In the Stacks Ch. 03

Marilyn looked directly into Penny's eyes, and relaxed, trying to loose her normally cool demeanor. Maybe today was the day to break it off. This just might work to her favor.

"Good morning, Will," she said.

"Noontime around here, Ma," he said gruffly.

"Well good afternoon then," she replied, matching his gruffness with a catty tone. Marilyn heard the bell ring, and stepped back, as Penny took in trades, and processed purchases.

"How's dad?" He said.

"Oh you know your father. Not much changes with him," Marilyn replied.

"You said the last time he spoke he had an infection?" He inquired.

"Yes, they took care of that. He's as healthy as a horse." Marilyn backed up.

"I see you've got another book out. Chris and I read it. He liked it, I was sort of hot and cold over it," Will replied.

"Oh," Marilyn took interest, "what didn't you like?"

"I'm not sure if it's a clear representation of a gay male life. I can see you're trying to stretch out your writing boundaries and that's great. Are gay men that promiscuous, though? Not that I know all that many, mind you," he said.

Marilyn rolled her eyes, "well I think that probably some are, and some aren't. So how is your roommate, anyway?"

Will coughed into the phone, "Chris is fine ma, fine. He got the lead in a local production of Romeo & Juliet for the summer Shakespeare festival."

"How wonderful," she replied, warmth in her tone that he was unused to, and suspicious of.

"Yeah he's real happy about it," Will replied. He did not inform her that Chris was rubbing his neck and shoulders and listening to every word. He shivered as Chris licked the back of his neck softly.

"So Ma, how's it going?" He said.

"Quite well, quite well indeed. The bookstore is finally turning a reasonable profit, and things are showing signs of improvement," Marilyn said, her eyes glued to the bounce of the hemline at Penny's skirt. "How are things over there? You find a girlfriend yet?"

Will opened his mouth to speak. Chris had been walking him through this for a while now, and he had mustered his courage to out himself. Marilyn interrupted him:

"When am I going to get a grandchild anyway?" She demanded.

Will's mouth snapped shut and he growled, "I don't know, maybe never. I don't like kids, Ma, you know that. Never liked being a kid, and don't like them now."

"Nonsense, you'd make a wonderful father," she said.

Will licked his lips, and then heard over the receiver Penny's singsong voice telling a customer how much she liked the sundress she was wearing.

"Who's that?" Will asked.

"Oh, that's just Penny," Marilyn said.

"Who's Penny?" Will inquired, putting his mother on the spot.

Marilyn swallowed the saliva in her mouth, "she's a girl I hired for part time work, in the afternoons. She'll give me some more time to work on my writing and other projects."

Penny tilted her head, looking at Marilyn.

"She's very cute," Marilyn said. "If you ask nice, I'll fix her up with you."

Will inwardly groaned, "no thanks, ma. I'm pretty comfortable the way I am."

Penny glared at her, and Marilyn pursed her lips at her. Penny flushed as Marilyn spoke, "you sure? She's adorable."

"Yeah, sure, Ma, just send her right out. I'm sure Chris would love to chat her up. Maybe they can exchange makeup tips or something," Will growled at the phone. Chris went from rubbing his shoulders to a short nip on the neck.

"Why don't you get to the point?" Chris said, whispering into Will's ear.

Will nodded.

"Ma, um, Chris and I are going to be having a little gathering here in September, and we'd like you to come up. You have store help now. You don't have any excuses."

Marilyn wanted to scrunch her face up and growl at him ferociously, but with a store full of people and more coming in, she had little choice but to be polite and cheery, "oh you do know I hate flying."

"Ma, this is important, look, I'm trying to tell you something here," Will elevated his voice, trying to make himself heard over the din. He heard his mother say something to a customer.

"Will, I've got to go, I really do, Penny's getting swamped, we have the end of the month sale this weekend and it's crazy.

"Look ma, this is important. I need to tell you something, I'm," Will spoke in rapid tones.

"I love you boy, give me a call at home in the next couple days, we can chat then." She said, and hung up the receiver.

"Gay," Will replied to the dial tone.

***

Chris continued to rub Will's neck.

Will's massive shoulders sank and he hung the phone up on the receiver. He turned to his boyfriend, his big eyes lidded with tears, "I tried, Chris, I really did. She hung up on me. She just tramps all over me."

Chris wrapped his thin, wiry arms around Will and softly nuzzled him, "Its okay lover. It's all right."

Chris led him to the couch where Will stretched out, putting his massive bearded face into Chris's lap. He felt the gentle touch of Chris's chiseled nails through the massive mop of his chestnut hair. Will cried softly.

They were a couple of opposites, both inside and out.

Chris was tall, thin, lithe, with blonde hair, and steel blue eyes that could pierce someone's soul with a single critical look. He was overly effeminate, and his close friends occasionally called him, "Pristopher" even to his face, even though Will never could. Chris had embraced his homosexuality as a child, prancing about dramatically. In school, he excelled in speech, and the arts, while his scores in math and language left him wanting. While he couldn't create literature, he could make it better. He won a scholarship in theater to a local collage and it was there he met Will in 1979.

Will was shorter, stockier with a scraggly beard, moustache, and was the stereotype of the gay male, bear. He hid his queerness from himself, and everyone else. He tried dating many women in college trying to figure it out, but being so socially inept, each of those relationships collapsed within weeks. He was a structural engineer, and enjoyed numbers and logical answers to problems. He had issues with his own emotions, and many thoughts about the world around him, yet kept an impassive, taciturn demeanor.

They met in collage, as assigned roommates, and after Chris survived a vicious gay bashing, Will took it upon himself to watch after him. They became housemates, after college. One night, Will got a phone call from Chris to pick him up at a bar where his boyfriend had dumped him. When they got back, Chris realized that Will loved him, even if Will was not willing to admit it at the time.

When dawn found both men in the same bed, Will realized his problem, and his shell of logic began to crack.

Now, years later, Will had pretty much outed himself to everyone except his mother whom he only saw every few years. He had grown very fond of having emotions, and being able to feel his feelings, and thanked Chris for it. Chris had learned the value of stability. He was now able to do simple tasks like balancing a checkbook and being able to make house payments on time.

Together, as a couple, they had been together for twenty years, their bond cemented after the accident that destroyed Will's fathers' life. As far as Will was concerned, the car ended his life, and he would have pulled the feeding and breathing tubes long, long ago, were it not for his mother.

Chris's mother took Will in, insisting he call her, 'Mom' and Will learned the value of having a family. With Marilyn so far away, and building her own life with her writing, the bookstore, and caring for Thomas, they naturally drifted apart.

Only now, when gay marriage was becoming legal, did the matter come up again.

A year ago, Chris had started stashing money away, and two months ago, he bought a ring for Will. They went out to their favorite park, and Chris got down on one knee and proposed to him.

Will sobbed with happiness and answered in the affirmative.

The wedding was set for the upcoming September, in Montreal. They had already found a location, Will had applied for and received time off, and his co-workers were planning a bachelor party for him.

Will wanted his mother to come ever since they started to make plans, wanted to show her how happy he was with Chris, and the good things that Chris brought into his life. Marilyn and Chris had never gotten along very well, she found Chris's effeminate side to be very difficult to take, and never let Will forget it.

"How my big old Teddy bear doing?" Chris said, still stroking Will's tear-stained face.

"Better," Will gasped.

"I love you." Chris said, and cradled Will's head up. The two men kissed softly, tenderly, and then broke apart.

"I love you too," Will replied.

"We're going to make it, you know? We have come this far, stayed by each other's side. We'll make it," Chris said firmly, drawing upon the strength that he had learned from Will.

Will sat up and locked his lips into Chris's face, sucking on the fairer man's lower lip tenderly. Chris mewled softly and whispered, "Don't start something you're not prepared to finish, lover."

Will wrapped his arms around Chris's back, drug him atop his rotund tummy, and rubbed his bushy moustache against Chris's mouth, trailing down his neck with a series of sharp, nipping kisses.

Chris quivered, and his hands reached up Will's shirt, and found Will's big puffy nipples with their oversized aureoles. Before long, clothes from both men hit the floor, and Will ended up on the bottom, in a classic sixty-nine position. The only sound in the house was the bubbler of the fish tank, and the slurping noise of cocksucking.

***

Marilyn put down the phone and immediately dove into the line of customers, taking trades in left and right while Penny's quick fingers ran the till. Marilyn had never seen the place so busy, it was almost as if Penny's bright exuberance drew in the masses like a shining beacon to everyone else, not just her.

Penny was polite to all parties, even those that were a bit irritated at having to wait so long to have their purchases rung up. She made sure that every customer got a bookmark with the store's logo on it, and the little kids got Sorbee's, a kind of sugar-free hard candy.

The traffic in the store caused the entire place to become warmer, and Penny felt her body get stickier and wished she had put on some additional deodorant. She watched a man come in wearing a full suit and tie, and a hat, reminiscent of the nineteen fifties. He took the hat off when he entered the store, and browsed through the shelves that held the thriller section.

When most of the kids had left, and the store was empty, he came up toward the cash register, the books he wanted to purchase in his hand.

He smiled pleasantly at her, as Marilyn stood behind her, to one side, still sorting all of the incoming trade.

"Will this be all, sir?" Penny asked.

"Yes, thank you." He replied.

Penny counted out his change and bagged his books. He looked at her for a moment, and pulled from his interior breast pocket a thick envelope.

"Marilyn Marshall?" He inquired to Penny.

"No, um, Marilyn?" She called.

Marilyn moved over, leaning a bit more than normal on her cane for balance.

"I'm Marilyn Marshall." She said.

He handed the envelope to her.

"You have been served. Good day, ma'am." He said. He replaced his hat upon his head, and with his books, under one arm and walked out.

Marilyn frowned, and tore open the envelope.

A subpoena stared up at her.

"I didn't know you got game, girl." Penny quipped.

Marilyn did not get the joke, scanning the subpoena.

"Bah. It's Trish's attorney trying to stir the pot." She declared.

"Trish, that's Henry's wife, right?" Penny asked.

"Yes, this is a deposition hearing. I'm supposed to give some sort of statement, they will probably ask me if I'm having an affair with him or some such garbage." She said, a dark, brooding scowl crept upon her face.

"I knew I should have beaten him when I had the chance," she quietly hissed.

"Well, um, have you?" Penny asked.

Marilyn glared at her with a scathing glance, that caused Penny to actually fear her, "Give me a little credit girl, you're the first person I've been intimate with in twenty years."

Penny's eyes bugged out.

A large figure followed by a smaller figure loomed at the storefront, and in came the two Saturday regulars, Trinity and Violet.

Trinity held the door open for Violet. She was wore a flowing, obviously hand-made skirt with broad vertical stripes of various shades of blue and purple. She wore around her neck a thick leather collar with a heart shaped tag on it, and her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail.

Violet wore a sundress of pale yellow that only barely matched her skin. Her face had the stern, hard edge of a top. In her hand, she carried a half inch of red brochures.

"Ladies," Marilyn said.

"Hey Mrs. Marshall," Trinity said with a grin. Her misses sounded like miz.

"Mrs. Marshall," Violet intoned.

"How can I help you two this afternoon, and shouldn't you be in bed?" Marilyn asked, always amazed at how little sleep they required.

Penny eyed the big one, Trinity, and stood in front of the till attempting to shield Marilyn from what she believed to be a perceived threat.

"Actually, Mrs. Marshall, I was wondering if we might be able to talk to you about a group we're helping to form," Violet said. "I've noticed that you keep a healthy stock of literature that, shall we say, is for the discriminating lady."

Marilyn cocked an eyebrow, looking much like Mr. Spock.

Trinity grinned her big silly grin and opened her mouth, "you've got a great selection of bondage goodies, Mrs. Marshall."

Penny stared coldly at Trinity.

Violet proffered the pamphlet to Marilyn. In it was a bondage-dominance group forming in Vancouver. Violet said, "You're the only serious purveyor of lesbian erotica this side of Portland. We were wondering if we could promote our group in your store."

Marilyn looked the brochure over and then handed it to Penny.

Penny unfolded it, and noted it was a women's only playgroup, dedicated to safe, sane, and consensual bondage practices.

Marilyn studied Penny's face, reading it. She watched her eyes move, her face, and lips purse as she read some of the gorier aspects of what the group wanted to offer.

"If you have anything that we could raffle off, that would be a big help, really. Our group is just getting started, and we will take whatever we can get. I was thinking perhaps if we could just put some of our brochures in your books, then we would be able to discreetly target the audience in question," Violet said politely.

Marilyn replied quietly, "perhaps we could get a recommendation to your group as a resource for literature of that nature?"

"I already talk up your store, you got great stuff. I bet we could put one of your business cards in our email letter. Maybe you might wanna buy some advertising space once we get a newsletter out?" Trinity drawled.

Penny looked up to her and then over to Trinity, still distrustful. "How much would you be charging, then?"

Marilyn could not suppress the hint of a smile. Penny's protectiveness, while unnecessary was touching.

"We'd need to discuss that with the newsletter editor, we're still in the pre-formative stages for that," Violet responded.

"Why don't you leave your brochures and let us take a look at them," Marilyn asked. "We'll take them home, and discuss them."

Trinity now openly leered at Penny, "yeah, I bet you will." Her eyes focusing on the purple hickie.

Penny felt the heat in her rising, and she opened her mouth to speak, acid on her tongue, ready to verbally barbeque Trinity when she felt Marilyn's hand softly on her shoulder.

"It is a decision we will make together," Marilyn said. She now knew that there was no way in hell she could just drop Penny off. "I'm sure you were aware, but there are two competent erotic writers in this area. They are also patrons of this store, and I am sure they would be interested in your group as well. I imagine if you approached them, they might be willing to donate a portion of sales to your group.

Violet's eyes lit up, and Trinity grinned her big stupid grin that Penny wanted to rip off her face. "We would be very happy if you brought our group to their attention, and would be appreciative of any donations we could get from them. If they have a signing, for example, we could get our group to come out as a field trip sort of thing to buy copies."

Marilyn nodded, pleased that she would be able make money in more than one way off this arrangement. She was also catty and wise enough to know not to give a yes or no answer at the initial meeting.

"Why don't you come around the store in the next couple days, Violet? We can chat about it more in detail after Penny and I have had a chance to discuss it."

"Thank you, Mrs. Marshall. I'll be happy to do that."

Trinity poked through the back issues of the magazines and found a long-buried copy of, 'On Our Backs'. She slapped it on the counter, and Penny wrung her up with the usual pleasantries.

Violet waited for her at the door as Trinity commented to Penny, "that's one hell of a curling iron burn you got there, girl. Maybe someone as young as you shouldn't be playing with that sort of thing," She said cattily.

Marilyn bit at her lower lip and watched as Penny kept her professional edge and replied, "We'll see you again. Thanks for coming in."

Penny looked about the store to make sure no one was in it and then growled, "Cunt."

Marilyn let loose a belly laugh.

"What?" Penny asked defensively."

"They're regulars," Marilyn said.

"New to me, and I've been coming here for a couple months now."

"Yes, but never on a Saturday. They work a compressed work week and have four days a week off," Marilyn said.

"You know where they work, too?" Penny asked astonished.

Marilyn nodded and then spoke quietly, "they work where my husband lives."

Penny's face got darkly quiet.

Marilyn sat on the stool, Penny leaned against the counter.

"I know I should have told you, but I'm married, with children, rather just the one child."

"Yeah, that part I know. But you don't have a wedding ring on," Penny observed.

Marilyn's eyes were tired.

"Twenty years ago, my husband, and I were driving from Chicago, where my son lives, back to Orchards. We were on the outskirts of Washington on State Route 14 when a drunk driver slammed into us doing forty. He hit the driver's side of the car, and left Thomas and I for dead after himself being thrown into the Columbia River."

Penny reached out for her, and hugged her tightly, "I'm so sorry."

"Thomas never wore his seat belt, and the car that hit us mangled his body very badly," she said. Tears began to stream from her face. "The airbag mis-deployed and he suffocated on it as it pressed into his face. I watched him die as the police pulled up. One of the police officers was also a reserve paramedic and was able to intubate him and bring him back. The damage to his brain was too much, however. The fine man that was my husband is gone now, merely a memory in the mind of myself, and my son."

Penny felt horrible and her tears ran in long, large rivers down her face.

"So you see, I am married, and I am a devoted and faithful wife."

"Until me," Penny gasped.

"I have to also be honest with you, I wanted to sever our relationship this morning. I went to see my husband and to beg his forgiveness."

Penny swallowed, her face filled with fear.

"I can't do that, Penny. I'm much older than you are, and you make me laugh. You make me smile. Somehow you got into me, and I don't know how." Tears filled her lined eyes, the wrinkles on her face warm, and happy.