A Walk Amongst Equals

She handed the card to Denise, who read the number, then flipped it over to the front.

"Julie Equals Graphic Design," she read out loud. "Julie Equals?"

"Long story for another time, but yes, that's my last name. I'm much happier with it than my old one."

Denise was too stunned by the dawning realization that the weird woman who'd complimented the Sharpie-d doodles on her backpack a couple of minutes ago had been a professional artist to press the issue.

"Now, I have to ask you a couple of things, Denise. And I'm sorry about something that's about to happen that you wouldn't even notice if I didn't say anything. It's something my husband and I can do. Couple of our friends know it too. It's hard to explain, but I could just TELL you not to kill yourself and you wouldn't. I could tell you not to have suicidal thoughts again and it would never even cross your mind, but that won't solve your real problem. And... well, we DON'T really know each other that well yet, and it's too important to take the risk that you might lie, so I WILL need to do it so I can be sure you understand the importance of telling me honestly, Denise: Do you have a plan to kill yourself?"

Denise suddenly realized that she couldn't think of a reason why she would ever lie to Julie and told her truthfully "I stole a big bottle of Tylenol from the store; I was going to take them all later tonight." She then wondered why Julie would think she might not understand the importance of not lying to Julie about that and what this "thing she could do" was.

"That's a real bad way, Denise. That's one of those 'if it doesn't work, it fucks you up for life' ones. Give it to me. We'll call it a trade for the dragon." Denise nodded and took the bottle out of her backpack. Julie was right: If she'd still been thinking of doing it; that was a real bad way.

"Shit, this is a thousand pills! First off, congratulations on getting out of the store with it. Second, I should probably pretend I'm a grownup and say something about stealing being wrong, but fuck, that is impressive! I don't even want to KNOW where you hid this thing, girl! Third, now that you've met another Purple Girl who cares enough to listen absolutely any time and sort of understands and wants you to let her know if these thoughts come back badly enough to trade you this... fucking... kids'-lunchbox-Thermos-O-Tylenol for a whole dragon; are you still planning to do it?"

Denise looked at the dragon and her card and smiled again and said "No. I'm not planning on it, anyway." She put the dragon in her pack. Julie leaned over and hugged her and she hugged back.

"Thanks, Julie. Hey, what happened to your friend, anyway?"

"Oh, she's still around. That's her over there, in fact."

Denise looked to one of the entrances to the park, where Julie was pointing, and saw people coming and going but no one in particular. She looked back to Julie in confusion. Julie shook her head no and raised her finger, indicating for Denise to look higher.

Denise looked outside the park gates at a billboard on the side of a building across the street. She looked up at the gorgeous smiling, winking woman whose face graced the billboard and read the words below her picture:

Come to San Finzione! But, ah, this time, leave the kids home.

"Bullshit! You don't know her!"

"Oh, yeah? You got a phone?" Denise nodded and pulled it out. "Here, let me dial a number for you. Don't worry; I'll be pushing a lot of buttons, but it's a free call." Julie dialed the number, put the phone on speaker, and handed it back. "When she answers, ask if it's her."

The call connected on the first ring.

"Yes," asked the voice on the other end.

"Uh, er," Denise stammered. "Is this Contessa Helena de San Fin-zee-own?"

"The 'e' in Finzione isn't silent. And JULIE, YOU SKANKY COW, THIS IS MY FUCKING DIRECT LINE, GODDAMMIT! THE FUCKING PRESIDENT DOESN'T HAVE THIS NUMBER! WHEN THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING TO STOP GIVING IT TO STRANGERS TO PROVE YOU KNOW ME?"

"When it stops being funny, you Fucking Cunt, so never," she managed to get out through her and Denise's howls of laughter.

"EAT A DICK, BITCH!" Helen shouted into the phone. Before the call disconnected, they heard her say to someone in the room "I'm sorry, Your Holiness, that was a personal matter. Now, where were we?"

As the two of them continued laughing, Julie had a very intense thought about Troy and wondered what he was doing.

* * *

A couple hours later, Troy Equals was talking to someone over hot dogs at the makeshift outdoor food court that had been set up for the flea market. He was really missing Julie and was tempted to call her, but he had a conversation to keep him busy.

"Well, yeah, definitely go back and watch from the beginning with An Unearthly Child when you can. Get caught up on the old stuff while waiting for the new episodes. But Rose is a good introduction to the series for newcomers and also lets us fans of the old show know 'Hey, this is the same show you loved," His phone started playing the chorus of Dean Martin's rendition of Sunflower. Troy hit Answer and finished his statement before putting the phone to his ear and addressing Julie at the end. "He's the same Doctor fellow who used to change from time to time. This show's just as much for you as them. Hey, Dearest One."

"We've had this talk, Math Boy. Preaching the word of Doctor Who doesn't count as 'helping people.' I mean, it does a little, but not for the game."

Troy put his hand over the phone and mouthed the words "the wife" to the man he'd been talking to. They shook hands and he grabbed the last half of his hot dog and walked away.

"We were wrapping up while we finished our dogs." Troy's smile widened as he looked through the crowd for Julie and the image of her nude leapt unbidden to his mind and his crotch began to signal its approval. "I'd been explaining how if he had a home office, he could deduct the expense of his daily commute as travel between job sites, and..." Julie cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah, my best friend gets off on doing people's taxes for them. Personally, I get off on his cock, and I'd like to do that now, please." A pair of slender arms appeared around Troy's waist and grabbed his crotch. He spun around and pressed into her, careful not to smash the hot dog he was carrying into the back of her dress. They kissed deeply for a while before Troy broke the kiss.

"Oh, hey, Julie," he said with a lusty grin. "I was hoping that'd turn out to be you." She gave him a playful punch on the shoulder, then took the hot dog out of his hand and took a bite.

"Haven't had anything all day," she said with a wink. "Need to get something in me."

"You're giving me the first point, then?" She nodded. "Ok, I'll go clear out the men's room."

"Don't need to do that, Master. I've already found us the perfect place." Troy cocked his head and raised his eyebrow. Julie laughed and took his hand, leading him through the crowd.

On the way to their destination, Julie waved to a young girl with purple hair who was waiting at the bus stop. She waved back and smiled. Julie put her hand up to her head with her thumb and pinky in a "call me" gesture. The girl nodded and they moved on, behind one of the rows of booths and tables to where some of the vendors' vehicles had been allowed into the park in order to set up their stands and merchandise. They approached a custom van with a bright yellow, brown, & orange paint job and black bubble windows in the back. Julie opened the side door and Troy looked inside.

Tapestries of Led Zeppelin album covers hung on the walls of the van's interior and another formed a curtain between the rear of the van and the two front seats. Troy was hit by the mingling scents of weed and patchouli permanently infused into the van's interior as he saw that most of the back of the van was taken up by a bed covered with pillows and blankets with imprints of large boxes on them. What Troy admired most was how well-kept everything was. It looked like he'd driven the rolling tribute to a bygone culture from the year 1977 straight to the park. Julie gave a wave to the man at the figurine stand, who nodded and waved back as she led Troy inside.

"That's John," she told Troy. "When I asked for something, he said he had to get it out of the van. I knew anyone who drives a van and sells pewter and crystal figurines at an outdoor flea market; that van's GOTTA be a bitchin' 70's Shaggin'-Waggin', and I was right. He's agreed to let us use it when we need it today, Master. And I need it." Julie slipped out of her dress. Troy turned from admiring the authentic décor to admiring his best friend as she reached up and unhooked her bra.

"Did you pay him, Mistress?" Troy asked as he pulled off his shirt and kicked off his shoes. "This is, like, an honor and a service. It wouldn't count as giving someone money for a privilege like this, and I wouldn't want you Doing What We Do..." Julie cut him off.

"It's ok. I traded him a big bottle of pills for it."

"Ok, fine, don't tell me," Troy said as he maneuvered his pants down around his erection. She removed her bra and flung it at him. Troy looked away from her for a moment and broke out of the lust haze in his head to notice that the side door was still open. They couldn't be seen from the street, but John at his stand had a decent view of them. His gaze was focused on Julie pulling down and stepping out of her wet panties.

"Well, maybe we should leave him a little tip." She looked over at John as she picked up her panties with one finger and draped them over her shoulder as if they were a jacket she'd been carrying. She smiled and made a show of "accidentally" dropping them and shrugging her shoulders as if to say "Oh well, guess they're just lost now."

Troy hadn't removed his underwear yet. He bowed his head and made a gesture of doffing an invisible cap to John. He responded with a salute as Troy closed the door. Julie shoved him onto the bed and pulled his underwear off before jumping on top of him.

"Trust my Math Boy to come up with 'hey, let's go around helping people with their problems' as a fun Saturday activity," Julie said between kisses.

"Trust my Sunflower to come up with 'hey, let's turn it into a sexy hypno game.'" Troy replied.

"What?" Julie asked. "What's wrong with programming each other so after every person we help, we start fantasizing about each other more and more until one of us cracks and needs the other right now?"

"Not a damn thing, Mistress. Just remember that the one who can't take it anymore has to make sure the other cums first."

Troy slid his arms down to her hips to push her down onto him when Julie rolled off.

"No, Master, you're on top today. We're in a 70s van, they only knew about missionary. It's the rules."

* * *

About half an hour later, the van door opened. Troy and Julie emerged dressed again except for Julie's abandoned panties.

"We still haven't settled on a prize, Master," Julie said as she picked up her shopping bag. Troy smiled.

"Winner gets to even the score when we get home?"

"Love it! And you."

The two of them walked back toward the crowd, kissed each other goodbye, and walked away in different directions.