Fic: A Touch Of Home 2/3 The Magnificent Seven
Title: A Touch Of Home. Author: Lopaka Tanu Disclaimer: I do not own Magnificent Seven. Characters: Ensemble Words: 31,490 Prompt: Sequel to Fic Previously Written/By Request Fandom: Magnificent Seven Pairing: Vin/JD, Maude/Josiah, Chris/Vin, Nathan/Rain, Chris/Buck, Ezra/Vin, respectively. Rating: Adult Warnings: Language, Violence, Het (trans gender), Gender Bender, Slash, Sexual Situations, Character Death. Summary: A new start in a medium sized Alabamian city brings with it dangers from the past that threaten the carnival. Author's Note: Circa June, 1933, Magnificent Oddities AU - Open. ______________________________________ For a change, by the time the last trailer had been unloaded, Nathan's back wasn't killing him. It was a heady experience being in charge of the new crew, one he wouldn't have minded continuing. Unfortunately, his other duties still needed tending. Which meant he was now hauling fresh hog parts to the grill pot.
Unlike before, he now had an audience, a very appreciative audience. Using a cooking fork, he pulled up a large slab of ribs from the grill pot and dropped them on the grate. From across the grill, he saw dozens of pairs of little eyes watching him work. Raising an eyebrow, he picked up the barbecue brush and slathered the new meat with it.
A few of the kids started whispering to each other. One even started giggling. All eyes were raptly attached to the grill.
Shaking his head, Nathan picked up the towel from his water barrel and ran it over his face. He might have to keep a closer eye on the food now. The kids may have been lean as sparrows, but they were just as quick. He cast a quick look to them before heading back to the butcher's block.
There were flies already gathered on the ground around it. Just to be on the safe side, he dumped a small bucket of hot, soapy water over the block. While he waited for it to drain off, he glanced over at the passel of children. They were watching the meat, not paying him any mind. When it got close to being done, that was when they would make their move.
Sighing, he retrieved the butcher's knife from the boiling tub of water beside the pit. Raising it, he dried off the handle, never mind the blade. He bent down and opened the small cooler beside the block and pulled out a large ham. Swinging the cleaver, he split off the first of the hocks. Two more and he put the ham back in the cooler.
He dropped the knife back in the boiling water, then washed his hands in the soapy water. Grabbing the hocks, he carried them over to a pot on the far side of his grilling set up. With a cloth from his back to protect his fingers, he picked up the lid, then dropped the hocks inside. The rise of steam was cut off as he slammed the cast-iron lid back down.
Too late, the smell had already attracted the attention of the runts. He glared at them as they drifted around the grill to sniff at the air around his bean pot. "Don't any of you think about it. This crock's hot enough to burn your hand right off." To emphasize his point, he slammed the ladle beside it against the pot.
They jumped back, but kept a stable orbit. Watching him over the top of the grill, a couple drifted back to sniff at the cooking pork.
Nathan picked up the slab of ribs with his cooking fork, turning them over. When the meat started to sizzle, several moans of pleasure echoed in the crowd. Shaking his head, he slapped the brush of sauce over this side too. In another ten minutes, the meat would be ready. Any time between now and then, they would make their move.
The sound of a hiss and his pot lid falling back in to place had him jerking around. One of the kids had tried to lift the lid with the handle of his ladle.
That did it!
Reaching down, he picked up the machete he kept under the preparation table. "Which one of you little bastards got in to my pot?"
They scattered like quail, shooting off squealing in every direction.
Nathan couldn't hold it in. His gut busting laughter echoed around the camp. Dropping the machete, he pounded on the table a few times as he leaned against it to keep from falling over. When he sobered up enough to see, he glanced over and found the rack of ribs still sizzling away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Standing in front of Ms. Nettie's mirror, Buck tugged gently on the tacky bowtie he was wearing. It was red with white polkadots. Wherever Inez had dug it up along with her matching dress, he wished she would put it back. Unfortunately, it seemed she was hell bent on wearing the dress, which meant he had to wear the god awful thing.
Coming up behind him, Inez caught his expression in the mirror. Her face slowly contorted in smug satisfaction. Crossing her arms, she stood elbow to shoulder with him. She started to take in her appearance, puckering her lips for effect.
Buck ignored her, tugging on his bowtie again. He was halfway to taking it off when she slapped his hand. "Hey!"
"Leave it alone or else I will make you sorry." Smirking at him, she swished her hips and pulled back. She curled her fingers to signal her image should follow her. Raising her hands, she mimicked holding a partner and rocked her hips. "Mr. Travis wants us to..." Inze raised one arm then crossed her other to the elbow and snapped her fingers.
Buck swallowed. "Tango?"
Snapping her fingers, she pointed at him. "Si!" The white polkadots on her red dress stood out against her dark skin. "You fight me on this, and I'll kick you, hard." She slapped her hands together. "You'll be walking funny, get me?"
"No funny stuff, got it." The pink ruffles of his shirt made him wish he were blind. This was the last time he let Inez pick out their outfits. If their trunk hadn't disappeared, he wouldn't be in that mess. "Remind me to kill Nathan, later."
"No problemo. I lost my favorites, too." Snapping her fingers, she curled her hands in a rolling motion. Running one over her head, she slid the other down her body, rocking her hips. "This dress shows my hips, no?"
"Oh, darlin, you got no complaints there." Catching himself watching her instead of practicing his own moves, he sighed. "Unlike me, you actually look pretty good."
"I look damn good!" Spinning in a circle, she rocked her hips and bent backwards, then forwards, to shake her breasts. "You're just a tall dance partner, I'm what they come to see."
Buck found himself drawn to watching her again. He had to focus on something in order to complete his warm up or he would be cramping by ten. "When are you ever gonna learn to learn to respect ole Buck?"
"When are you, Pendejo?" Having had enough, she grabbed his hand. Jerking him off balance, she brought their bodies flush. With her other hand, she brought his chin down so they were staring in each others' eyes. "One, two, three, back, forwards, side to side. Repeat. Count ten, then switch dominant arms."
Groaning, Buck let her take the lead. If she got too mean, he always had the excuse of breaking off to take Nettie back her mirror.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The magazine was from a local news stand, but it had been printed north of the Mason-Dixon line. The defacement had made that obvious, not that Mary cared about the nameless tramp on the cover. "It just seems to me that a woman should have more pride in herself. Doing this for yourself is one thing, dolling yourself up just because some man expects it of you is another."
"My dear, has no one told you the story about the Pot and Kettle?" Unwinding the curler from Mary's hair, Nettie shook out the strand until it hung twisted. She paused for a moment to rub at her own hands. "I understand your feelings, but if you considered what you were about to say before you said them, you might have more ground to stand on."
A light blush coloring her features, Mary grinned at Nettie in the mirror. "Of course, you're right. It's not her, or me for that matter, I've just had a bad time of it lately." Turning the magazine over, she looked at the defaced image of the girl. Her eyes had been scratched out and a mustache colored in. "What do any of us know?"
"I'm not sure about you, but I know a little of everything. At least, enough to get me by." Hand back to working order, Nettie began to remove the next curler from Mary's hair. The long blonde tresses were perfectly tangled, not that she expected them to be anything else. "Anything else, I can pick up along the way. Are you heading in to town before the shows begin?"
"Yes, can I pick you up something?" Seeing that the last curler had been removed, Mary tilted her head from side to side. The long strands of hair undone would have made her mother blush. Her grand mother would have been making comments about her sexual proclivities. "This will do nicely, thank you."
"Twenty-Five cents." Nettie held out her hand expectantly. When the quarter was deposited inside, she turned and headed for her small register. "I've been collecting a few things from our trips. Every town we visit, I like to pick up some form of token to remind me where I've been. Anything that catches your eye would do."
"Okay, I'll see what I can find." Mary took the time to admire her appearance one last time in the mirror before smiling at Nettie. She made a sound of happiness before walking out. The screen door snapped shut behind her.
Nettie picked up her wisk brush and wiped down her chair. There wasn't much hair, but it never hurt to keep it clean. "Next!" When there wasn't the sound of feet on the trailer's steps, Nettie looked up at the door.
Standing at the doorway, an unfamiliar face was watching her.
Standing up tall, Nettie rubbed at the ache in her lower back. "Well, are you going to come in, or is standing out there fine enough?"
"I'm not exactly sure. I've never done this before." Pulling open the screen door, she came up the steps. As she passed through the beaded curtain, she stopped to admire the glass beads. "Pretty."
"Thank you, I picked that up on a Hopi reservation. I'm not certain anything about it is Hopi, but the owner made me a good deal." Nettie patted the back of her barber chair on her way over to her styling cabinet. "Have a seat, tell me what you want done."
Tugging the hat over her head, Vin shook out the strands of curls. She sat down in the chair, with a thump, catching her reflection in the mirror. "What can you do with this?"
Turning around to examine her new customer, Nettie nearly dropped the pair of scissors in her hand. She had to swallow a couple times before she could compose herself. "Do I know you?"
"I don't think so." She held out over hand over her shoulder to be shaken. It was at an awkward angle, but it seemed the right thing to do. "Name's Vin."
Nettie snapped her fingers. "Tanner, the new girl."
"That's me." Her lips twitched as she said it. Even after all these years, she was still unable to keep a straight face when someone called her a girl or woman. "Ezra says I need to look exotic, whatever that means."
"It means different, not common." Standing behind Vin, Nettie turned the chair from side to side, examining her appearance in the mirror. "Well, it seems I can do a little something different for you, but keep your natural beauty. Would you like that?"
"Whatever's fine with you's all right with me." Vin swallowed as Nettie nodded. The first touch of her hair had her wincing. It took all her effort not to flinch away a second time. Catching Nettie's eye in the mirror, she smiled apologetically.
Staring at Vin's reflection, Nettie could have sworn she saw the image some where before. If only she could place it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JD passed by Vin's tent, heading for the main one. In the distance he could hear the pipe organ being revved up. It was never used but for the occasional parade, which meant Travis was having it looked at. At the entrance to the main tent, he found very few people inside, mostly the Potters.
Everything had already been set up, rather well done at that. While he didn't know most of the people who had been fired well enough to care, their work certainly would not be missed. His stage was a little further up the left row than was normal, but every act was there. Walking passed the other stages and curtains, he found various trunks and people setting up.
Casey didn't even look his way when he walked by. Instead, she kept combing her beard, watching herself in the mirror.
Rubbing his own chin, JD was a little embarrassed by the fact he still wasn't shaving at normal intervals. His mother had told him his father had a face full of hair. One day he would too, but he wouldn't want to keep it growing. Too much work and it itched when he sweated.
At his stage, he found the old curtains were gone, replaced with newer white canvas. It wasn't exactly top of the line, but it was better than most. He didn't know where they had come from. Whose ever they were was now shit out of luck if they wanted them back. Snickering, he climbed up on the stage and pushed them aside.
Several chickens cackled at him, scattering feathers and straw from their cages. The jars of frogs and lizards bounced around, vibrating against their cases. The few gold fish left in the bowl swam around, mindless of their ultimate fate. His chest was on the back of the stage, against the wooden wall that separated the two sides of the main tent.
A loud explosion of flames in the distance caused people to scream.
Since no bells were ringing, JD did nothing to react except smirk. Charlotte was going early, and from the sound of it, burning bright. She would be outside the tent, drawing people in with her stunts. Of course, that meant Chris would be growling like a bear with a toothache. The smirk slipped from his face.
There would be hell to pay for anyone who got in his way. He was still on thin ice with Chris over the whole storming out and quitting in the middle of their show. It was best to play it straight with the older man, that meant doing his act and not pissing off Casey. That was asking a lot from him.
Perhaps too much, may be?
Frowning, JD stilled. Putting it from his mind, he went back to unpacking his trunk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Turning off the tap, Josiah waited until the last of the water trickled forth from the hose. When it had finished, he pulled the hose from the dunk-tank. It was way too cold for his taste, but that couldn't be helped. Then again, it was hot enough to burn the hair off Satan's balls, a cool dip might be just what the doctor ordered. He traced his fingers over the top of the pool before getting back to work.
The hose was easily coiled up and hung on the long nail sticking out from the top of the post, just above the tap. A wonderful fact of being so close to a city, pressurized water pipes. That meant he would be able to bathe without having to fill up a trough bucket by bucket. Oh, the sweet luxuries of civilization!
Stretching out his arms over his head, he let out a loud moan. When he finished his jaw cracking cry, he dropped his arms. He checked the watch on his wrist to see how long they had until show time. It was three, which meant they had only an hour left to get done.
A sick feeling started in the pit of his stomach. There was no going back, now, he had a set date. He'd put off actively thinking about her all day. But, now that it was only five short hours away, thoughts of Maude popped in his head. He nearly swooned over the mere memory of her perfume.
She was so perfect, a great woman in every since of the word. Maude had everything his perfect woman needed. There wasn't a single thing wrong with her that he couldn't over look for the sake of love. If she wanted someone such as him, he wouldn't question the good lord's divine gift. He would accept her affections and consider himself blessed.
His chest heaving, he leaned back against the dunk tank. "Maude." Even the word was perfection incarnate. The angels themselves would be jealous of his golden piece of divine. There would be a sweet love tonight, and God willing, sweet lovin.
Grinning like a loon, he walked away from the dunk-tank. He had to get his clothes ready. Once his turn on the tank was over, there would no time to waste.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hat in her hands, Vin cautiously stepped out of Nettie's trailer. Beneath a headscarf, her hair was deliberately curled up around her face. She longed to run her fingers through it until it pulled back. Far shorter than it had been since she was a boy and oil slicked, Vin felt almost naked despite her clothes. But that wasn't the extent of her dolling up.
Black liner and something that smelled like it came from the bottom of her cook pot highlighted her eyes. A paste of some kind covered most of her exposed flesh; something to hide the freckles Nettie had said. The dark lipstick staining her lips and rouge highlighting her cheeks made Vin feel like a whore.
It was a familiar feeling.
Taking the steps, she tried to keep her head down to avoid eye contact. All she had to do was make it to her tent, the headscarf would cover the hair until her act. That meant she had to move at a quick pace. Cross the small distance to her tent and everything would be fine.
She hadn't even made it to the second step before Ezra appeared from around the corner of the trailer. Raising her chin, she dared him to say something. Her perfectly manicured eyebrow raised in question.
Wisely, Ezra kept his own counsel and all comments behind his green sunglasses. Using the cane to guide him, he crossed the short distance between them and held up his free hand to Vin. "May I escort you, my dear?"
"Am I exotic enough for you?" The word still felt alien on her tongue. Vin would make a habit of wearing it out later. She hadn't a reason to use it before, but with her new hairdo, she had a feeling she would now.
He took a deep breath for dramatic effect. "You are absolutely stunning. Ms. Josephine Baker could not wear such a style with greater grace." Not waiting for Vin to accept his hand, he took her smaller one in his own. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to the back of her hand. "Everything can only serve to enhance the magnificence that is you. Trust that I speak this truth, I beg you."
Vin rolled her eyes, but allowed Ezra to guide her down the steps. Taking them slowly, she refused to meet his gaze. She could feel his eyes trailing down her body even through the green glass. "If you keep that up, they might fall out."
Kissing the back of her hand again, he watched her keenly for a reaction. "If you promise to pick them up, let them."
Vin chuckled nervously, glancing about for any witnesses.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Peering about him, it took several seconds for Chris to realize where exactly he was. There wasn't a single clue, given the abnormal placement of tents, and he blamed this upon the new work crew. The fact they hadn't been hired on until after the tents had gone up didn't matter. He needed someone to blame and he wasn't taking the heat.
Realizing he had been lost in thought, Chris staggered a little to regain his balance. There wasn't anything except tent strings to hold him, so he had to do it under his own efforts. After a few windmills, he finally got his balance back.
He reached down in to his back pocket to pull out the bottle. This one was brand new, but already half empty. Taking a swig of it, he glanced up and down the tent rows. The performers were already mostly in costume, heading to their perspective places. A couple of the Potters were running from tent to tent, chasing after Bingo, their monkey's riding dog.
It was a friggen madhouse.
Slowly, he let his gaze travel over the carnival. There were children already rushing about, laughing and screaming. If he didn't know better, he would have been yelling at them to get out. They were part of the new crew's families. The thought of all those mouths to feed made his head hurt.
Speaking of feeding, he could smell the stench of cooking meat on the wind. The very idea of anything but booze in his gut set his stomach to roiling in protest. That was not a good idea as the horizon decided to tilt and his bile expressed the fact that it wanted out, now! Clutching his sides, he spit back up the mouthful of alcohol.
Clearing his throat, he spit to clear the taste from his mouth. He took a sip of the bottle to swish, then spit. There was nothing better to burn the taste-buds than cheap whisky. When he was through, he looked up to see if anyone had noticed.
Thankfully, no one had.
Moving on, he continued to scan the tents for anything untoward. It wasn't common for people to sabotage the carnival, but there was always a first time. One never knew with the weirdos out there. Without an experienced eye, he didn't trust the others to do the inspections. It just didn't pay to...
Chris stopped dead in his tracks. It couldn't be real. The familiar blue scarf enshrouded dark brown hair. Close cropped curls were greased within an inch of their lives to her skin. Same bright red lips, same heavenly smile.
Rubbing his eyes, Chris tried to clear the drunk from his vision. She was still there when he opened them again. She was standing there, smiling for someone...else. Someone who wasn't him.
Ezra.
Chris' eyes narrowed as he grit his teeth. His fists clenched around the bottle. What was she doing smiling for him?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Glancing down at their joined hands, Vin seemed to smile hesitantly. "What do you think you're doin?"
"Why, I would think that obvious." Ezra tugged on her hand, drawing her closer to him. He lowered his face enough that he could meet her gaze over the top of his glasses. "You, my dear, are an excellent creation."
"I ain't either." Vin snatched back her hand. Stepping away, she turned her back to him. Her every instinct told her not to give him such an advantage, but she didn't care. This wasn't going to happen, ever!
Seeing that his original plans weren't going over so well, Ezra pulled himself up to his full height. "I feel I must inform you that I have no ill intentions towards your person. As I am certain you are quite happy with young Mr. Dunne, you need not fear my interference."
Vin wasn't quite mollified, but she hadn't stormed off either. Raising her head high, she stared out over the trailers and worker's camp. "What exactly do you want from me, Ezra? You sent for me, I know it, so don't bother denyin."
"Very well." Lifting his head again, Ezra's grin took on a more pleased expression. He flexed the fingers wrapped around his cane's grip. "You are a great prize to have. Any man would be fool to cast aside an opportunity such as you represent. Also, I would be remiss in my duties to let a less upstanding person take advantage of you. I feel honor bound to ensure your well being."
"Your duties? Honor?" Snorting, Vin glanced over her shoulder at him before shaking her head. "You don't know Amos from Adam when it comes to honor."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Adam?" It was true. She was real.
Chris didn't know how it was possible, but she was really there. He started towards her, everything else almost forgotten. The knowledge that there was someone else around came rudely back when he saw Ezra grab her arm.
The world seemed to hold it's breath. Moving faster than he thought possible for himself, Chris grabbed the pretty boy by the back of his jacket. "Get your god damned hands off her!"
Crying out, Chris fisted both hands in the jacket, tearing it at the seams. With the strength of a madman, he slung Ezra as far as he could.
Ezra went sailing halfway across the trailer park from the momentum of the toss. Arms windmilling, he came crashing down in a pile of hay and mud. Having landed face first in the mud, he came up sputtering and his glasses missing.
Satisfied the trash was dealt with, Chris turned to her.
She was staring at him with wide eyes, hands clenching. She seemed unable to make up her mind exactly what to do.
Chris decided to act for her. Reaching up, he cupped her soft cheek in his palm. Those beautiful blue eyes widened slightly at his audacity. That made him smile and his heart ache. Oh, how he knew what she was thinking.
He had been dangerous long before he met her. That little bit of fear of him had kept them vibrant. He ran his finger over her cheek bone, rubbing off a little of the rouge. "So beautiful."
"Chris?" She started to ask more, but his thumb came to her lips.
"Please, don't speak." He continued to caress the skin of her face, trailing under her chin. He slipped his dirty fingers over the pristine surface of her skin, unable to stop himself. "I should have tried harder."
Her tiny hand came up to wrap around his wrist. Sliding in to his hand as he let it drop from her face, she squeezed it. "It's okay, Cowboy."
Eyes watering, Chris gasped out a chuckle. "How many times I gotta tell you not to call me that?"
She smiled at him.
Oh, god, that smile. Chest aching, Chris drew her hand to him. If only the moment could go on forever, he would willingly give up everything. There was so much beauty in the way she lived, even the very breath she took was lovely. "What am I going to do?"
"Sleep." Stepping in close to him, she raised her free hand to trace over her cheek. She slipped her fingers in to his hair, pushing it off his face. "It's over, you can rest now."
"I've got to know one thing." He pushed his face in to her palm, inhaling deeply from the perfume at her wrist. The memories the smell invoked choked his throat and he nearly forgot what he wanted to say. Almost. "I won't ask if you've forgiven me, I don't deserve it. But, do you still love me?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Always, with every beat of my heart." Vin didn't know where the words came from, but they seemed to be what the older man needed to hear.
As he closed his eyes, shuddering under her touch, he released her hand. "Thank you."
Lowering her arms to her side, she stepped back from him. She watched him drift off as if in a daze. As he disappeared among the trailers and tents, something shiny at her feet caught her eyes. Vin didn't have to bend down and examine it to know what was in the bottle. Chris must have dropped it along the way.
Some how she didn't think he would be coming back for it.
Glancing up, she saw that Ezra was already on his feet. The man was covered from head to toe in mud and straw, looking nothing so much as a wet cat as he walked towards her. He even paused every other step to shake the excess from his legs.
When he was within speaking distance, Vin merely glanced towards the sky. "It's gettin late. If you're goin to make that first performance, you might wanna change."
Eyes narrowed, Ezra shook more mud and straw from his jacket. "Oh ha ha, Mr. Tanner. You art a muse of comedy."
Tugging down the ends of her scarf, Vin tied it closer under her chin to hide her hair better. With a grin, she continued on her way. She still had to get in to her own costume.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Checking her pocket watch, Mary felt a nervous thrill run through her. There was less than five minutes before the gates would be thrown open and the crowds let in. Already, she could hear their excited chatter like a rising tide. Adjusting the banana curls so that they were perfectly arranged around her head, she felt a little silly. No one her age should look like Shirley Temple.
Still, it was a good look on her, or so many had said.
Baton in hand, she tugged on the collar of her dress shirt and bowtie. Her coat tails flowed out behind her as she spun on toe tip. She raised her head and braced herself to inspect the main tent. Mary moved quickly down the rows, using her baton to tap the floor in counter to her heels on the floor boards.
The Potters were the first act in the tent. They had the entire north end, with four on the stage in the center, two on the left isle and three on the right isle. She counted them just to make sure they were all in place and not to be trampled upon. While it hadn't happened in a while, there was no need to risk it.
Heading down the left isle, she passed on to the second stage. Casey was decked out in a red dress with matching bows in her braided beard and mustache. Mary nodded to her before checking the stage across the isle. Martin the Human Lizard was busy applying baby oil to his dry skin.
The next set of stages to these were inhabited by two sets of identical twins. Their mannequin act was juxtaposed across the isle, making it seem they were mirror images. She had to check to make sure they were real twice before moving on.
On the left, the middle stage in that row, stood a man decked out in top hat and white gloves. His black suit contrasted with the white black drop behind him. A small bag sat at his feet, a small podium stood beside him. Glancing up from under his top hat, he grinned for Mary. "Madam Travis."
"Mr. Johnston." She acknowledged him with a dip of her head. The very sight of his pale form sent a shiver down her spine. In another life, he would have been a perfect undertaker. Now, he just made a creepy magician.
Glancing over at the stage across from his, she found JD already setting up his chicken cages. The rest of his menagerie was gathered in jars about him for his first set of acts. His tools were currently soaking in a mineral oil bath at the back of the stage. With a sigh, she moved on.
There were so many acts, so many people she had to check on. The next two stages in line were jugglers. They tossed balls and pins between passing crowd members. She had to move quickly to avoid being caught in their pin throwing act. After giving them a withering stare, she came to the last stages in the row before the end.
On her left, a woman named Emily sat reading a book with her feet. Bending forward, she pushed the glasses higher up the bridge of her nose with her toe. Mary always wondered how she learned to get along without arms. Across from Emily sat Eugene. Already six times of her Billy, the boy sat there suckling noisily on a sucker.
Seeing Mary, he waved at her.
Mary smiled and waved back.
A whistling outside the tent told her two minutes to go before the ball dropped. Picking up her pace, she reached the end of the left row. There on the end stages were more Potters. Not for the first time, she wondered just how many kids was Mrs. Potter going to pop out before they decided it was enough.
While the other side featured mostly balancing acts and feats of skill, these were more active. Mr. Potter was leading his daughters in a game of football across the stages. They would end up tossing the ball across the three stages while doing drills up across the width of the tent.
Dodging a rampaging Potter twin, she crossed to the right side of the tent. There were fewer stages, but with good reason. On the right, taking up half the tent; camels, llamas, and a couple zebras grazed from their feeder buckets.
On her left, the far side of the tent, house cats watched her from their cages. Mr. Peepers sat upon Terry Greer's shoulder, his tail frizzing as she walked passed. Mary gave the woman a shake of her head, but said nothing. So long as her cats performed as expected, and that unruly tom kept away, she wouldn't say wouldn't.
But the moment that cat came after her, she was having Nathan make her a cat skin muff.
Separating the half of tent, several layers of sheer fabric kept in their next act. As she drew near, she could hear the birds screeching. Mary stopped just short of entering the enclosure. Looking down at her suit, she shook her head.
She walked around that section on the outside, having to slip between the tent and the bird stage. As she passed, she peered through the material to see that the benches and stage were set up properly. It wasn't much, but the bird act was a big draw for kids. Why they were next to the Terry's cats, she had no fucking idea.
With that final inspection, she found her back at the north end of the tent again. And no time to spare. A series of bells and whistles signaled that the crowd was being let in.
Beside her, the Potter children and their mother began picking up plates. The four on the center stage began to build a human tower, the oldest on the bottom. Mary found herself drawn to watching them as they picked up sparklers and lit them. Waving them in circles, they began to chant "welcome to the rabbit hole!"
She heard a loud belch of flames followed by screams. Charlotte was doing her thing and soon the crowds would be coming through the flaps. Pushing up the curls of one last time, Mary smiled for everyone and no one. "Show time, everyone!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Your mom's so blind she kisses mules good night! Not that she would know the difference from the way you lot smell." Josiah barely hid a flinch as that drew an immediate hail of flying balls. More hit his cage than the back wall behind the target. Crossing his arms, he sat back on the drop perch to appear confident he would remain there.
In reality, he was dreading the inevitable dunk that would happen. There was bound to be someone in the entire town of ten thousand residents that had a good arm. He just hoped that the booth was closed before said person arrived.
Glancing down at the rippling water in the tank below him, he shivered. It may have been slightly warmer than before due to the heating element, but was still freezing cold. Even in the heat of the day, he was reluctant to take a dip.
Raising his eyes as the last of the balls was handed out to the family of ten kids, he plastered on a fake grin. "Oh, come back for more, have you? It's a good day to waste your money."
The balls came rocketing at his cage, all of them.
Grin no longer forced, he started to chuckle. Shaking his head, he stretched his arms over his head. "It seems your mom's not the only one who couldn't see her hand in front of her face."
The kids scowled at him, a couple of the younger boys bending down to pick up rocks. One look from their mother, though, and the rocks were on the ground.
Josiah caught her eye when she turned to stare at him through the cage. Nodding, he tipped his hat to her. When she smiled back him, a pleasant thrill ran through him.
Then she drew back her arm and the ball shot forward. The target hit the backdrop, knocking a bell as it yanked out the supports in Josiah's perch.
With a cry of shock, Josiah fell the five feet in to the tank below.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The crowd twittered as Nathan appeared on the small stage at the back of the tent. Decked out in a leather vest filled with knives in a variety of sizes, he carried himself with a steady gaze. As he glanced over them the noises ceased in a ripple.
Pulling out the first knife from his vest, he flipped it end over end in one hand absently. He studied the crowd, watching them for any reaction to his knife play. When they seemed at ease with him, he spun fast, throwing the knife at the hand that appeared just inside the curtain.
Screams and gasps filled the tent.
A shiver ran down Nathan's spine as he waited for Rain to appear. He watched her step through the curtain, holding the target board between both hands. As she raised it, his nerves settled down.
Rain presented the board for the audience to see. Moving from side to side on the stage, she smiled at their cheering and applause. "Greetings and Welcome! The great throwing master has deigned to show off his skills for you tonight."
Her words always made his fingers twitch, but he kept his face deliberately blank. Crossing his arms, he puffed himself up to increase in size. The longer he stared at the audience, the more nervous they would become. With a quick move, he removed two daggers from his vest and threw them to the immediate sides of Rain's feet.
For her part, Rain easily side stepped them, showing that her feet were unharmed.
More cheers erupted from the audience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite the fact the sun was high overhead, the insides of the Ezra's tent was dark and cool. Only a pair lamps lit the stage, upon which sat an empty throne. In the packed tent, whispers started to echo. Snickers were heard in the far corner.
A cool breeze blew through the tent, billowing the cloth against its restraints. People shivered and the lamps flickered. As they settled down, quiet fell over the audience.
Ezra was seated upon the throne. His brilliant green suit seemed to glow and reflect in the dim light. Removing one hand from his cane handle, he reached up and pulled off his glasses. Black eyes blinking caused the audience to gasp.
More than a couple of the audience members crossed themselves.
Folding the glasses, Ezra stuffed them inside his jacket pocket. He took his time in the action, sizing up the audience in the mean while. After a few minutes had passed, the barest hint of a smile graced his face. "Who wishes to know that which only the gods themselves are privy?"
A few hands went up amid nervous laughter.
Selecting one woman from the middle of the audience, Ezra pointed to her. No sooner had he selected her than a spot light shown down upon her from the top of the tent.
Raising a hand to shield herself from the light, she squinted and stood up. She shared a smile with a couple of the people beside her before looking to Ezra. Self satisfied grin in place, she raised her chin. "How can we know you are real?"
"I am sitting before you. Unless the entire audience is hallucinating, that should be sufficient proof I am, indeed, real." Ezra smiled for her, the audience laughing along with him.
She snorted, looking down her nose upon him. Shaking her head, she raised a finger to point towards him.
Ezra raised his own hand to point towards her. "Your barrenness stems not from you but the faithless sop you call a husband." Head tilted to the side, he watched as she paled in the light golden light. "Lay not with him, for he spreads only disease and death. Seek out your first love, for with him you will bring forth many offspring."
Swallowing, she nodded and sat quickly down. The light above her cut out.
Across the audience from her, another spot light shown down upon one. This time, the man remained sitting. Pushing the hat up on his head, he nodded towards Ezra. "What will my crops do this year?"
"Destroy that which is not legal, for the revenuers are upon your trail." Ezra smiled along with the audience. His black eyes scanned over their numbers, seeing things that which none of them knew. As another light came on towards the back of the audience, he sighed to himself. "You are too young to be sleeping with her, but it is already too late. I see her in white by the end of the month. Congratulations, it will be a boy."
Laughter spread through out the audience. Members started to talk to one another, glancing at the teen from the corner of their eyes. More hands rose in the dim light, followed by shouted questions.
Ezra drummed his fingers on the head of his cane, casting a quick glance to Tiny and Yosimite in the corners of his stage. He held up a hand to forestall their requests. When they grew quiet, he took a deep breath. "If you do not wish to know the truth, do not ask."
That silenced the majority of them.
A young man in the front row stood up, ignoring the protests of a few others. "If it's so horrible, tell me when will I die?"
Glancing to the young man, Ezra intended to read him quickly then dismiss him. That idea disappeared in the sudden wind the picked up in the tent. Hats were blown off and hair tossed about wildly. Riveted to his seat, Ezra clenched the head of his cane desperately.
Dust filled the tent, covering everyone and thing instantly. The lights were snuffed out as they were thrown from their hangars. While people clung to each other, screaming, several were picked up and thrown from their seats. Shrieks filled the tent as more dust started to bury those inside.
With all his strength, Ezra raised his hand. Opening his palm, he slapped it down on the armrest of his chair. The moment it impacted, the dust and wind were gone, the lamps back on their hooks.
Quaking in their seats, many people still held one another. Silent tears ran down their cheeks.
The young man who had asked barely had the strength to remain standing. Swallowing, he looked to Ezra in answer. "Please..."
"It comes quickly." Ezra turned his eyes to another member of the audience.
As the light above the young man shut off, he fell to his knees.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The music began to pick up speed. Vin rolled her hips, kicking up the tassels on her hips. Gold and silver coins wrapped around her waist glistened in the light of a dozen lamps. Throwing back her head, she shimmied her breasts forwards then back up. All this combined to confuse the cobra rising from the basket not two feet away.
She carefully watched it between narrowed eyes, bobbing her head towards it. Stepping in close as she danced, she heard the cobra begin to growl. Her hands came up fluttering end over end drawing the snakes attention.
Raising her chin so she was looking down her face at the snake, she reached out slowly towards it. The snake watched her hands, slowly swaying under its own weight. Once she was within range, Vin slid her hand up the back of the cobras body to clutch it by the head.
The animal came up out of the basket, wrapping itself around her arm. Growling again, the cobra opened its mouth to hiss its displeasure at being held. Backing away from the basket, Vin draped the coils around her shoulders. It was so long that its lower half wrapped around her waist.
She began to shimmy down again, her barely restrained breasts bumping the snakes body. Slowly, she danced in a circle, sliding her fingers up the snakes body. After three spins, the snake stopped growling and it's body tightened around her body.
Releasing her grip on its head, she curled her fingers under its throat. She stroked until the cobra opened its mouth. Raising its head above her hand, the cobra pushed out its tongue. Vin reached in to the leather pouch hanging above her ass with the arm not covered in snake. She pulled out a small white mouse, and dangled it by the tail in front of the snake.
The snake scented the air twice before going still. Bringing its coils up her arm, the snake slowly extended towards the mouse.
The mouse seemed to twitch as it hung there limply. Then suddenly, it was no longer hanging from Vin's fingers.
Vin slid her fingers lovingly up the snakes spine, curling gently in the scales as it swallowed the mouse whole. Grabbing it from by the back of the head again, she brought it to her face. As the music slowly faded, she placed a gentle kiss to the snakes snout.
Glancing out in to the tent, she found the seats just as she they were when she started. All were empty but one in the very back. Petting her snake, she bowed to the one spectator then walked over to the basket. Kneeling, she unwound the cobra from her body and began to place it back in the basket.
For its part, the snake seemed content to digest its food and be man-handled back in to the basket.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With a final strike, JD drove the nail in to his sinus, leaving only enough sticking out that he could remove it with the hammer's claw. Lowering the Hammer, he raised his head to show that the nail was indeed in his nostril. Gasps and laughter filled his small audience followed by claps.
Raising his hammer, JD pulled put the claw to his nail. A quick jerk and the nail was free, hanging from the hammer. The snot slimed nail glistened in the lamp light. Holding it up for examination, he grinned like a loon.
The crowd clapped, then they jumped as a small explosion behind them drew their attention.
JD nodded to Mr. Johnston for the diversion, then ducked back behind the curtains of his stage. He picked up a rag from the improvised table he had set up. Blowing his nose, he stretched the muscles around his nostrils in an attempt to stop the spasming. It always happened after that act.
When he was partially successful, he blew his nose one more time, then threw the rag down. He checked his appearance in the mirror of his trunk, pushing back the hair from his face. For a moment, he felt a ghost hand do the same and he paused. Almost as quick as it came, the sensation was gone.
The sensation should have scared him. Instead, he felt a tightening of his chest and pants, for different reasons linked to the same thought. Frowning, he pushed the thoughts from his mind and composed himself. Setting up a seltzer tablet and water, he fortified his stomach.
As he stepped back on stage, he caught sight of the chickens. They started chittering as he approached.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Feeling much like a drowned rat, Josiah sat miserably on his perch, shivering despite the heat. His appearance was far from manly, but he would be damned if let that influence him. There were far too many good arms in this town!
Where he should have been taunting people, drawing their attention, he prayed they would just walk on by. No such luck, another young couple with the girl hanging on the boy's arm came up to Daryl, his money guy. So far, the man's coin box was more than half full. If this kept up, both Josiah and the coin box would have to be switched out before the hour was up!
There were a few moments of respite before Josiah would face this newest challenger. He decided to squeeze the water from his shirt. His hat long since gone, he kept his gaze down from the stinging sun. If it wasn't his imagination, being wet made him feel the sun's ravages all the more.
Before he was ready, there came balls flying at his cage again. What the hell was wrong with people and aiming for him? Did they think it was fun to fire off a few shots at him? The second of three balls came crashing at his cage again.
Shivering, Josiah raised his gaze to glare at the little bastard. "What's the matter? The broad side of a barn not big enough for you?"
Taking that as an invitation, the teen lobbed his last ball at Josiah's cage. When it bounced off harmlessly, he looked to his girlfriend and shrugged.
Josiah began to snicker. The look the girlfriend gave her boyfriend made him start to laugh. His sides were shaking now from the laughter as he rolled back on his perch. Holding the support bar, he kicked his feet wildly. "Run away, little boy, go back to your momma!"
This got the boy pushing his girlfriend off his arm. Glaring at Josiah, he handed Daryl another nickel. Three balls were handed to him. Like the first three, the first was thrown at Josiah's cage before the other two touched his palm. The second one soared at his cage as well. The third went under it and hit the tank beneath it.
Cackling, Josiah rocked on his seat.
The girlfriend, having had enough, slapped her boyfriend upside the head. Yelling at him, she led him away, occasionally slapping him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Swinging the woman about, Buck made sure to keep a firm grip about her waist. It wouldn't do to have he go flying in to the band. Not that she seemed to mind that at all, her eyes closed and mouth hanging open from laughter. Setting her down, he rolled her out off his arm until they were so far apart only their hands kept them together.
Breathing heavily, he swung up his other arm to a finishing position and the band stopped playing. Applause from the other men and women in the tent echoed in his ears over the sound of his rushing blood. There weren't many times he felt this kind of exhilaration. Dancing with a good partner always brought it out in him, though.
Chuckling at the excited faces in the crowd, he bent over to brace himself against his thighs. This was going to be a lively bunch tonight. At five cents a dance, he might even make a small fortune. That is, if his dancing shoes and feet didn't wear out.
He looked up, searching for Inez. Buck found her talking with a group of the men he assumed were single from the lack of women glaring at them. Very few husbands actually attended their tent, preferring to watch the cooche show. But, since the girls from the show were playing band, he wondered where the husbands were.
Standing up, he raised one foot and rolled it to stretch the muscles. He did the same to the other, sighing with relief. When that was done, he began to look for his next dance partner. He found her over on the side of the room, watching the entire dance floor, but not participating. That would all change soon.
Pasting on a smile, he strolled through the crowd and right up to the woman. He put out a hand to take one of hers. Buck brought the back of her hand to his lips, raising his eyebrows slightly. "If you would do me the honor, my dear, I would love to have the next dance with you. Please, do not say no, my heart cannot take rejection from a beauty such as yours."
He knew he had her from the moment her eyes started to flutter and she flushed red. The repressed ones were always the easiest to charm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Guiding yet another man's hands from her waist, Mary directed him to follow after his family. "There, you will find the great and the odd! Let nothing fool you, for these are indeed, very real!" Baton switched out in favor of a band leader's scepter, she stamped it on the foot of another man before he could hug her. "Come one, come all! See the truly grotesque and the seriously disturbed!"
She stood to the side of the entrance, making it clear she was not the one to take their money. Climbing on to her regular platform, she squeezed the buttons on her scepter. The crystals on top lit up and started to spin slowly. "The strangest creatures you've ever seen await within!"
Her outfit, more than her calls, seemed to attract attention. Absently, as she fended off another man, she wondered if Charlotte was having the same problem. Probably not, her fire act was highly intimidating. When the man's wife slapped him with her purse, Mary gave her a grateful look.
The woman nodded, then dragged the big ape over to the man accepting money.
"Fourty-five cents and you too can view the most twisted creatures God ever created!" She wanted to add the fact that half the customers fit under that title as well. But she wanted to keep her job.
Pointing the swirling crystals towards the crowd, she squeezed another button and a light beam shown upon them from it. That drew laughter from the children, and made heart chest ache. The smile almost went from her face, but she kept up the illusion. Pointing the flashlight at the kids, she watched them run from it squealing.
If they thought it was spectacular now, they should see it after it got dark, she thought to herself. It had been one of the better ideas of Ezra's. At least one she wasn't appalled with. Noticing that the spinning crystals had started to slow, she released the button. The batteries would need replacing before the night was through.
It was a good thing she turned it off, because she used it to slap the wandering hand of a passing man. Still, despite the flashy show of both her and the scepter, there were few people coming to her tent. She didn't want to do it, the entire thing was silly.
Ezra couldn't always be right.
There was only one way to find out. Standing at a military stance, she raised the scepter above her head. "I am the voice of Morpheus, come dream with me!"
Several passing people actually stopped to stare at her over that.
Mary pointed the scepter at them, sweeping it over their heads. "I challenge each of you to dare imagine something so terrific that it cannot help but change the world. Give me your ideas and I will show you that there are things more inspired! Come to me! Enter my cavern of nightmares and behold the wonders that I've brought!" She swept over the audience again, ending with the scepter pointing towards the entrance of the main tent.
It worked. More people came from the passing crowds, walking to see what in hell had her shouting like a mad-woman.
Shaking her head, Mary tapped the modified flashlight, scepter, to her chin. "That son of a bitch." Realizing she had said it aloud, she glanced about to make sure no one had seen her. Thankfully, no one had noticed the little slip up. "The magnificence of creation, gathered here, tonight!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This time as the music began to wind down, Vin was more conservatively dressed. The gauzy material wrapped around her waist went all the way down to mid thigh. Her breasts were almost completely exposed, but the veils obscured what flesh was in view.
There was no snake involved in her dance. Instead, she wore tiny cymbals on her fingers, clanging them in time with the music. A gold chain of bells around her ankle jingled with each step. She stomped her foot several times to make them ring louder.
Again, gold and silver coins winked in the light from her waist. They were joined by several chains of colorful beads. She shimmied across the small stage, twisting her head from side to side. The veil over her head hid most her face from view, but left her eyes in plain sight.
That made it easier for her to see that the same man was now sitting in the front of five rows. Vin hadn't expected much for her first couple performances, but her and her mother's reputation should have still held some sway. The Mayor had remembered them, so what the hell was going on?
Still, she had one paying customer. If for nothing else she would give him the performance of a life time. At least until the song ended. The final note brought her to a stop. Crossing her arms over her chest so that her hands laid on her shoulders, she bowed towards him.
She opened her eyes long enough to meet his gaze. The look he was giving her made Vin shiver. She knew to piss him off would make a dangerous enemy. Tilting her head to the side, she winked at him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ezra watched impassively from his hiding space in the bureau at the back of the tent as a weeping widow was lead from the tent by her daughter. It was always best to disappear just before everyone realized the show was over. Especially since his usual retinue of body guards were other wise occupied, so he had to rely upon the lesser knowns and new guys. Far better to offer no temptation.
It wasn't his fault that people couldn't handle the truth. Certainly, it was often devastating, but if they didn't really want to know the truth, they shouldn't ask the questions. Not every question was verbally asked, but they always received an answer.
The last to leave was a man in a bowler hat, glancing about to see if he could spot Ezra. He had learned that his daughter was sleeping with the 'nigger boy' and had, in fact, married him.
Like that was Ezra's fault, or news to anybody but himself. Everyone in the tent, even those who didn't know the man personally, had known his daughter was spending her time in the colored quarters south of town. To have it confirmed had simply shifted the blame to Ezra, some how.
Ezra felt a little relieved when the man was pushed out by Rafael. At least the dour looking Mexican was good for something aside from scowling at Ezra. So they didn't get along, that was no need to give the audience hope of getting a taste of his blood.
Glancing down at his pocket watch, he checked the time in the light shining through the knot hole in the wood. There were two minutes until the next show started, which meant more people would be entering any second now. He glanced up at the sound of footsteps and mumbling.
Right on time.
Closing his watch, he slipped it back in to his vest pocket. There would be plenty of questions this time, and he didn't want a mistake like the boy from the first show. Blinking, the color drained from his vision. Suddenly, he knew everything about those people.
Raising his hand, he placed the palm over his eyes and closed the lids. He let his head fall back against the wood behind him. Fighting off a headache, he tried to keep the groan of pain silent. Thankfully, the growing excitement from the crowd drowned that out.
Checking to make sure the small pistol in his sleeve was still there, he flipped a switch beside him. The lights began to flicker and a fan outside the tent blew through a cloth hose. He watched as the people began to shiver. Counting down from three, he tapped his cane against the floor.
The crowd gasped when he suddenly appeared on his throne.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another knife flew at her feet as Rain tap danced across the stage. Jumping up, a knife landed at her feet. She jumped up again, spinning in a circle, her arms above her head. Landing on one foot, she quickly switched which foot was under her as a knife landed in the same spot. Spinning, she brought her foot down and did a quick tap routine. She finished by slapping her foot twice at Nathan.
Two knives imbedded in the stage just to either side of her extended foot.
Silence reined in the tent for several seconds. Only the sound of her labored breathing could be heard. Then, suddenly, clapping and cheers erupted in the tent.
Rain spun herself twice then landed in Nathan's open arms. His now empty vest felt lumpy against her chest as she stared in to his eyes. Her smile turning in to a sly grin, she slid her arms around his neck.
"What are you doing," was all Nathan had time to get out before Rain had him down in a kiss.
Smiling against his lips, she closed her eyes and relaxed against him.
It took him a little longer.
Eventually, though, they stood there through-out the applause, then the clearing of the tent, kissing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coins tinkled through his fingers, Travis' mouth moving as he counted them. After twenty nickels, he marked down another dollar in his ledger. Using his thumb, he pushed twenty more of them down in to the sack. Once more, he made another mark in the book.
After he had done this two more times, he ran out of nickels. With a sigh, he put the pencil down in the center of the book. Humming to himself, he drew up the strings of the bag until the sack was closed. Tying off the top, he picked up the sack and carried it over to his safe.
As he passed Tiny, he eyed the man's gun with appreciation. It had been one of his old ones, from his old days in the U.S. Marshalls. If the man hadn't been his wife's nephew, never would he have parted with something so precious to him. Seeing how Tiny handled it, he could almost forgive her and himself for giving it to him.
Almost.
Putting the sack of nickels in the safe, trailed his hand over the other sacks on that shelf. All of them were nickels. Since their prices were in five cent increments, nickels were the most prevalent coin used. Very little paper money was used, but what was, sat rolled up in the money box in the top of the safe. At the first sign of trouble, all money near the safe would go in to it and the door slammed shut.
Since Guy Royal had stolen the old one, he had decided to upgrade to one that would take four men to move. It added one hell of a burden to his trailer, but there was little chance that it would be taken. He just hoped Evie would get over the fact she wouldn't be getting that trip to New York this year.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door.
Reaching to the gun on his belt, Travis swung the door shut. As he turned to face the door, he caught Tiny's eye and nodded. "Who is it?"
"Daryl, sir." The man's gravely voice echoed through the door.
"Enter slowly, keep your hands where I can see them." There was only one reason the man would be coming in, he had the box of coins from the dunking booth. Travis had heard that people were flocking to it, apparently it wasn't just a rumor.
The door's handle was turned slowly, then was pushed opened. Standing in the doorway, Daryl held up the metal box. He shook it to demonstrate the contents were indeed coins. Climbing up the small stairs, he walked in to the trailer. He put the box of coins on Travis' table and stepped back to wait.
Reaching down to the box, Travis pulled out the key from his vest pocket. He pushed the key in to the lock and turned it. When it popped open, he quickly removed it and raised the lid. The box was indeed filled with coins.
Grinning at Daryl, he turned the box over to empty in his large metal bowl in the center of the table. "Thank you, I was running low on coins to count."
Nodding, Daryl snorted. "Not a problem, sir. Josiah's a real natural, even when he ain't taunting them, they still want to throw shit at him."
"Just imagine the business we'd get if we put Buck in the cage." Grinning at his own joke, Tiny slapped his knee.
"Yes, very amusing." Travis put the lock back on the box, then handed it to Daryl. "Tell Josiah to take another fifteen minutes, I'm sure he would like to get dry before he goes back up on the perch." He watched as Daryl nodded and took the box. Catching the eyes of the two guards on the door, Travis shut it behind Daryl.
"What's the haul so far?" Scratching his beard with the back of his hand, Tiny watched Daryl walk away through the one window on the trailer.
"Almost seventy dollars, which is a respectable amount for the first hour." Moving to the safe, Travis began spinning the dials, putting his key to the lock. When he heard the last of ten clicks, he turned the handle and pulled the door open. "But, when you consider that it took us three hundred, fifty just to get here and another two hundred to get everything set up, we've got a long way to go."
Nodding his head, Tiny didn't quite understand what the judge meant, but he would accept his word on it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thrusting her hips up, Vin ground herself against the body pinning her down. His massive hands slid up her side to cup her breast, squeezing the nipple until she cried out. She grunted as he slammed in to her, seating himself fully within.
Opening her eyes, Vin's gaze traveled from his lips to dark green eyes. He was watching her. When she opened her mouth to moan, he covered her lips with his own. Pushing his tongue in her mouth, he swiped at her teeth until she nipped.
He raised his head to grin at her. Pulling out, he slowly road the roll of her hips to thrust back in. One rough hand slid up her back, causing her to arch her breast against his chest.
Crying out, Vin started to gasp for breath enough to speak. As he thrust in to her once more, she lost the will to speak.
Picking up his pace, he started to groan. His face twisted as in pain, eyes closing. When his breath hitched, Vin knew he was close.
Closing her eyes, she clutched at his broad back, feeling him thrust inside her harder than before. Her body shuddered as he cried out. She knew that feeling, from both sides. Squeezing her body around him, she felt him physically gasp from the sensation. Then he was groaning in to her ear, going limp over her. Warmth flooded between her thighs and his thrusts grew more frantic.
Letting him ride it out, she kissed his cheek. Vin wrapped an arm around his neck, pushing the hair off his face with her fingers.
"I love you." He gasped for breath, his chest heaving as he collapsed on top of her. "I love you so very much."
"It's okay." Kissing his cheek again, she stared up at the ceiling of the tent. In the background, she could still hear the record as the music played on. "I'm here, Chris."