PART TWO c – the Bad Thing

  I finally fell into one of those morning naps. Up early, and you then get an hour at a time, until you decide to get up. I was going to take a few more, when I started and saw Right standing in the doorway, looking at us. I put my finger to my lips, and I sneaked out of bed creeping and tiptoeing out to her. I took my morning pee and flushed. I checked they were still nestled and slumbering, and pointed downstairs. Right followed me.

  I made us coffee, and we sat at the table. Our morning uniforms. Both wearing big T shirts and underwear.

  "Gee. Where's twenty questions, Right?"

  "I wasn't going to say a word…"

  "Hmm. Its not what you think."

  "Funny. And I didn't even say what I thought it was."

  "Well go on. I know how it must look."

  "It looks like you all three slept together in the same bed. It also looks like she passed out almost on top of Wizzy. That's all I know for sure…"

  "Then it looks like exactly what it is. She fell asleep, and we didn't want to wake her up. She had a little… episode. No biggie."

  "She okay? I didn't think her breakup went that bad. She's got enough experience at that, you know."

  "She really liked him. It wasn't working and she was trying. He kept calling her a whore, then dumped her and made her walk up the hill. Like he kicked some bar whore out the next morning. It made it hurt more."

  "That was it?"

  "Eh… a few other things came up. That was the main one."

  She sipped her coffee.

  "Have fun at the party?"

  I smirked.

  "You don't have to be coy with me."

  "Me? Coy? Never. I mean, its not like I didn't see pictures of your outfit st night, pictures of you and them two in the hot tub. And… maybe a few of Lightning hanging all over Wiz like he was a Christmas tree, and she was the tinsel. I mean, nothing like that."

  I sighed.

  "Have fun at the party?"

  "It had its ups and downs. There were a few… incidents. Nothing major. Funny now, scary when it happened."

  "Ups and downs, huh?"

  "Yeah."

  "Hmm."

  "What?"

  "Oh, nothing. From what I saw? The ups and downs came after the party. Not during the party."

  "Got it all out of your system now?"

  "I think… yeah."

  "Great. And yes, I borrowed one of Light's… get lucky outfits. It was part of Wiz's, you know, whole birthday fun package. Not like I can afford to buy him a real present, so…"

  "So, you wrapped Lightning up and put a bow on her for him? Gee, you shouldn't have."

  "Yes. I was wearing one of Light's get lucky get ups, and… I'm sure people got that impression. And yes, I'm sure by now you know I was in the hot tub pying Lightning."

  "Okay…"

  "Oh, now what. Yes, I'm aware of the dance lessons. Lightning likes to put on a little show. I was right there watching. I practically put her up to it."

  "Did you put her up to kissing him like two kids after the prom? Got a little movie of that, too."

  "More or less. There… was a bit of a dare going on. Kinda."

  "Like…"

  "Lightning didn't believe… I gave them permission to put on the show, have some fun, and… maybe the game was to see if she could, you know, crack him. And she didn't, and that was the whole point."

  "Were you guys putting on a show for her ex's benefit? Heard about that, too."

  "Well. Maybe."

  "Oh. All right. I get it now. I mean, I just knew the rumor mill on my phone when I woke up? Had to have gotten something wrong."

  "Oh, yeah. I'm sure that will be on this week's gossip page. Do me a favor? Let them go."

  "Do I confirm or deny, when asked. I live here. I'm getting quizzed already, and I haven't had breakfast yet, you know."

  "Oh, that end of things. Hmm. Confirm to one. Deny to the next. Mention to one she came out of our room this morning, and that was weird. Then? Deny it when another one asks if what she heard was true."

  "Ooh. I like it. Muddy the waters. Make things look way dirtier, than they really are."

  "Why not. It serves a purpose. And? God help me, I never have fun. I have the rest of my life, to be an insufferable cunt. Might as well have some fun before I get my first wrinkle."

  "Are you running a fever."

  "Ha ha."

  She giggled.

  "Its fine. I just wondered what the reasoning was. Whatever. Come on, I never saw you before in a get lucky. Plus? I figured it wasn't one of Light's. Never saw that one on her before. I know its not mine, and it definitely ain't Miss Moody's… it was just weird was all. On top of everything else."

  "Yes. It was hers, she never wears it, so, that's how it happened. And, my joke is?"

  "Yeah…"

  "Not my fault. It was that damn dress. That mini holds great power. It needs to be used responsibly."

  "When's breakfast, anyways."

  "Oh… soon. You want me to make you something to tide you over? Or… you wanna wait."

  "I'll wait. Workout's ter then, too."

  "Sure."

  "Thanks for the coffee…"

  "Anytime."

  I took two cups up for them. I hadn't wakened them, so now I reversed that procedure. Set the coffee mugs down one at a time, real slow to avoid that little clunk. I crept back into bed and sat myself up. After a little while, the coffee was still pretty warm and Light was the first to stir. I found it amusing to see her reaction to waking up in this position. She didn't disappoint.

  She stirred and stirred again. Gentle head movements. Tiny leg wiggle. Then her eyes slowly parted to morning slits. She was about to drift back off, when her eyes opened a little more, and she got that confused look. She's used to sleeping alone or over at a boy's pce. She looked down at the covers that came off her in the night, and saw her leg slung over Wiz. She peeked over and saw me. I was sitting up, smiling. And I gave her a morning wave hello. She wiggled her head and gave me a sleepy little smile back.

  She stirred twenty minutes ter and suppressed a stretch and settled for a tiny yawn. I did charades. I lifted my chin to him. What, her face asked. I made silent kiss motions with my lips. Nudged at him again. Kiss him for fun to wake him up, it said. She pointed at him, then her lips, to make sure she was not misreading me. I smiled and nodded. I got a thumbs up. She was about to nestle back in to start it, when she looked back one st time. What my shrug said. She pointed at the tip of her tongue. Upended her palm. That okay?

  I nodded. Go on. She nestled back into him like dust settling, and I could see her put just the tip of her tongue to touch his earlobe, then quit. She waited several seconds and did it again. She took her time. He'd give the tiniest eye movements under his eyelids, and she'd wait then repeat it. Eventually she didn't so much kiss as she did touch her lips as well as her tongue to his earlobe. A little tongue touch near the neck around the ear, then back again. She finally stirred him gently teasing, into his own half open slits. He closed them, and moved around. He ended up face to face with her, her leg and arm including shoulder and hips as well slung over him. He wiggled into her, like he would me.

  Now she could repeat the whole thing, touching his lip with the tip of her tongue. Then touched lips and did it again. When his next half open slits and some unintelligible grumble came out, she swiped his lip with her tongue, then a light kiss. His eyes went from closing yet again, to opening half slits… and… bang.

  His head drew back, he gnced down her ying on him and back to her smiling at him. He looked over and saw me grinning down at him, and I waved.

  "Good morning. Sleep well?"

  "Mm. Couldn't I have another hour…"

  "I killed the arm before it went off. You already had a couple more hours."

  "Uh huh…"

  "If you don't wake up? I'll be forced to ask Little Lightning to get you up. And judging by the way you jumped so cute when you saw her just now? You'll be even more… fidgety. But, either way? You're getting up. You can take your time doing it though. I wouldn't want to be mean about it. You were such a good boy st night."

  Lightning teased him for a morning kiss again, and giggled when his face retracted. She had fun with this game, and started in with a new attack.

  "Wake up, daddy… please…"

  That startled him. She gave a giggle and I chuckled, enjoying the show. She was half over him anyways, and she took a mount and leaned down. Continuing the game calling him daddy, trying to get a tongue or lips on his. The combination of the flirtation mixed in with the "daddy" thing? Made him very edgy.

  "Lightning? If you want a lesson on good girls and good boys? I'll give you one, right now."

  "Okay, mommy…"

  "Little boy? You, stay put. Light? Continue the game. I'm having fun, watching him squirm. Hmm, let's see now. Okay… the covers are over the important parts on him. Its safe. I'm sure he woke up with morning wood. Make daddy worse. And you? Stay."

  "Ha ha… daddy has to sit still…"

  She pouted and tried to kiss him, and he avoided it. She giggled as she wiggled just a little.

  "Good job. Keep it up. In a minute? I'll expin."

  I waited. Giving him eye contact and smiles.

  "Keep it up, while I expin what's going on here. You, Light? Might be a little confused right now. I'll clear that up for you."

  "Mm hmm. Why is daddy so… jumpy…"

  "For the main thing? He's a nice guy. An actual, really nice guy. Do… you expect this kind of reaction to trying to get him going, first thing in the morning? Not what you're used to, is it."

  "No. Its not. I should be getting my morning wham bam, about by now. All boys get the wood. Why is he fighting me so bad…"

  "Cute, isn't it?"

  "A little. Yeah. It is."

  "He's uncomfortable."

  "But… why? He's… you're not mad…"

  "Very few nice guys out there, like him. That's why I snatched him up, and won't let him go. Now. You already know what any other boy would already be doing, right?"

  "Oh yeah… he's… fighting it."

  "He's not shy. He's nice. He has a kind of built in desire, to always do the right thing. He won't cheat on me, even if he can get away with it. That's called loyalty. That's where our trust? Comes from. He'd probably be throwing you off him right now, if I wasn't here making him stay put for you to do this."

  "He threatened to sp me st night. And I know that's not like him."

  "He doesn't pimp sp girls, to show off. That's the st thing he would ever resort to. He had a choice. Get caught cheating? Or he was scared he'd have to sp you. He might even do it, if you tried too hard. You already know he likes fooling around with you, you saw that st night. I allow him, and he still fights it. Goes against his grain. This? Is a nice guy. You don't run across many of these. In fact, this might be the first one that you ever had under you before. Different animal, isn't it."

  "Yeah… I'm not used to this. Not at all."

  "I know. Now. You've seen him practice fighting with the boys. You saw how he was st night. Is he… too nice? You know, a pushover."

  "No. He… yeah… you're right. Hmm…"

  "All you silly girls. Run around. Oh, I broke up with him. He was too nice. Or, they keep one for show? And make fun of him. Run around like little whores. Its retarded, Light. Just because he's nice? Doesn't mean he's weak, does it?"

  "No… I know he's not…"

  "Nice is one thing. Weak is another. You girls have those two things confused. You think all weak guys? Are nice. You think all nice guys? Are weak. Getting the picture better now?"

  "Well. I can see a nice guy doesn't have to be weak, no questioning that one, but… weak guys have to be nice."

  "No, Light. They don't. Weak men? Can be very strong. And, very dangerous."

  "Really?"

  "Lightning? Weak men. With strong bodies. That aren't nice deep down inside? Those, are the dangerous ones. That? Is the type of boy, that you have to watch out for. They're actually weak. They'll push women around, to feel big and strong. They'll hit a woman, so they can feel like a tough man feels. Look at me. Big man. That? Is the type of boy that… might…"

  "Oh."

  "You're starting to get the picture. I don't care what all the magazines say. I don't care what all the other girls, just know and repeat it. I don't care what you read on the internet."

  "All what…"

  "Bad boys, tee hee! Its bullshit. He's a nice guy, you know that. Very nice. Is he weak?"

  "No."

  "Is he a pushover then."

  "No."

  "Will he protect you? Make you feel safe."

  "Yeah. He did. In fact, I bet when I check my phone? I don't get my morning whore text… which got very old, very quick."

  "Oh. You rocked Army boy's world, and he thanked you by calling you a whore for it. How nice."

  "Yeah."

  "Now. If you had to guess. Would you put your money on him, under you now? Or… some mouthy so called bad boy. That smacks girls around, and acts like a jackass. Be honest."

  "Wizzy. I know better."

  While lots of different people like coffee, certain professions and lifestyles are particurly keen on it. Cops, for one in particur. Civilian crime fighters are well known to decorate coffee doughnut shops on breaks. Wiz said its one of the few things that TV accidentally gets right about police. College and university intellectuals? Another coffee in crowd. No office across campus doesn’t have a coffee machine. They don’t just get used in the morning, either. Damn things run all day. Professors, grad students… the undergraduate workers slowly follow suit. Then, there’s the military. I come from a big family, with a lot of big guys. Been a few older guys that were in the military. They like coffee, too.

  Wiz was all three. MP cop, university intellectual, regur military. He always had a mug of coffee around him.

  "All right. You're starting to get the idea. One st bit of fun, and I'll let the poor guy get his morning coffee."

  "Hmm. More fun than this?"