Desert Overnight

"Thanks, Uncle Bill," she replied, "Took my last one this morning."

"Perfect. I don't want you to run out or forget," he said, as he wheeled out into traffic and headed for Ruth's.

They pulled into Ruth Cohen's driveway at 8:58 a.m. Carter leaned over and kissed Peri lightly on her left cheek. "Let's both go up to the house and I will introduce you. When we come back, please get in the back seat and let Ruth sit up front with me, will you?"

"Oh sure, Uncle Bill," Peri agreed, unsnapping her seatbelt and opening her door.

By the time they reached the front porch, Ruth was outside, locking up with her suitcase on the mat. "Hi, Ruth," Carter said, giving her a warm kiss on the lips, "meet my niece, Peri. Peri, this is Ruth."

"Hi, Peri," Ruth said pleasantly, reaching out her hand.

"Hi, Ruth," Peri said, "Nice to meet you." She returned the effort to shake.

"WHOA, WHOA, Girls!" Carter interrupted them quickly. "Get in there and hug each other like you are going to be friends, for goodness sake...We're going to Palm Springs and have some fun!" He laughed and put his left hand behind Ruth's waist and his right hand in the middle of Peri's back and launched them toward each other.

With their hands out already, the women were practically forced to embrace by their momentum. At 5'7", Ruth was virtually the same height as Peri, but she outweighed the girl by 20 pounds owing to the maturity of her 35 years, not to mention her Germanic genes. The abrupt collision, and automatic clench, pushed Peri's bra-less bust against Ruth's own underwired 37D chest. Both were surprised at the compression. Ruth lightened the moment by kissing Peri's left cheek, then, turning to Carter, she said, "Of course we will be great friends." Looking back at Peri, she added "Won't we, dear?"

Peri, recovering from the close encounter, stammered, "Uh, yes...sure,...why not?" and she looked at Carter and smiled weakly.

"Great!" he said, picking up Ruth's bag and heading for the car. "Let's roll it!" He popped the trunk and put the suitcase in with his and Peri's, pleased to see that Ruth was getting in the front with Peri in the backseat behind her.

"So, allowing for holiday traffic, we could be in the desert by noon, just in time for lunch. Or, we could plan on stopping earlier, say in Beaumont or Banning. What do you ladies think?" he asked.

"Whatever, Uncle," Peri piped up. "I'm good."

"You are driving, Bill," Ruth added, right behind her, "and you know me, I am easy." She turned her face and winked her right eye broadly, unnoticeable to Peri.

"Right," Carter said, "We'll play it by ear. PRESTO!"

Both women immediately dropped there heads to their chests. "Thank God for seatbelts!" Carter said with a loud laugh.

"Ruth, can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Good. Peri, can you hear the radio?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Good. Ruth and I are going to talk and I want you to listen only to the radio. Hear only the radio until I turn it off. No eavesdropping, do you understand? Can you do that for me?" he demanded.

"Yes."

"Repeat your instructions, please,"

"Listen to the radio. Don't eavesdrop. Only hear the radio until you turn it off." Peri recited.

"Perfect. Thank you, Peri." He congratulated her. "Now, Ruth, listen to me."

"Yes."

"I am fucking Peri and training her to be my personal assistant, like you were once." Carter began. "I still have the key to your box. Your box is my box and no one else has the key. You remember this, right?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Good. We all are going to have a nice overnight trip and you will not get upset because Peri is with us. You will not be jealous because I still own your box and I take good care of it. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good. Do you love me totally, unconditionally, now and forever? Say it, please," he commanded.

"Yes." Ruth repeated, "I love you totally, unconditionally, now and forever."

"Good. Are you jealous of Peri?" he prodded.

"No."

"Excellent, Ruth, that is perfect." he complimented her, turned off the radio and said, "TOURMALINE, PRALINE."

Ruth turned half around on the seat, put her left arm along its back and looked over at Peri. "How are you doing back there, dear?" she asked sincerely, "Are you comfortable?"

"Oh yes, Ruth," Peri said cheerfully, "I'm fine, really, thanks!" and she smiled widely, showing her perfectly even, white teeth between her darling deep dimples.

Ruth smiled back at her, turned around, unsnapped her seatbelt and slid left against Carter's leg. Her left arm idly tugged his left earlobe.

Carter grinned into the rearview mirror, winked his left eye at Peri's reflection, and risked taking his eyes off the road long enough to turn his face and give Ruth a quick kiss on her mouth.

Quietly, he said, "Thanks, baby." and returned his attention to the freeway.

It took nearly an hour just to get through the thick inner LA freeway congestion and onto the Interstate 10 eastbound past Alhambra. Now, however, it was a straight shot and Carter relaxed a little bit. He saw in the rearview that Peri had her eyes closed. Ruth, still cuddled against his right shoulder, felt him loosen his grip on the wheel and heard him release a held breath. She looked around and saw Peri napping.

One of Ruth Cohen's favorite things was to take advantage of a man when he was in a vulnerable position and unable or unlikely to prevent her advances. Next to actual bondage, driving a car in medium to heavy traffic was as good an opportunity as could be found. Her left index fingernail lightly scratched a vertical line along Carter's neck from his earlobe to his collar and back. Thus deflecting Carter's attention, she moved her right hand across his lap, pushing its heel downward as she passed over the top of his right thigh, into the valley of his groin and up over the top of his left thigh.

Carter looked down at the hand creeping across his khakis. "Hi there, Mr. Bill!" Ruth said with a smirk, kissing the side of his mouth. Continuing to push her hand, she rolled her chest against him and reached his seatbelt release button. 'CLICK!' it opened. She slowly retracted it, dragging the rounded metal point over, down, up and over his thighs and crotch as before in reverse order.

"What are you up to, baby?" Carter asked huskily.

"Oh, I think you can guess," Ruth coyly replied, "The question is what are YOU up to..." as she replaced her hand in his lap and prodded her fingers until she found what she expected..."hmmm, it seems you are up to about 50%. I think I can do better than that!" she announced with a chortle.

"Well, you know the saying, 'half a loaf is better than none' baby," Carter countered with a spreading grin and spreading legs.

"Ahhh. Thank you, Bill," Ruth responded, diving her flat hand, fingers down, under his ass between the car upholstery and his chinos. Pressing on his balls she felt his cock stiffen more. "You have a problem..." she observed, "But, luckily, I am here with a solution."

Ruth raced her hand up his front, under the untucked silk shirt. Adroitly she unbuckled Carter's belt, twisted the button through its stitched slot and tugged the waistband tab-hook from its home. She quickly unzipped his fly, burrowed into the khakis, through his boxers' vent, seized her trophy by the neck and hauled it to daylight.

"Mmm hmm, I thought so!" she declared in triumph when Carter's purple knob and rigid dick sprung out in florid greeting. Still scratching under Carter's left ear, Ruth leaned further onto his right shoulder, stretched up and whispered, "Keep you hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road, mister!" as she kissed and nibbled his right earlobe.

Ruth's right hand formed a loose fist around Carter's fat cock just below the rim of its soft, plump bell. She slid her hand down to the folds of his pants and returned until the bottom of her fist nearly cleared his dick. Dropping down again, her thumb pulled across the top-slit, smearing the oozing first drops of his pre-cum. Up and down, methodically, slowly, tenderly she slid along his shaft.

While sliding, Ruth's fingers rose and fell against the sturdy flesh, like the comb teeth in a wicked music box. She hummed softly into his ear, "Who's a messy boy, Bill? Who's gonna cum on mommy's hand? Hmmmm?"

Carter had forgotten how much he enjoyed this role-play and he always was surprised, when revisiting a box after an extended absence, by the immediacy of the moment. His thralls had no real sense of time when they were 'on the shelf'; they just picked up wherever they had left off. "Goddamn!" he thought to himself, "How fucking great is this?" Out loud, he moaned, "Oh, mommy, ohh, Oh, OH-OH!"

Ruth sped up and increased the rippling, sliding pressure as she sensed his impending doom. She rubbed faster, twisting her wrist, crooning softly, "Come on now, Billy-boy! Come, come, come! Mommy's wai...ting!"

BLOOP! The first jet spouted just as her fist was at the apex of its stroke and she closed her fingers around the greasy goop in mid-air, pulling it down to Carter's pulsing crown. Her closed hand stopped the second, third, fourth and final jets from spraying out of control. Instead they bubbled between her knuckles and over her polished nails.

"Ohh, yes, that's my boy!" Ruth praised, milking his dick, "that's my sweet, obedient Billy-boy!" she sang softly into Carter's neck. She lifted her right hand and spread a layer of his jism in a slimy trail across his bottom lip before she pushed her fingers into her mouth. Smacking and popping she cleaned her hand while Carter licked the residue from himself and grinned.

"Be a good boy and don't wreck the car, Bill," Ruth advised, "Mommy is going to take a little nap now." She moved back to the passenger side, re-buckled her seatbelt, turned to the window and closed her eyes.

Carter, hitched his hips, adjusting his shorts and pants until he was re-fastened and re-belted. Still staring down his traffic lane, he reached his right hand over and patted Ruth's ass. "I will, mommy," he said quietly. Louder, he said, "Nice work, Baby! Really nice job!"

*

With his girls naturally napping, Carter drove on, listening to a Rossini CD and enjoying the morning. Turning onto Highway 111 he headed toward Palms Spring from the Interstate. Approaching the outskirts of the desert resort city he saw a small, modest motel with a dozen stucco cabins on a gravel parking strip. The motel's VACANCY sign was lit, so he pulled in, parked, and walked, crunching across the rocks to the office.

A bored, gangly youth sat behind the counter reading a comic. He looked up and yawned as Carter walked in. "You wanna room, mister?" he asked.

Carter smiled, giving the shit the benefit of the doubt, "What is available, please, for my wife, daughter and myself?" he answered.

"Ha! Got only one cabin left for whoever, man," the kid replied with a shrug. "It's our 'bridal suite', my old man calls it," he laughed out loud, "because it has a king bed and it's the only one with a Jacuzzi in the bathroom."

"I'll take a look at it," Carter said.

"Sure, man, Number 7 at the end of the row," the kid said, looking out the window at a Dodge pulling in, "But don't take too long...it's Labor Day Weekend and we are booking 'em fast...know what I mean, man?" The kid pointed to a fat man getting out of the Dodge and heading toward the office.

Carter said to himself, "What the fuck, it's only one night, for Christ's Sake!" Turning back to the kid he said, "Yeah, I see what you mean." He flipped his VISA card onto the counter and said, "I'll take it, but I need a roll-away bed for my daughter."

Grinning a gap-tooth smile, the boy said, "Sure, man. For you, no extra charge!" and pushed the registration across the counter. The fat man stopped at the soda machine on the office porch and studied the selection while the kid ran the card and Carter filled out the form.

Carter shoved the registration back to the boy, saying "It will just be for tonight."

"No sweat, man, check-out is 11 a.m." said the kid, returning the credit card and receipt just as the fat man walked in. "Hi, Pop," the boy said, "Could you light the NO VACANCY up?"

"Sure, son," the man said, flipping a wall switch and stepping into the back of the office.

"Here's your key, mister, enjoy!" said the boy, sitting back down and grabbing his magazine.

"Yes, thanks," Carter said, adding to himself, "you deceitful little fuck!"

**SATURDAY NOON to 4 PM**

"Rest easy, ladies," Carter said, returning to the car and seeing Ruth and Peri were awake, looking around. "I'm just going to put our bags in the cabin and then we're out of here."

A few minutes later, Carter got behind the wheel of the Taurus and pulled back onto the highway for Palm Springs, proper. "Next stop, food!" he said to the car. "Tacos, burgers, or chicken, what's your choice?"

"I like Mexican, Uncle Bill," answered Peri, as Ruth simultaneously said, "Tacos suit me."

"Alright, then, I know a great little local spot for authentic Mexican food, and it is close to the shops downtown, too!" Carter said, pleased there was no hassle over a menu.

At 'La Familia' Carter ordered a pitcher of margaritas, a giant tostada for all to share, and four lunch samplers, each being a cheese enchilada, a chicken flauta, a pork carnita, and a beef burrito. The basket of warm, homemade taco chips and the salsa at the table needed addiction warning labels and were nearly gone when the waitress brought the pitcher and three salted sombrero glasses to them and poured the first round.

"Gracias," Carter smiled to the girl, enjoying her dark beauty and the shiny olive tones of her bosom and cleavage in her low-cut peasant blouse. She turned and left the table with a low, "de nada, senor," and Carter imagined what her ass looked like under the swaying pleats of her black skirt. Yanking his mind back to the table, he raised his glass by its stem, looked first at Peri, then at Ruth and said, "Drink up, my dears, fun awaits!"

Peri tipped her glass to her lips, tasted the salty edge and the strong sweet-tart drink, and instantly smiled. "Yummy, it's salty-tangy, like...oh, you know,...and lemonade, all together!" she declared.

Carter put his glass down, grinned, and said to Ruth, "In case you haven't notice, Ruth, Peri has a very talented mouth and sensitive tongue. She already has described the nuanced differences between a merlot and a lambrusco, and now she has nailed the secret of the agave in margaritas!" Turning to Peri, he clapped and said, "Bravo, Sweetie!"

Ruth laughed politely and agreed "She has a special mouth, indeed." Nodding to the teenager she said, "I'm sure you'll be able to teach me a thing or two, if I just pay attention to you."

The trio worked their way through two more baskets of chips, another pitcher of 'salty-tangy lemonade', the salad and their sampler plates. Peri felt decidedly giddy and thought everything anyone said was hilarious. Ruth was buzzed and warm. Carter had drunk only water after the first couple of swallows of his margarita. Standing up, he dropped bills on the table to cover the check and tip and said, "Come on my pets, let's go find a nice bathing-suit for Peri." He reached over and steadied her by her elbow as she rose from the table with only the slightest wobble.

"Oooh, Uncle," she protested, "that made me feel a little dizzy!"

"Don't worry, honey," Carter said, sliding his arm around her waist, "Just lean into me and, after a few steps, you'll be right as rain, I am sure of it."

"Ruth," he added, nodding to Cohen, "will be beside you, too."

They walked out of the restaurant arm-in-arm laughing and smiling at their own jokes. Outside the day was getting hot. As Carter had said, the restaurant was very close to the boutique he had in mind and they reached it quickly without incident.

The small store was empty of customers and full of a wide assortment of women's resort wear. A chic, tall blonde in a flowing silver and turquoise patterned caftan approached as the shop doorbell announced their entrance. "May I help you folks?" she asked with a friendly, open smile.

Carter grinned back and said, "My daughter," pointing to Peri, "forgot her bathing-suit and cover-up." Scuffing his topsider toe, he asked, "Do you think you could find something functional that an 18-year old would think is sexy and fun but won't give me a heart attack for worry?"

"I am sure I have just the thing," the shopkeeper said confidently, looking Peri up and down in appraisal.

Ruth chimed in, "She had a sip or two of my margarita, when I wasn't looking, I'm afraid. Do you mind if I stay in the dressing room with her while you bring the selections to us?" Her smile was disarming, her tone sincere and convincing.

"Not at all, ma'am," the woman answered, "it has been quiet all morning and I am at your service. I doubt we will be swamped!" she laughed with a light tinkle and beamed at Peri, "Naughty adventurer, eh? That is a great clue for my search." She pointed to the dressing area, and walked the away.

"I think I left something in the Taurus," Carter said to Ruth as she led Peri toward the changing booths, "Use your good judgement, baby, I'll be back in a bit."

"OK, Bill," Ruth answered, "Take your time, we'll be alright." Turning her head to Peri, she smiled, "Won't we, darling?"

"Huh?" Peri frowned momentarily, then was all dimples again, "Oh! yes!" Her brief disorientation passed as she remembered they were looking for a...swimsuit, was it?..."Right, Ruth, I'm alright" she said, hoping it was true but not quite sure.

*

Carter returned to 'La Familia' looking for their waitress. She was standing at the cash register as he entered. She remembered him, flashed a broad, toothy smile across her olive oval face and greeted him in Spanish. "Buenas tardes, senor, bueno verte otra vez."

"Hi," Carter said, "You caught me out," he laughed, "My Spanish is limited to just a few words."

"Well, senor," she replied, "You said 'gracias' perfectly. You must learn more!" She urged, still smiling. "How may I help you ahora?"

"Ha!" he snorted at the suggestion, then, obviously staring at her left breast, under her white, scooped-neck blouse, he read her name tag aloud, "Luz, is it? That's a pretty name for a pretty young girl." Continuing, he said, "Luz, to tell you the truth, my daughter and sister had a little too much of the margaritas. I was in a hurry to get them back to our hotel and did not pay much attention to the check...Did I leave enough? I mean did you get a big enough tip?" Carter stressed the last sentence earnestly.

"Ah, senor," she answered, "I have been a waitress for 10 years for my father, ever since I was twelve, and believe me, I have never seen a tip that was big enough!" She laughed a lilting laugh and winked at Carter.

"I understand, Luz," Carter responded, "but I imagine you do not suffer much. You are beautiful, have a nice smile, and give good service." Reaching into his wallet, he pulled out a $5 bill and handed it to her, "Still, here's a little something extra for you."

"Oh, senor!" She protested, even as she tucked the bill into a pocket on her skirt, "Please do not think I was unhappy or begging for more money!"

"Not at all, Luz, not at all," Carter reassured her.

"Thank you again," she blushed, "This will go for my confidence lessons!"

"Your what?" Carter asked.

"I am self-conscious and sometimes I am afraid, but I want to be a movie-star, so I am saving up money." Luz explained, in a rush of words, "When I have enough, I will enroll in a course I saw in a movie magazine to "Build Self-Confidence in One Hour" for only $500. Soon I will be able to do it!"