The Women of Custer City Ch. 16-18

Chapter 16

"I'm positive," I said, "I got off the phone with Keri, she said it's totally clear, we take the 8 a.m. puddle hopper, we're there by noon, we've got it all to ourselves."

Amanda looked at me with narrowed eyebrows. We'd seen Hannah a half dozen more times, none of them ending particularly well. We'd reached our thirtieth day, and knew we didn't want to risk hanging around the house.

"It's gonna be awesome," I said, letting the smirk rise up my cheeks, "I promise."

We'd cuddled up that night, warm in each other's arms, wrapped under an avalanche of blankets. Neither one of us shut our eyes, save for when she looked back and we gave each other a smiling kiss. All the same, morning came quickly, and we each woke up alone.

I had a few hours on Amanda, so the work fell on me. I booked the last minute plane tickets, not giving a fuck about the price, and packed a day bag with everything I might need. I made my way through the morning traffic, and gave Amanda a good morning kiss, taking just a moment to admire the twinkle in her eye.

"It is," I started, "Without a doubt worth the trip."

In the short time she'd been in the time loop, she hadn't gone to the Sugar Beach mansion, but she'd heard me talk about it enough to know it blew away Hannah's mansion. If we have one day left without any challenges, let's end it in style.

We boarded our small flight and departed a few minutes early, just as it had thousands of times before. I kicked back in my seat, careful not to sleep, and indulged in the fist class champagne.

There were a few bouts of turbulence, nothing frightening, but it gave Amanda an excuse to rest her fingers on my shoulder, and bury her head against my neck. At one point we asked for a blanket, partially to stop her trembling, and partially to let my fingers, sneak past her belt, giving her the smallest little tease before we landed.

I'd arranged for a chauffer, a black super-stretch that took us towards the Daleboro estates. She gawked, taking in the palm trees and blue sky. The resorts gave way to superyachts, and I pointed out towards the distance. I tried to talk up the place, tried to set the mood, but her eyes were only watching me.

"Charlie," she said softly, "I love you."

My smile was immediate, and I felt my head fall against hers. We didn't look up as the limo pulled into the mansion's turnaround. Instead, she gave me a gentle kiss, and watched me, smiling like she couldn't believe everything was finally working out between us.

We didn't move for a moment. The limo was air conditioned, and the warmth of each other's bodies kept us too comfortable. If the driver didn't circle the limo and hold the door open for us, we might not have ever moved.

I stepped into the hot sun. Amanda was quick to take my hand, and pulled herself to my side. We heard the distant cawing of seagulls, and breathed in the salty air.

Amanda took in the mansion, awed by the sheer size of it's sprawl. "They don't," she marveled, "They don't come home at all today?"

I gave her a cheesy grin. Her mouth hung open, trying to reconcile with this being our reality. It was a losing battle.

The driver left us in silence, and I helped her towards the front door. I stopped by the keypad, and gave her a knowing grin.

"They were smart enough to lock their door," I laughed, "But for some reason they never imagined someone would smash the window, go to the security system, write down the code, and then come back once everything reset. Idiots."

The light turned green and a clicking sound allowed us into the foyer. The entire back wall of the estate was glass, overlooking their private cove, nothing but beautiful ocean, a completely empty stretch of sugar beach as far as they could see in either direction.

"Their yachts gone today," I grumbled, "But aside from that- it's all ours."

"How much," Amanda whispered, her words still awestruck, "Do you think a house like this goes for?"

"Not something you can get with a doctor's salary," I chuckled, the joke almost too stupid.

She pulled away from me, twirling as her head turned skyward. The grand staircase led towards a vaulted ceiling so high she swore she could see mist swirling overhead.

Amanda started to find her voice again, "Have you ever tried keeping yourself awake? Just to see how long you can go?"

"You mean when I do stuff like this?"

She still wasn't looking at me. Amanda was still struggling to keep her jaw closed, but she managed a nod.

"Yeah," I admitted, "The stroke of midnight doesn't reset, only dying or falling asleep. I was curious once, and I was able to twist Alley's arm a little bit, got some stuff from the evidence locker. I started just with caffeine, but after a couple days, I was living on a cocktail of coke, adderal, amphetamines, whatever I could find. Honestly, I was so miserable by the end, so completely delirious, it's just not worth it."

Amanda's eyes fell back to me. She tried to keep the hint of a smirk off her pursed lips, "How long did you make it?"

"To be honest," I sighed, "I wasn't keeping the best track by the end. But I probably made it five or six days."

She rolled her head back with laughter, "Weaaaak."

I gave her a playful shove and she landed against the kitchen counter. She composed herself, then met my eyes again.

"So," she started, "You brought me all the way out here, what now?"

I shrugged, "Whatever we want- we've got a hell of a beach. The fridge is stocked as well as a restaurant. They've got a couple speedboats we could zip around. We could-"

"Let's just go outside," she said wistfully. She gave the estate one last curious look, then spoke again, "It's a pretty house, it really is, but we've got all day. Right now though, it's gorgeous out there."

I grabbed the bag we'd brought and followed her out towards the beach. By the time we hit the sand, she'd already kicked off her shoes and started into an excited jog.

I chased after her, struggling for balance in the plush, imported sand. She rolled across the beach, hoisting her arms high above her head as she soaked in the sunlight. She turned to look at me, her hair already dotted with sand. She had to squint in the sunlight, "Did you bring any sunscreen?"

I gave another laugh. The concern seemed so pre timeloop.

I let my laugh flow into my words, "Yeah," I said, "Got everything in the bag. Swimsuits, towels, sun-"

"We shoulda changed," she said, a small smile growing, "I was too excited."

I reached for her bikini top and tossed it towards her, "Do it out here," I laughed, "It's probably the one time in your life public nudity doesn't matter at all."

She held the top awkwardly against her chest as she took in the cove. The beach seemed to stretch out for miles, and the distant trees bowed out, almost guiding the ocean towards the estate. The two were alone, but it felt so utterly public.

I tried to ease the tension. I pulled my shirt, high above my head and let it drop to the sand. I shimmied out of my shorts, and stood with my hands at my hips, basking in the sunlight.

Amanda brought a hand to her lips, struggling to stifle a laugh. I matched her grin, and her nervousness slipped away. Her hands crossed, finding the clasp of her bra while she threw the shirt away.

I'd seen her naked plenty of times, but nervous instinct still took over, and her hands gave her nipples a ginger cup. I leaned towards her, taking her waist as I gave her a small kiss.

"You're gorgeous."

Those dimples came back, and her nose scrunched with happiness, "Right back at ya."

She pulled away, just enough to slip the bikini top on.

I followed her into the crashing surf. She let her hands dip by her knees, feeling the saltwater before committing. The sand between her toes was too alluring, and she dove in.

I took a slower approach, my hands lifted to my shoulders until the water wrapped around my waist. I was still acclimating when she emerged. She gave me a laughing splash, and the action took us back a decade. I saw, in that sincere smile, the woman I'd fallen in love with all those years ago, the playfulness that made us friends before we grew up and committed the crime of being the opposite gender.

I returned a splash, and she dove in the water, her feet kicking after me. I worked through the cold, and dove in after her. I forced myself to open my eyes, the saltwater burning, but I found her ankle and latched on.

I popped through the waves, and gave her an cartoony laugh, "I've got you now."

"No!" she gave a playful squeal. She turned and twisted, kicking her ankle as she tried to get away.

"Any last words?"

She let the laughter stop. "No," she admitted, "But I have these-"

I never even saw her hands. The next thing I knew, her top was down, and I wore that same dumbstruck look she had, while I stared at her tits. It caught me off guard, just enough for her to kick herself free. She slipped back into the ocean, and when I saw her again, she was twenty feet away, and it was her turn to cackle.

That playfulness is there, I knew, Just like old times. But this- this is better. I chased after her again.

I don't remember most of what happened that day. I know we played in the water for a while. I know we spent some time on the beach. We raided the fridge and took a speedboat out. In truth, it was a beach day with my best friend. I don't remember any specifics of what we talked about, anymore than I remembered what we'd said when we used to hang out, but I remember the way it made me feel. Complete happiness, the nonstop laughter when we were together. We were each other's best friends, and for just a moment, we made each other forget about the fact that we were trapped.

By the time the sun set, we were laying on the beach with a bottle of champagne between us. We gave each other a little clink, and watched as the sun slipped away, and our perfect day drew to a close.

"I guess now," Amanda said, her voice turning sober, "We get ready for the night, let it reset and start all over."

I was still leaning back on my elbows. I gave her a small shrug and said, "I'm not in a hurry."

She had started to rise, but she fell back down. She crawled across the sand, until her red cheek pressed against mine, and her hand rested on my chest. I felt her give me a small peck, and my breathing turned calm with satisfaction.

"Did you see the fireplace?" I asked.

"The one inside?"

I gave a nod down the beach, "The one there, right in the sand."

Amanda let herself rise again; this time I chased after her.

"This mansion is so isolated," I said, "You can see the whole milky way. I don't care if it's the same stars every night, I never get tired of it."

Her eyes shot up, trying to see if she could see anything through the still bright sky. I joined her, and let my chin fall against her neck.

"They make it really easy too," I said, "Just the push of a button."

I leaned past her and felt along a stretch of bricks for the button. I heard a gentle click, and a campfire roared to life, right there on the beach. I didn't see her face, but I felt the way her muscles relaxed with another excited smile.

"Come on," I said softly, "Let's enjoy the night."

I fell into a camp chair, and started staring into the flames. There were probably a dozen other chairs, but Amanda came right up to me.

"You don't want to sit?"

She took my hand, "Come on, I'll make it worth your while."

She sat on my lap. Her fingers pulled her panties down, leaving her in nothing but a sweatshirt. She gave me a quick kiss, then shimmied her ass, trying to spur my penis to life.

I shuffled my arms, trying to make her more comfortable, and gave her ear a playful gnaw. She leaned back, letting herself get totally comfortable before she started grinding.

A weird thing shifted in my mind that night. I wasn't focused on the pleasure, the raw sensation, as her pussy rolled across my cock. I was aware of her. I felt the way my arm barred across her chest, the way her heart beat roared when she sped up. I heard every soft breath she took, and her body's warmth kept me harder than the way she moved.

I'd forgotten, I realized, This is what sex is supposed to be. The pure bliss. The safety, the warmth. It was all part of sex, the whole day, learning more about my best friend-

"I don't want this to end." I blurted it out all at once, "Amanda. I can't go back to the way things were.

Her movements stopped. She looked back slowly, still out of breath.

"I love you Amanda," I said, "Let's keep doing this."

Her hips found life again, and she gave an instinctual shimmy. The movement was so quick, so intimate, I nearly came right there, "What about the others?"

"We don't even know what Sadie wants," I said, "But I know what I want."

I looked into her moonlit eyes. I saw she wanted to believe, she wanted to imagine every day could be paradise, that we wouldn't be screwing over every other woman I'd slept with. She wanted to let herself hope.

"Tomorrow morning," I said, "Meet me. You know where to go, and you know no one's gonna find us. First thing Amanda."

I gave her a breathy kiss. I couldn't help it. I was transfixed by her eyes, too desperate to keep this continuing. "Thirty days be damned," I said, "I don't want this to end."

Chapter 17

I woke up with the same hollow feeling I'd been having every morning. It didn't matter how hard Amanda and I were laughing, how long we'd spent wrapped in each other's arms, getting drunk, sharing the night, staring at stars, my morning started exactly the same, alone in a dark room, sprawled across an unkempt bed.

I blinked groggily, and reached across the sheets. Instinct expected Amanda's warm body, exactly where I left it, but I was alone. I blinked again. Was I alone?

I felt the headache before I heard the pounding. I blinked, trying to squeeze the pain through my ears, but that noise wouldn't go away. It came rhythmically, one tap, two taps, desperate to get me towards the door.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, blinking in the early morning light as I walked, but the pounding kept coming louder. "Charlie!" A voice yelled, a woman's, muffled from the porch.

I gave my head a quick shake, trying to fling the sleepies from my eyes, and made my way towards the front door. I opened, and Alley barely stopped knocking, nearly tapping my forward.

"Good morning," she said, a little head tilt. There was something about her smile though, something that wasn't entirely friendly.

"Charlie," she said. Her voice fell firm, "It's been thirty days."

The fatigue seemed to leave all at once. I gave a quick blink in the morning light, and tried to bring her into the house. She stayed firm.

"We talked yesterday," she said, "We all did, and we all agree."

I realized she hadn't moved and took a curious step towards her.

"We're happy for you," she said, "We really are. Amanda's great, and I know you two really like each other, but right now, we're not making progress."

I tried to reason, "Alley, it's not just-"

"It's not just. Exactly. It's not just you two, and it's not just. There's thousands of us, waiting on you, and it's time to start making progress again."

"Alley, I love her-"

"And you think Chrissy doesn't love her husband?"

I didn't have a response.

"Charlie. We're not taking no for an answer. There's work that needs to be done, and you're the only one that can do it. You can keep dating Amanda, no one cares, we want you to be happy, but you need to get back out there."

"Alley-"

"It's not a debate," she snapped, "Tell me right now, yes or no, are you gonna help us out again?"

"Alley-"

I didn't even see her draw the gun. I never heard the bullet. Suddenly it was 6:13 and I was back in that dark bed, the same hollow feeling washing over me.

I didn't have to adjust to the morning light this time. I didn't have to piece together what the pounding was. From my perspective, Alley never moved. She stood at my porch, wearing the exact same police uniform. The only difference I could see was her face. Her eyebrows had narrowed and she looked angrier than before.

"There's one thing you're not thinking about," she snapped. No good morning this time. "I wake up before you."

She let her hand rise up her belt, resting on the pistol, but she wouldn't grab it, yet.

"And I know what you're thinking," she continued, struggling to keep the annoyance from her voice, "That I'm just one person, and I'm not a super soldier. You can probably get out the back, jump through a window or something. And that might work. Once. But meeting you at your doorstep is a kindness. I know there's a key under the mat. If you want I can wake you up every morning with a muzzle pressed to your temple-"

"Alley, wait," I held my hand up in defense. I took a moment to stagger towards the porch, but my mind went blank.

"We just need more time," I started, "We need to figure out what Sadie wa-"

I saw the gun that time. It was 6:13.

I felt myself grumbling as I ran towards the door. The pounding rang incessantly, my headache pounding, racing towards an aneurism. I opened the door with a shout, "Allley!"

"Made up your mind yet?"

Her gun was already drawn.

I shielded the morning sun and felt the way I exhaled, defeated.

"I've got plenty of time," she barked, gritting her teeth, "And you're not gonna outlast me."

I'd run out of options. I couldn't appeal to love, and part of me understood, what good was love if I had to torture countless others?

"Fine," I said, "I'll do it."

She didn't believe me at first. She kept the pistol drawn, but a small smile started to pull up her cheeks. Realization finally washed over her and she holstered the weapon. She gave my shoulder a little shove, and her grin turned genuine, "I knew you'd come around."

Chapter 18

"I think you've been making a huge mistake," Amber said. The old gang was back together, all except Ginger. We crowded around my kitchen table, all eyes on Amber as she spoke, "You've been going after the easy ones, and that's a mistake."

Alley gave me a quick glance, but the rest nodded along. "You don't want all the hard ones at the end, it'll just make your life hell," Amber continued, "If you save all the married women, the single moms, the widows until the end, it's just gonna be hard work, and it's gonna be a slog. You should check some off now, while you still have some easy targets to rebound to."

The general nodding became a soft murmur.

"Besides," Amber said, "I've been wanting to run a play for awhile. And I have an idea."

Amber slapped down a photograph. We saw a chubby blonde woman in her late thirties. "Mary Spellton," Amber said. She jammed her finger down, her fingernail carving into the image, "She's married, but that's why I want to go after her. Her husband, I'm just gonna say it, is way out of her league. Way. I know there's some resentment there, some feeling he can do better, so that's where I come in. This isn't just a play I want you to run Charlie, this is where the teamwork matters. I'm gonna seduce him. I'll document everything, ton's of photos, ton's of videos, then you have ammunition. You show it all to her, get her pissed, and get her to take revenge."

I leaned towards the table and took another look at the woman. She might have been beautiful a decade ago, but she wore her stressful life in the bags of her eyes and the extra pounds around her cheeks.

"Sounds easy enough for me," I said. I was barely engaging, but a part of my mind was still staring at that photo. I'm not attracted to her, I realized, Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe it won't be so bad between Amanda and I if I don't-