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Tilly and Jack

By: roncampbell



I met Tilly Shipp in High School, Morningside High. She was the prize female among all females on the campus. She was maybe five-three and not an ounce over ninety pounds. She had beautiful auburn hair, A-cup breasts, and a bubble butt. Her arms were so slim it was a wonder she was able to hold a fork to feed herself. In a word she was the prototype of the helpless damsel, and every boy on campus dreamed of receiving one of her smiles and being allowed to die for her. And after having met her, you can believe me that I was no exception. 

I was new at Morningside at the time I finally met Tilly, and initially it was not an auspicious meeting. It seems she had a boyfriend. Rod Cameron was a football star, a lineman actually. Appearance-wise he was six-two and maybe two-eighty, and he was good looking in a rough sort of way. Rod was a senior and he was also student body vice president. Mister all-everything if ever there was one. Me?

I was eighteen years-old at the time, five-eight and one-forty-six. I was okay looking, but I had a well flattened nose and one of my eyes was permanently part-way closed. I had most recently been a golden gloves fighter and runner-up in the regional finals. Before my two year golden gloves career came along, I had fought in the silver gloves division for some time. Most people are not aware of the silver gloves division: it's for fighters from 8-15 years old. At any rate I'd had my "golden" career shortened when my eye was damn near poked out in my title try. The headgear we wore was supposed to prevent the kind of injury that I had sustained, but equipment is never as effective as it's supposed to be, and so I don't fight anymore.

The day I met Tilly we were passing in the quad and I'd damn near fell stumbling over my own feet staring at her and trying to walk at the same time. She'd laughed at me, and I'd jokingly called back to her that I was no laughing matter.

I was confident with the girls even stunners like her. I was a fighter for cryin'-out-loud! I'd had girls like few others in my old home town. I'd vowed that this town was not going to be any different. She stopped.

"Oh really," she said. "You looked pretty funny to me stumbling all over yourself trying to get a good look at me." She was laughing, and I started to as well.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I allowed. This was going well, I thought. I was already making mental plans for Saturday night. This girl was a keeper.

"So, what's your name?" she said.

"Jack. Jack Steiner," I said. "Eighteen, senior, inordinately handsome, and willing to die for you." 

Now she really was laughing, and she was pointing. I turned around. Standing in front of me was a brute. At least he looked like a brute to me. He was tall and big and not happy. "Jack Steiner, this is Rod Cameron; he's my boyfriend," said Tilly.

"Get lost shrimp unless you really do want to die for her," said Kong.

"Well, now let's look at this thing calmly shall we," I said. I was a welterweight to his super-heavy, but just looking at the way he was standing and the noticeable paunch in his middle told me that this would be a good day for me.

The punch he threw was so slow that if he'd mailed it in it would have arrived sooner. I bobbed, weaved, stepped to my right and he missed. He turned to have another go at me, but he was more careful this time not trying to unload a haymaker in the first minute of the round. I decided to have some fun.

I let my hands dangle at my sides. He threw blow after blow and absolutely devastated the air around us. He was breathing really hard after no more than two or three minutes of trying to nail me. It was time to put him down. 

I faked into him and he went for it. As I stepped back, he fell flat on his face. He stared up at me as though I were some kind of ghost with supernatural powers. I had never raised my hand, and he was down.

Tilly was staring at me with her mouth hanging open. "I never touched him," I said. I wasn't even breathing hard, whereas her boyfriend was on the ground having a near heart attack. The football team was going to have to upgrade its training methods, I thought.

"That was amazing," she said. "Where did you learn that? Is it karate or kung fu or something?"

"No, I'm just a good dodger, I guess. I couldn't just stand there and let him hit me. He'd have killed me!" I figured she didn't need to know about my almost boxing fame.

"Yes, I guess he would have if he'd have been able to catch you. Well, you win. Pick me up Saturday night. Six o'clock will be good. I wanna eat and go to a movie. Oh, and I don't kiss on the first date, so resign yourself to admiring me and maybe holding hands."

"Sounds good to me," I said.

I'd only been at Morningside for a few weeks, but after my set-to with Rod, I was the toast of the school. That Tilly had taken up with me didn't hurt my reputation a whit either. ******

Tilly and I had many dates, and I never did tell her about my boxing career. There would be a time. 

True to her word, she hadn't kissed me on our first date, but she sure as hell had on our second. Gawd! She tasted good. By the fifth date I got into her pants. She'd planned it. I know this because she was the one who'd brought the condoms!

We were parked on the top of the Crease, a very narrow slice, or crease, of road on the mountain where only one car could go comfortably. It was a place where there were lots of these little turn outs where cars, having to drive the dangerous mountain road, could pull out instead of having to back up. Anyway, there had to be fifty of the little niches in the mountain. We had found one that suited us.

She looked beautiful in her sleeveless white blouse and her gray wraparound skirt. She'd kicked off her high heels and her nylon clad legs looked oh so feminine. Right then I would have given my right nut just to be able to suck her toes. 

She leaned back against her door and I leaned back against mine. We both knew that this was the night, but we were not in any kind of hurry. "You okay," I said. 

"Yes. You?"

"You betcha. God your beautiful, Tilly. You're almost too beautiful," I said.

She laughed. "Is that your best line."

"I guess since you practically leave me speechless," I said.

"Well, since you can't talk, why don't you come over her and show me how beautiful you think I am," she said.

I moved toward her slowly making an effort to hold her eyes with mine. She moved toward me a little too. Our faces stopped inches apart and I leaned in and kissed her so gently that I'm not sure she even felt it. I kissed her again. My lips parted and hers did too. We kissed with no other body part touching for some minutes. Finally, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close, but gently. This was going to be the best moment of my life. There would never be another first time with Tilly. There would, I was certain, be more nights with her, but never another first night; it had to be perfect.

My hands slipped up and down her arms and the coolness of her skin delighted me. I took her face in my hands. I reached around and unlocked the car's back door on my side. I slid the front seat all the way forward, got out and got into the back seat. She saw what I did and she mimicked my moves. 

Both of us in the back, I locked the doors once again and pulled her to me. We hadn't spoken for minutes. I had nothing to say only to do. She was following my lead. I pulled her to me and lay her head on my chest. I let my hand brush her breast, then stroke it, then feel its full fleshiness through the cotton of her blouse.

I began unbuttoning her and she leaned back a little and watched me do it. I spread her blouse open and unhooked her bra in front; her breasts spilled out of their cups small and pointed and naked; she looked like a little girl. The smell of her began to permeate the air around us. This was a female aroused and ready to be taken by her mate. She swallowed, and I could almost hear her do it; Tilly was nervous. I kissed her face, that heavenly face, and treated her like the precious jewel she was to me. I took one of her nipples in my mouth and sucked it, not too hard. She moaned very softly. I repeated the process with her other nipple. 

Her blouse and bra came completely off and I dropped them into the front seat. We began kissing and I felt her breasts and back and tummy and gloried in her surrender. Then I felt her hands begin to undo the buttons on my shirt. Soon her clothes in the front were joined by mine. She kissed me and her hand went to the buckle on my belt; I made it easy for her to undo it.

"I love you," I said.

"I know," she said.

She opened my pants and pulled down the zipper. She peeled them off of me. My briefs and my socks were all that remained between myself and nakedness. She peeled them down too and a six-inch cock as stiff as steel poked out at her. She touched it, then held it, then stroked it. I took one of her tits in my hand and with the other hand I pulled her head to me and kissed her while she fondled me.

I reached for the button on the side of her skirt and undid it. Her skirt fell open and she raised up so I could pull it from her. Her panties, like her bra were white and cotton and very ordinary. She pulled her panties off herself and now we were both naked and committed. She reached for my cock and found it. She held up a condom, smiled, and slid it on to me.

I lay her down on the seat and lifted one leg over the back of the back seat and the other one over the back of the front. She was open to me. "Okay?" I asked very softly.

"Screw me, Jack. Just get busy and screw me." I slithered down her body and began to lick and suck her slit. I took her clit in my teeth and teased it. She began to jerk and shudder; she had her first orgasm of the night. I was pleased with myself. I loomed above her and poked at her like a beginner trying to find the opening. She took me with her hand and guided me inside of her. 

The head of my cock was inserted and I waited. I wanted her to urge me on. Her eyes opened and she looked askance at me. "Now, Jack."

I pushed into her and soon I was lodged and I could feel her relax and try to impale herself even more completely on my shaft.

I began to screw her. The condom made it possible for me to last a little longer than I otherwise might have; they had always had that effect on me. Soon I was pumping wildly into her and she was moaning and making deep guttural noises as she neared yet another orgasm. She bucked like a wild horse just as I shot my load into the latex sheath.

We lay sweating, the car's windows completely steamed up. 

"I want it again, Jack. Give me my purse."

I looked at her not knowing what she was about. I gave her her purse from the front seat. She pulled out another condom. I smiled at my own ignorance. She put it on the deck behind the back seat and left it there for the moment. She was sitting up now and she pushed me back and began stroking my all but flaccid cock. She leaned over and took it between her lips. I had never felt anything so erotic in my life. It was actually better than when I screwed her, but of course then my cock had been encased in a condom; for a moment my whole universe was her mouth covering and sucking my glans and its shaft.

Her hands on my ball sac and her mouth on my cock brought me back to screwing trim very quickly. She sat up straight, and put the second condom on me. She turned her back to the front and leaned over the back of the back seat. She pushed her butt out to me. I was expected to take her from the rear. I didn't hesitate. She was so wet from her first fucking and my semen washing her vagina than I had no trouble entering her. I hammered her with short vicious strokes. I was a male taking his she. I felt myself beginning to stiffen and I exploded into her in a flood of white stickiness. I would have a job to do in a few minutes; she hadn't come this time, and I knew I couldn't leave her like that.

I pulled out and leaned back and she literally fell against me, her head on my shoulder. I couldn't be sure, but I think she was sniffling. As thrashed as I was, I would take care of my responsibility. It is the one thing my dad had taught me about sex; never, but I mean but never, he'd said, leave your lady needing completion; finish her off, otherwise you're an asshole.

I laid her down on the seat and spread her legs as before. She gave me a funny look. "Can you do it again?" she asked. It was clear that she didn't think I could. I just smiled at her.

I slid down her body and smelled her. Our mixed juices were almost overpowering. I lowered my mouth to her gaping slit and kissed and licked her and then began to suck her out. 

"My god, Jack, you don't have to do that. Oh, oh,oh, Jack, don't—stop! Oh my god dooonnnn'ttt stop!" She almost damaged my new dental work bucking like she did. But, boy did she cum! My dad would have been proud of me!

We dressed slowly kissing and feeling each other the whole time.

We drove slowly back to town. 

She laid her head on my shoulder as we drove. "You ate me out after—"

"Yes. I ate my own cum, and yours of course," I said.

"And you were okay with that," she said, not believing it.

"Of course." And I was.

"You are definitely my man," she said, snuggling up closer to me as we drove. ******

We had many nights after that that were memorable for me, and I think for her. We tried new things and neither of us thought of dating anyone else while we were still at Morningside. It was a happy time. What I discovered, and what I could not have guessed would one day come back to challenge my tolerance, was that my woman was the purest form of female sexual animal. But that was long in the future at that point. We graduated that same year and I went off to state college near my old home town. Tilly got a job as a waitress at Morgan's Grill, and we parted ways. The last night before I left for school was bittersweet. I promised to return often, but she was unaccountably standoffish. 

"You'll be there, and I'll be here," she said. "I'm not the type to stand around waiting for some guy. I'm gonna date. You should too. Maybe we'll see each other again and maybe not; but I'm not holding my breath. You shouldn't either."

We'd argued some, actually it was me arguing. But, in the end, Tilly had her say and her rules were final. I was actually sick to my stomach thinking of her dating other men. But, life was what it was, I supposed.

Though it was two-hundred miles distant, I did return for holidays, my parents lived there for goodness sakes, and I did date Tilly a few times. But, though we dated, I was denied getting into her pants again. She was still setting the rules.

Five years later I was back for good. ******

I had a master's degree with a double major in Criminology and Computer Science. These got me a good job with the local sheriff's department. I became their chief investigative resource. I also ran training seminars for other law enforcement agencies around the southern part of the state. The pay was good and the benefits even better.

Tilly, you ask? Well, by the time I'd returned for good, she'd left the state. I was told on the sly, by a common friend, that she'd been knocked up and her parents had sent her off to some small town in New York to live with relatives. Her parents, or at least her dad to whom I'd talked, were not forthcoming, not to me at any rate. For reasons that were completely mysterious to me. No one else who knew anything would say anything. She'd evidently refused to marry the guy who'd put her in a family way; and he'd not been loath to leave her stranded in any event. What a bum, I thought to myself when I'd heard who it was. The guy? Why Rod Cameron, of course. 

I saw the asshole around from time to time as I took my morning jog/run. He owned a donut shop. It was evidently quite prosperous too. It was located near the park where I did my running. Every time I passed his place I thought of Tilly and wondered where she was and how she was and if she indeed was raising a child and if she remembered me. 

It was none of my business, and police resources were not supposed to be used for personal surveillance or information gathering, but the day came when I finally decided to see what I could do to find out about Tilly. Hell, I had decided that nothing was going to stop me. ****** I went back to our high school and made friends with the lady in records, Gladys Mumford. I hung out for a few days talking with old teachers and visiting some of the old classrooms. One day I stopped at the very spot we'd met. My mind's eye could still see Cameron prone on the ground right there. As I stood there meditating, Gladys came up behind me. 

"Jack?"

"Oh, hi Gladys. You know it was right here that I met her," I said. I must have sounded wistful. "I'd sure like to see her again."

"Tilly?"

"Yes. But, I have no idea where she is, and her parents won't tell me anything."

"But, you're a cop, right. Can't you find out where she is? I mean if you're a cop?"

Yeah, if I had her social security number or driver's license number or something," I said. But, I don't, and I don't have a reason to pull in anybody for questioning, I laughed. But Gladys could sense that the laugh was hollow. 

"Could I help," she said.

"Huh?" I said, hoping she'd offer what I couldn't ask for.

"I don't have any address or license numbers, but I do have her social security number," she said. "You said that would help?"

"Sure it would. And, I'd be forever grateful, Gladys," I said. I did my best to hide my excitement, but I was almost shaking in anticipation.

I worked late the next day, and as everyone else headed out for the evening I sat at my computer and invaded the privacy of a free American citizen. If I was caught my ass would be in a very tight sling.

She wasn't in New York. She was in New Jersey. 1411 Oak Road, Hoboken.

She was a thousand miles away, but I was determined to be there by the weekend. I had a week's comp time credited, and I signed off to take it. The Captain, looked at me strangely, but I just told him I had some personal business to attend to, and that I would be back a week from Monday to give the devil his due. He laughed and waved me off.

I landed at Liberty International at 6:00PM. I rented a car and was on my way to the address in Hoboken, some ten miles distant, within the hour. I had a little trouble finding Oak Street, but I bought a Thomas Map Guide and was in front of her house by 8:30PM. There was a light on in the front room. 

I sat in the car and waited, thinking. What if I was the last person on earth that she wanted to see. What if she had a boyfriend, or a fiancé or even a husband. Hell anything could go wrong. And, remembering murphy's law, I was sure that it likely would. But, nothing was going to stop me. I needed my woman, and if not her at least closure.

I got out and headed up the walk to the stoop. I paused my fist six inches from the door ready to rap. I rapped. I could hear footsteps. The door opened. She looked at me and I at her. She was beautiful and obviously ready to go out somewhere.

"Jack? Jack Steiner?"

"You betcha. I'm here looking for my woman. You seen her?" I asked with a straight face.

"Jack, Jack, come in. I was about to go out but—wait here—sit," she said. She went to the phone. "Caroline...yeah it's me...no,no,no...something's come up...not tonight...no...reschedule...something's come up I said...I'll tell you later." she hung up.

She came back and stood in front of me. "My god!" she said. "It's really you. I have to tell you, you surprised me. I had a date, but I just cancelled him, so you have to fill in. I don't get dressed up like this for nothing," she laughed.


Tilly and Jack



"My absolute pleasure," I said.

She gave me directions and we ended up at a small but tasteful bistro with a piano player that actually played romantic music. The lights were dimmed, and the place smelled like old Italy probably smelled.

The dinner was great. The wine first rate, and the music right out of the thirties. It was a fabulous date. It was that is until it was time to part.

I took her home. She stopped me on the stoop and kissed me hard. I looked at her and I could tell something was wrong.

"Jack, I can't tell you how nice it was for you to show up and take this girl out tonight. It was a dream come true for me. I have thought about you so many times over the last few years."

"For me too," I said. "But there's a but in there isn't there?" I said, sensing it coming.

"I'm afraid so. Jack, we can't be together. I have been trying to think of a way to tell you tonight almost from when I opened the door and saw you standing there. There is just way too much water under the bridge, and I hope you'll allow me my privacy and not intrude into my life here. It just wouldn't work out you and me. Let this be our swan song," she said. She reached for the door knob and rushed in. She was already crying.

To say I was crushed would not even begin to describe the pain I was feeling. I was numb. I stood there on the stoop for several moments trying to figure out what was going on. Finally, I left. She had said to not invade her privacy, not to intrude into her life. I was willing to do anything she asked of me. But, I was not willing to do that one thing; I'd fight her on that one, and the next time I saw her I was would tell her that, and there would a next time. 

I was definitely going to figure out just what water under the bridge she was talking about, and that no matter what. If she hadn't actually murdered someone, and maybe even if she had, I still wanted and needed her. ******

I wasn't rich, but I was doing all right. I had a house, a good income, and I was single as hell. Aged 30 and I was still single. It was obvious to me that so was she. Hell, logically, she should have jumped at the chance to marry me, or at least date me; I was a helluva a catch. She wasn't just my friend; she was my life; I knew that now, and it was killing me. I had let too much time pass since returning and getting settled, what, five years!

I knew she probably had a child, Rod's child; but that in itself couldn't be the reason for the finality of her attitude. No, it had to be something worse. Somebody had to know what it was, but who? ******

I was pretty sure I could get the truth out of her parents, but it wasn't going to be easy. Time to apply the pressure. Harry and Doris Shipp were long time residents of the town. Their only child, Tilly was a wonder. Everyone had said so. But, sometime after I left for college, and not long before I returned for good, something happened.

There was the pregnancy. There was the shipping her off to relatives, to presumably have the baby, or so the story went. But, Tilly was never spoken of in the town; it was like she'd never lived there. Her parents too seemed semi-reclusive. For sure, something had gone wrong and no one would say what, if in fact anyone did actually know. 

I sat in a police cruiser across from the Shipp house on 3rd street. I went over for the tenth time what I was going to say. I had made up my mind that I wasn't leaving until I had the whole ball of wax.

I was wearing a suit, my best business suit. It was one of the ones I used for presentations to other regional law enforcement agencies. I wanted to appear as intimidating as I could to the quiet couple that I was likely about to shake up big time.

I knocked and the door opened a minute later. "Mrs. Shipp? I'm..."

"Yes, I remember you, Jack. If you're still looking for Tilly..." She immediately knew, or presumed to know, why I was there; that was interesting.

"Mrs. Shipp, I found Tilly. We went to dinner just the other night. May I come in?" That surprised her; it stopped her for a moment. She recovered.

"Jack, I know you spoke to my husband a few of years ago; nothing has changed. We don't speak of Tilly anymore."

"Well, you're going to today," I said. "And, you're not going to hold anything back. I am more than ready and able to put pressure on you that you can neither fight nor resist. Trust me, I mean business, and I never bluff." I felt like an asshole, and I was bluffing, but this bullshit had gone on for far too long.

"Jack! Are you threatening us?" said the surprised, no, shocked woman.

"Take it any way you want. I'm here to get answers, and I'm going to get them," I said.

We both looked around to see a big man, balding, with the weathered countenance of a blue collar worker come into the room. He studied me. "Sit down, Jack."

"Mr. Shipp," I said. He didn't offer me his hand, and I took no offense.

"Doris, could you leave us alone for a bit. Mr. Steiner is obviously not going to let sleeping dogs lie, and truth told, he has a right to know."

"Thank you," I said.

"Hold that thought until you've heard what I have to say, Jack. 

"Here's the deal. I'm going to tell you what you want to know, but I am going to ask you to not talk about it to anyone here in town, ever, and to leave us alone after this. Are you agreed?"

I nodded. "If that's the way you want it."

"It is," he said.

"Okay, unless it's a crime then—"

"I heard you say you went out with Tilly the other night. Did I hear right," said Harry.

"Yes, I found out where she lived and went to see her. You have her address too, don't you?" I said.

"No, our daughter is dead to us. We haven't had contact with her since she left years ago. Before you came back to stay I guess," said Harry.

"What did you say? Dead to you! Are you crazy! She's a wonderful woman and beautiful one. Why would you ever say such a thing about your own baby?"

Harry looked at me with the saddest eyes I have ever seen. It was clear he was having trouble talking.

"Look, Mr. Shipp, Harry, has she murdered anyone?"

"Heavens no!" he almost yelled.

"Has she committed treason? Or anything like that. I mean big time prison offenses? You know I'm a cop, and I am not asking these questions rhetorically," I said.

"No, no, no to all of that," he said.

"Then take my advice and go to that wonderful person we all know Tilly Shipp is," I said, "and love her."

"We can't. One, she won't see us, not after the—fight. Two, she's not the same girl you knew in high school, trust me officer, she's not."

"I don't trust you, Harry, not if you have voluntarily abandoned that girl. You are unworthy of trust."

He looked at me and almost sneered. "You don't know what you're talking about," he said. "So shut up and listen."

"I nodded, "Okay, I'm listening."

"You probably heard that she was knocked up by Rod Cameron. At least that's what most people think, and it's probably so" he said.

"Yes, I heard that," I said.

"Well, I like I say, that much is likely true, and we had intended to send her to Iowa to live with her grams. But, something snapped in her. She stalled and wouldn't go. She started hanging out with bikers and other bad types. To her credit she didn't drink too much or use drugs—because of the baby I guess. Just before it was due, she disappeared. Her mom and I were frantic. We had no idea where she was. Sheriff Nix tried to help us, but initially to no avail. We were thinking something bad happened to her. "Well, Sheriff Nix did finally locate her. She was in New York. She'd..." He started to sob.

"Harry, I said softly. "Tell me."

"Jack, she'd become a prostitute." Harry Shipp broke down. 

For some reason I felt relieved. It was bad, that water under the bridge, but not "that" bad. "I have a question for you, Harry."

He looked up. "Is that the worst of it?"

He nodded. "Yes. Isn't it enough?" Goddamn puritans, I thought.

"Then why won't you see her, love her. It's not a socially acceptable situation, I'll grant you, but it could have been far worse than her taking pay for sex, far worse."

He looked at me like I was the one who was crazy. "Are you nuts!"

"No, a bit upset, but not nuts. Now, I just have to figure a way to get her out of the pay for sex situation, and maybe together we can rebuild the soul of that wonderful woman," I said. "And, I could your help and Doris'."

"Doris, come in here. I know you're listening," cried Harry.

A sheepish Doris came back in to the living room. "Jack, I would like nothing better than to have you succeed. But, I don't know. You see, Doris and I tried already. It was years ago, but we did try. She told us—well—she told us she liked fucking men for money. Those were her words. She refused to quit." 

"I've seen and heard it before, Harry. It may even be true that she likes the sex. But doing it for money is not something any prostitute likes. It's boring and dirty and loveless. We'll get her out of that part of it, I promise you. Now, that I know what I'm up against; I'll know how to fight the good fight."

"Do you really think..."

"How about my proposition? Will you two be willing to help me rehabilitate her if I can get her to agree to coming home?"

"Yes, okay," said Doris. "Anything we can we do?"

"I will let you know when the times comes, but it will be soon; I assure you of that," I said. "But, right now, stop looking down on her. Her business is the shits, but she's still our girl. Okay?"

They were both nodding yes and Harry had a half smile. It was the first time in years that he'd had hope and he was feeling good. I would be saving three people not just one with this effort—huh—make that five. I had to succeed. Who were the other two? Why the little girl and me of course.

As I was about to leave, I had a thought. "Doris, what is your granddaughter's name?"

"Oh, uh, Jillian," she said. 

I turned over the name in my mind. Jillian, maybe Jill for short. I wondered if her apparently uncaring biological daddy ever thought about her. I'd never met her and already I was thinking about her—hard. ******

I had neglected my parents for the past few months. I had been on the road doing seminars and when not so occupied I had been developing a new piece of software that made it possible for a well trained user to not only record, and that remotely, what was going on in a room under surveillance but also to determine the truth or untruth of the speakers words: a kind of remote lie detector. Ah, Computer Science what could it not do! At any rate, I had to see mom and dad; it was time.

I'd arrived at noon. Mom had lunch ready. As we ate we caught up.

"You know Jack, it wouldn't kill you to at least call every once in a while."

"I know, mom, I will start making a point of it. When's dad coming. You said he'd be here." 

"He'll be here in a while. Since he's retired from the company; he fishes almost every weekend. You'll be lucky if he doesn't get you out there to clean the fish," she said laughing.

Just then we heard the truck pull in. I could see dad pulling the Styrofoam ice chest out of the back of the shell camper. I went out to help. "I got it dad," I said. 

"What you can do if you want to help," he said, wrestling the ice chest from me, "is help me to clean the fish!"

"Delighted," I said. "Okay, then, you can carry the tub out back too."

I laughed. "Thanks a lot, daddy." He began laughing too.

Lunch was good. The weekend was young. I decided to hang out with the folks. It was casual, and happy and—good. It was Sunday evening. Dad and I were sitting out on the deck in the back. It was Miller time, and we each had an MGD in hand. "Dad, you remember Tilly, right?' I said.

"Yes, of course son. A pretty girl. Had some problems a few years ago, I heard."

"Any idea why, Dad?"

"Son, I—"

"It's okay, Dad, I know a lot already. I'd appreciate your input."

"Son, I know she was your favorite, everybody knew it. But she..."

"I know, she took money for sex. Mr. Shipp told me."

"Yes, but that wasn't the whole of it I'm afraid, son. She liked it. She liked the sex and she did it indiscriminately from what I hear."

I sat there with my mouth open. "It started when that asshole Cameron came around. You were gone, and he was handy, and he did things with her—well, stuff you only read about, but nobody actually does. He made her pull a train, Jack. And afterwards she was the town slut. She moved away. I hear it was New York, but we never saw her again. 

"I think her parents found her and talked to her, but she wouldn't listen. She had the little girl, she was—well there were rumors."

"I think I know what they were," I said. "She's a hooker isn't she? I mean still."

"They were only rumors, son. We never really knew. People have lives. When others leave, well, they kinda get lost in the mass of humanity. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I know dad. I know."

We said our goodbyes around midnight. I promised to go fishin' with Dad soon, and I would keep that promise. ******

I had decided to utilize my new technology. I knew it worked even if the patent was still pending. I wanted to find out where exactly my love was at. Did she really want this life she was into, or was she trapped by it. I figured I'd know soon.

Ironically, as much as I didn't know about Tilly's current life; there was plenty she didn't know about me either. This coming weekend I would be putting all of it to rest. There was a tsunami of shit about to be hitting the fan and I had to remember to be sure to duck. ******

Sneaking around and spying on the woman I wanted to marry was not my idea of a good way to start out in family life, but I had to know what I had to know, and the only way to find out was to sneak around. So I did. 

I'd learned a lot in my six years on the force, and I was able to break into her apartment with no trouble. While it is true my badge did not carry any weight in New Jersey, unless someone looked close they wouldn't be able to tell I was from out of state.

I installed the mini-micro in the living room. I only had one and I figured if she used the bedroom to fuck some guy I'd know what was going on anyway, and if not the living room would be the most likely place to pick up the info I needed. Plus, it was a good chance to test the truth detector feature of the device. It measured tone of voice and pauses between phrases and other things to determine if someone were dissembling or not. And, as to that I was about to get a big surprise. ******

I had decided to call it a day and get a room. There was a motel no more than two blocks away from Tilly's place. I called the station back home and was about to tell my secretary to expect me a day later than I'd originally planned. She interrupted me.

"Huh?...what?...Geezsus...what's the number!" I wrote it down. 

My patent had been cleared, and I already had buyers lining up. But one buyer in particular was more than interested; that's what the call was about. Trudy, at the station, had no more than opened the mail and discovered the patent acceptance than she had gotten the call to inform me that a very special buyer was interested in my device. Not just any buyer mind you, but the U.S. Army! I damned near wet my pants.

I had to kick myself to keep on track with my main mission in Hoboken: to find out all I could about Tilly and her—craziness or whatever it was. But, I was cool. The instrument was already installed in her living room; I had time; I should know what I needed to pretty soon. And, I didn't have to be back until Tuesday. 

I made the necessary, and I have to add frantic, call to the Army's representative and had gotten an appointment with a General Leighton for Monday at 10:00AM. This was turning out to be a helluva week. *****

It was Saturday Morning and I was curious as to how Tilly and Jill spent their weekends. I parked a few doors down from their house and relaxed and prepared to hang in there for the duration. I had no idea if they would even come out during the day; though I would have gambled a few bucks that they would. I wasn't afraid of being spotted. The windows on the van I was driving were tinted dark, so seeing in wasn't going to happen; I was safe. I had food, I had a couple of beers, and I had a thermos of coffee—a regular picnic. Now, if I could only get my woman to join me!

I heard Tilly and Jill interacting all morning. It was kinda like an old time radio show. It was about ten o'clock when Tilly and Jill came out. They were dressed casually; I was betting it would be a shopping day. It turned out that I would have lost my money.

I followed at a discrete distance and they pulled into a lot in front of a small three-story hotel. This bothered me. She had Jillian with her. Surely if she was doing some guy she wouldn't have brought her little girl along. She went inside and I prepared to do the same. I gave her some space so as to not have her see me. 

Just inside the foyer, I saw her, with Jill in tow, speaking with a black man, maybe forty years old, and dressed in ghetto-stylish—the canary yellow fedora with the red feather was a giveaway: he had to be a pimp. I ducked back out to the van. My women came back out and I followed them to a pleasant and quiet street about fifteen minutes from the hotel we had just visited. Tilly walked Jillian to the door and knocked.

An elderly lady answered the door and broke out into a broad smile when Jillian went to her and grabbed her around the leg. Clearly the babysitter.

Tilly and the sitter talked for a moment or two and then Tilly retreated to her car and drove off. My van was not far behind. We drove for some thirty minutes and near as many miles. She pulled up in front of an apartment complex. I saw her touch up her makeup, grab her purse and exit the vehicle. She approached a ground floor apartment and knock. A big man—he reminded me of Rex Cameron, but thirty-fiveish, answered the door. He looked taciturn; I didn't like him at all.

The device I'd installed was at her house. I realized that it was not going to be of much use today, so I headed for the apartment that I'd seen her enter. I had eyed the environs and thought I saw a possible place where I could at least hear if not see well into the apartment. There was a stairway separating the two wings of the building and by climbing half way up the stairs of the sister building I might be able to see into one of the apartments windows. There was no one out and the place seemed unusually quiet and devoid of human activity; that suited me. 

I climbed the stairs trying to make use of the trees that fronted them to remain inconspicuous. I hit the jackpot; I could hear them talking animatedly and I could see her head and the upper part of his torso through what appeared to be the kitchen window. Tilly was telling him no, no way. He didn't seem to be buying it.

Then it happened. He hit her, and she literally flew across the room. I couldn't see her well enough to know how badly she was hurt, but at that moment all bets and all plans were off. I went quickly around to the front door, and I tried it. I got lucky the asshole hadn't locked it; his bad luck. 

I entered just as Tilly was crawling on her hands and knees trying to escape through the front door. It was clear she had been seriously hurt, and she was too stunned to move with any speed.

He was looming over her stricken form and had reached down to grab her by the collar of her blouse. It was at that moment that he saw me. "What the fuck! Who the hell are you?"

"You worst fucking nightmare, asshole," I said. 

Tilly had pulled herself into a tight fetal ball against the near wall. She was clearly terrified. The man looked me over and appraised his chances. He outweighed me by a 100 pounds. His courage soared.




Tilly and Jack



He came at me as though to crush me with his very presence. I bobbed, weaved, and slid to my right. As he adjusted his position to catch me he was met with a storm of a dozen punches to eyes and front teeth. He desperately covered his face with his hands effectively denying himself his primary weapons. 

My heavy steel-toed shoe connected viciously with his left knee. He dropped hard to the floor, his kneecap broken. He howled in pain. He tried to sit up and reach for the stricken knee and his mouth was met with the toe of the other shoe and its metal spearhead; he lost at least half a dozen teeth in the process.

He fell back only half conscious. My fury would not let me stop. I stomped down hard on this remaining kneecap and it crunched like and overripe cantaloupe. I repeated the process on both of his elbows. The next time he slugged a woman; he'd definitely have something to remember. For any who think I had taken advantage of a helpless and beaten man, fuck off; He'd damn near killed my girl with one punch; frankly I was very near to killing him, but I didn't. Tilly needed me, and I was determined to make sure that I was around when the dust settled on all of this.

I went to Tilly. She didn't recognize me at first and recoiled when I came near. "Tilly," I said. "It's me."

"Jack?"

One of her eyes was completely shut and there was blood, hers, all over her face and blouse. I knew what I had to do. I got her up and we headed out and to her house.

She wimpered all the way home. I had never felt so desperate to help someone in my life, and I was sure I never would again.

Arriving, I helped her up the steps and into her house. I don't know why I didn't take her to the doctor's immediately, she could have a concussion—I knew a lot about those. But, I sensed that she did not want me too. I decided to ask. 

"Tilly, we should go to the doctor's," I said. "No! I mean, no, Jack. I'm fine," she said. I had my answer; we weren't going to the clinic. I sat her down on the couch and went to the kitchen to find a towel I could wet and daub at her now swelling face and its bruises.

She winced as I tried to gently clean her face. "I have to clean you up, dear heart, you're covered with blood.

"Okay," she said. She turned aggressive, as aggressive as she could given the circumstances. "How? Why? I told you that we couldn't..."

"Shush," I said. I was asserting myself now. "You didn't think I was going to accept that did you. To never see you again? Not happening, Tilly, I love you and I will marry you no matter what you say. But that said, I am curious. Why did you try to send me away?" She started to sob, then to wail, then she was wracked with loud bawling anguish. I felt like shit. I could not understand why she was so terribly stricken by the thought of marrying me; I was certain that she loved me too. I was going to know everything, and I was going to know it today! I couldn't help her, be there for her, until I knew. And, I was prepared for the worst. The worst is what I got.

She took the towel from my hand with some force. She looked away and then back at me. "Jack, I do love you. But we can't be together. I won't do that to you. I wouldn't..."

I decided to play what I thought was my trump card. "Tilly, I know you're an escort, a call girl," I said. She actually laughed.

"Jack, if that was the only thing—"

"Then what!" I demanded.

Her hands dropped to her sides and rested on the couch beside her. She gazed at me through the fog of her tears and one swollen shut eye. She seemed to calm herself. "Jack—I—I—I have breast cancer. I am scheduled for a—procedure soon. Do you understand?"

In that moment time stood still. I was silent for a long moment. "Tilly, as terrible as that is, it makes not the slightest difference, and you know it. It just means that two of us will be fighting it instead of just you alone. And I'm a pretty good fighter."

Losing her train of thought, she looked at me strangely. "Jack, you beat that man half to death. And, long ago, Rod? What are you, Jack?" "I'm a prize fighter, Tilly. Well, I was, a long time ago. A pretty good one. But, I got a messed up eye in the finals, and..."

"My god that explains a lot. Oh, you have no idea how often it occurred to me that there was something more than luck—oh my you are a piece of work," she said. "How many times did I ask you about your eye, Jack, and all you ever would say was that it was a sport's injury. I never knew. You were fucking the shit outta me and I never knew, never had a clue."

She recovered and remembered what she was going to say. "Jack, I can't let you..."

"Tilly, goddamn it, we are going to be married, and we are going to fight the good fight so help me god. Tilly, even if you lose a breast, it'll make not the slightest difference in my need for you."

At that moment I remembered a couple of things I had been putting off that I had to redress. One was to kick the high holy shirt out of Rod Cameron, not for getting her pregnant, but for making her pull a train and causing her to become a whore for hire; oh yes, Rod and I had a date. 

Additionally, I had to give Harry and my dad a call; we would soon be going fishing. She was crying softly now and shaking. 

I came to her and held her in my arms and said not a damn thing. I just gently rocked her and loved her and made her feel safe. Tomorrow the battle would begin. Tomorrow, too, we would be going home.

******