Executioner's Song, The - Norman Mailer [84]
After that, riding around, wheeling high off a Thai stick, Barrett might drive by her house. If Gary's car was out in front, he would not stop. If the scene was right, he would visit a little with Nicole, feel her out.
One time, Rosebeth answered the door and said Gary was at work, and Nicole was away with the kids. It was the first time Barrett ever saw Rosebeth, but he walked in like it was his house. After all, everything he owned was in there. Gary and Nicole, said Rosebeth, would be gone the whole day for sure. There was nice warm weather in the room.
Jim was sitting in the chair, and the girl was lying on the living-room bed that served for a couch. He thought she was pleasantly plump, had a real sweet baby-fat, but too young and virgin to fool around with. When she got up, however, to lift a blanket off the bed, he decided to get beside her, and they started to kiss. Didn't take a minute for her to say, "Now, let's get undressed." "Okay," he said "I'll go for that." They took off their clothes and lay on the bed, she said, "Let me suck it." Barrett said, "Don't let me stop you."
All her doing, you know. Barrett laid back and she spun around and popped it right on his face-he had no choice. She didn't really know how, actually hurt him with her teeth. All same she got pretty warm. But her clit wasn't sensitive, you know, couldn't make her flinch.
Still, she got pretty warm. He turned her around and she had expectant look. Only he couldn't get in. She was a virgin, he found out, and he was hurting her.
"Gary only wants me to do things with him, you know," she was saying, "Gary wouldn't like this, you know." Told him how the three of them fooled around. Barrett just kept flicking her clit.
It seemed to open her. He turned around and slipped it in, went right in, really good, nice and warm, no movement at all, all he needed. That was it, you know.
He put his clothes on and she got up and put her clothes Hadn't been in her more than ten seconds. She hadn't really done anything, but she had really nice breasts. He got a phone number from her. A tremendous deal. All free. Did it with his back to Gilmore.
By the next time he happened to stop, Nicole said she'd go for a ride. He took her up to the canyon and Sunny and Peabody went out and played. Barrett got seduced right in the truck. That's what happened that day.
He thought it was 'cause she loved him again, because she special feelings. She told him afterward she still loved him, all that stuff. Then they came down from the canyon, and he took her home It sure flared up his love for her. It made him miss her more. It was like a sacred thing to him, a way to express a feeling.
The next day, she called him up. "I'm pretty upset," she said, 'pretty down." Gary had become very dominating.
When Barrett went over, she was sad and really depressed and he just loved her. He stood naked with her, gave her the attention she needed and told her that he'd get her out of this mess.
Once she was in his dinky little flea-bag motel room, it didn't take but one night to know they needed more space. He went to see a friend who owned a couple of apartment houses in Springville and said, Hey, let me work on your swimming pool for the rent. The fellow went for that and moved them into an apartment on Third West in Springville. That same day, while Gilmore was on his job, they got the furniture from Spanish Fork and brought it over.
It was worrisome doing it. Nicole let him hold a .22 Magnum Derringer over-and-under that Gary had given her. This scene was even heavier than Joe Bob. Barrett noticed a piece of paper tacked up against the wall, saying, "Where are you, girl?"
He had the gun in his back pocket, loaded. But he kept thinking of Gilmore's other guns. If the man came home, they would have a shootout right there. Even after they were moved to the apartment, nothing let up. Nicole kept saying, You don't know Gary, he's dangerous. Barrett carried that gun.
This trip, Nicole was giving him sex like