Gerty…(9)

Johnny continued to drive until he found a small strip mall with a dumpster fairly out of sight where evidence of their picnic could be disposed of. Gerty reluctantly put on some clothes and was convinced that the sex could wait until it was more comfortable and private. Johnny found a gas station to fill up and for Gerty to wash up better to get rid of any remaining blood. As usual Johnny always had sense of foreboding anytime Gerty would leave him and chance a run in with a member of the opposite sex. Happily, Gerty skipped out the gas station door with her endearing smile, a cute pair of shorts and tight little t-shirt that would make any man take a second look.
Johnny didn’t have any real travel plans other than to make their way west with the Rocky Mountains in the back of his mind. For some reason he pictured the two of them in some cabin in the mountains away from other men and darkness they caused in Gerty’s heart. Johnny didn’t want to admit it yet but he knew that Gerty had attached herself to him and any thoughts of goodbye might have some interesting consequences. To Johnny, those consequences were of no concern as deep down he knew that Gerty and he will either find their way together or something very terminal was bound to come their way. Johnny was in it for the long haul.
"So Babe, what’s your poison regarding music? Do you wanna cut a country rug or shake out some rock and roll?"
Gerty just smiled and said,
"As long as I’m with you Johnny I’m happy. Fun is fun."
Johnny thought, yes indeed, fun is fun.
After bypassing Topeka Johnny decided Salina would be a good stop. Country music seemed to be the choice and a cold beer was a cold beer. Johnny eventually found a bar called the Paramount and it looked like they had a band and piped in music. Both he and Gerty were happy to get out of the truck and stretch their legs. Johnny grabbed Gerty’s hand and said,
"It’s you and me Gerty. No need for more money or to straighten anyone out right?"
Gerty had a sheepish smile and looked at Johnny sideways and replied,
"Righto Romeo."
Into the fray they went. The backpack securely locked in the truck and as far as Johnny could tell an unarmed Gerty by his side.
Johnny made his way to the back of the bar and found a booth close to where the band might play later in the evening. Three pool tables seemed to be doing a fair business and the bar was about half full of what looked like a local crowd. The jukebox was crooning away at a moderate level and there was a small dance floor for those who wished to shuffle their feet a bit. Jill, are pleasant but slightly overexposed waitress stopped by and presented two menus and promised our beers were on their way. Gerty clearly was surveying the crowd for what Johnny thought might be either a safety plan or the best exit route. Eventually she came back around to him and everything seemed just fine.
"So Gerty do you shoot any pool? I promise not to be too hard on you.
Gerty scoffed and said,
"Uh, where did you meet me slick? Boys like girls who are bent over tables sticking their butts out." You know that I like meeting my boys."
Johnny know only too well that Gerty liked meeting her boys but the dates ended up very short and had tragic endings.
Jill came back with two frosty mugs to go with two long neck bottles of Budweiser. Johnny ordered a plate of cheesy fries to share and Jill was off without comment. Gerty was giving her a long look and then back to Johnny.
"Johnny, do find her pretty?
Johnny’s brain echoed a laugh inside for a question that goes in the "you got to be shitting me" file.
"There is only one woman is this bar that gets a look from me and she is sitting here right at this table. Now there will be no more of that Gerty. You’re my darling and no one else."
Gerty gleamed a smile and said,
"Let’s go kick Johnny’s butt in a game of pool."
Gerty and Johnny walked over and found one table empty and two quarters later Johnny was racking up fifteen. Before they started two mid twenty year lads came over and asked if we might like to play two on two Surprisingly, Gerty blurted out a yes before Johnny could think twice and the match was on. The boys were actually polite and fun and Gerty was a worthy partner. This was not her first rodeo. Johnny usually played for money on his pool game so their opponents were quickly eliminated.
The pool tables continued to get more crowded as the evening progressed as the tables were full and many spectators who entertaining themselves while drinking and hanging with their friends.
Johnny forgot about Gerty and her trouble with men as they were getting a glow on and having fun whipping on the locals. Everything was very friendly as no money touched the table. Losing gracefully tends to be a trait that does not involve the loss of money. But like many things in life, all good things must come to an end.
The theory that there is one in every crowd came to light that evening as three loud and obviously drunk men made their way to the tables. A beer bellied cad of a man by the name of Huck cleared a path to the back wall where most onlookers copped a lean to watch the games. Huck had two sidekicks who were his buffoons who thought that they had his back when things got dicey. It didn’t two minutes to see that Huck had his eyes on Gerty and could care less if she was with Johnny or not.
Johnny never backed down from a fight and took his lumps on occasion because of it. this was different as he had to think about Gerty first. Johnny knew that if he got in a tussle Gerty might find the need to add her two cents in and that is usually a lot more expensive than it sounds.
Huck started in with what was the locals knew as his normal trash talk.
"Hey sweetheart, you can hold my stick anytime."
Johnny thought this surely will go downhill right away. Surprisingly Gerty just gave him a wink and said,
"You’re a funny man is what you are."
Huck stepped a little closer and showed his tobacco stained teeth and replied,
"Honey, there’s no joking going on here. Show me what you got darlin."
Gerty came around the table slowly. She was acting fairly provocative with the pool stick in her hand and the butt planted to the floor like a walking stick. Johnny was having major deja vu and decided he must distract the drunk or their secrets might become fodder for the morning news.
"Knock it off asshole." was best that Johnny could come up with.
The tables went quiet and Huck turned towards Johnny as he huffed a laugh and said,
"You got to be kidding me greaseball. The little lady wants a real man. Right sweetheart?"
Huck took two steps toward Johnny as Johnny raised his pool cue to remind Huck that things might not go so easy on him when a very familiar expression appeared on his face.
Johnny did not hear the whoosh of air associated with the golf swing Gerty had just performed which neatly ended smack-dab where Huck testicles were recently located. The only rush of air that came out was every last drop of air from Huck’s lungs. Johnny, already in the middle of his fight

plan had begun his home run swing to the side of Huck’s head which snapped the cue in two. Both Gerty and Johnny turned towards Huck’s friends and they clearly were not interested in any further discussion of the matter.
Johnny looked around and said,
"Anyone else have anything to say?’
The bartender and what must have been the bouncer came over and grabbed the friends of bleeding and down for the count Huck.
The bouncer said,
"Figures, you assholes get him off my floor. Sorry folks, I don’t know why I keep letting them in here. You all okay?"
Gerty replied,
"Fine as a fiddle, thanks!"
As the three were tossed from the bar a light applause broke out from the crowd. Apparently, Huck was not the most popular man in town.
Johnny slipped over to Gerty and gave her a kiss on her temple and whispered in her ear,
"I thought you promised no daddio’s."
Gerty put her arms around his neck and gave him a hug and with a wink said,
"He’ll live."