Sunday afternoon Gale rode his Harley to Muriel's house in Woodway. It wasn't unusual for him to stop by unannounced. Besides, Muriel claimed to be psychic. "Darling. What a nice surprise." Gale smelled the booze on her from the night before. "Surprise? You should know I'm coming. Aren't you clairvoyant?" Gale held his helmet in his hand. "I know you need me. That much I know." Muriel opened the door for him, inviting him into her black and white tiled foyer. "Leather chaps over soft blue jeans. Nice touch." She caressed his hair. "You always appear to be a model off the pages for some ribbed or flavored exotic prophylactic." She grinned broadly. Gale smirked. "Stop thinking dirty thoughts about me." "I never stop, darling, you know that. Give me a kiss." He leaned down and pecked her cheek, then set his helmet beside the front door. "What can I get you?" Muriel's pink boa feather slippers made shushing noises as she walked to the kitchen. Her matronly figure was draped in a floral print robe. "Coffee?" Gale admired the spacious rooms as he passed through the hall. A stark comparison to his one bedroom dump in the U-District. Tipping coffee into a mug at the counter, Muriel asked, "To what do I owe this honor?" She added sugar and cream, the way Gale liked it. Gale sat on a bar stool in front of it, feeling the touch of her hand again in his hair. "Are you joining me? Or are you just going to stand there and fondle me?" "Well," her eyebrow raised. "Is that a list of my options?" "Sit." He gestured to the stool across the counter from him. Once she relaxed with a cup of coffee of her own, Gale could tell Muriel was lost on him, watching his mouth. After a few gulps of sweet coffee, Gale grew annoyed by her dazed expression and cleared his throat. "Muriel. You're worse than usual. Cut it out." His skin heated up. He knew she was visualizing him naked. She had told him how often she tried to ‘conjure' him up for her fantasies. "Sorry." She snapped into focus. "You were saying?" "Tell me everything you know about Jonathan Strickland." "Why do you want to know?" Gale leaned his elbows on the counter to speak more intimately. "I got some strange vibes from him last night. What's he into?" "Nothing unusual, my sweet. He's married, has two adult children, a Cocker Spaniel, a Mercedes, and a nice home in the suburbs. That's all there is." "That's it?" "Sorry, dear." Muriel sipped her coffee. "Did you want me to tell you he's a closet homosexual who loves leather?" Gale smiled. "Yes." Her eyes lit up in amusement. "You could tempt any man to the ‘dark side'." "Don't use that phrase." Gale shivered. "Sorry. The image of your tattoo is like a brand on my brain." "I wish I'd never gotten it. How stupid was I?" Gale shook his head. "You were fifteen and dabbling into drugs and the occult. You won't be the first, nor the last." "I know. But I regret it. I feel as if the shadows won't leave me alone." Muriel waved his comment off. "You know, it's odd you're asking me about him." Gale perked up. "Who?" "Jonathan." "Why?" "Because Jonathan asked me to ask you to phone him." "He wants me to call him?" Gale's skin covered in chills. Muriel studied Gale's eyes. He assumed she was ‘reading' him. She claimed it was her favorite pastime. "He knows you hate your job. Why don't you meet with him and see what he can do for you." "My job? Believe me, if Jonathan wants me to call him, it's got nothing to do with work." "Gale, everyone can see how unhappy you are. You need looking after. Jonathan is just being fatherly." "You're talking such crap. He wants to stick his dick up my ass." Gale noticed Muriel's stare intensify. "Fine. If you want, I'll call him." Gale shrugged. "I don't know what you expect him to do for me other than proposition me. I already have everything I need." "Your leathers and your Harley." She smirked. "You forgot cock." "Oh! Heaven forbid." She rolled her eyes. "There are finer things in life and I want to see you enjoy them all. You need to be spoiled. You've had too much misery not to have it good now." Gale felt his expression darken. "I'm not miserable anymore. Don't worry about me." "I do worry. You're such a liar." She smiled to soften the blow.
