The Incredible Crystal Rae

1

The restaurant was surprisingly busy, with customers at probably two-thirds of the tables. A pot lid clanged somewhere in the back. The delicious scent of various foods permeated the air.

The hostess, a tall, pretty brunette with her hair piled high on top of her head above a dark blue gown, smiled up at me from behind her podium. “Ah’m your hostess, Jolene.” She pulled two menus from the podium. “How’re ya’ll this evenin’?”

As I opened my mouth, Crystal beamed that smile up at her. “Oh we’re fine, girl. Don’t yew worry about us.” She giggled, then quieted her voice. “Yew mebbe got somethin’ not so close to other folks? Me’an my man got thangs to talk about if yew know what ah mean.”

“Of course, Miss. Right this way.”

We followed her through the restaurant to a corner table. All around, the quiet buzz of conversation seemed almost to engulf us.

The table was mostly hidden behind two huge green ferns. As I seated Crystal, Jolene laid the menus on the table, then produced a Bic lighter from a hidden pocket and lit a wide rose-scented candle.

As the scent rose, I said, “Oh, Miss, we don’t really need—”

Crystal touched me on the arm and smiled at Jolene. “What Jimmy means to say is we couldn’t appreciate yew more. Thank yew!”

As I sat down, the silver-grey sport coat I’d slipped on over my black t-shirt caught the back of the chair and I shifted to free it.

Jolene glanced at me, then smiled at Crystal. “Could I get ya’ll some sweet tea with mint? Or maybe lemon?”

Crystal said, “Ooh, mint would be perfect! Thank yew!”

“Your waiter will bring your tea in a minute. Ya’ll enjoy your evenin’.” She glanced at me again, then turned away.

I looked at Crystal. “Jimmy? Where’d that come from?”

She grinned. “Hey, ah saw how she looked at yew, an’ her name is Jolene.”

I only looked at her.

“From the Dolly Parton song?” She wagged a hand. “Anyway, yore real name ain’t none’a her business.”

I chuckled. Crystal just kind of washes over you. “All right.”

She looked up at me. “Now see? Ain’t this just perfect? We can talk without some strangers nosin’ in.”

I glanced around. “It’s pretty nice. And you say the catfish is good?”

She touched my forearm with her left hand. “Oh honey, it’s so much better than good! Yew gonna trah it?”

I chuckled. “Sure. Why not?”

“Oh, good! Now then, kin ah ask yew—”

“Good evening, folks.”

I looked up and Crystal looked around.

The waiter, a tall, thin young black man in black trousers and a white shirt, set our iced teas on the table. His name tag read Robert. He smiled at us. “Do you folks know what you’d like to eat yet?”

2

Crystal twisted slightly in her chair. “Yessir, we do. Thank yew! We’d lahk two catfish platters?”

“Very good. And for the sauce?”

“There’s what, five or six of them? Could yew bring them all in those cute little bowls? That would be perfect. Then we can share.”

His smile broadened. “I’ll see what I can do, Miss.”

“Thank yew so much! ‘Bye now.” She finger waved at him.

Still smiling, he glanced at me.

I said, “Robert, could you also ask Jolene to charge our meals to my room, please? And add a twenty percent tip?” I gave him the room number.

“Yes sir. Consider it done.” He turned and left.

Crystal turned back to me. “Thank yew! Ah didn’t expect yew to pay for mine.”

“Not a big deal. I like watching you enjoy yourself.”

“Okay. Well, thanks. So where were we?”

“I think you were gonna ask me something.”

“Oh, raht.” She hesitated. “Ah remember. Ah was gonna ask yew about the job. An’ yew feel free to ask me whatever yew want, too. Ah love talkin’ shop. Ah don’t get yew ops types here as much as yew might thank.”

And for the next twenty minutes or so, we sipped our tea and discussed our jobs. Then the waiter showed up again with our orders. We talked more as we ate.

Maybe a half-hour later we’d all but finished our meals and our conversation was drying up.

Crystal seemed nervous. Finally she put her fork down and looked at me. “Ah’m sorry, Paul. Ah wasn’t completely honest?”

“Okay. About what?”

“Ah wasn’t gonna ask yew about the job per se. Ah was gonna ask yew a really personal question? Would that be all raht?”

I laughed quietly and shook my head. “Sure. Why not?”

Again she put her left hand on my forearm. “Okay, first, ah gotta say yew kin prob’ly tell ah’m a little giddy just sittin’ here with yew? Ah swayer ah never felt so safe! Yore kind’a lahk my hero?”

I chuckled again. “Okay, if you say so. I’m surprised though. Men must be lining up for that job.”

She touched my forearm again and giggled. “Yore such a kidder.” Then she swept her hair back with an exaggerated motion. “But ah am such a catch yew would thank so, wouldn’t yew?” She giggled again, then wagged a hand. “But seriously, not so much. That’s fine with me though. Most men these days just ain’t my cuppa bees wax? They’re all tryin’ t’get in touch with their feminine side an’ all that? Ah thank they thank that turns us own or somethin’? Why cain’t they just be men?” She reached to touch my forearm. “Real men, lahk yew.” She wagged a hand. “Anyway—”

I grinned. “Okay, that’s enough buttering up. Out with it. What do you want to know?”

She looked at me for a moment, then put her right elbow on the table, her forearm straight up and her right hand dangling. Then she raised that hand and made a circle with her index finger toward my face. “Where’d yew get those scawers?”

3

My smile faded, and for a second too long I only looked at her.

She put her left hand over her mouth, then on her chest. “Ooh, ah am so sorry, Paul! Ah kin see yew don’t wanna talk about it.” She put that hand on my forearm again. “Please forget ah asked. Ah don’t want to spoal the naht.”

“No, it’s all right. It was just a long time ago. I tend to forget the ugly damned things are there.”

“Oh, but they ain’t ugly at all! Not to me! Ah cain’t imagine what yew’ been through! So was that since yew’ been with the company?”

I nodded. “First year. I got a little too full of myself and got too close to a guy with a knife.” I made a V with my index and middle finger and put on a smile. “Twice. But it ended well enough, at least for me.”

I glanced past her at some other diners—they were involved in their own conversation—then looked at her again.

She seemed honestly interested.

I shrugged. “The little one on my left cheek and the one above my eyebrow were actually not a big deal. He swiped at me and mostly missed. But the big one was all my fault. I let myself get a little off balance. He jabbed at my right eye and I leaned back just in time. He cut my chest with that one too.”

“Ooh, really?” Her gaze steady on mine, she reached over to run her index finger down my chest below my right shoulder. “Now Ah’d really lahk to see that one!”

I chuckled and glanced around. “Yeah, well, that ain’t gonna happen. I’m pretty sure they’d throw us out.”

She put her hand on my arm again and squeezed lightly. “We were just leavin’ anyway, weren’t we?” She paused. “Besides, Ah didn’t mean here. Ah meant a little later.” She paused. “In yore room?”

4

I focused on her eyes and shook my head. Quietly, I said, “I’m flattered, Crystal, really, but I’m only here for tonight and tomorrow. Then I’m gone. Besides—”

Quietly, she said, “All any of us have is tonight, Paul. Now then, ah already told Rabbit not to wait up. Yew don’t want to spoal that for her, do yew? If ah know that girl, she’s havin’ all kinds of fantasies.”

“I don’t want to spoil anything. But I still have research to do, so—”

“Don’t yew fib now. Ah’m bettin’ yew did all that while yew were waitin’ for me to show up. Or most of it.” She frowned. “Don’t yew find me attractive?”

“I—I find you very attractive. It just— It isn’t a good idea.”

She only looked at me for a moment. “Well, all raht. If yew really don't wont to, ah won’t push.” She put her hand on my arm again. “But ah’m bettin’ yore the real deal, Paul. An’ so am ah.” She hesitated. “Yew sure?”

“I’m sure.” Then I stood up, took her hand to help her from the chair, and we left.

In the lobby, I thanked her for her excellent company, then turned and went to my room.

5

Of course, Crystal was right. I had done almost all of my research while I was waiting for her to show up. The only thing I hadn’t done was figure out my egress, but that was pretty straightforward. After the hit, I would drive either south or north on Half-Reed Road. The former would take me back the way I came and the latter would take a little longer. That was really the only difference. But as remote as the target site was, I wasn’t overly concerned about it.

I put my laptop back into my bag, then took off my button-down shirt, dropped it on top of the bag, and went into the bathroom.

In the mirror, I glanced at the two smaller scars on my left cheek and above my left eyebrow. To the casual observer, both would look worse than they were.

The vertical scar on my right cheek was worse. I glanced down at my chest.

And there’s the grandaddy. That scar started an inche above and outside my right nipple and ran halfway down my ribcage. A friend had stitched me up, and all four scars had healed poorly. The one on my chest was twice as wide as the one on my right cheek.

Whatever.

I turned away and flicked off the light.

Back in the main room, I flicked off the overhead light, settled into a chair, and switched on the TV. But I couldn’t concentrate on whatever was on the tube. Thoughts of Crystal filled my mind. After a few minutes, I shook my head.

I should just go to bed. Tomorrow I’ll get up and do my job, and then I’ll be the hell outta here.

6

I reached for the remote and—

The door latch clicked and the door blew open.

I jerked my head around.

Crystal dropped her purse just inside the door and crossed the room toward me. Behind her, the door was closing.

I stood up. “Crystal? What’re you—”

The door latch clicked as she came straight into my arms and hugged me around the chest. Quietly, she said, “Please don’t make me go, Paul. Please? Ah’m sorry. Ah trahd, but ah just couldn’t go home. So—” She shrugged, then shifted her head on my chest. “Yew did give me a keycard, remember? T’get mah gun?”

She was so warm against me, and the room was lit only by the TV screen, and the scent that wafted up from her hair was wonderful.

I hugged her close and kissed her on the top of her head. My voice caught and I whispered, “I’m glad you’re here.”

She looked up and smiled, her eyes searching mine. “Would yew mahnd showin’ me please?”

*******

Author Note

“The Incredible Crystal Rae” is derived from the novel Blackwell Ops 39: More Paul Stone.

About the Author

I was born in New Mexico, seasoned in Texas and baked in Arizona, so I'm pretty well done.

For a time, I wrote under five personas and several pseudonyms, but I take a pill for that now and write only under my own name. Mostly.

I am a prolific professional fiction writer by pretty much any standard. In just over 8 years I’ve written 110 novels, 10 novellas, and around 280 short stories across several genres. None of that is a typo.