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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
8TH MONDAY
Early Monday morning Mike gets the call. They need a load of goods in Calgary tonight. It's being loaded at the dock now. Mike says, "I'll be right over. Is Len with me?"
"Len's out with Ernie. It's straight to the dock in Calgary, anyway. I expect they'll have something for you to bring back. I'll have one of the boys hook it all up for you and check your fuel."
"Thanks, Lorne. Where's Jerry this morning?"
"His wife went in last night. By now he might be a papa. He hasn't called in yet."
Mike piles out of bed. It's five AM and Marlene watches him half asleep. "What's up?"
"Calgary, ASAP"
"Oh, come back to bed." She mumbles reaching for him.
"Sorry." He takes her hand, "No can do. They want it tonight in Calgary."
"Anything else?"
"He said Calgary has something else for me. Don't know when I'll be back." He's half dressed already. "You need any money or anything?"
She shakes her head no, but says, "A couple more hours in the sack with you would be nice." She waves at him weakly before rolling over to go back to sleep.
Mike finishes dressing, goes down and grabs his briefcase and ready bag, checks the bag then out to the convertible. As he backs out he notices the black van up the street. By the time he leaves Abbotsford he has spotted a gray car pacing him. It's back a few cars but he drives around the block in Mission then heads for POCO. Back two cars is the gray one. He shakes his head and calls Trudy on the cell phone. She grabs it on the first ring.
"Hello."
"Trudy, my love. I'm on my way to Calgary. Did you send off those photos to the WCB yet?"
"Sent them Saturday. Can I go with you?"
"Sure, if you want. Be ready in an hour and a half. I'm just turning onto Kingsway on my way to the yard. There's a panic to have this load in to Calgary tonight so no stops, got it?"
"I'll be ready... or you could take me like I am." She has a cute lift in her voice.
"Love to, but no time. See ya."
"Love ya."
He parks the car and walks over to the outward bound trailers line. His tractor is all hooked up, running and waiting. He walks around it checking then climbs up and checks fuel, etc. Everything seems to be in order. He pulls ahead and around by the terminal. He runs upstairs to dispatch and says to Lorne, "Any word yet on the new arrival."
"It's a boy. About an hour ago. Not long after I called you. Jerry's in seventh heaven. By the way, Calgary has a long box for you to bring back. They would come out to Sicamous to meet you but they're shorthanded, again. Must be busy over there."
"Right, I'm on my way then. See you later."
Mike rolls in the sunrise east out the Fraser Valley. He pulls into Chilliwack and catches Trudy out by Young Road at the end of Clarke Drive. She climbs aboard as he stows her bag and he lets her climb over his seat before he sits again. She says, "First things first!" and throws her arms around his neck for a kiss. Then she settles back on the console and says, "Let's go! I've got your sheets in my bag."
Mike chuckles to himself and thinks, "She’s just like a hood ornament." He pulls away and they are headed east again. They take the fastest route, over the Coquihalla to Kamloops thence to Sicamous and number one to Golden. Mike stops for a break at Sicamous and Golden Huskys. At Golden he's just over nine hours on the road and three out of Calgary. He kids with Jena in the cafe as they have a bite, but he doesn't see Cathy around. He's just as glad since he has Trudy with him. They'll meet one day, of that he's sure. He'll cross that bridge when he comes to it.
Soon they are back on the road and heading east. Down along the Kicking Horse River over some of the worst highway in the Trans Canada Highway system. Twists and turns, steep grades up and down, sudden bridges at the bottom of long downgrades, road hugging cliffs above and below, some of the worst accidents involving cars, trucks, buses and vehicles of all description have occurred on this stretch in summer, as well as winter.
They pass through and on to Field then up on a plateau past the lodge and out by Lake Louise and the border of Alberta. They roll down the Bow Valley and out onto the prairie. It's not long now to Calgary and over eleven hours on a good day from home.
Mike pulls in before eleven and is back out on the road heading home by midnight. Around three he pulls into the Husky in Golden and pulls the rig to the side. They tumble into the sleeper together for a quickie and some sleep.
Mike wakes with Trudy sleeping on top of him. A light blanket is loosely over them and she snores quietly. He wonders why a man snores so loud while a woman usually snores so lightly. Marlene is the exception, as he well knows. She can snore like a lumberjack.
He grins and brings both arms up to cup the cheeks of her ass under the cover. He gently squeezes then rubs them allowing his fingers to work slowly as he rubs up and down, deeper into the crevice between her legs. At first she doesn't react but slowly he feels her breath quicken and her hips move. She stops snoring and smiles in her sleep.
Patiently Mike moves his fingers deeper as his hands move over her skin in a hypnotic circular motion, each circle a little farther into the crevice. He feels her hips move with the rhythm and she spreads her legs a bit, mumbling in her sleep "Uh huh! Uh huh!" Then she gives a soft moan and opens her eyes. "Oh Mike, do something! Now!"
They have breakfast at the Husky and head for the valley and home. They pull into Chilliwack after nine and Mike parks the rig by the hop fields across the slough. This night he spends with his mistress.
Wednesday morning he heads on into POCO with the load and arrives before noon. He drops the trailer and parks his rig by the gate. He jumps into his Mustang and heads for the POCO detachment of the RCMP.
Nina is watching out the window and comes running down the sidewalk, "You're back, it's so good to see you again." She jumps into the car and slides right over to kiss him. He glances at the offices where a head or two are turned their way.
"Uh, everyone is watching us."
"I don't care. I'm finished here on Friday. Let's go."
As he pulls away from the curb he asks, "Have you heard from Jeff?"
"He called last night. He's found us a house in Markham just outside Toronto. It sounds like a nice place. Our moving date is July 7th. Can you handle it for us? It's only two weeks away. The buyers of our house have given us an extension until the 7th."
"I've set it up with dispatch. We'll load on the 6th then it can go right away. I'll be taking it with some other stuff for one of our Managers. His stuff is being loaded now. Yours will be right on the back. Last on, first off. Is Jeff on his way home?"
"He's coming in tonight on Westjet. We're thinking of selling the Pinto. Know anyone who might want to buy it?"
"Not offhand. How come?"
"I'm not going back to work until after the baby is born; maybe not even then. Jeff thinks it's a good idea."
"Jeff has really taken to this idea of your having the baby?"
"He seems to have. I know once long ago we talked about a possible sperm donor if he turned out to be sterile. Your name came up and it was his suggestion. At that time I was horrified of someone else fathering my child. I guess I've got over that, wouldn't you say?" She grins.
Mike parks the car and looks out across the river. "I'm going to miss you, too, you know. I look forward each day I'm home to spending this time with you. Does Jeff know we still meet?"
"I don't think so. He still visits with Marlene so he can't say anything, can he? Does she know?"
"I think she has suspicions but she never mentions them. I suppose she thinks we don't know about her and Jeff."
"We're strange bedfellows, aren't we? Does Trudy know about me?"
"Yes. She keeps my confidence."
"I thought she would. She loves you, doesn't she?"
"Yes. And I'm afraid it's returned. Not that I would ever leave Marlene, but Trudy is a real part of my life."
"More strange bedfellows. Hold me close and kiss me, I want you near. Always remember me, Mike."
"Your indelibly etched in my mind, Nina. In a way, I love you, too."
After love making today he lays with his hand on her stomach and says, "My unborn child, be strong and gentle." He kisses her pelvis and Nina has tears in her eyes.
When he gets back to the CPX yard he fuels up his truck and cleans it out. He goes up to the dispatch office to ensure they have nothing then comes down to the lunchroom. He glances in and sees a crowd of local drivers and warehouse men. They are laughing and joking around. Mike sees Tony with them.
He goes in and Tony spots him. He calls out, "Hey guys, its Mike." Then to Mike he says, "The guys have been admiring the beautiful stripper I got from France. Want to see?"
"All right, Tony, what's the joke?"
"No joke. I got one of those little peep shows in a plastic box. You know, you look in the lens and see the stripper. It's French, right from Paris. Want to see? I got it in my locker."
"Sure. Why not?"
Tony goes across the hall to the washrooms and lockers. He comes back with the gadget. He hands it to Mike, who lifts it and looks it over before putting his eye to the lens. Tony throws a switch on it and Mike sees a striking brunette with a short haircut in a sheath type dress. She raises her hand and beckons to him while her other hand slides the strap off her shoulder.
The beckoning hand goes back and lowers the other strap. Holding her hands over her breasts, she wiggles her hips and throws a kiss. She's in excellent color and almost looks real. She turns away and a hand comes around to undo her full-length zipper and the back of the dress parts down past the split in her ass.
She turns back to face him with a smile and her hand over her breasts hold the dress in place. She winks and lets in drop down revealing her perfect breasts.
Mike can't understand what the guys found so funny about this. He asks, "How long is it?" She drops the dress and kicks it aside as she swings around and leans forward to give him an eyeful of ass. As she stands again Mike realizes she still has a G-string on and she pivots back towards him. She hooks her thumbs into the G-string and shrugs her shoulders, one at a time moving her breast in time to her movements and lowering the G-string simultaneously.
Teasing she allows a peek this way and that way, of her vulva. Then she steps out of the garment, turns and bows, giving the viewer a look at her slit. She looks around her shoulders and waves good-bye with a kiss. Mike lowers the box with a smile on his lips. "That's really something, Tony." Everyone breaks up laughing and Mike feels something is up.
Tony takes the box and says, "I'm glad you liked it." He heads back towards the bathroom. Everyone is chuckling and chortling around him and he follows Tony. As he passes a mirror in the washroom he glances at his reflection and moans. He's fallen for one of the oldest tricks. He has a beautiful jet black eye. Guys are crowding in around him and laughing.
Mike just shakes his head and turns to leave. He thinks, no doubt if I try to wash it off, it will spread and I'll only make it worse. Tony walks ahead of him laughing as he heads for the door and they walk through a puddle of water on the floor. He stares down at Tony's footprints. There in the heel print is a perfect graceful long S shape. It hit’s him. Tony is wearing Ray's boots!
Tony wait’s for him in the hall and says, "I really enjoyed meeting Trudy. I'd like to invite you both down on Friday night. I'd like her to take another crack at my Vietnamese puzzle box. She's a fascinating woman. No one else has known the artist of my painting. Won't you please come?"
Mike pretends to consider and says, "That just might be possible. I do have a few more questions to ask you. It's a date, providing she's not tied up elsewhere."
"Questions? Are you still working on that murder case? I'm surprised. Any questions you have will be welcome, my friend." He puts his fingers up to make a circle and moves them in front of his eye as he chuckles. Mike grins and says he's leaving before Tony pulls something else on him.
Mike leaves the parking lot on Kingsway and heads home. He grins at his reflection in the mirror with the black eye then notices the gray car about two cars back. He shakes his head in disgust. "Don't they have anything better to do?" he mutters under his breath.