." Yet he really wanted her to stay. In the brief time he had known the crazy, out-of-control woman, he had grown quite fond of her. She killed the engine. "Let’s see if Whataburger coffee is as good as Dennys." They got out and went into the restaurant. "I’d like two large coffees," said Impala. Obadiah stood a few feet behind her, looking around the dining area. If Johnny had already arrived, he was probably asleep in a booth. Then he spotted Jim—the vengeful, grieving widower. He would never give up until Obadiah was dead. Why not just get it over with? Why not surrender? He had killed Jim’s wife just as surely as if he had stabbed her in the heart with a butcher knife. Jim got up from his table and reached into his jacket. He pulled out a pistol. This is it, thought Obadiah. I’m a dead man. Fine. I deserve it. Go ahead. Kill me. But Jim wasn’t pointing the gun at Obadiah. He was aiming it at Impala. Why? Was it because of what she had done to him in the McDonald’s restroom? It didn’t matter why. Adrenaline gushed into Obadiah’s bloodstream, as he leaped at Impala, knocking her to the side and down onto the floor. As they hit the floor, two shots fired in rapid succession. Obadiah’s body was draped over Impala like a human blanket. He was certain he’d been hit. The pain would kick at in any moment. But that wasn’t the worst of it. Jim wouldn’t just walk away. He’d come over and finish the job. And at close range, bullets would go right through his body, into Impala. "It’s okay. He’s gone." Obadiah couldn’t believe it. He looked up. "Mom?" Her pistol was still smoking. "You shot him?" "I got him in the shoulder. He dropped his gun and ran out. He’ll be okay if he gets to a hospital soon. The police will pick him up there." Before Obadiah could respond, Zeela was already on her cell phone calling the police. "Good job," said Impala, who was happily lying beneath him. "Thanks. So, you called Zeela and told her we were coming here." "And it’s a good thing I did." "Well, since she saved our lives, I guess I’ll forgive you." He started to get up. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him back down. "How about a job? We can be a team." "A bounty hunter team? No, thanks." "Sure. You’ll quote scripture like a preacher, while I seduce them with charm. And then—" "—charm?" "What? You don’t think I can be charming?" "Well…" She grabbed the back of his head, pulled it down to her, and gave him a long, hot kiss. Suddenly Obadiah flashed back to the sexy dream he’d had the night before. Oh, my God, he thought. I’m gonna do whatever this woman tells me to do. She released the kiss and smiled at him with a sweetness that he would not have thought possible from this butt-kicking woman. "I’ll think about it," he said. But she had him. And they both knew it. "Okay, Ken and Barbie," said Zeela, "you can get up now." But Obadiah didn’t want to get up. As he gazed into her eyes, he could tell she wanted another kiss. So he eased in until he made contact with her warm, moist lips. And for the first time in in a long time, Obadiah knew he had a future worth living for. THE END
Obadiah ended the call and handed Impala her cell phone.