Southern Justice, Part 11

I’m Fixin’ To present part 11 of Southern Justice:

That first night Jackie spent with Rick wasn’t wasted on her part. It began with several cocktails before dinner and two bottles of wine during, most of which was plied onto Rick. The killer dinner began with a lot of lumpy blue cheese dressing on the salad, mounds of butter and sour cream on the baked potato, along with an 18 ounce well-marinated T-bone steak, followed by a creamy liqueur for dessert.

After they had abandoned the dining room, they were sipping their Bailey’s Irish Cream on the sofa, snuggled close together, with Jackie in the hopes of feeling his heart skip a beat from all the alcohol and food when Rick whispered softly into her ear, “I want you to stay.”

“You want me to stay all night?” Jackie whispered back as she snuggled even closer, but was stunned when Rick replied in the negative.

Then she secretly smiled with relief when Rick said, “No, not all night—I want you to stay a few centuries.”

Moments later, she was surprised that a little chill of delight swept over her when Rick planted a little kiss on the curve between her neck and shoulder.

Even though Jackie had accomplished her initial purpose of clogging Rick’s arteries, things didn’t go exactly as she had planned because it turned out that she had grossly underestimated Rick’s tolerance and stamina.

But she wasn’t discouraged. The next morning she served him breakfast in bed consisting of scrambled eggs and grits floating in butter along with bacon and sausage and cheese toast.

Jackie knew the seduction was successfully completed when Rick asked, “How much time do you need before making a decision about making this your permanent residence?”

She didn’t want to seem too anxious so she made up a lie and said, “But I just signed a lease on my apartment.”

“To heck with that,” he told her, “that’s nothing. Find out how much it is and I’ll give you a check to cover it.”

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” Jackie asked as she shoveled more eggs and grits on his plate. “You don’t think that maybe it’s too soon?”

“Not for me,” Rick replied as he crunched on a thick slice of bacon.

After Jackie removed the breakfast tray from the bed she slid back underneath the covers with Rick, leaned up on an elbow, pouted her pretty lips and said, “Would tomorrow be soon enough?”

They spent the remainder of the morning in bed. Then about noon Jackie took time out to order a huge, fully loaded pizza for lunch.

She had a tiny slice while she encouraged Rick to devour the remainder of the cheesy and meaty delight.

That night they went to a restaurant renowned for their beef steaks. Jackie ordered only a salad for her self, but convinced Rick to have another rare slab of death by telling him he needed the protein.

The next day, in her apartment, as she was packing her clothes the phone rang. It was B. Wendell Hormel.

“Well, have you made any progress?” he asked.

After Jackie related the details of the last 48 hours B. Wendell said, “Whoa—wait a minute. You’re getting a little ahead of yourself. You’re supposed to marry him and then kill him!’”

Jackie chuckled into the phone while she walked across the room and sat one of her bags beside the front door. “I’m just setting the trend, B. W. It will probably take a little time to do him in. You just stand by and I’ll be in touch when I’m ready for the next step.”

“What’s the next step?” B. Wendell inquired.

“For me, it’s getting married—for you, it’ll be preparing his last will and testament.”