Every Girl in Edgarville

"Nah," Abner said. "I was lookin' for a safe place to start again."

Jeanie turned her back on Abner and watched the clock over the order window until Peg refilled Abner's cup with the last of the pot. "You two look like you argued."

"Just thinking," Jeanie said and turned around. "And still waiting for the April Fool's part of this story."

Abner took a drink of coffee and cleared his throat. "The real auction was first thing in the mornin' on April Fool's Day, and the Liar's Auction was in the afternoon. I met Becky outside the auction hall and gave her the money I took from my savings. If everything went right, then I'd get my money back. Otherwise, the fire department would get some of it.

"The crowd got bigger as the Liar's Auction went. First, they auctioned off little stuff they set on the stage next to the auctioneer. Old Ms. Webster's tea pot went for fifty cents. Then I let Sharon pull me on cattle lead into the livestock ring, and Meg watched from the rail. Those things were all part of the joke, you know.

"I swear, every girl from Edgarville was there. I saw girls from Horse Springs and Sherman that I remembered from church camp. Even saw a girl from the Sand Ranch down by Ellsworth. Those girls in Edgarville got the word out all over the county. There was even a reporter there from the paper, and he brought his camera.

"The auctioneer went on about how great I'd be for spring cleanin' and window washin', and snickers went 'round the room. All those girls knew the joke.

"He started biddin' at a quarter. Mrs. Thomas went first. She had a lot of windows. Then there was another old lady, and another. I was up to seventy five cents when a girl from Horse Springs raised her hand.

"Becky watched from behind Meg, and she pointed to the girl that just bid a dollar to let me know she was biddin' with my money.

"There were more girls biddin'. Some were usin' my money and some were just playin' along, and the price got up. It was five dollars when Sharon yanked on the lead and asked me, 'What the hell is going on?'

"I got close to her 'cause I wanted to make her a little uncomfortable, and I told her, 'You can find out for yourself if you want.' She turned red and backed off."

Peg laughed and boosted herself up beside Abner. She talked over the counter to Jeanie. "Sharon got married, and she was suddenly holier than thou. Before that, she wasn't one to turn a lot of guys down. We couldn't hear what Abner told her, but we could pretty well see what was on her mind."

"The auctioneer started goin' faster and the price went up to twenty bucks then fifty bucks. It went higher than anything I gave the girls to bid with. I grabbed the lead and pulled Sharon over to where Meg was by the rail, and I asked Meg, 'What are Mom and Dad goin' to think when you pimp me to half the county?'

"Meg looked confused, and then she looked up at the auctioneer and raised her hand. The bid went to a hundred, and the girls from Horse Springs pushed it to two hundred.

"Meg went to two-fifty, and then the whole place got quiet. I was pretty sure she didn't have that kind of money—at least not that her husband was goin' to let her spend.

"Went once. Went twice, and Meg bought her own brother for stud service. It was the biggest sale they ever had for a Liar's Auction. It was a scandal, and it set off a big hoo-hah.

"I guess Meg never thought about how that was gonna look. I waited 'til the place settled down a little then told her, 'Ain't getting' it, Meg' loud enough for a lot of folks to hear. The hoo-hah started all over again, and it was still goin' on when a fireman came over and took Meg to the table where they wanted to collect the money she didn't have.

"Sharon held tight to that lead. I put my hand on her hip and pushed her over where not so many people could hear. I already did what I wanted to Meg, and it was startin' to look like the firemen might be willin' to take it out in trade, you know?

"I was good to my sister. I took that lead away from Sharon and told her, 'This is partly your doin'. Why don't you help Meg out? Then you can figure out what every girl in Edgarville already knows.'

"She was gonna slap my face—I was sure she would—but she didn't. She got two steps away before Irene cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, 'Abner! Don't waste the good stuff on her!'

"Sharon stopped and gave me a look before she caught up with Meg, and I found Becky by the rail. She already collected the money I gave her to bid me up. I stuffed it in my pocket while she took that lead off me, and I told Becky, 'Don't get lost. This ain't over.'"

Jeanie stopped Abner. "Did you ever try to find her again? I mean, after you left here?"

"Becky? Sure. I came through a few years later—'56, I think—on my way to Maracaibo, and I tried to look her up. Some people said she was married and pregnant and others didn't expect to see her again."

Abner tipped his cup up and watched Jeanie chewing her thumbnail while he drained it. "It was dinner time before all that settled down. Becky waved on her way out. Meg stomped out and left me with Sharon, and we came here."

Abner turned around to look at the diner. "It looks a little different now, but we sat right there." He pointed to the third booth to the right of the front door. "Becky came in after us with Carol and Irene and that reporter." He motioned to the booths past the end of the counter. "They sat at the end down there, where Sharon couldn't watch 'em."

Peg reached over the counter and pulled Jeanie's hand down to stop her from chewing her nail. "Don't do that," she said, then settled on her stool. "My uncle still had the place. He ran it for a few years after that, but not much changed until I got it."

Abner raised his eyebrows to see if Peg was done before he went on. "I started payin' attention to what Sharon wanted. She wanted to talk about all those hateful, unchristian girls from Edgarville. She wanted a hot roast beef sandwich, and she chewed up all the ice in her Coke.

"It was dark when we left, and it wasn't real cold yet. I took Sharon's keys away from her and sat her on the passenger side of her own pickup, and I played with the radio 'til Becky and all were out of the diner. I drove around the grain elevator and behind some corn cribs. No light but moonlight back there.

"Sharon didn't pretend a thing. She wanted to find out what I was all about. I used what I learned from the girls in Edgarville, and I figured out what made her motor run.

"Her ears and her throat were real sensitive, and she liked it when I barely touched them. She liked it when I put my hand behind her neck, and her mouth fell open when I pulled her hair back.

"Sharon's mouth tasted like Coca-Cola at first, but I pushed her into the corner and pretty quick she tasted like hot spit. I slid my tongue between her lips and over her tongue. She tried to flirt for just a second before I took her mouth. Her breath was fast and rough. I could feel it on my cheek.

"She didn't much care when I touched her tits 'til I squeezed her nipple. Then she couldn't breathe. She broke off that kiss and the harder I squeezed that nipple, the noisier she got.

"Sharon squirmed around to get her leg over my lap, and she knocked the truck outta gear. We rolled a little, so I sat up with one arm around her and set the brake harder. That's when I saw the cars parked between the corn cribs and knew that Becky and all were watching.

"I didn't want Sharon to figure that out, so I kept her busy. Pushed her into the corner of the seat so she wasn't lookin' at the corn cribs and asked, 'Are we goin' all the way? Is that what you want?'

"'It's hot in here,' was what she answered, and I started peelin' her clothes off. She stopped me after I dropped her bra on the floor and asked, 'Do you have a rubber?'

"I pushed her skirt up her legs and under her butt 'til it was wrapped around her waist. The gusset in her underpants was damp when I jerked 'em down her legs. I sniffed my fingers and told her, 'In my wallet,' then I shed my shirt and shoved my pants down.

"She watched me put that rubber on then I grabbed her hair in one hand and turned her around on her knees."

"I could've stopped right there and saved everybody some time. Sharon was already in trouble, naked, with witnesses and all, but then I'd be wasting what every girl in Edgarville taught me. Figured they wouldn't want that. I stuck one finger into Sharon's pussy, and then two fingers, and I licked her juice off.

"Sharon banged her head against my chest when I shoved my dick into her. I put one hand on her throat to hold her head against me, and I pushed again. She clenched her teeth, and my dick slid into her. I stopped against her ass with my hard-on burnin' inside her.

"I swear, I could feel her heartbeat with my dick. I could feel every muscle she moved. I owned her, and the way she smelled, and the juice that trickled down my balls.

"I was a little rough, but that was how she wanted it. She liked it even more when I wrapped my arm around her and squeezed her nipple hard. I slapped my hips against her ass and worked my hand down her belly, combed through her curls, and caught her trigger between my fingers.

"Sharon pounded her head back against my chest. Her fingers dug into the seat, and her breath fogged the window. She went stiff and stopped breathing when she came. Only a little sound came through her nose, and then she screamed through her teeth and her body went limp.

"I held her up under me, and I shoved my dick as far into her as I could reach. I groaned in her ear and let it all go, then I slammed into her and did it again 'til that rubber was full.

"Had to catch my breath before I peeled the rubber off, and Sharon sat down beside me. She was wearin' just her shoes and that skirt bunched at her waist. I pulled my pants on, and she laid her head back on the seat and panted at the roof. "It's hot in here. God I'm gonna melt."

"That was my cue, I guess. We didn't plan anything. I picked a mitt full of clothes off the floor, opened the door and climbed over Sharon to get out. Car lights came on and a camera flashed and flashed. Sharon screamed and tried to cover herself while I walked away, but it was too late for her."

"Rough treatment for a gossip," Jeanie said. "Seems kinda mean."

Peg laughed. "Sharon got what she deserved, and neither her nor Meg spread many rumors after that."

"We let Sharon off easy," Abner said. "Me and Becky bought those pictures from the reporter and Becky kept them in case Sharon didn't learn her lesson. Far as I know, her husband never found out. No-one found out 'cept for Peg here, and every girl in Edgarville."

Jeanie glanced at the clock and spun around to Peg. "Can I use the phone in your office? I need to make a call."

"You might have five minutes before the bus gets here," Peg said. "Make it fast."

Jeanie took two steps toward the kitchen, and Abner climbed off his stool. "Maybe I'll go now and beat that storm."

She turned back and told him. "Don't go anywhere." Jeanie looked at Peg. "Don't let him leave."

Abner straightened his back. "What's that about?"

Peg shrugged. "You know what I know, but you heard the lady. Don't go anywhere."

Brakes squealed outside the diner, and a gaggle of rumpled, slightly groggy passengers lurched out of the Continental bus and into the diner. They needed to stand and shake their legs out. They needed coffee. They needed sandwiches and pie.

The bus pulled out again a half-hour later and left Jeanie cleaning up. Peg stopped her at the end of the counter. "You can go when you're done."

Jeanie looked outside and she glanced at the clock. She glanced at Abner and kept her voice low. "I called Mom. She hasn't been sleeping much at night, anyway. I told her my Pinto wouldn't start. That's believable, right?"

Abner caught Jeanie as she passed by with her hands full of silverware and asked, "What do you need me for?"

She gave him a hurried smile. "For a jump start. It won't be long."

Abner turned on his stool and watched outside. Snowflakes swirled in pools of lamplight along the highway. A car slowed down as it rolled through the traffic light at Main. It turned to park in front of the diner, and a woman closed the car door behind her.

She pulled her coat tight against the wind, and cold air and a few snowflakes followed her into the diner. She stopped and nodded to Peg. Her hair was dark and streaked with a few strands of gray, and she tucked a stray lock behind her ear.

Peg covered her smile and watched Abner climb off his stool with a look of recognition in his eyes. Jeanie walked between them, and the woman stopped her. "What's the problem with your car?" she asked.

"Nothing's wrong with my car—except that it's a Pinto. I didn't lie, though. Someone here needs a jump start, it just isn't me."

Jeanie held onto the woman's arm and looked Abner up and down. "You're fly's open," she said, and laughed when Abner looked down. "See? He's still a dork."

She watched her mom and said, "I'm pretty sure you already know this is Abner Johnson." Jeanie stepped toward Abner. "I think you figured it out, too. This is my mom—Becky."

Becky held her hand out to Abner. "It's been a long time," she said, and she closed her hand around his fingers when he reached to touch her.

"Seems like forever," Abner said and gave Jeanie a curious look. "How'd you know my Becky was your Becky?"

"There were clues," Jeanie said. "Besides, I heard your story before—you know, the Mom version. Those dirty pictures of Sharon are in a photo album I was never supposed to get into, but I did. I just never knew what they were 'til now."

Jeanie nudged Abner with her elbow. "So, maybe you can do dumb things and still get a second chance."