All Characters In This Story Are 18+ Years Old
*****
Dust billowed behind Royce Engel's new 1937 Plymouth De Luxe sedan as the young attorney for Greene, Lester and Quill drove his 18-year old ward, Clementine McFee, away from the Double-T R Ranch outside Golden, Colorado. Ten minutes later he pulled the car onto State Highway 58 and pointed its nose toward Denver.
Clementine slid to her left on the bench seat and, with a quarter twist of her torso, cuddled against Royce. Her bare left arm draped around his shoulders and her small right hand naturally fell to rest on the inside of his right leg, just above the knee. Royce glanced down, then smiled at the girl and returned his eyes to the road. At 30 m.p.h. he did not want to have an accident.
"Royce," Clementine reflected, "Is there somethin' wrong with me?"
Engel frowned and tilted his head slightly. "Heavens, no!" He promptly replied, "What on earth makes you even think so?"
"Well, I was just thinkin' about that old man back there..."
"...You mean, Mr. Rogers?" Checked Royce.
"Yes, him," Clementine continued, "He spent a good deal of time starin' at me, almost like he was takin' my dress off." Her voice lowered as she went on, "and I think I kind of LIKED it, because I got to feelin' tingly and queasy, all at the same time, like when Poppa, or you, rub on me, you know?"
"Did Rogers touch you?" Royce asked. "When I was in the house on the telephone?"
"No, he just looked at me," Clementine answered, "But, I saw his thing gettin' big in his jeans." Her fingernails dug into Engel's denim-clad thigh as she spoke. "And I caught myself wonderin' what it looked like and how it would... you know... FEEL."
"So," Royce inquired, "Did you touch HIM, then?"
"NO, No, no," Clementine protested. "I only wondered... but he's so old lookin'... I bet he's eighty years old if he's a day... and I got to thinkin' somethin' must be WRONG with me to want to..." She hung her head and did not finish her sentence.
Royce risked driving with one hand and lifted his right arm from the steering wheel. Dropping it over Clementine's head he drew her body into his with his crooked elbow and gently stroked her long flaxen hair. "Oh, kiddo," he consoled. "There's nothing wrong with you at all. You're young. You been awakened to your womanly needs. Your Poppa has shown you a thing or two since your birthday last month, and you and I had fun, in your room and the hot spring..."
"When we fucked," Clementine interrupted, using the language her parents had taught her, "and this mornin', TOO, don't forget!"
"Yes, and this morning," Royce agreed, "I haven't forgotten. But, what I MEAN is that you have not had a lot of experience and it is just natural for you to think of... well, ...fucking. Given all its newness to you, that is." He squeezed her body and felt her heartbeat through his ribs as her full left breast compressed against his side. "We're going to work on when, where and how, kiddo, but in the meantime, don't fret about these thoughts."
Clementine kissed Royce's cheek. "I like when you call me 'kiddo,'" She said quietly. "Momma and Poppa call me 'Clemmy' or 'honey' or 'Darlin'. You've been usin' my whole name... but 'kiddo' is real nice."
"Clementine is a beautiful name for a beautiful young woman," Engel said, withdrawing his arm and returning to cautious driving as he saw a car approaching. "I don't know why I said 'kiddo' just now, but I'm glad you didn't mind... maybe I'll find other little names for you, too." He added cryptically. Clementine purred as she rested her face on Engel's flannel shirt and idly scratched higher on the inside of his thigh. Then, turning around, she slid to the passenger window and silently watched the modern world whizz by.
*
Forty minutes later Engel drove the Plymouth into a downtown Denver garage near the GLQ offices. "Good Evenin', Mr. Engel," said a tall black man in khaki overalls and a leather newsboy hat.
"Hello, Jamison." Royce greeted the parking attendant through the sedan's rolled down window. "She's a little dirty," he said, pointing his head to the car's patina of dust and grit, "Give her a thorough going over on the wash rack, would you please?"
"Yessuh, Mr. Engel," Jamison replied, "Spick 'n' span. You fixin' to take her again this evenin'?"