Language: yes, I use the “F” word

Sex: Of course there is sex, the hot and nasty kind. Depictions of consenting adults participating in same sex unions and possibly light BDSM scenarios, so if you are vanilla, be warned that this is dark chocolate, both bitter and sweet.

Violence: some and shit gets blown up too!

On her first day back, Drelica was ready to scream. The site had been vandalized, and many precious fossils had been destroyed. It was as if someone had used blasting caps to break apart the fossil record. She was desperate to make it back up the creek bed and see if the site she and Mark had mapped out was hit as well.

“Doc, this is a nightmare.” Mark said, as he sifted through trays of broken specimens. “At least we got the big ones out of here.”

“God damn it!” she said, kicking the dirt. Drelica paced back and forth, rubbing her face with her hands as she thought. She had to figure this out. The local authorities were completely uncooperative, having had complaints against the digging team filed by a local church group who said they were doing the devil’s work by digging up dinosaur bones. Whatever!

“Sometimes I can’t believe the stupidity of human beings, Mark.” she said as she went into her office tent and started packing her overnight gear. She gave in to a moment of frustration and kicked her bunk, sending it hurling over on it’s side. She slumped to the floor of the tent and put her face in her hands.

Gotta think! her mind raced, who would do this --and why?

Drelica emerged with an overnight pack and her sleeping bag. She threw it in the back of her Jeep and called over to Mark, “get your gear, we’re going back up creek. There’s nothing else we can do here today.”

“Okay Doc, but what about the new equipment? It’s gotta be unloaded and set up.”

“I told Tony to do it, now let’s go!” she said irritated. She just wanted to get on with it. She had to know if her site was still intact. She checked her side arm and holstered it, she got into the driver’s side of the jeep and stared ahead.

“On my way, Doc,” Mark said. Shit she is pissed! I sure hope it’s all okay up there!

Torrid parked her truck and grabbed her groceries out of the back. She was tired, it had been a long day. She had to open the shop up again and working alone was more tiring than she had remembered. There was something else that she realized too, and that was the sad fact that she was just tired of pushing ink, at least for now. She loved the art, she loved the timeless tradition of it, but, it all reminded her of too many sorrows from her life now.
Elektra, she thought, Monica...Drew. There was a lot of bad blood behind her. She was glad to be going to the dojang tonight. She climbed the back steps to her flat, and stopped at the top when she saw who was standing there at her door waiting for her.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Torrid said.

“I want to talk to you,” Monica replied.

“I got nothing to say to you. Go away.” Torrid said, pushing past her and fishing out her keys.

“Torrid--I didn’t take your bike.” Monica said, grabbing Torrid’s groceries out of her hands to keep her from dropping them.

Torrid stopped. She opened the door--and motioned for Monica to step inside. “Something tells me, this is a very bad idea; but come in.”

Monica smiled softly and stepped past Torrid into her flat. Torrid followed, closing the screen door behind her.

“Just put that on the counter. Want a beer?” she asked, as she helped herself to a cold one.

“No. I just want to talk.”

“So talk.” Torrid said, sipping her beer.

“Like I said, it wasn’t me, I told the cops that. And I know you fucked my sister.” She said, crossing her arms. “Was that to get back at me?”

Torrid spewed her beer laughing.

Monica furrowed her brows, “What’s so fucking funny?”

“You always think everything is about you!” Torrid said, still laughing. “Babe, it’s none of your fucking business, but I didn’t fuck your sister. But you would think that--because it’s what you would have done. As for my bike--I don’t know if you had anything to do with it’s being stolen or not, but I wouldn’t put it past you. You’ve shown me that you’re capable of damn near anything.”

“I didn’t fucking do it!” Monica shouted. “Why won’t you believe me?!”

“Well, never cry wolf, Monica.” Torrid said, sipping her beer. “You’ve proven yourself to be a liar. The shit you’ve done...Drelica told me what you did to her. Yeah I know all about that, so don’t sit here looking for vindication. You made your bed.”

“Fuck you Torrid.” Monica said, turning to go.

“Monica, wait--” Torrid said, catching up to her.

“Yes?” Monica said, turning to her.

“Let me get the door for you.” Torrid grinned wickedly. “So it doesn’t hit your ass on the way out.”

“Ooooooh!” Monica said as she stormed out of Torrid’s kitchen onto the balcony. She turned to say one last thing when

SLAM!

“Oh you bitch! Fucking cunt!” Monica shouted at the closed door. While Monica stood there shouting obscenities and cursing Torrid’s names to the four winds, on the other side of the door, Torrid fell to her knees laughing.

Drelica’s cell satillite phone rang taking her attention away from the brooding anger she was lost in waiting for Mark to move his ass.

“This better be important!” she said, pushing the talk button, “Dr. Truman.”

“Drelica, It’s me--”

“Monica? What the hell!?”

“I went to Torrid’s to tell her I had nothing to do with stealing her bike--she didn’t believe me.”

Drelica rolled her eyes, “I can’t say I blame her, sis. What do you want me to do about it?”

“Well she’s your girlfriend now, so talk to her!“

“Torrid is not my girlfriend, Monica! Where the hell is your mind? She’s a--” Drelica stopped, what was Torrid to her? A friend? A fantasy? Shit. “--She’s a friend!”

“Whatever, Dre--just talk to her for me?” Monica pleaded.

“No. This is your mess I am not getting into this!” Drelica said flatly.

“You think I did it too!” Monica pouted.

“Monica, I don’t know what to think! I don’t know what motivates you, or why you do the things you do!”

“It wasn’t me! I was there, but it wasn’t me!” she protested

“You were where?” Drelica asked.

“I was in the motel with these guys--we were--”

“Fucking, right?” Drelica finished for her.

“Yes, Goddamit! Are you happy? Yes, I fucked them all! But I didn’t touch Torrid’s fucking bike!” Monica spat.

Drelica rubbed her forehead, absorbing this new bit of information about her sister.

“So these guys you fucked took Torrid’s bike?” Drelica asked soberly.

“I guess so. One of them took my keys.”

“You still had a key to Torrid’s bike?” Drelica said, “I guess, she suspected you because of it.”

“I came back to your room and you weren’t there, you were with Torrid. I met them when I was standing by her bike, they asked me if it was mine, and I said yes, because I thought they’d think I was hot, which they did--but they didn’t believe it was my bike, so I flashed the key.”

“I see...so where were you when they took your key?” Drelica asked, knowing she would regret the answer.

“I was on the bed with two of them, it must have been the third guy. He wasn’t there suddenly, but --the other two finished then left. I guess they went after their buddy then.” Monica shrugged.

“Oh god, Monica--” Drelica said shaking her head, “Please--please get tested!” she clicked her phone off. She didn’t want to hear any more. She rested her head on the steering wheel but was jarred alert by Mark’s pack thudding in the back of the jeep. She sat up as he climbed in.

“Ready Doc?” he said, clicking his seatbelt on.

“Yeah, let’s go. I need to get away from here for a while--I really need a good stiff drink.” she said.

“Oh well it’s a good thing I brought this then, “ He smiled as he held up a brown paper bag with a bottle of Jose Cuervo in it. “Thought we could use a nightcap after we set up camp. There’s no telling what we’ll find when we get there doc.”

“Good thinking, “ she said, as she put the jeep in gear and drove into the setting sun.

“Hello?” Torrid said into her cell, as she tossed her gear bag into the back of her truck.

“Hey yo-mama!” Liz said on the other end of the phone

“Oh hey you! What’s up?” Torrid asked, climbing into the driver’s seat, feeling every bit of tonight’s work out at the dojang.

“Come out tonight--it’s karioke night at the bar!” Liz chuckled.

“Oh baby, hold me back!” Torrid mocked. “Liz--you know I fucking hate that crap.”

“Get your ass over here!” Liz commanded.

Torrid groaned, “Oh alright! I gotta go home and shower first. See you later.”

Torrid hung up her phone and laughed to herself as she got into her truck. She put the key in the ignition and started the truck up but was suddenly startled by a hand reaching in the window and grabbing her shoulder.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” She said blocking the hand and grabbing it in a Jujitsu lock.

“Ow-- shit!” Lisa Brown exclaimed as Torrid twisted her wrist almost out of its joint.

“Fuck Lisa--don’t ever do that!” Torrid said, her heart in her throat. “I could have killed you!”

Lisa smirked, “Not bloody likely, Duncan.”

“What the fuck do you want?” Torrid said, ignoring her arrogance.

“I am going with you. I heard you on the phone....you’re going to karioke night. I need a ride.”

Torrid raised an eyebrow, “You’re shitting me.”

“Nope, I have a lovely singing voice if you‘ll remember...let’s roll!” Lisa said, getting into Torrid’s truck. “Where’d you get this piece of shit?”

Torrid narrowed her eyes at Lisa’s rude comment, “My bike got stolen.”

“Oh, sorry, mybad. When was this?” Lisa asked.

“A month ago, when I went to Austin. Look--I don’t want to talk about it, okay?”

“Okay, Duncan--don’t be so testy, I was just asking!” Lisa Said, innocently.

“Why the fuck are you here?” Torrid asked.

“I told you..karioke.”
“Oh bullshit! You’ve been chipping after me since I came back. What’s your beef?” Torrid said bluntly.

“You. You don’t belong here. You walked out on us, you betrayed the hun, and Jayce. You’re a bad seed Torrid. And I am going to see you fall on your ass.” Lisa said smugly.

Torrid stopped the truck, turned to Lisa and cocked her eyebrow. “You know nothing about what happened between me and Jayce, Lisa. Now get out.”

“Awe, no karioke?” Lisa said, mockingly, “Maybe some other time.”
She smiled superficially and got out. Torrid sped off, pissed. She needed a drink. Lisa had hit a nerve bringing up Jayce. All those years she put it behind her, even Jayce had forgiven her, but she would never forget what happened. Niether would Lisa. Torrid scowled. She drove to her apartment and went upstairs.

Mark pitched the camp while Drelica did some surveying. It was getting dark and she would have to stop soon, but to her relief, things were pretty much as they left them in this secluded spot.

The marker flags were still in tact, and nothing had been disturbed. She let out a long slow sigh of relief. I needed things here to be alright. I need this find. This is where the big ones are--I can feel it! The rock is right, the soil is right--this is where they are!

Drelica walked back to the camp and handed her survey kit to Mark, smiling. He took it as he watched her face, and he cocked his head in query.

“Everything alright, Doc?” he said.

“We’re okay!” she said with a light chuckle. “I am sooooo fucking relieved! Give me a shot of that tequila! We need to celebrate!”

“Yes ma’am,” Mark laughed, “the bar is now open!”

Liz poured Torrid another shot of Jack.
“Oh don’t piss and moan about it anymore,” Liz said, pouring a shot for herself. “Thanks for the drink, by the way, I am putting this on your tab.”

“Don’t mention it, “ Torrid grumbled, flicking peanut husks across the bar at Liz.

“Lisa Brown is a bitter little bitch.” Liz said, downing her shot. “She always was jealous of you, even when we were in school.”

Torrid laughed, “Yeah, she fuckin’ hated me!”

“Remember that time when you Lisa, Elektra and me all went down to the beach--” Liz started, but stopped herself. “Oh, fuck Torrid, sorry.”

“Nah it’s cool. Elektra is gone. I am okay with it.” Torrid shrugged.

“How can you be okay with having to kill your best friend?” Liz asked. “Torrid--no one gets over something like that.”

“I do.” Torrid said, downing her shot. “I gotta go, Liz--have a good night.”

“Oh no you don’t! Sit your ass back down on that stool!” Liz ordered.

“Liz--really, I gotta go.” Torrid said, picking her lighter up off the bar.

Liz folded her arms in front of her and leered at Torrid. Torrid frowned and sat back down. Fuck.

Liz smiled and poured Torrid another drink, “Torrid, this is your lucky night. I decided to get you shit faced on the house.”

“Oh that’s cool of you Liz, since you know it’s the only way to keep me here.” Torrid smirked.

Drelica leaned back in her chair laughing, she was almost out of breath from laughing so hard. Mark’s had was wobbeling as he tried to pour another drink for each of them. He was laughing too, tears streaking his face.

“Well, here’s to---er, what letter are we on Doc?” Mark said, scratching his head. They had been playing this drinking game for over an hour.

“Hmmmmmmmm...I think we’re on S, Mark.” Drelica offered up, reaching for her glass.

“Okay..here’s tooooooooooooooooooo.....Silver Nitrate!” Mark said, clinking his glass to Drelica’s.

“Oh Mark,” Drelica slurred with a smile, “Spoken like a true nerd!” She downed her shot.

“Okay, your turn Doc--T!”

“T...is for Torrid...Tattoos and...tournament golf!” Drelica said.

“Torrid?” Mark asked, “I think someone named Torrid called for you.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me? Oh my god!” Drelica said, “When was this?”
Drelica was almost in a panic over missing Torrid’s call. If Mark’s head were clearer he would think Torrid was the Doc’s--girlfriend? Ooooooooooh, wow.

“Uh--this afternoon. She just asked if you were available, I said no.” He shrugged.
“You said, ‘NO!?’”

“You were rampaging around the camp, Doc!” Mark said defensively. “Who is she anyway?”

“She’s--really hot!” Drelica said.

“So are you.” Mark said, “you know that right?”

Drelica burst into laughter. “You’re drunk!”

“So are you!” He replied, “But you’re still hot.”

Drelica’s smile faded. “Aha...that’s enough tequila for you, Mark. Off to bed with you.” she ordered.

“Awe, this was just getting interesting--I finally told you I think you’re hot, and you’re sending me off to bed alone.” He stood up, then tripped and stumbled and fell on his ass. Drelica stood there with her hands on her hips looking down at him. She shook her head.

“If there’s a God, Mark,” She laughed, ”Neither one of us will remember this in the morning.”

Drelica walked to her tent and crawled in. She dug out her satillite phone and dialed Torrid’s cell. Please be voice mail! she pleaded with the universe.

Torrid stumbled into the bathroom and into the nearest stall. She really had to piss. She had been drinking so much jack straight and it was going through her like a siv. She sat there letting out a long breath, enjoying the feeling of release when her phone rang. Fuck. She looked at the caller ID. Drelica!

Torrid flipped her phone open,”Hey, Drelica.” She said, trying to sound sober.

“Torrid, my assistant said you called, are you ok?” Drelica asked.

“Yeah, I am okay--your sister came by to see me. She wanted to tell me she didn’t have anything to do with my bike being stolen.” Torrid said.

“Yeah, she called me after you threw her out, she told me the same thing. I believe her.”

“You do?” Torrid asked, suprised.

“Only because she told me where she was when it happened.”

“And that would be?” Torrid asked, curious.

“Believe me you don’t want to know!” Drelica said, laying down before she fell down from the head rush.

“Well I guess it doesn’t much matter now. I am getting a new bike next week. How is work going?”

“Like hell. The site was a mess--we came upstream of the creek bed 30 miles to check out the site we surveyed a month ago, that’s where I am now. Near Big Bend and La Jitas, but off in the hills.” Drelica said.

“Oh yeah, I been out that way..I got some land there.”

“You do? You have?” Drelica asked, surprised.

“Yeah, I got some acreage up there was left to me by my dad. Always wanted to look for Indian burial grounds--uh listen, can you hang on a sec?” Torrid asked sheepishly.

“Uh..sure...this call is only costing me a fortune.” Drelica smirked.

The next sound Drelica heard was that of a toilet flushing. Her eyes widened, and she burst into incontrollable laughter.

“Hey I was in the head when you called!” Torrid said, laughing. “But I was thinking of you!” She teased.

“Oh Ha-Ha! You are such a charmer.” Drelica rolled her eyes. “Where are you?”

“At Chances. It’s Karaoke night.” Torrid joked.

“Aha, I didn’t know you could sing, Torrid,” She said, “You’re a woman of many talents”

“Oh baby, you have no idea.” Torrid flirted.

“I can imagine.” Drelica said, visualizing.

“Can you imagine for me right now?” Torrid coaxed.

“Torrid, are you drunk?”

“Yeah, and horny too!” Torrid smirked.

“So am I!” Drelica laughed.

“In that case, tell me what you’re wearing,” Torrid said seductively, not really joking this time.

“I could be wearing absolutely nothing, if you play your cards right,” Drelica flirted, surprised at herself for being so bold. Tequila = horny and stupid. Yep.

“I sooooo want to play my cards right with you Drelica, “Torrid confessed, then slapped her forehead for saying it out loud. Damn it! Out loud voice! She covered the phone speaker as she walked back through the bar and out onto the patio. Torrid picked a table in the back, secluded by palm trees and gigantic terra cotta pots, she leaned back in the chair and put one leg up on the table, listening to Drelica’s sexy voice on the other end of the phone.

“Torrid, I am out in the desert, in a tent, alone, drunk and horny.” Drelica whined.

“Awe, I am so sorry baby, can I help you out with that?” Torrid asked sweetly.

Drelica felt a sudden throbbing in her loins; Torrid’s voice was sooooooo sexy. So persuasive, so seductive. She wanted to hear it telling her all kinds of things. She let out a small moan, barely audible, but Torrid heard it.

Torrid smiled.

“Drelica, “ Torrid said, “I can help you out baby, if you just do what I tell you to. You know that right?”

“What do you mean?” Drelica asked, innocently.

“I need you to reach down between your hot thighs and check something for me,” Torrid softly ordered.

Drelica found herself obeying, feeling her hand roam down into her cargo pants, touching the soft skin of her inner thighs, and finally cupping herself.

“Drelica, are you wet for me baby?” Torrid asked.

“Oh god...” Drelica’s voice trailed off...she was soaking.

“Good. That’s very good baby, it means I can help you. I can make you feel sooooooo good. You want that right?” Torrid pushed.

Drelica felt herself sliding, into a mental space that she had never known. A place where, like slipping into a warm bath, she felt safe, secure and really horny. Torrid’s low seductive voice was her lifeline, she felt she could trust it, she felt she must obey it. Behind it were all of Torrid’s passion, her presence, and her power. Drelica wanted to surrender to it.

Yes, she whispered breathlessly.

“I’m going to talk to you now, baby. You don’t have to talk back unless I ask you a direct question. I just want to make you feel good. I want to help. I want to release you from all that stress. Okay?”

“God yes!” Drelica squeaked.

“Drelica, I know you work hard, I know you have so much stress and responsibility on you. I know you have stress from your sister, from the things going on around you, but tonight--you’re free from all of that. Tonight you don’t have to make decisions, you don’t have to give orders, and you don’t have to do anything, except--what I tell you.” Torrid shifted in her chair, and shoved her hand down her jeans cupping herself.

“I want you to touch yourself for me,” Torrid continued. “I want you to feel all that wetness on your fingers. The softness of it, the warmth, the silkiness of it, and know what it is. It’s want. Its need. It’s lust. And tonight....” Torrid finished with a more dominant tone, “It’s mine.”

Drelica gasped, she felt herself exploring her body, her one hand between her legs cupping and fingering her center, her other teasing her nipples under her khaki shirt, while her neck cradled the phone. She was writhing under the gentle but dominant rhythm of Torrid’s commands. Torrid was not forceful, she was gentle, but firm, telling Drelica to feel herself, to get to know herself, inside and out, to feel the softness of her skin, the hardness of her nipples. To set herself free from all the stress and to stop thinking.

“Don’t think, baby. Just do.” Torrid said, “Feel those fingers sliding into your wetness, go deep for me...fill yourself up. I want to hear you moaning when you do it. Do it for me baby.”

The more Torrid asked Drelica to do, the more she wanted to do. Torrid told her to fill herself, to feel the tightness of her own hand deep inside her center. To feel the soft wetness of her walls against the skin of her fingers, to feel herself with herself. To focus on the sensation of touch from all sides of touching. Drelica had never before known herself or how to feel like this before. She felt a knew kind of knowledge awaken within, a new kind of power arising from her center. She learned that through submission she had control. This was for her, not Torrid. Torrid was her vehicle, but this was all for her. She knew instinctively, even as she did what she was commanded by Torrid, that she was obeying herself.

Torrid sat on the patio of chances dominating Drelica with her voice, touching herself leaned back in her chair with her eyes closed. She too was in another place. She hadn’t been in her top space in so long; she had almost forgotten what it felt like to fly free. She took Drelica on the journey with her, out of nowhere; they had leaped into this set of wings and were now flying free though separated by miles, they were one in spirit.

“Okay baby, you know you have such a sexy voice, “ Torrid complimented, “and It reeks with power and desire. It tells me all about you. I like what I hear.”

Drelica moaned in response.

“Now I want to do something for me, one last thing, can you do it?” Torrid asked knowing Drelica was about ready to explode. Then she gave the command, “Cum for me.”

Drelica’s existence exploded into a tempest of sensations. At the simple request, demand, whatever the fuck it was, Drelica shot off like a rocket Cumming hard, letting out a series of loud moans, which in turn made Torrid stroke herself harder til she too came.

“God!” Torrid said with a grunt as she climaxed sitting there on the patio. She realized she had been sweating bullets, and her body was shaking.

Drelica lay there in her tent sweat soaked and quivering; unable to speak or move. Her breathing finally slowing to a steady pace, she was weak and spent. She listened, as Torrid’s own moans filled her head from the receiver of the phone. She smiled, and reached up to pick it up from where it had rolled off as she came.

“Torrid?” She asked in a weak whisper, the lazy hazy afterglow setting in.

“One sec, please, “ Torrid said, barely able to speak. She put the phone aside and took a deep breath, and another, and another. Finally, she was able to find her voice. “I’m here.”

“Torrid, that was---indescribable! I have never had an experience like that in my life!” Drelica said.

“You can blame it on the tequila tomorrow, “ Torrid said, shyly. “Or pretend you were too drunk to remember it.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? I never want to forget that as long as I live!” Drelica said, hoarsely.

Torrid smiled, “Really?”

“Really.” Drelica smiled back.

“Cool. Well it’s late. Sleep well.” Torrid said, suddenly shy.

Drelica smiled inside sensing Torrid’s shyness, which she took as a good sign. This meant something to Torrid too.

“Good night Torrid.”

“Call me.” Torrid said, as she hung up, smiling to herself.

Drelica clicked her phone off and laid it to the side. She sunk back into her bedding and let out a deep breath. She felt the Squish between her legs soaking her cargos. Jesus I am wet. She thought. But she asked me to call her!

Drelica rolled over and awaited sleep, a smile on her lips.

Torrid sat there for a long moment, lost in thought. She was suddenly thrust out of her thoughts by a towel hitting her in the face and a bottle of water being put in front of her. She pulled the towel off her face sharply and looked up to glare at Liz. But Liz stood there smiling, and it was infectious.

“So---how about them Astros?” Liz said, grinning.

Torrid smiled, and sipped the water, but said nothing. Liz wrapped her arm around Torrid’s head and leaned over to kiss it, then left her alone again.

One thought was on Torrid’s mind, I hope she calls me.

To be continued in chapter EIGHT