"what happened to you angel?" i put my arms around his neck.

"i'm not sure harry, just freaked i guess."

"it's ok baby, you nailed luttrell at least."

"i did?"

"yes mame, you did. now, let's talk of some more fun things and try to forget this morning. i want to buy you something, something really special." a knock at the door. it was pork pie.

"hey girl, are you by yourself?" he hollared.

"i have company pork pie."

"are you decent?"

"yeah, i'm decent, come in if it's important." he did. harry set me in the mayflower chair and brushed his hair back.

"what in the hell are the cops doing here carlee?"

"i see no need for introductions then, i assume you two know each other."

"we've dealt," pork pie said. harry smiled.

"several times, and it has always been a pleasure," harry said.

"well then, if you ain't in trouble, i came to ask about horsey down there."

"oh, andy's fine pork," i answered.

"well, there's a guy who may want to buy him, if you'll give me the keys i'll drive the rig off the street and let him negotiate."

"sell my horse?"

"maybe."

"no, i don't want to sell him," i pouted.

"i don't really give a shit if you do or you don't, he would give him a nice home, and you have to get that rig off the street."

"he's right carlee," harry said.

"will i have to sign papers in order for him to buy andy?"

"yes you will."

"then i will have to meet him first, check his credentials, background and stuff."

"i'm certain the 'johnny-the-ape' will introduce you to his mother, baby." i smiled.

"and he won't go cheap pork pie."

pork looked at harry. "a regular little business woman, ain't she captain?"

"seems like it mr. anderson."

"gimme the keys, i'll stay in touch."

we heard the rig fire up, i looked out the window and waved to andy's babe.

"you have an array of friends carlee."

"yeah, i guess i do, and pork pie is very special." i wanted to make sure he knew that. "now, what are you going to buy me harry?" he smiled.

"you will have to put on that skimpy top you had on this morning, and a pair of while jeans." i unbuttoned my shirt, and removed it, the middriff top was in the hamper, on it actually. "and a bra," he stated, as his eyes never deviated from my chest.

"rats, will a gym bra do?" he touched my breasts.

"as long as these beauties are covered." i took off my pants then my socks, very slowly while sitting on the bed. "you're not messin' with me, are you angel?"

"i still have my panties on harry."

"then get your stuff on quickly, before i cum."

"party pooper." i said. i put on a pair of white jeans and sandals. i retrieved a cream colored gym bra from my top dresser drawer and put it on over my head. i could live with these things, the fuzzy cloth felt good to my nipples. then i put on my top.

"you look positively edible carlee."

"yeah, well tell me later when you sleep over with me tonight." he instantly looked uncomfortable. "or whenever you can harry."

"thanks baby." i had taken the heat off. oh, he was probably married, i suspected that anyway. harry was a nice guy anyway, i could go for him any ole day.

he drove the the far eastern part of the city, down to dixie highway. dixie die-way, it's called, many wrecks on this end of town. my friend hazel lived not too far from the area, i thought of her, it made me sad. ww stopped in front of l. j. brewster's adult shoppe. i had heard of this before, they did body piercing and things. they were a thriving business, i believe there was another on bardstown rode, way west.

"now carlee, you don't mind pain do you?" i was almost afraid to answer.

"maybe a little," i said.

"chicken."

"i thought you said that you wanted to buy me something special harry?"

"and i do, step this way." he opened the car door for me.

"and i'm not chicken," i glared.

"how may we help you sir?" a girl with a very pretty smile asked.

"is mr. brewster in? harry asked.

"dr. brewster is in the back, i think, let me check."

"dr. brewster?" i asked.

"yes, he's an artist carlee, practiced medicine for years, the insurance companies put him out of business, now he does this."

"harry, harry, how are you, god, it's good to see you again."

"l. j., good to see you too, may i introduce----."

"no need harry, your daughter looks exactly like you." he responded. harry blushed.

"wrong l. j., carlee is my friend."

"oh lord, i suppose i've bull shitted for so long that i assume too much. how may i help you captain?"

"my friend is thinking about getting her belly button pierced." dr. brewster looked intently at my midriff.

"yes yes, i'll agree, her navel is impeccable, surprised you haven't had it done sooner. please, follow me." l. j. led us to a room that resembled a surgical suite, there were thousands of pretty belly button rings, i saw a chess piece, a queen, it made my mind wander. "look around folks, there's plenty to choose from."

"there is a lot, do you have any suggestions l. j.?"

"oh, i have lots, please lay on that table miss carlee." i did, the table lacked stirrups, othewise dr. brewster could do my yearly gyn thing. "it's adorable miss! " he said. "a perfect 'innie.'"

"innie?"

"yes, compared to an outie, i believe that all girls with an ugly outie should wear a ring to hide the awful thing, but innies, they enhance the lovliness of the ring." he measured my belly button with a complicated measuring device. "hmmm, yes, oh yes, i think i have just the thing for your anatomy, but i don't keep it in here. i'll be right back." harry walked over and put his finger on my belly button.

"giving last rights?"

"oh carlee, your ears are pierced."

"my tongue ain't!" harry smiled. "i think dr. brewster is strange harry."

"he's an artist carlee, just you wait"

dr. brewster returned with a beautiful little butterfly in a silver box. it's wings were blue and red with a small band of gold separating each. "very pretty l. j., what do you think carlee?"

"the red on the upper portion of her wings is ruby, the blue is topaz, the gold of course is gold as is the casing. a colleague of mine makes these by hand in iceland." dr. brewster took it out of the box and gently laid it on my belly button. "ah, perfect, is it not harry? see, it just lies there enhancing." dr. brewster held a mirror near my waist so i could see. "well?" he asked. "i'm sure you have friends with belly button rings, but have you ever seen one as lovely as this?"

"it's very pretty dr. brewster."

"i concur l. j."

"good, then it's done, well almost," he said. i looked up at harry.

"she's a little apprehensive about the surgery l. j."

"it's hardly surgery miss carlee, it's a sterile procedure so there's no infection, but i assure you that's it's relatively painless. why, i used to pierce ears in the office by holding ice cubes on the ear lobes for a moment, never had any complaints."

"it will be ok darling, we promise."

dr. brewster pulled my top up a little, unbuttoned my jeans and pulled them down a little. he opened a tray beside me and put on sterile gloves. then he grabbed a cloth and cleansed my tummy with an acetone/alcohol solution, a lot of it. he rubbed me with a sterile 4X4, then painted my belly button with a solution that looked like iodine. he covered my abdomen with green towel that had a large hole in it. he drew up some liquid from a bottle into a syringe. it made my toes wiggle. "25 gauge needle sweets, less than a bee sting."

"i don't like bee stings, they hurt." dr. brewster smiled. zapp, the bee sting. it wasn't that bad.

"now, we have to wait a few minutes," the doctor announced.

"you alright?" harry asked.

"fine, i think," i answered. harry walked over and kissed me.

"i love you carlee, and you're very brave." the doctor had an expression on his face that cried "spare me". i smiled, i knew that harry didn't want to see me hurt. i appreciated that.

dr. brewster placed the tiny butterfly in a bottle of clear liquid, he gently shook it. "just another minute or so, miss carlee. how's everything with louisville's finest harry?" he asked.

"chugging along l. j., winning some and losing some. just like everyone else."

dr. brewster pulled out a tool that resembled a hole punch. "now just relax carlee, this is painless." i heard the tool snap, didn't feel anything, but it sounded uncomfortable. it snapped again. "it may hurt a little when the xylocaine wears off carlee, i'll give you a script for a mild pain killer." he took the butterfly from the bottle and strung it through the dual holes. he capped the end, above my belly button with a gold bob of a thing, it didn't hurt at all. "mission accomplished," he said. "a thing of beauty is a joy forever."

"i love it carlee." harry said. i was numb.

"do you want to pay by cash, check or a bank loan harry?" brewster asked. harry smiled, i cringed.

"check, l. j., we have to go midriff friendly top shopping." dr. brewster looked at my belly button when i got to my feet.

"beautiful, simply beautiful, i'll have my nurse come in and clean the betadine off, carlee, while captain zimmerman engage in financial business.

the nurse was very gentle, and i became very clean. i thanked her, and walked over to a full length mirror. i liked what i saw. harry and dr. brewster came back into the room. they weren't fighting, i supposed that everything was ok. "you like it hon?" harry asked.

"it's perfect harry, i love it."

"you want that chess piece too?" he asked.

"now harry, stick with this first, some people get queezy stringing the wires in and out of their body. let her get used to this one first."

"i just figured i'd declare bankruptcy after the purchase and save myself a lot of money," harry smiled.

"i can sell you the pretty chess piece for eighty dollars captain." god, i wondered what the butterfly cost, not to mention the surgery. "carlee, here is a tube of neosporing ointment, apply it morning and night for a week, just to prevent infection. also, here is the prescription for the pain killers i mentioned, you may not need them, i hope you don't."

"thanks dr. brewster." i said, with a large smile.

"she has nice teeth harry. i do tooth inserts as well." dr. brewster laughed.

we drove to the mall, harry told me that dr. brewster had recommended a shop that sold excellent post piercing clothes. "what size are you baby, ten?"

"i beg your pardon captain, a six is big on me." harry smiled.

"my wife's a twent..... sorry, that slipped out carlee. i'm sorry," he said.

"it's alright harry, really, it's alright." it wasn't though, golly-gee-damn, it wasn't. i tried to hold back the tears, but i couldn't, one slid down to the corner of my lip. harry pulled over to the side of the road. he held me, kissed my tear, and told me that he wanted to explain. i couldn't even speak.

"carlee, i have very few pleasures in life, but you're......."

"is this rehearsed?" i managed to asked. harry grinned, sheepishly.

"yeah, kind of." i put my index finger on his upper lip.

"shhhhh captain zimmerman, you don't owe me." he hugged me tightly and kissed my lips.

" i do love you so carlee." my tears started streaming.

"and i love you harry, honest i do, but, but it always turns out bad for me."

"oh angel, let's not fuss, hey, let's go and buy you some sexy tops, to show off your butterfly, we can be friends can't we?" i had friends, hazel, brian, pork pie anderson, carie--but harry meant more to me. he knew it as well as i did.