Free Trouble Triangle (Tyler's Trouble Trilogy) by Travis Casey Page A

with Holly. Promise to keep quiet?"
    He nodded.
    "I'm going out with Debbie."
    "What? You're takin ' Debbie to dinner?"
    "Well, if you consider burgers in a motel room dinner, then maybe. I booked us a room at a motor lodge." I smiled.
    "So you're gonna do it." He grinned and shook his head. "You know, there's a small matter of the fact that Debbie's a lesbian. Don't tell me you're trying to convert her. She can't help it, you know."
    "Hey, she asked me. It's more complicated than that. She's not sure if she's gay or not." I splashed on some aftershave then put the bottle in my bag. "Her head's all screwed up at the moment and she needs some help sorting it out."
    Mark laughed. "Yeah, right. So she comes running to Tyler Chambers, the one guy who has his head screwed on straight. Okay, Doctor Freud, I can just hear it now." He deepened his voice and stroked his chin, "Well, Miss Meyers, the recommended treatment I suggest is for you take all your clothes off, and we have intercourse. If you don't enjoy it, you're gay."
    He went to his wardrobe and changed his shirt. "You really do have a high opinion of yourself, don't you? Well, I hope she wants to go back to women after you get done with her. That would teach ya . The more I think about, the more I come to realize that you and Holly are well suited for each other. Except I don't know how the two of you get into one car together. Those ego-inflated, swelled heads of yours must take up one hell of a lot of room." He shook his head.
    "Ever heard of justifiable intercourse?"
    "No. Justifiable homicide, yeah. 'Cause if Holly finds out, that's what she's gonna plead after she blows your head off. Man, your brain belongs in a museum. It's a piece of work."
    "Thanks for the vote of confidence. Gotta go. Motel Sex awaits. Laters ."
    #
    I arrived at the motel and checked in. I nervously waited for Debbie to arrive. Most of my sex had been spontaneous in the past, not on demand. I smiled as I thought about being a long time married couple and setting predetermined days to have sex.
    - It's Saturday night, dear; you know what that means?
    - Oh, bu t of course. Meat loaf and sex.
    - Could we have hot dogs or tacos tonight, dear? Meat loaf probably isn't the right dish to serve on sex night.
    The room didn't offer any extra frills. A queen size bed sat in the center of the room, with the wall behind the headboard chipped and dented. A standing lamp on the opposite side, a desk under the window, a table with two chairs on the other side of the room, and a TV. Clean, yet it retained a feeling that a certain amount of debauchery had taken place over the years. The paper strip over the toilet insisting it had been cleaned offered reassurance that there was no VD lurking under the toilet seat.
    I cracked open one of the twelve beers I had brought with me and drank from the can. I turned on the radio and waved an imaginary drumstick as Joan Jett sang I Love Rock and Roll . A knock at the door raised my heart rate. I checked myself in the mirror to make sure my hair didn't look stupid. I checked my breath and cursed myself for forgetting mints. After one last wipe of my hands on my jeans, I went to the door and opened it. There stood Debbie.
    She looked beautiful wearing a floral print dress. She wore more make-up than usual. The increased highness of her cheekbones made her blue eyes dazzle. The orchid behind her ear complimented her blonde, shoulder-length hair. The dress stopped just above the knees, showing off the rest of her tanned legs. Her high heels added another two or three inches to her height.
    "You look stunning," I said. "Please, come in."  She walked past me and looked around the room.
    "Nice," she commented. She turned around to face me.
    I produced a single red rose from behind my back, and offered it to her. "For you. Beauty begets beauty."
    She smiled, took it out of my hand and smelled it. "It's lovely. Thank you."
    "Would you like a beer? They're still cold." I moved