Traffic Girl - Highway to Hell? Ch. 42

Author's Note: Heads up right here: this is a no-sex chapter. Drama and twists abound here, my friends! Where will this end up taking us in the long run? Find out. But you know that people, when faced with stress, end up in a new position. It changes things, sometimes irrevocably. Let's see what happens to our beloved John, Kat, and Jess.

* * *

"John, what's up brother?" David Johnson exclaimed when he saw me.

He approached me and wrapped me in a big, bro-ish hug.

"Hey, man," I said. "Getting a little bye week fun in, huh?"

"Yeah, you know, a couple of the guys went to Miami," he said. "I'm a little dinged up. Need to keep it close to home for treatment. Alix fits the bill for that!"

"She's a great one, for sure," I said.

"Damn shame Kat is in LA," he said. "I wouldn't have minded occupying her all week!"

I was taken slightly off-guard. How did he know Kat was in LA? I rolled with it.

"Yeah, everyone needs a little break, right?" I said. "But, hey, Kelsey is fun. Really into the dirty shit."

"Kelsey is a crazy ass bitch of a slut," David said. "A lot of fun. I'm sure I'll be seeing more of her. But you know Kat. Kat. That hoe is one of a kind."

I hadn't contemplated how I'd handle this moment. I'd run through some scenarios. Kat didn't need to be around David Johnson. She also had told me she didn't want to do football parties anymore. I saw him as a fundamental threat to our well-being together. I wasn't mad. Kat was a whore. I could see why he felt about her the way he did. I knew the nature of their interactions. I wondered for a fleeting moment what must have happened that night in the dungeon if David thought Kelsey was the second dirtiest slut in Jess's Infinity stable. Maybe I'd finally watch the video, which I'd intentionally ignored for now. I took a deep breath.

"She is, David," I said. "But I think maybe she needs more of a break than just LA. Look, man, I don't want to be rude. I don't want to come off as a jerk or like I'm trying to mess with your fun. That's not who I am."

"What are you saying, dude?" he said.

"Let me be blunt," I said. "It meant with no disrespect from me at all. I just really, really care about Kat, okay? What would it take to get you to not see her again?"

David laughed. It was a hearty, deep laugh.

"There's no price on a piece of ass like that," he said.

"That's funny," I said, "since don't you put a price on it every week?"

"Okay, okay, I get it," he said. "You're in love with her. All that shit. Whatever the fuck, man, there is so much ass out there? I'm not going to fight over some lowly hoe."

It wasn't lost on me how hot-cold the exchange one. One minute, Kat was too great to put a price on. The next, she was a lowly hoe. My blood boiled. Fuck him, I thought. But also the reality of fighting an all-pro linebacker was not high on my list of things to do.

"You've got, what, eight games left?" I said. "That's eight more parties. They cost you guys forty grand a pop? Let me pay for the rest of the season. It's all on me. Let's round up. Call it four hundred thousand."

"All the parties for the rest of the season?" David said.

"Yeah," I said. "My treat."

He rubbed his hands together. "Make it half a million, and we're cool," he said.

"Half a million," I said. "You've got a deal."

We shook hands, and David looked at me with dancing, amused eyes.

"Half a fucking million," he muttered under his breath. "That's some expensive pussy, man."

I was about to respond when Alix saved me.

"Davey!" she exclaimed. "Are you talking business or are you going to show this dirty slut who's her master?"

"All right, John, I'll see you around," David said. "Pleasure doing business with you."

"Take it easy, David," I said.

I left the Hooker House with adrenaline coursing through me. My hands shook as I opened the car door. But I was happy and satisfied. Honestly, it wouldn't even cost me any money. Jess could just give the football parties a half-million credit. We'd just have less cash around to worry about. It wasn't that big a deal.

Fortuitously, Jess texted a selfie of her and Brittany on a yacht as I climbed into the driver's seat of the G-wagon.

"Going fishing," she wrote. "For dick."

"Got a second for a call?" I asked.

And the phone rang. She had called right away.

"What's up baby?" Jess asked. I knew her high voice better than anyone else. "Are you having a nice time?"

"Not bad, darling," I said." I miss you. Can't wait to have you back tomorrow."

"Me too," she said. "What's up?"

"So I just kind of made a deal with David Johnson," I said. "I was at the Hooker House checking up on stuff, and he was coming in for an appointment with Alix."

"What kind of deal?" Jess asked.

"I'm going to pay the football guys half a million bucks to keep Kat out of the parties the rest of the season," I said.

There was a brief silence, then Jess said, "Are you serious?"

"I'm serious," I said. "Don't worry. I'm good for it."

"It's not a big deal," Jess said. "We can just give them a credit. Reduce cash flow."

I smiled. I loved how Jess had become a serious and sharp business woman.

"You're not mad?" I asked.

"No, baby," she said. "I love you. I think it's actually a good idea. Look, I've got to go." I heard laughter and the phone sound muffled. "I'll see you tomorrow. Love you."

"I love you, too," I said and hung up.

And just like that, Kat was liberated. I texted her and asked her to call me when I had a free minute. I was a few minutes from home when the phone rang.

"Hey Kitty Kat," I said into the bluetooth.

"Hi daddy," she said. "What's up?"

"What are you up to, my love?" I asked. I had calmed down, and I felt cerebral now.

"Kelly and I are just sitting by the pool and having some truly awful green juice concoction," she said. "She's insisting we do a three-day cleanse."

"Sounds fun," I said sarcastically. "Listen, I've got some news. It's about the football parties."

"Oh yeah?" she said. "What is it?"

"You're free and clear," I told her. "I made a deal with David Johnson. He's not going to bother you again."

"John, are you serious?" she asked.

"Dead serious," I said. "It was just a business deal. A good conversation. Everything is cool."

"Really?" she asked again.

"Really," I assured her.

"John, I really love you," she said. "Thank you."

I pulled up the driveway at home and saw someone standing on the front porch.

"Listen, honey, I'm just getting home, and I know you should get back to Kelly," I said. "But I'll talk to you soon, okay? I miss you, but I'm glad you're taking care of yourself."

"Thanks, daddy," she said. "I love you so much." She paused, but I waited for something more. She finally said, "Thank you for taking care of me and being patient with me. I won't forget it."

"I love you, too, Kitty Kat," I said.

I got out of the car, and my heart thumped in my chest. Standing on the front porch, a small roller suitcase upright next to her, stood Nicole, the Vegas casino host. She had her arms crossed, wore large sunglasses, and hip-hugging jeans.

"Hi sweetheart," she greeted me. "I'm pregnant."

* * *

Fucking hell, this is all I need, I said to myself as I walked up to the front door and threw it open.

"Well, this is unexpected," I said.

"It shouldn't be, babe," Nicole said, walking inside confidently.

"You're not pregnant, Nicole," I said. "So tell me why you're really here."

"I really am pregnant, John," she said. She took off her sunglasses and shook out her hair. She smelled like travel, the hodgepodge of musty and dull odors from an airplane.

"Not a chance," I said. "I'm not falling for your bullshit. Why the fuck are you here?"

"That's a nice way to say hello to the mother of your unborn child," she said.

So this is how it was going to be. She was going to make a real saga out of it.

"Nicole, I know what you tried to do," I said. "You know that I know. You took Plan-B. I watched you. But that doesn't even matter because I also didn't cum in you. Go harass somebody else."

"I haven't been with anyone else since weeks before you had me last," she said.

I guffawed. "Now I know you're lying," I said. "You haven't gone weeks without a cock since you were in high school. You've said as much yourself."

She became quiet and turned meek. "I didn't think you'd be cruel about this," she said softly. "I'm on my own. I'm not asking anything of you. I just thought you should know." It was a well-rehearsed delivery.

"If you just wanted me to know, you could have called," I said.

"You blocked my number," she said.

"You could have called from your office line," I said.

Nicole stopped. "I," she said. She paused. She stopped and started two more times. "I don't have a job, John. They laid me off. About eight months ago."

"I'm surprised to hear that," I said. "I thought you had ... leverage."

"He got laid off, too," she said, referring to the VP of gaming she fucked.

"Ah," I said. "Looks like the biggest cleanup in Vegas since they threw out the mob."

"I'm not kidding," Nicole protested. "And it's not funny. I have nowhere to go. I don't have anything."

"You've always been a pretty successful whore," I said.

"I've never fucked for money," she said, offended.

"Oh, spare me the holier-than-thou act," I said. "If you were fired eight months ago, there's no way you weren't fucking players for money. Go ahead. Sit down."

Nicole left her suitcase by the door. She put her hands down the back of her jeans as she walked over to the great room sofas. Her back was straight, and her tits jutted out proudly. Her stomach was as flat as ever. If she was pregnant, she did a good job hiding it.

"How far along are you?" I asked.

"Six weeks," she said. So not long enough to be showing. Fine, I told myself.

"Have you been going to a doctor and getting proper care?" I followed up.

"Yeah, I have," she said.

I did quick math in my head. Six weeks would have put it in the ballpark of our Vegas visit. There was just one small problem. I hadn't cum inside her. Okay, theoretically, a miracle sperm might have snuck out while I fucked her, but I had been awfully careful not to cum inside her. The odds were just too long. She was lying. I was absolutely sure of it. Plus, I knew Nicole. She was a grifter, a hustler. If she had been out of work that long, she probably had a pretty decent clientele.

"Well, I'm going to get you set up with a doctor here," I said. "You're lying, Nicole. I know it. You know it. So you can either come clean now, or we'll go to the doctor, and find out one way or another for sure."

"Why would I lie about something so special?" she said.

I rolled my eyes. "You know as well as I do that I didn't cum inside you," I said. "Do you expect me to believe it's more likely that some one-off sperm swam up and impregnated you rather one of the probably half-dozen or more guys you fucked around the same time?"

"There was only you," she said.

"Drop the act," I said sternly. "I mean it. Are you so fucked up that you forget I heard you on the phone? Who were you talking to? Your boyfriend? Your pimp?"

"That's so unfair," she said.

"Okay," I said, frustrated with her stubbornness. "I'm not dealing with this until you start being honest. So here's what we're going to do."

I laid out a plan that I came up with on the fly. I'd take Nicole to the Hooker House. I could keep an eye on her via the video, and Alix at a minimum would be there to help, too. That would give me time to talk to Kat and Jess, and, from there, we could figure out a plan together. Some ideas were already rolling around in my head.

"Is it a nice house?" was all Nicole asked.

"It's really nice," I said. "Pool and everything. Tons of guys coming through, too, if you need a cock fix."

I texted Alix. She said she needed a couple hours to finish up with David Johnson, but she would ask Gloria, Sabrina, and Alyssa to be at the house, too, to help out. I gave them half an hour to get things in place, then I ordered Nicole into the car.

"I wish I could stay with you," she said. "I mean, it's our baby."

"We'll find out all about the baby tomorrow," I said.

We drove in silence. I parked in the garage at the Hooker House, and Gloria was already there, watching TV.

"Hi, John!" she greeted me. She wore a string bikini, spilling out of whatever you could call fabric that made up the bathing suit.

"You're a goddess, Gloria," I said. "Keep an eye on her," I added with a whisper.

She kissed me on the cheek hello and whispered back, "I know exactly what to do. You've got nothing to worry about."

I returned the kiss and whispered, "Thanks."

"Girl, put on a bikini!" Gloria said to Nicole. "We're going to have girls' time!"

"I didn't bring one," Nicole said lamely.

"Oh, don't worry then," she said. "Skinny dipping is encouraged!"

"You good?" I asked.

"I guess I have to be," Nicole answered, even though I had directed the question to Gloria.

"We're good," Gloria said.

I sent a text to Kat and Jess on our group text.

"We need to talk ASAP," I wrote.

Kat replied immediately, but hours passed, and there was nothing from Jess. Of course, I realized, she was out on the yacht. She either didn't have cell service or was totally wasted. Or both. I decided to call Kat while I drove home.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt your cleanse," I said.

"You're not interrupting anything, darling," Kat said.

"So, we have a problem," I said. "Or, well, at least an issue."

"What is it?" Kat said, suddenly concerned.

"I got home and you'll never guess who was on our front porch," I said.

"Who?" she asked.

"Guess," I said.

"You said I never could, so just spit it out, mister," she said.

I couldn't help but laugh. Kat knew how to lighten the mood.

"Nicole," I said. "Nicole the Vegas host."

"What the fuck?" Kat said, venom filling her words and placing particular emphasis on the final word.

"She claims she's pregnant," I said.

"Bullshit," Kat said. "You didn't cum in her. Did you?"

"You know me better than that!" I said.

"I know you," she said. "That's why I asked. But you didn't on the last trip."

"I didn't," I said. "I solemnly swear."

"She's a liar," she said.

"That's what I told her," I said. "She's sticking to it."

"We need to figure this out," Kat said. "I'm coming home."

"Kitty Kat," I said. "This is not going to be a big deal. I've got stashed at the Hooker House. Gloria is there. Alix is there. Alyssa is going over later. I've got it covered. She's got an appointment with an OB/GYN tomorrow."

"I'm so pissed," Kat said. "She is so full of shit. If she's even pregnant, it's probably one of the ten guys she was fucking."

"She gave me some sob story about being laid off eight months ago," I said. "I think it's just clumsy blackmail. I don't know. But we'll find out."

"If she is pregnant, how soon can we get a paternity test?" Kat asked.

"Honestly, I don't know," I admitted. "But I'll find out."

"That bitch is so fucking stupid," Kat said. "I told you I had a bad feeling about her. I told you!"

"And I listened to you!" I said. "Well, mostly."

"I still love you, John," she said. "Even if I have to raise your bastard child."

I laughed heartily. I needed that. "You're not going to have to raise a bastard child," I said.

"I know," she said. "Listen, let's think about it. Where's Jess?"

"Probably in the middle of the Atlantic on a yacht," I said. "Or up to her tits in cock."

It was Kat's turn to laugh. "Well, okay, you and I take some time to think. When Jess sobers up we'll bring her up to speed," she said. "And John?"

"Yeah?" I said.

"Crazy shit happens," she said. "We'll get through this. She's a lying piece of shit. We'll figure it out."

"I love you," I said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Kat said. "We are going to turn this to our advantage."

I had to admit. That sounded appealing.