A Red Leaf & Ten Orchids Ch. 10

"Besides," he said, as he checked his side mirror before he signaled for a lane change, "I've already accepted my inferior role."

They smirked at each other and agreed to check out the websites of the manufacturers whose brands were represented on the window when they got back. Jillian asked if she might learn as well, so they all had something to look forward to. The motion was carried. Josh said nothing for a few minutes afterward, but the thought of what he'd seen in the window had blown him away.

That was when Josh stopped to think of some realities for a moment, but he tossed them, not wanting to ruin the day.

Kayla asked if they were close to a particular drugstore, and Josh headed that way when she told him the name. Once inside, she asked him to help Jillian pick out some new books to color in, and maybe a storybook or two.

"I haven't unpacked her PlayStation yet for a few reasons and reading is one of them. She needs to have something to read for comprehension skills, and I need to keep you both occupied for about ten minutes, ok?" she asked.

Josh agreed, and he and Jillian set out on their assigned task. After a while, Kayla approached them with a bag of her purchases, and together they went back to the now very-interested clerk at the register to pay for the books.

Joshua was puzzled by the look that they got from the clerk, and completely mystified when Kayla answered the look with a nod at her earlier purchase as she put her hand on Jillian's shoulder, and said to the clerk. "I've been thinking of winding down on these soon."

She indicated the bag with her earlier purchases again. "I think we'll want to try and complete the set." She gave Jillian a slight hug as the clerk smiled widely. Jillian was oblivious to the conversation, as she tried successfully to get Josh to buy her a bit of candy.

The clerk smiled and nodded as they walked away, but dove for the phone after the door closed behind them.

Josh happily noted that wherever they walked, both Jillian and Kayla wanted to hold his hands. It was a great feeling. It felt like an instant family, and he suddenly felt even more of a desire for this one. In the truck on the way to the cantina, Josh asked what the drugstore thing had all been about.

Kayla laughed. "I hope you don't mind, but I'll explain everything to you later," she said with a roll of her eyes toward Jillian.

Walking into the cantina, they found Rose at a large table with Consuela Smith, her children, and Margarita with her brood. Introductions were quickly made, and Kayla and Jillian were soon absorbed into the group. Before very long, Jilly had made herself a pack of new friends, and Kayla looked as comfortable with Consuela and Margarita as though she'd grown up there and known them forever.

Josh took the seat that Margarita pointed out to him on the opposite side of the table across from Kayla and wondered about his seating for a moment, but then forgot as he looked around.

Consuela and Margarita were absolutely identical twins. They even had their hair cut exactly the same way and about the only visible differences were in the way that they dressed. Margarita went for what looked good, was fashionable, and often, she even went all the way into very trendy.

But that wasn't Consuela at all.

No way, not even a little.

Consuela was into kitsch, and she loved to go for the vamp as often as not.

Margarita was dressed well and comfortably.

Consuela was comfortable deep into slinky and she made absolutely no bones about it.

Kayla thought they were both amazing, and just like her sister, Consuela just hit it off with Kayla from the start. Kayla had absolutely no choice in it.

Josh was forgotten as the women chatted. He supposed that they were addressing all of the lofty issues that women have always had to talk to one another about, things that lay outside the purview of mere males.

He didn't mind. He loved just to watch the women in his life have a good time. He noticed a few glances and tilted heads here and there around the room, but couldn't have cared less.

Bart Smith came in with his sister and her husband and sat down next to Josh.

"We're here to rescue ya, buddy." He joked.

Josh laughed, "And your lovely wife there had absolutely nothing to do with your being here at this time either, I suppose. Let's get a beer." Jose joined them.

At one point, two women about Rose's age stopped by the table, and said hello to her. Josh saw that Rosie had given Kayla a bit of a significant glance, and Kayla smiled to Josh for a long moment as they had approached.

Rosie made the required introductions, but Joshua noticed that she had neglected to specify that Jillian was Kayla's niece, only that Jillian was Rosie's great niece. It didn't matter to him, but he picked up on it just the same. The women left, and from where he was sitting, their conversation was animated as they walked away down the street.

Now and then, a woman or two would filter in, to be welcomed by Margarita and her sister and Kayla would be introduced. Vacant chairs and tables were pulled over when the need arose, and eventually, their group took up almost all of the cantina but the booths.

When they had a minute in the conversation, Margarita leaned over to Kayla and indicated Josh with her eyes. "So?" she smiled. "Have you gotten anywhere with Frosty yet?"

Kayla blinked at her. Margarita laughed and hugged her as she said, "Oh come on, dish, Kayla!"

Kayla smiled and was evasive. She didn't want to say anything that might embarrass him, and didn't know if Josh would have any difficulty with it anyway. She didn't think so, but wanted to play it safe. Besides, it had all been so quick; she still kept looking at him to see if he really was still there.

Margarita wasn't letting go however. She sensed something. She thought that they looked to be well on the way to becoming an item, if they weren't already there.

"Come on girl," she pumped gently, "if you won't say it, you know we'll just ask Josh. We do have some small power over him, you know. We've known him longer than Rosie!"

Kayla laughed and told her to go ahead. She had wanted to watch his response anyway, though she didn't say it out loud.

Margarita called to her sister who had wandered around to the other side of the table. "'Suela!"

Consuela looked over and Margarita nodded, pointing at Kayla.

"She won't give. Do it."

Consuela nodded back with a slow smile at them both and she pushed her chair back as she got to her feet.

Margarita took a sip of her beer and smiled a little knowingly at Kayla. She nodded once in her twin's direction, "You want to know something in this town and there's a man involved in any way, then you need to get my sister on it."

She threw her head back a little and laughed, "You just watch this, right here."

Consuela smiled mischievously as she stood up and strutted her blazing red platform spike heels over to stick her head right into the men's conversation. She said to Bart sweetly, "I'm so sorry Baby, but would you please pardon me? The Collective needs to know something. I'm sure you understand."

Her husband chuckled at Josh. "Tough break bud, you're toast,"

Bart laughed, "I don't know what she's after here, but once she thinks she's caught a scent, there's no going back. She's gonna start quoting King Arthur or some shit in a minute."

Consuela kissed her husband's cheek in a definite – and definitely hungry sort of way, both meaning it sincerely and for the appearance of the gesture for a long moment. When she pulled away, Bart could only grin and shake his head, "Whoa..."

Then Consuela stood and strutted slowly all the way around Josh's chair and without an apparent thought to her outfit or to anything else, she poured herself slowly onto Josh's lap.

Joshua's eyebrows rose as he laughed, asking Bart what had happened to his rescue.

Bart shrugged, smiling.

Consuela draped her arms around Joshua's neck, and a hush fell over the group as she began the interrogation.

"Josh honey," she cooed, "Is there any truth to the evil, wicked, and nasty rumor going around that you might have beaten down the door of my new friend Kayla's bower and shall we say, uh, ...despoiled her virtue, you fine, ...strong, ...handsome, ...frostbitten, and maddeningly unattainable Viking?"

Kayla was laughing. She couldn't believe this.

Margarita told her, "My sister's a hopeless romantic. She has every episode of Hercules AND Xena. She lives for this stuff! Josh was the one who introduced her to Bart and that was like a fast-forward fairy tale. I think they still feed each other freakin' grapes."

Bart looked as though he was talking to his beer, but he made sure that Josh could hear him. "Man," he said, "if that's how she's just starting out - right out of the gate, you'd better just take the bull by the tail and face the situation."

He chuckled, "I dunno why, but I'll tell you right now, ..." He kept facing his beer, but Joshua noted that Bart's eyebrow was raised on the near side and Bart was really looking at him.

"You got less chance than Custer."

The expectant hush deepened as Consuela kissed Josh's cheek just in front of his ear, licked the rim of his ear lightly, and said, "You know, if you deny it, I'll just spread the word that it's still open season on you, and that you're still fair game, Honey."

She pouted and almost groaned in a voice dripping with smoky sensuality, "It's really not the way I want to play this, but you'll leave me no choice, Josh, and I've got to know now. You understand, don't you, Honey?"

She exaggerated her weary sigh and continued sadly, "And then poor Rita and I will just have to go back to defending your honor, and Baby? We're getting SO tired of ALWAYS having to fight SO hard to protect your fine and delectable-looking male ass."

She stopped to look at her long painted nails for a moment as she considered.

"You know what kind of mess we have to clean up around here every Sunday morning after you've been here."

She looked to the ceiling for a moment as her face showed boredom with her feigned tasks. She pursed her blood-red lips and blew out for a second to indicate the tedium of the role that she'd mentioned.

Looking at Josh once more, she began to count off her fingers as though she was working from a long list by heart.

"Broken bottles, ..."

"Broken tables, ..."

"Broken spears, ..."

"Splintered shields, ..."

"Sometimes broken and splintered shieldMAIDENS..."

To Joshua's amazement, there was a rather large cheer at that. He was a little embarrassed, but he enjoyed the huge laugh that Consuela had gotten, but she wasn't done yet.

"The carnage is unreal, Honey. You think it's easy for the two of us to keep the skanks of this town off your sweet ass every time you decide to come in here?

Huh! It's hard work, Josh, and not to make a fuss or anything, but Baby, the pay sucks. I just hate it when I have to chip my glossy nails in a brawl over you. I mean we love you but come ON, Josh!"

Giggles rose from the crowd and Consuela worked it so well. She laid her cheek against his and grinned wickedly as she began to tighten the noose.

"So what's the word, Baby? I've got to tell you, you two look like it's on, but I need to hear it from your own rugged, delicious and sexy lips."

She wiggled her bottom and kissed his cheek again. "Come on Honey," she coaxed. "I can wait all night. Just ask my husband."

There was laughter all around until Consuela stopped it.

"Hey!" she said, and then she shifted gears down low so smoothly, "Don't laugh, uh-uh," she scolded as she waved her index finger back and forth, "He might have to wait a little too now and then, but my Bart always gets it done like nobody else ever could." She blew a kiss at her husband before looking at Josh expectantly.

"Come on, Frosty, Say it."

Josh had turned bright red. He didn't know what to say. He looked at Kayla.

She was laughing and wiping tears from her cheek. She shrugged helplessly and turned up her palms.

Josh had an idea and whispered in Consuela's ear for a full minute. She raised her eyebrows, and looked shocked, "Really?"

Then she whispered quietly to him alone. "She's so beautiful, Josh. 'Rita told me on Saturday after you guys left, and she couldn't shut up about her for over an hour. We've been hoping you guys would come to your senses ever since." Then she kissed him softly, meaning every bit of it.

Consuela turned and slipped off Josh. She adjusted her dress before she climbed onto her husband's lap. She smiled and kissed him, took his beer, and had a slow sip to drag the moment out dramatically.

Margarita couldn't stand it. "SUELA! Dammit, for God's sake, will you just TELL us already!"

Consuela considered the bottle in her hand with raised eyebrows for a moment. "I don't know why we never thought of it."

She smiled a little. "It's so elegantly simple."

She nodded to herself, "It's perfect."

Looking up, she went on, "It seems our friend Kayla the warrior-maiden here drew down on him with a six-gun, and he came across."

Holding the bottle aloft, she smirked as she said quietly, "The Viking is vanquished."

The women cheered.

Consuela grinned and laid her hand on Kayla's for a moment, "You know I'm just having fun, but damn, girl ... I've gotta hand it to you, mighty Kayla."

The cry was echoed by all of the women in a toast. Kayla found herself laughing so hard that she couldn't possibly have been embarrassed.

After a few minutes, Consuela came over, took Kayla's hand and leaned in close.

"Congratulations! That was all in fun, and I hope you didn't mind me too much."

Kayla was still laughing, "Hell no, Consuela, Josh may never be the same, but I loved it."

"Good," Consuela nodded, "Now I'm only mostly kidding, but rumors fly faster than the word of God in this town. Until now, you were a whisper, a disturbing uncertainty. By sundown, you'll be a legend. So really now, come on, is it on with you guys or not? Josh told me to tell it that way, but it sounds to me like he's hooked."

Kayla nodded, "I've never been in a relationship like this one's starting out to be, but yeah, we're trying it out."

Consuela kissed Kayla's cheek. "We all love Joshua and Rita and I have a new friend now. Welcome to the Collective."

Kayla wondered what that meant, but Consuela was already grinning, "Oh, you'll find out. We're like the female version of the Musketeers, but we dress better and there's girly drinks."

Margarita echoed the sentiment, "Uh-huh, way more fun, too, plus we've got Consuela, the Latina version of Jessica Rabbit."

She grinned and nodded toward Joshua. "He looks happier now than we've ever seen him before, so whatever you're doing, don't you dare stop."

Her sister nodded, "I still can't believe it. Trust us, we know he's hard to get close to – he moves way too fast. I'd have thought that you'd need to at least wound him with the pistol to slow him down first. You know, a shot in the leg and you could have your way with him."

Kayla looked from them to Josh and back to their faces, "I don't know. The way that he and I are both wired, it's a miracle that we didn't kill each other, and I'm only kidding a little. But who knows, really? We don't know a thing about how we're going to work this, but so far it's ok, though logically, it's just nuts. I just know that we seem to love being together, like both of us hate painting, but we had a blast when we did it together. This is either downright stupid, or it's perfect. It's just way too soon to tell."

The twins smiled and Consuela spoke up, "Let me tell you something about Josh. If you've got him, he's yours. That's Josh. He looks more alive now, so it can't be a bad thing. Just take care of him, and he'll do the rest. By the way, I was kidding about being able to wait all night you know. Bart's still my weakness and I make sure he knows it too. I'm doing well if I can wait 20 minutes. And we've been together 7 years. Our courtship lasted, what 'Rita? One night?"

Margarita laughed, "What the hell are you talking about? I'm counting from the time you met him until when you left here together. That was your courtship – 3 hours, tops. Bart's not your weakness. He's your addiction. You wanted romance on a primal level – and you got a romantic freight train!"

Consuela smiled at them as she waggled her eyebrows, "Yeah, but what a way to go!" They all laughed.

The food that Margarita and her sister had put together for everyone arrived from the kitchen, and they all set to it. The girls would occasionally remember someone that Kayla just had to meet, and the cell phones would appear. They stayed all afternoon as people of their acquaintance came and went. Some stayed. The kids were surprisingly well behaved, and there were only minor upsets now and again. By 7:30 it was time to leave.

On the way back, Jillian was tired, but happy. Kayla just held Josh's hand, letting go when necessary, and smiling when he reached for it again right afterward.

Back home, Jillian reanimated when Daisy came out of her pen, and the adults sat down for coffee and tea. Kayla happily pulled out the napkins where she'd written all of her new contact numbers, and began to organize them.

"I've met so many people because of you today, Aunt Rose. First Consuela, and then the others who dropped by. You know what? I didn't feel too bad about my tattoos today either. I picked this top because it would show just a bit of it. I was feeling pretty brave in town, at least for me. Almost all of the women asked me about it, though I didn't tell them everything, and other than the two older ladies, nobody seemed to mind it, really. Thanks so much."

Rose smiled and said that it hadn't been too difficult, all she'd really had to do was to suggest the idea to Joshua that morning before his run, and he had done the rest with a call to Margarita at her home.

Kayla was shocked. "You did that?"

Josh studied his cup shyly and said that Rosie's idea had started it. Neither of them wanted Kayla and Jillian to be stuck in the weeds with no friends. They'd felt that she needed to develop a network of friends to plug into, as well as begin to be a part of the local scene.

Kayla was touched. Aside from Marcia, she hadn't had a real friend since high school.

"Besides," Josh grumbled, "you're bound to get tired of talking to me sooner or later. Hey, what went on there back in the drugstore? You never told me."

Rose excused herself to make herself another tea. "I've already heard about this, I think." she said.

Kayla laughed as she put her bag of purchases on the table. "I hope you don't get mad at me, but with what you and Aunt Rose have been telling me about the way this town gossips, and what she said this morning about the phone lines buzzing, I thought I might like to sort of publicly make a statement, if you know what I mean. I made a call to my doctor in Phoenix, and had him fax a prescription to the store here. That's why I needed to go there. My aunt warned me about the tongue on that girl at the counter..."

She looked a bit shy, and glancing at Josh, she began to pull things out of the bag. The first item was her prescription for birth control pills. Josh began to smile shyly as well. By the time she had retrieved all of the items but one, he was laughing with tears in his eyes.

There were five boxes of condoms on the table.

"Well, they didn't have the industrial size box, "she said with a shrug. "Now that I think of it, there is kind of an advantage to having a bunch of these."

She smiled a little and affected a very nasal airheaded young girl voice as she touched the boxes with her fingertip one by one, "I'll keep one in my purse, and one in my nightstand, and you can keep one near your bed, and another in your truck, and, ..."