Wealth Pt. 04

"Said it's hard enough being a student," Anita replied truthfully. "People find out, they're going to want money, or a job, or free food. People know I work there and they want free food from me. I keep telling them, I start giving out free food and I'm out of a job."

But the professor's scathing remarks had started the wheels in Anita's head. The trailers were in a fixed location. The semester was winding to a close and it would be a few weeks before she could again open the trailers and start generating income.

But a food truck would be mobile, could go to St. Elizabeth Public Utilities, or the parish courthouse, or the Trauma Center.

In another classroom in another building, Toni Delacroix sat and watched Professor Ashley McLean as the woman excitedly discussed the rhythmic patterns of American Poetry.

Toni had heard whispered rumors that the attractive woman was gay, but there were no outward signs. The woman wore her brown hair to just below her shoulders, favored simple shifts and sandals, minimal cosmetics and light pink finger and toe nail polish.

"The cadence leads us from one line to the next," the woman said, waving her arm excitedly, making her small breasts jiggle in her flouncy top. "Dah de dah de dah de duh!"

Toni watched as the woman took a sip from her water bottle and wondered if the woman had ever heard of watersports.

She smiled; thinking of a botched date she'd had the previous evening.

Rayanne Williams was a black girl; normally Toni did not find African-American women attractive, but Rayanne had close cropped hair and an engaging smile, or at least that's what her profile's photograph showed. The two nineteen year olds met for coffee at Jitters and were cautious, guarded around each other for a few minutes.

"Oh, hey, girl, you like them water slides, huh? That one out in Jack's Creek, just past Elgee?" Rayanne asked.

"Water, who said I like water slides?" Toni had asked, baffled.

"Well uh, I mean, your profile," Rayanne said, looking around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

"Said I like watersports," Toni had giggled.

"Well yeah, like water skiing and..." Rayanne had said.

"No, like peeing," Toni had smiled, sure that her face was about to burn from the hot blush.

"Wha-a-at!" Rayanne had said.

A few minutes later, both girls agreed the date was over.

"Wouldn't you agree, Ms. Delacroix?" Professor McLean smiled happily at one of the few students that seemed to be paying attention.

"Oh, definitely," Toni agreed. "If it ended one syllable too soon, or like went one over, it'd be like real awkward."

"Precisely!" the woman said, slapping her hand to emphasize the rhythm.

And I know you're all saying 'who cares? It's just a bunch of stupid poems by a bunch of dead people,'? But tonight, when you're watching television, I want you to pay attention to the commercials. Pay attention to how they use rhythms to hold your attention," the woman smiled, looked at the clock on the wall and waved her hands at them. "Go, go, I know it's Friday and you could care less."

The woman took another sip from her water bottle and smiled at Toni.

"At my age, it's so important to stay hydrated," she said.

"Think it's important like at any age," Toni agreed as they started walking down the hall.

"Oh, just wait until you're forty seven," the woman tittered. "You'll be like 'oh why didn't I take better care of myself?'"

"You're forty seven?" Toni gasped. "I thought you had to be like, thirty five, maybe thirty six."

"Oh, quit trying to butter me up!" the woman laughed putting her hand on Toni's arm. "You're already making an 'A' in my class."

"Professor McLean, I'm not..." Toni said as the woman pulled a set of keys out of her skirt's pocket and unlocked a door.

"When it's just us, you can call me Ashley," the woman smiled as she entered a cluttered, cramped office.

"I swear, I don't know how you girls can stand to wear your jeans so tight," the woman said as she flopped down in her chair. "That would drive me crazy, all that friction, rub rub rub."

Toni leaned over and kissed the woman on her lips.

Outside of the public library in Bender Florida, Jack and Henry sat on a concrete bench and listlessly watched humanity go by. Red's was open, but Ralph's green Gremlin was parked out front and Henry did not like the surly patron of Red's. So they sat and watched the world go by.

"Heard from Kelli other day," Henry said. "Kid thinks it's a hoot; calling a Louisiana number and talking to me in Florida."

"Find a woman, she said," Jack repeated himself again. "I mean, shit, Henry, if I'd wanted..."

"Hey," Henry agreed, nodding.

Jack's cell phone chimed and Henry smiled.

"Bet that's David again; which one of the dogs you think he wants to kill today?" Henry asked.

David Labbe, Melanie's older brother, was watching the house and taking care of the three dogs, or 'crab bait' as he called them, while Jack got his head on straight.

"Probably Lollypop; Melanie never could get that bitch do right," Jack smiled pulling out his cell phone.

"Nope, it's Anita," he smiled.

"Anita Lopez? Sweet girl," Henry said.

"Hey, Henry, when you was twenty, what'd you want?" Jack asked as he read the text message.

"Shirley," Henry said and watched a black teenaged girl stroll past, dressed in a white thong bikini.

"Well, yeah, besides that," Jack said as Henry admired the girl's tight buttocks. "I mean, at twenty? All I wanted was a piece of ass, a bad ass car and a six pack of beer."

Henry smiled as the girl looked over her shoulder to make sure she had their attention and waggled a playful finger at him.

"And what does that twenty year old want?" Henry asked, nodding toward the cell phone.

"A couple of food trucks," Jack said.

"Come on, Jack, let's go home," Henry said as the girl disappeared from view. "It's time we rejoined the living."

"What you mean?" Jack asked, following Henry.

"Little black girl, maybe eighteen, nineteen, couldn't have been more than twenty years old walks by, ass all hanging out in one of them thongs and you don't even look up," Henry said.

"Aw damn," Jack complained and looked around for the girl.

"And I know you're not gay, even if you do close your eyes when we kiss good night," Henry said.

"Hey!" Jack protested. "And who's the one keeps dropping the soap, huh?"

"Well it's not my fault; they make the soap too slippery," Henry said as he unlocked the cottage door. "So, if you're not gay, you got to be dead. Problem is, Jack, we're too fucking young to be dead. I'm only sixty six and you're not even forty yet."

"I'm going to grill up those two steaks, take a massive shit, then we're on the road, okay?" Henry said as he dug out the two steaks.

"Hey, Henry?" Jack called out from his bedroom.

"Yeah?" Henry called back, turning on the gas stove.

"Love you, man," Jack said, dumping clothing into his large suitcase.

"Homo," Henry playfully accused.

In Bender, Louisiana, in the Delacroix home, Barry stood in the doorway of the nursery and smiled as he watched his young wife. Caitlin stood at the rail of Shirley Delacroix's crib, gazing with wonder at the sleeping infant.

Caitlin squatted and peered at the small, peaceful face.

"You came from our love," she whispered to the baby. "Your mommy and daddy love each other so much and that's why we have you."

"You ever leave that poor baby alone?" Barry asked and Caitlin gave a guilty little squeak.

"I just can't believe it," Caitlin whispered and kissed him.

Caitlin was still the bone thin girl with the sharp nose and protruding ears and carrot orange hair and multitude of freckles that had stood in front of him and begged him for a date. But even though she still physically looked the same, physically, she was different.

She was no longer the brash young lady that seemed to just crash into a room. Now she had a certain poise, almost an elegance about her.

"Hey, while she's asleep why don't we see if the springs on our mattress still work?" Barry whispered in her ear, cupping her bony buttocks and giving them a squeeze.

"Oh God, have you seen my stretch marks?" Caitlin whined.

"Yes, and I want to see them again," he assured her.

"Pervert," Caitlin giggled as she walked to the door of the nursery, already unbuttoning her sleeveless summer dress.

In her condominium, Anita nodded to signify that she'd heard Maggie when the woman let her know that she was leaving for the day. Anita got to her feet, shut down the computer, and turned off the office light.

"I get ice," Merita said and dashed for the kitchen.

Anita walked into her bedroom, pulling the simple shift off. She let out a grateful sigh as she unhooked her bra and let her heavy breasts bob free.

If Maggie, who did frequently fix herself glasses of iced water ever noticed the large Pyrex dildo in their freezer, she did not say anything.

Anita climbed into the bed, knelt down and put her shoulders to the mattress.

"Oh, but I must..." Merita moaned happily and scrambled onto the bed behind Anita.

Anita sighed happily as she felt her lover's hot tongue jam itself into her rectum.

Merita's small hand, still cold from holding the glass dong, cupped Anita's hairless mound, then a slender finger spread Anita's inner lips and found Anita's clitoris.

"Oh," Anita sighed.

She forced herself to relax as the ice cold dildo pressed against her anus. The harder she fought it, the more uncomfortable it would be.

The cold phallus slowly warmed as Merita slid it in and out of Anita's rectum.

Anita shook; the anal play was very stimulating but it did not bring her the relief she wanted.

Just when she was ready to scream, Merita brought the second Pyrex dildo, the one she'd been warming in a cup of hot water to Anita's splayed pussy lips and jammed it into Anita's wet pussy. It made a sloshing sound and Anita shook in a violent orgasm.

"And now we make love," Merita sighed as she pulled both glass dongs from Anita and lay them onto the kitchen towel.

Merita softly, , tenderly kissed Anita's sweating face. The soft tender touches were a direct contrast to the blonde beauty that had been roughly, almost brutally sodomizing Anita a moment earlier.

"I love you," Anita said as they kissed.

"And I love making love with you," Merita whispered.

Professor Ashley McLean's Baylor Lake home was much like her office. Small, cluttered. The woman smiled at Toni and linked fingers with her.

"So may I offer you a drink? Oh, oh, I just got a bag of this killer weed; you smoke?" the woman asked.

She kissed Toni's pink lips rather roughly.

"Or you just want to play?" she asked and bit down on Toni's lower lip.

Ashley's bedroom was as bad as a teenage girl's bedroom; clothes, books, CDs scattered everywhere. The bed was unmade and there were mounds of clothes on one side; obviously Ashley slept on the other side.

The woman's body was compact; small breasts with large brown nipples, a slightly softening belly, slightly narrow hips, and a profusion on brown pubic hair with some gray threads woven in. She also had tufts of brown-gray hair under her arms.

Toni undressed and neatly stacked her clothes in the corner; not wanting to lose her expensive jeans or silk blouse amongst the clutter.

And Ashley's lovemaking was a great deal like her house and her office. Haphazard, cluttered, unfocused.

"My last husband," Ashley murmured after they shared a joint. "Son of a bitch said I was the worst fuck he'd ever been with."

"Then like why did he marry you?" Toni asked and lightly kissed one of Ashley's nipples.

"My credit was good," Ashley shrugged and lightly kissed Toni's lips. "Maxed out all of our credit cards, asked for a divorce, and then declared bankruptcy. Ass hole."

"That when you decided you were gay?" Toni asked.

"Gay? I'm not gay," Ashley tittered. "Boy needs a passing grade? I make him fuck for his grade. Girl needs a 'C' then she learns to eat pussy and act like she likes it."

She gave Toni's lips another kiss.

"You're one of the few that wanted to fuck just to fuck," the woman admitted.

"But what about love?" Toni wondered.

"Love?" Ashley snorted. "Doesn't exist. Take it from a woman's been married four times; there's no such thing."

"Like I hope..." Toni protested mildly.

"Oh, the poets may wax on of the many splendors of romance; even they knew it was only a mist," the woman said and lighted a second joint.

"You ever do fisting?" she asked, handing Toni the joint.

Outside of the small house they were buying, Ed Weinstein stood and silently prayed. He knew Brooke was a worrier. She worried and fretted about everything but especially about money.

Brett Johnson had called Ed, Nine, and Estelle into his office and announced to the three employees that he and Michelle had declared bankruptcy; the hospital bills from Graham's injuries having depleted their savings.

"We're shutting down," Brett said. "We're having a 'Going out Of Business' Sale this Saturday, and that's it."

He and Brooke had a small son, Aries Edmund Weinstein, they had a house note, they had Star's tuition, and Luna's upcoming tuition.

He heard the kitchen window slide open.

"Get in here," Brooke called out to Ed. "Standing out there praying isn't going to make it any better. Get in here and tell me what it is."

At his small house, his dogs greeted Jack with happy yelps and barks and whines, and David used his cane to hobble over and greet his brother in law with a hug.

"David, you remember Henry, huh?" Jack introduced the two.

"Beer? Or you got a drive ahead of you?" David asked, hobbling to the refrigerator.

"Henry's going to be staying here until he can find him a home," Jack said.

"Oh good, anyone can see this place needs a man's touch," David said.

"Ha ha," Jack smirked.

"Bye Lollypop, bye you God awful little bitch," David crooned to the still wiggling beast.

"God damned worst animal I have ever seen in my life," David muttered as he petted the animal.

"Hey Brother in law, I owe you anything?" Jack asked. "I know you had to do some improvements; no way in hell you just stood still."

"Had to run a new line for the dishwasher but I needed half that line at my house anyway, so no, you don't owe me shit," David said.

At his own house, Ed looked on as Brooke breastfed their son. The boy was destined to be a heartbreaker; he had a lot of his momma's features and his mop of carrot orange hair.

Brooke looked up and smiled happily at her husband.

Ed was still amazed. He had told her the harsh news, but instead of getting upset as he had imagined she would, Brooke had looked at him, kissed him, and then resumed fixing their dinner.

"Well, Cowboy, there's four little Indians know you'll take care of us. You always have and that's not going to change now," Brooke said.

"Honey, I'm unemployed," Ed had stuttered.

"So?" Brooke shrugged. "My husband, who stood in front of God, a steamboat captain and his daughters and promised he'd be my strength isn't going to fail. My husband's going to go into business for himself and make his wife and his children proud of him."

Now, Star and Luna were bathed, in their pajamas and were sound asleep in their beds. They weren't worried about money, bills, food, and school.

Aries had a dry diaper and a full belly. He wasn't worried.

"Thank you Baby," Brooke softly said, looking at Ed.

"For...?" he asked.

"For loving me, for giving me a sweet little baby boy, for letting me know that it's going to be all right," she said and pulled Aries away from her nipple.

"Now," she said as she lay the sleeping baby boy in his crib. "I know you're just sick and tired of my blow jobs, but the doctor still hasn't cleared my pussy for sex yet so..."

"God, if I have to put up with one more blow job, I think I'll scream," Ed sighed dramatically as Brooke got to her knees in front of him.

Chapter 37

Caitlin Delacroix waked up the aisle on the arm of the best man, smiling happily. At the altar, Barry leaned and kissed her before releasing her arm.

Barry paused and kissed her again and stepped up next to Michael.

Standing in her pew, the mother of the groom seethed; she was sure that second kiss was just to rub it in her face. Her ex-husband had a much younger, much more elegant wife.

Inside the small room, Briah smiled excitedly as Ed stood stiffly in his tuxedo.

"And there's our cue," he smiled as the music swelled.

He gave Briah one last kiss before lowering her veil.

"Thank you so much for allowing me to do this," he said.

"Daddy, who else would I get?" Briah asked. "The father of the bride is supposed to walk his baby girl down the aisle."

"And who gives this woman to be wed?" Father McNamara asked as Ed and Briah approached.

"Her mother, her sister, her brother, and I do," Ed managed to choke out.

Again, Darlene pursed her lips. She was sure that Briah was a very sweet young lady but it was disgraceful; her son was marrying a black girl. She had not known that last night when they'd gone to the rehearsal dinner, arriving too late for the rehearsal itself.

Darlene had assumed that the colored girl was one of the servers and asked her for a vodka martini.

"Mother, really," Michael hissed, face crimson.

"What? We're supposed to bend over backward to accommodate them just because they're black?" Darlene had snapped. "It's her job, isn't it?"

"You may kiss the bride," Father McNamara intoned and both bride and groom smiled happily at each other.

In her pew toward the rear, on the groom's side, Anita Lopez smiled sadly as she watched the beautiful ceremony. She applauded with everyone else when Father Jack McNamara introduced Mr. and Mrs. Michael Aaron Delacroix.

She laughed when Briah let out an exultant "Yes, yes, yes!"

That little outburst generated louder applause.

When Anita had received the invitation, she thought very briefly of just sending a wedding gift, but then thought Daddy would be a little disappointed in her if she didn't show up for his son's wedding. Disappointing Daddy was the last thing Anita wanted to do, so she responded with 'Anita Lopez and guest' and then informed Merita of the invitation.

"Oh, but I will be in Santa Barbara; I have the job," Merita said breezily.

Just as breezily, the blonde beauty had packed her belongings, stolen both Pyrex dildos, and left without a backward glance.

Anita put on a happy face as Michael and Briah walked down the aisle toward the door. Michael saw her and reached over and squeezed her hand playfully. Right behind them, Daddy smiled happily at her and also squeezed her hand. Both BJ and Heather, right behind Barry and Caitlin, mouthed the word 'hi.'

Anita felt a few tears slide down her face as her family continued their procession.

She then followed the throng to the recession hall.

"Honey, why didn't you tell Bobby who you were?" Barry asked after giving Anita a hug and a kiss. "He would have seated you up at the front."

"But I'm just..." Anita stammered.

"Family, you hear?" Michael echoed.

"Hi! Anita, this is Harmony, I don't know if you met her but you should have already gotten the invitation," Patrick said proudly as he introduced Anita to a happy young blonde woman.

"We're getting married in two weeks!" Harmony shrilled. "Forgive me, I don't normally sound like this, but oh my God! We're getting married!"

"And of course you know Heather and MY daughter Kelli," BJ said proudly. "We're looking forward to seeing you next Saturday too."

"Uh, YOUR daughter?" Heather smiled as BJ put a loving arm around the nearly ten year old girl.

"Problem?" BJ asked.

"Yeah, Mom, problem?" Kelli demanded, squeezing BJ tightly.

"Uh, she's OUR daughter," Heather smiled, kissing BJ.