Elements of Truth

"The girls on the lake." Bobby was almost pleading now. "Remember, they were here last night. With us. Where did they go?"

"Fuck go back to sleep Bobby. You're dreaming. All I know is that we're taking today off. And I ain't ready to get up yet." With that George turned over and soon resumed his snoring.

Bobby could not go back to sleep. He searched the campsite and went down to the lake but found no evidence that anyone other than he and George had been in camp all night.

He made coffee and drank the hot beverage slowly, waiting for the caffeine to kick in. Thinking was not his strength right now but no matter how he turned things over in his mind, one thing became more than abundantly clear. Eileen and Grace had either left early, being extremely methodical in erasing any sign that they had visited the night before, or he had dreamed the entire thing -- a fantasy within a dream. Fatigue and too much vodka could do that to a man, he guessed. His biggest problem now was, quite simply, what to do about the massive erection he was sporting, despite feeling like hell.

The trip over the next two days proved uneventful. As they finished loading the canoes onto the roof racks of the cars, a tour bus pulled into the parking lot to stop in front of the gift store and food kiosk. Emblazoned on its side were the words: 'Mallory's Summer Camp for Ladies' followed by a phone number and a crude rendition of a happy face.

"Wait here," said Bobby. "Something I gotta check out."

George watched his friend sidle over to the bus and look up into the driver's side window. A large, silver-haired woman sat at the steering wheel. "Excuse me, Miss. Would you happen to have a couple of lady passengers by the name of Eileen and Grace on board?"

The driver deigned to look down at Bobby, taking her time to assess him and his intentions. "Hey, listen up back there," she yelled then, looking over her broad shoulder. "Grace. Eileen. Gent here lookin' for ya. Says he knows you."

_____________ end ___________