Free Butterflies in Heat by Darwin Porter

of Lola's face in the darkened cell. She inhaled deeply, then looked at Numie. "He needs this more than we do," she said, passing the cigarette to him.
    Numie took it, staring first at Yellowwood, then at Lola. He put the tip to his mouth and sucked in the smoke.
    Then Lola took it back, leading the way up the corridor, her high heels clanking against the pavement.
    "Hey, baby, look what I've got for you," a bearded shrimper yelled, waving his cock at her.
    She abruptly stopped in front of his cell looking at the prisoner, her face a mask of contorted charm. Then she took her cigarette and jabbed it into his nest of pubic hair. He jumped back screaming.
    "The next time you see a lady, creep, act accordingly."
    Outside the jail, Lola's sports car gleamed in the moonlight. She stood to the side, as Yellowwood rushed to open the door.
    Numie got behind the driver's seat, accepting the slightly crushed cigarette from Lola.
    "Anything I can do to make this up, Lola," Yellowwood said, "just let me know."
    She ignored him.
    Out of the parking lot and up the darkened street, Numie steered the Facel-Vega and sucked in more smoke from Leonora's blue marijuana cigarette.
    Johnny Yellowwood faded in the rear-view mirror.

Chapter Seven
    Numie braked the Facel-Vega in front of Commodore Philip's.
    He rubbed the hammerlike throbbing in his forehead between his eyes. His whole body ached.
    "I hope you're not too worn out to perform," Lola said.
    "Yeah," he muttered. "I can still get it on. Too bad, though, I'm in such rotten shape for my premiere."
    "We have the whole bar to ourselves tonight," she said, turning the key in the lock.
    Commodore Philip's was completely deserted, except for a lazy calico cat on the comer of the bar. He aroused himself slightly at the sight of Lola and Numie, then settled back into sleep.
    Swinging his legs over a bar stool, Numie eyed the booze. "I need a stiff one."
    "So do I, handsome," Lola said, "but I think we're talking about two different things."
    "Later, later," he cautioned. "First, the machine has to be lubricated. In minutes, the liquor was racing through his body. "Now for the big question. Who in hell is Commodore Philip? Jesus Christ with gold balls?"
    "My lover man," she said, pouring herself a drink.
    "Is he a real commodore?"
    "Sort of," she answered matter-of-factly. "Owns a boat or two. Commodores and sea captains are always gay, darling. They learn it during those long voyages away from women."
    "I don't know about that, but do you really have something going with him?"
    "He's devoted to me," she said. "He worships my every move. I've been with him for years. Came to work as a maid. That was a long time ago when I had dyed my hair red. He took quite a fancy to me."
    "And he allows you to go around whoring?"
    "Please," she said. "Watch your language in front of a lady. My commodore and I have worked out a compromise. He has a bad heart condition—one so awful he could go at any minute. When I started working for him, he thought I was real pretty. I started peeling everything off—everything except my red panties—thinking he wanted to ball. Then he told me the sad news. All he wanted was for me to parade around in front of him—doing lewd things." She sighed. "It was hard for me to think of anything lewd seeing that I'm a lady. But he told me some things he wanted, and I did them just to please him. I felt sorry for a man who can only watch."
    "Maybe that's what he really digs," Numie said. "Like your friend, Yellowwood."
    "No friend of mine," she said. "The sheriff's a real sickie. But my commodore is very gentle. He just whispers encouragements while I get it on with a super stud."
    "The commodore must have a lot of pull in this town if you can just walk in the jailhouse and get me out while blowing smoke up his nose."
    "My commodore is a very rich man, and Yellowwood is on the take. He was just a cheap crook in the bolita racket until my commodore bought the office of