"it's been a nice, but tiring day scotlin."

"you want me to go?"

"no, i want you to tell me about your life," i said, and smiled.

"i don't usually sleep around carlee, I think that's what you all say today, but i find you very special, would you let me stay?" his blue eyes peered right through me. they looked so innocent, and i couldn't say no to him, not tonight, maybe not any night.

"you're a dream scotlin, i know that i'll wake up tomorrow morning with a head as big as texas, and you'll be gone, poof, just like that."

"i'll stay with you baby, as long as you'll have me," he said. i wished i hadn't put my hands over my eyes when he took his pants down. we took our drinks with us to my bedroom. scotlin took off mikey's trucks and slid into my bed, underneath the covers. i undressed also, scotlin didn't cover his eyes.

"do you think dad's sweet-talked carlee out of her panties yet harlen?"

"don't know, he pretty smooth though, sweet-talked you out of yours." emerson slapped harlen on the lips.

"stop that, that's not even true."

"that would be something now," harlen said.

"what?" emerson replied.

"dad and carlee."

"oh, i don't know, i picture them as a rather handsome couple," she said.

"she's half his age."

"no she isn't, not half."

"close to it."

"kiss my butt," said emerson. and harlen turned her over on her side. "as good as that feels brother, we really do need to go to bed."

"i don't think i have enough strenght to go another round either sis." he kissed her on the lips. "tomorrow though, who knows." they chuckled.

"why the fbi scotlin?" i asked, as i played with his leg. he squeezed my butt.

"oh, i was a hot shot lawyer, working for a firm with two hundred others, doing a will a day or instructing a private detective. i was buddies with a guy from the buerea, sounded exiting, so i filled out an application."

"like it?"

"yeah, i guess, but i like you better babe." and he kissed me, and i felt it clear down to my toes. then he nibbled my ear, and my neck, and i was about to explode. i turned to my side, facing him, and cuddled closer to him as we kissed. i was close to him, but not close enough. god, i have to stop this. i thought. he placed his hand on the small of my lower back, i just had to feel him, i had to. i eased nearer, my foot touched his, and i jerked it back. "are you afraid of me carlee?" he moaned.

"no scotlin, i'm afraid of me." i answered. he kissed my forehead.

"that's the prettiest uninvite i've ever had darlin'."

"it's just...."

"i know sweetie, i know, and I understand, god, you're an angel, ya know that?" i started to cry, and i hugged his neck. "don't cry baby, it's alright," he said. i turned over, cursing myself, and cried myself to sleep.

i was deep asleep. someone shook me.

"can i use your car baby?"

"ummppp," i muttered.

"i'll bring it back tomorrow," he said. "we'll go fishing, ok?"

"zzzzzzzz" i replied.

when i awoke the next morning, i smelled something delicious. country ham, i thought! no, couldn't be. god, i was starved, i got up, as naked as the day i was born, put on a tee shirt that said "princess" and a pair of pink panties and blue shorts. i still smelled ham. someone knocked at my door. it was too early to think, scotlin, i expected.

"yes?"

"carlee?" it was mikey, my dad's best friend and my landlord. "are you decent?"

"i think so mikey." he opened the door and handed me a cup of coffee.

"morning angel, this is the first course, the rest to follow, in bed."

"is it country ham mikey?"

"it certainly is my pretty one, bill called me last night from new jersey, asked me to do something nice for you today."

"how perfectly sweet, on both of your parts, what's the occasion mikey?"

"oh, i'll tell you later, how's the coffee?"

"nectar," i said.

"you didn't sleep in those clothes did you?" i smiled.

"no, just put them on," i said.

"well, i like your top, but it should be shorter, you know, mid friendly." he was so cute, and i knew what he meant.

"i'll take it off for you mikey, if you'd like."

"you're a king size flirt, miss mccord, and i'd ask you to take it off, but i don't want to risk another coronary." i chuckled.

"i've always loved to flirt with you mikey, ever since i first met you."

"drink your coffee," he smiled and said.

i stretched out on the bed while mikey went for the main course. i was wiggling my toes when he got back. "a thing of beauty, is a joy forever," he quoted. i smiled at him. "sit up now," he said. and he placed a tv tray over my lap, and returned to the kitchen. he returned with a plate of country ham that about covered the plate, scrambled eggs made with evaporated milk and sharp cheese, hash brown potatoes, toast, jelly and a silver teapot of coffee, knife, fork and a linen napkin.

"great mikey, just great," i said.

"fit for a princess?" he asked.

"or a guttersnipe," i smiled and said.

"mind if i watch you?"

"be disappointed if you didn't uncle." we laughed. i ate. "god, this is sumptuous mikey." my tongue was beating my brains out.

"what does that mean princess?"

"gooood," i answered. and it was.

"you remember the first time you met me carlee?" he asked.

"sure, at the airport in evansville, i fell in love with you mikey." he smiled.

"and i did with you carlee."

"and, i love you even more this morning. would you buy me another house?"

"i'd buy you anything in the world darling," he answered.

"it needs some fixing."

"so did this place, hey, like your tub?"

"love it," i answered as i forked down another piece of ham. "this place is owned by the government."

"I know the government baby, shouldn't be a problem. is it far?" he asked.

"no, just up the road."

"eat up then, and let's have a look see." gosh, he was the sweetest man.

"holy cow girl, it's practically torn down," he said as we drove down chuckles lane.

"i know mikey, but i love it." we stopped and walked toward it.

"jeez, it is interesting, but it would cost a fortune carlee."

"wait 'till you see the inside, and the grave yard out back."

"that smile baby, and that look in your eyes, how could i refuse you 3;"

"you spoil me mikey, and i just love it," i smiled and said. "there's a story behind it too, a scary story," i added.

"i'm sure there is baby." i took him inside, upstairs and around back.

"the grave yard is over by that big tree mikey."

"four stones?"

"doesn't that qualify?"

"I suppose it does angel, if you like it. i'll go to work on it."

i hugged him tightly. "will dad go along?"

"bill is the junior to me in this slum landlord business carlee, you want it, you got it."

"where is he mikey?"

"east babe."

"california?"

"sorry, farther."

"shit," i said.

"it won't be long, i promise."

"i wish i hadn't of asked," i blubbered.

"hey, cheer up sweetheart, i'm going to buy this fine old farm for you, fixed you a first rate breakfast and am going to buy you a new dress. how can you be sad, your dad's ok, really."

"oh, i know mikey, but, i just worry. a new dress?"

"those were my instructions."

"ok then," i smiled.

"andersons has been a fine clothing store in owensboro for over seventy years carlee," mikey said. "your friend ray leisure told me all about it."

"you like him mikey?"

"god yes, how could anyone not like him?" i grinned. "he told me that it was the first department store he knew of that got air conditioning, and that was in the 40's carlee." i listened with interest. "said that he used to go in and look around on those hazy august days, just to feel the cool." i smiled at this. "told me that air conditioning was what made the store famous, said that a store clerk was a prestigious position there, and many retired from andersons after working there their entire life."

"i hope they have a red one in my size mikey."

"history don't interest your generation too much, does it baby?"

"oh yes, it does mikey, i didn't mean to interrupt you." he chuckled. i was spared. a red one, a white one and a blue one. nothing wrong with being patriotic. nine hundred and seventy five dollars, but they were wonderful.

as we drove back to my place mikey turned to me and said, "would there be any way that you'd let me watch you try on the red one carlee, i mean, from start to finish?" i smiled to myself, i knew what he wanted, the same thing all men wanted. it was alright, i didn't mind.

"sure mikey, you're driving." he speeded up thirty miles an hour. "what are you going to tell the cops when they pull you over for speeding friend?"

"i sure as hell can't tell them the truth angel, can i?" he put his hand on my leg. i smiled.

my driveway was empty, i wasn't sure if scotlin or his family had made any strong commitment or not, the day before. i figured i see one of them at least, later on. it was eleven am. mikey grabbed the shopping bags and we walked in. i held the door open for him.

"thank you sweet, now where do i take these things?"

"to my bedroom of course. straight back and to the left." i gently pinched his cheek.

"it smells great back here baby, and you've fixed the room up really cute," he observed. mikey took his sport jacket off and hung it on the back of my chair. he wore a polo shirt, and was beginning to look uncomfortable.

"sit, mikey,"i told him, as i separated the pretty red dress from the others and laid it on the bed.

"cccarlee....." he stammered.

"shhhhh, babe, you've just turned invisible, you're a fly mr. caldwell, a fly on the wall, i can no longer see you." i sat down on my bed. "my, what a pretty dress, i just must try it on," I said, not looking in mikey's position. i removed my left loafer, then my right. then i slowly took off my left white sock, dusted the bits of cotton lint from it and wiggled my toes. i did the same with my other foot and crossed my left leg over my right one. i could hear mikey breathing. i sat there for a moment, staring at my new red dress. i smiled as i pulled my tee off, cross handed. i had seen girls in movies do it this away. my fly didn't utter a sound. then i removed my skimpy b and a half bra.

"god, i'll need a little help holding this dress up in front," i said cheerfully. i wanted to look at mikey, to see if he were enjoying this game, but, he didn't yell "put it back on," so i proceeded. i stood up and looked at myself in the full length mirror on the front of my closet door. i then untied my hair and it fell to my shoulders. i mussed it with my hand.

"hmmm," i said, as i picked up the dress and held it up to my front. "about the right length," i mused. i turned, laid it back on the bed, and pulled my jeans off. i heard mikey gulp. i bent over and searched through my underwear drawer. i found an uplifting c cup bra that i'd been forced to use as a prop for years, thought--what the heck--and grabbed a pair of red panties. removed my own, then bent over to a lower drawer.

i sat back down on the bed, as naked as the day i was born. i lifted my right foot up to the side of the bed, and adjusted a cuticle on my toe. if this wasn't exciting my fly, it was me, i've always loved flirting with mikey, this was quite extreme though, but it wasn't my suggestion. i put on the hateful bra, fastened it and picked up a box of kleenex off my bedside table and started filling in the blanks. six in the left cup, five in the right. i was afraid my fly would start laughing. he didn't. i slid my panties on, then stood up, played with my hair a little, then looked in the mirror again. my brown eyes were wide, wet and waterey. i put the dress on and admired myself, cocked my head to the left and said, "a thing of beauty is a..."

"joy forever," mikey finished. he hugged me and nuzzled my neck. i could feel a tear. "you are beautiful, angel, simply beautiful."