You're Always 17 Ch. 02

I got cold beers and handed them out, with another water for Brooke, and we listened to a talented trio made up of a woman with a guitar and a smooth as satin voice, a talented musician who played every dang instrument you could think of and sang well too, and a dude from Australia who played the mandolin and digeridoo. They played some funny songs, some sad songs, some Australian songs, and some haunting songs with sounds you wouldn't expect from a trio, and they told a personal story about each song and the writer.

I accosted them after they finished, told them I would be streaming their songs in the future, and that I could hardly wait to hear how they sounded with all the instruments dubbed in.

They were ten-fifteen years my senior, but very attractive and just plain charming. I stood behind the crowd visiting with them, while the others stayed for the next artist.

The next artists were two of those dang pretty-boy rappers, and while I appreciated the rhyming, putting guitar music behind it did not make it country, folk, or anything else I would listen to or pay money to hear! I caught Will's attention; he rolled his eyes, shook his head subtly, looked at Shannon, Kathy, Alex, and Brooke raptly watching the rappers and shaking in rhythm, and motioned out the back with his thumb.

I nodded and got up; Shannon didn't even notice, nor did Kathy. Alex was like the girls; watching and jiving, or whatever you do while sitting and listening to that abomination.

I grabbed two fresh beers, and we made our way along the pens to the open part of the alley, and then outside. There were several older men gathered around a nice fire pit with a small fire - it was barely cool enough for a fire, but fires evoke conversation.

"What's the matter? You youngsters don't appreciate 'new country?'" one asked with a laugh.

"Give me Ben Vaughn, Dave Macon, the Carter Family, bluegrass, Appalachian, Bob Wills, Hank Sr and Jr, Willie, Waylon, Merle, and Johnny, and great songsmiths like Kristoferson, Van Zandt, Ely, Hancock, and you two, Mr. Coe and Mr. Nunn."

"Well, I'll be damned: a fuckin' purist! How old are you boy?"

"Pushing thirty, Sir."

"Cut the sir crap, young'un! We're just five guys who appreciate real country and western music. I say that assuming your baby brother there is one of us."

Will broke out that smile, shook hands, and named a few of his favorite songs, including London Homesick Blues and The Perfect Country and Western Song. Not everyone could be that shameless and get away with it, but he pulled it off and then won them over with the dates and places he seen them at concerts or dances. Baby Brother was slick!

We bullshitted, they told raucous stories about legends they had played with, and the time sped by, as it seems to do when you're having fun. When I turned and listened, the rappers were gone, and a blonde teen was playing her banjo and singing. She was pretty good, from what I could hear. Alex and Brooke were watching her, but I looked for Shannon and didn't see her or Kathy.

I nudged Will and suggested we check on our ladies before we got in trouble. As we walked away, I told him they weren't in their seats. He mentioned the nail puller and tire iron, and we made a round looking for them. Not in or around the alley or the food, so where?

We checked the studio and house and walked out front. Will grabbed my arm: "I see someone with blonde hair inside that little house over there! Let's go take a look!"

I sighed. "Look, we're engaged but not married; if she is going to be a cheater, I'd like to know now."

"Fine for you to say, but I've got two kids at home! Let's go!"

He scurried up the hill, keeping out of sight of the front windows; I followed. If we caught them cheating, this was going to be a very bad night, and a bad month to follow.

Pretty boy one and Kathy were in the short entrance hall; he was pressing her, but she kept a little distance between them. He was telling her about a new song they were writing and asked her for feedback. After listening for a moment, Will chuckled: "This sexy shit is too well practiced, not something he just came up with! The question was, will it cause Kathy to drop her drawers, as he believes?"

Shannon was in a more precarious situation; she and ponytail boy were in the ground-level bedroom/ living area/ kitchen/ dining room, standing with the back of her knees against the bed, with him in her personal space.

Unlike Will's humorous reaction, mine was immense jealousy. He was too close, she was not keeping him at bay, and if they laid down on that bed, there would be hell to pay! Forget the whole 'better to know' thing; I was now insanely jealous!

He put both hands on her shoulders and leaned in as if planning to kiss her, or maybe push her onto the bed. I was about to go back and come through the front door when she kneed him in the nut, pushed his bent-over whining self onto a padded chair, and said, "Thanks for the tour, but it's too bad you didn't pay attention to the simple rule I gave you. Now your nuts are beside your tonsils, and I didn't even get to see the loft. Maybe the owners will show me, another time. Bye now!"

She marched into the hallway; pretty boy one held up his hands and backed as far away as he could. Kathy laughed and told him, "I wasn't going to knee you if you broke the golden rule; I was going to kick your ass, pretty boy! We ought to tell our husbands, but kicking your asses back to Florida would take too long! Bye-bye now!"

They came out the door and downstairs giggling and praising one another, but ten feet down their path stood two men with their arms folded across their broad chests and scowls on their faces. Kathy immediately threw up both hands and proclaimed, "He never touched me!"

"Okay," Will replied incredulously, "but explain why you were in a house with a strange man after you've been drinking. Haven't we had a conversation about stuff like that already?"

Kathy's blue eyes got even bigger, but Shannon interjected, "They invited us to see their friends' tiny home, and their friends gave them a key. Y'all were occupied over at the fire pit and we wanted to see one. We made it very clear we were only interested in seeing the house before we agreed to go!

"And Keith did try to touch me, but I kneed him in the gonads, and we left!"

"So, they just came up to your seats and invited you to go see their etchings? Sounds unlikely!"

Even in the dark I could see her blush. "No, after their set we went over to talk with them, like a dozen others, and we all ended up outside by the food. They ate a brat and answered questions from their fans, and then thanked everyone for their support. Most moved away then, but they told us to stay. Keith got the keys from a guy and invited us to see their tiny house. We had the conversation about being married and engaged, and they agreed. We decided to go with them but keep our distance."

Kathy continued the description. "I walked beside Shannon as we followed them to the house. Aaron and I looked around inside first, and then we came out so Keith could show Shannon around."

"Looked to me like he was showing her the bed," I interjected, giving them hell now that the event was behind us without damage.

Shannon was thinking about how to answer that when Will cooly said, "So you were following these assholes around like schoolgirls wanting an autograph, or maybe more like one of their groupies. Did you throw him your panties with your phone number on them?"

Kathy flashed her panties at Will and said, "I didn't, but you might want to check Shannon."

Before she could react, I ran my hand up under her denim skirt and across her pussy. She grabbed my wrist and held it in place, keeping from exploring her goodies. "Nope, her panties are wet, but they're there. Being that close to the bed with Ponytail boy must have gotten her turned on!"

She grabbed my wrist with both hands and tried one of those judo moves where she spins, and the man ends up with his arm in a painful position behind his back. She's strong in a cheerleader/gymnast way, but I'm strong in an oil field laborer/ outweigh-you-by- a-hundred-and ten-pounds way, so that move failed mightily. She made a face, and then giggled.

Since she wanted to play, I grabbed her by the waist, bent my knees, and tossed her in the air like a rocket ship taking off. She whooped, but did a little mid-air move for balance, and fell into my arms bottom first. She was giggling constantly now, like a little kid getting tickled, and not only Will and Kathy, but also Will, Lila, Lina, and Woody were getting an unobstructed view of those wet panties.

"We came out to make sure you girls didn't need any help with the Bobbsey Twins and arrived just in time for the show! We appreciate that, or at least Woody and I do; I can't really speak for my wife."

"As we used to ask in college," Lila said with a grin, and then paused, looking at Lina and Shannon. Shannon giggled again and they chanted, "Why eliminate the prettier half of the species?" in unison. Then Lila giggled too.

"Sometime Will might want to share his early experiences being a roommate with these two," Woody said with a laugh, indicating Lina and Lila might not be kidding.

"Unhand me, you beast!" Shannon demanded. "I've put on enough of a show already!" But I noticed she still wasn't struggling to close her spread legs.

I set her feet on the ground; she smoothed her mini-skirt, and announced, "I'm ready for a beer!" She grabbed Kathy by the arm, and then turned and caught Lina's; Lina took Lila's, and off they marched, girl power in action, or at least in motion. I looked at the other men, whose gazes were fixated on the four women, and Woody commented, "I'd pay a lot of money to watch!"

"Um hmm!" were the three responses, and we fell in behind them, although without holding arms.

The Four Musketeers were garnering so much attention near the entrance to the alley that they became the Six, then Eight Musketeers, and gained twice as many male 'Musketeers of the Guard.'

Four somewhat impaired country rockers had formed an impromptu band and were singing Lynard Skynyrd down in the alley. After that, they promised The Allman Brothers, Credence Clearwater Revival, The Eagles, and more, and told us to get off our asses and dance! There were a few songwriters who hadn't taken a turn, but neither they nor anyone else seemed to mind, including the hosts.

We rocked, pretty much en masse, for an hour or so, and then took a break. People got fresh drinks, flopped in chairs, and demanded someone sing. Those who hadn't did, to a well-greased and appreciative audience and their peers.

When the last one finished, Gary and Danny appeared with instruments and amps, called a few others up to play, and took up where the rock show ended earlier. They tossed in a few ballads from time to time, and we danced with whomever was closest. And so it was that, ten songs later, Lina ended up in my arms.

I'd long since lost Shannon, and there was no way to see her short little self over the mass of swaying, mostly inebriated, humanity. Lina plastered herself to me and went about determining how quickly I could raise a hardon; it didn't take long!

Satisfied, she asked, "See that black cowboy hat?" She was responding to my peering into the crowd. "She's dancing with him. He's all hat no saddle, but he's a pretty good Red Dirt singer, for someone from downtown Miami, and he fancies himself a ladies' man.

"We can make our way over there and switch partners, or you can let me rub on your hard body and trust your fiancée. What will it be?"

I dropped my hand onto her round little bottom, squeezed, and pulled her even more tightly against me. "Do I get rubbing rights too?"

Instead of answering, she moaned and flexed that muscular butt. "Just stop before I cum, and don't let me drag you to my bed!"

"What if I drag you to your bed?" I growled, and then grabbed her other ass cheek with my other hand. Her hands were now resting on my shoulders. She whimpered, moaned, and guided me into the crowd, putting a little distance between our bodies.

Suddenly we were near black hat and the hottie, who was removing hands from her round butt with one hand and chastising black hat with a finger in his face.

"Here," Lina told her, "He's more than I can handle; I'll take that one and you take this one for a spin but be careful; he's dangerous!"

The sex pot looked up, gave me her best bedroom eyes, and asked, "Think you can handle me, Cowboy?" "Maybe, maybe not, but I'll die happy trying!"

****

I didn't die trying, but I'd have been happy if I had.

Whatever had infested Shannon at the barn would be worth its weight in gold on the open market if we could refine it. She kept everybody laughing, and when we finally loaded into the van with Brooke driving, she started up again. This time she wanted to go back to Billy Goat and dance naked around a fire, explaining that people-like creatures had been doing that since history began.

Alex suggested that was a good idea, which earned him a backhand to the chest by the only sober one in the van, our driver. Kathy wanted to know if naked dancing took place while everyone was still there, or later, when the loud mating cries arose. Shannon ignored the dig and forged ahead drunkenly into how modern American society was so restrictive, and how nudity was normal in many parts of the world.

I pointed out that even a bare ankle would get a woman beaten in some parts of the world, but she was on a roll. Next, she speculated that the reason cheerleaders and gymnasts were so popular is because they were almost naked when they performed, but even the slightest bit of nudity in a movie earned an R rating! How is it fair, she asked, when blood-and-gore violence in movies is acceptable, but a little human skin isn't?

My brothers and their wives had never seen her drunk before, but then, neither had I. We found her eminently entertaining and laughed at her antics, but the events of the night raised a few concerns with her fiancé. There were clearly layers I hadn't yet experienced.

Brooke dropped us off at the hotel and said to be at her house at eight for breakfast and another talk; there was more to be decided.

We walked into the hotel wrapped in each other's arms, and I discovered that a Shannon devoid of inhibitions due to alcohol consumption was a primeval creature. She didn't kill and eat me after copulating, but I would have died happy if she had.

Katrina and River opted for breakfast and conversation with Ken and his wife, who had returned from visiting her mom in Oklahoma, and I drove my relatively subdued bride-to-be to Brooke's command breakfast.

They knew her well enough to give her hell about naked dancing and sex-symbol cheerleaders, but she sipped her coffee and grinned, waiting for the real agenda to be broached.

The irrepressible Brooke jumped right in. "Item one is not debatable: you two are NOT going to wait ten more years, or even ten more months, before you come back down here! You have nieces and nephews who are growing up fast, parents to check in on, and brothers and sisters who are going to miss you! So, are we all in agreement on number 1?"

Hearing no objections, she moved on. "You boys need to decide what to do about Mom and Dad's place. There are rats, cockroaches, and God knows what else in that house, and other than some pictures and mementos to save, it really needs a cleansing fire! Will and Alex own a rental storage facility we can keep things in until you guys have a chance to look through them, but, seriously, it's both an eyesore and a health hazard!"

I raised my hand to get a word in, and she teasingly said, "Yes, Theodore?"

"I agree, and I think the world would be a better place if it were razed. I don't know about y'all, but I don't have any memories from that place I want to preserve. Of course, I won't be here to oversee that, which means it would be another burden on you."

"That's not a problem," Will replied. "Kathy and I want it removed for the reasons she mentioned."

"What do you plan to do with the property then?" I asked. Alex and Will looked at each other, at their wives, and shrugged. "We haven't gotten that far. Why?"

"If you don't have any use for it, I might be interested in buying it. Maybe set up a RV hookup and have a place to stay when we come visit."

Shannon didn't appear opposed, but she did look curious. Pulling an RV all the way down here seemed like a bad idea; the hotel would be easier and nicer.

"Okay," Brooke interjected, "we'll leave that us to you guys. Item three is Shannon's."

"I called my brother after you guys agreed to be in the wedding," she said, nodding toward Alex and Will. "We talked over the original plans and came up with a new one. His little one and your little ones are going to cast flower petals, and your older ones are going to carry rings, if that works for you. We'll pay for the tuxes and gowns..."

"No, you won't! We'll find them tuxes and gowns that match, and we'll be there for rehearsal!" Kathy insisted. "You're paying for our rooms and providing food; we'll pay for the rest, and that's that!"

"Alrighty then; item four," Brooke declared with a smirk. "Where are you going on your honeymoon?"

Shannon gave her betrothed a quizzical look and said, "Yes, Honey, where are we going on our honeymoon?"

I returned her gaze and asked, "Right here and now? Are you sure?"

'Yes, I am, and so is everyone else, including the Paytons and my family."

"Okay, but can I explain my idea and get feedback? It's not too late to change."

"Of course! Now, out with it!"

"From the stories you and your family have told, you're pretty much like Hank Snow - you've been everywhere, man! The Caribbean Islands, Hawaii, Europe, even Asia! You've been skiing in Park City and Aspen, and shopping in New York City, spent spring break in Florida, and surfed and done the wine tours in California. Meanwhile, I've been to exactly two states and one foreign country, if you count Nuevo Laredo as foreign. I hired a travel agent, but everywhere she came up with, Brad says you've already been.

"But, from what he said, you rarely saw much because Dad was always in a hurry. You flew in, vacationed, skied, or whatever, and then flew back, right?" She nodded and looked even more curious.

"Do you remember a couple of weeks ago when I got up early to check what was being offered on the auction? As always, there were a few last-minute additions, mostly from bankruptcies and foreclosures. I spotted one that intrigued me because the starting bid was way too low. I'm not an expert on that area, but I do know enough to know $50k is too low.

"It was the first item up for bid, and most people weren't even logged on yet. Some dude bid the minimum while I was thumbing through the gallery, and without further thought, I topped his bid by $10k. I was planning to stop at $100,000 because I was certain I could recoup that, no matter the condition. But no one else bid, so suddenly I was the proud owner of a 2018 Phaeton diesel pusher motorhome!

"Assuming the worst, I had the dealership up there pick it up and go through it with a fine-tooth comb: engine, powertrain, the four slideouts, the roof, TV antenna, and every item in the interior, including appliances and HVAC system. The service man called me back two days later. He told me it was immaculate, but they detailed it, changed the oil, fluids, and tires, and tuned everything up so it would be ready to go wherever we wanted.

"He then asked me to speak to the sales department. They offered me $250k, cash, but I declined because by then I knew how much it was worth.

"So, Honey, we own a very nice 40-foot motorhome that we could take on our honeymoon, and don't give me that look until you see my proposed itinerary.