Before Jericho

Chapter 5 Monday

Kendall Ashford wasn't anything like James remembered. He'd picked her up in a cab, forgoing the rigmarole of collecting his car, which he rarely drove. She came down the steps to her condo in a very short mini-skirt. James compared it immediately to the ones he'd seen streetwalkers wear in the questionable areas of Savannah. She also wore a tube top that left little of her breasts actually covered. He made her go put on a jacket before she even entered the cab, as they wouldn't be allowed into Palmetto Filet with her looking like that. She did so begrudgingly and when she came back she was wearing a denim jacket that was completely out of place but he didn't say anything. She began to enter the cab and asked him if he wanted to do a line of cocaine. He said hell no, and he made her go back upstairs again to put it up.

When she finally entered the cab, she prattled on non-stop. James longed for ear-plugs after just a couple minutes. First, she caught him up on her life, in near complete detail, since they had dated. He found out during her rambling that he actually wasn't interested in any of it. She spoke of a pregnancy scare she'd had the summer before with a vacationer from Ohio. She then went into detail about the many men she'd dated since him, going into extremely graphic detail about one guy with an enormous dick that was always extremely red. The cab driver even chuckled at this point. When James finally asked her what happened to the girl he used to know, the one that was looking for something serious, she laughed her head off, like it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard. She said she was just living wild and free now. There was a definite invitation in her voice that he didn't care for. Fuck, he thought.

The cab dropped them off at the hotel just after eight fifteen and she still hadn't stopped talking. The driver gave him a look of sympathy as he paid him and he just shook his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at his misfortune. As they entered, James excused himself and went to the front desk. Kendall sat down on a plush couch across the room, pulled out her phone and busied herself with scrolling across social media sites. Terry was at the front desk, like he said he'd be, but was having a hushed argument with a housekeeper. James caught the phrase "dry towels" before Terry shooed her away and came to him. He looked at Kendall and smiled wryly.

"Barely made dress code, brother." He chuckled.

"Fuck yourself, Terrance." James said, frustrated.

"Where'd you did her up at? Savannah? Red-light district?" Terry was still chuckling.

"Damn it man, she used to be this shy, cool, girl and now...Fuck." James exclaimed.

"Gutter trash." Terry finished for him.

"Yes, exactly. Cancel that room, if you were saving one, this will not be an all-night affair and also you can sleep easy knowing your condo is safe from violation." James groaned. "How the hell did this happen, Terry? Last time I knew her she didn't even want to have sex and now she puts even me to shame with her stories." Terry started laughing. "I'm dead serious man, she said shit in the cab that I don't think I'll ever forget. Could have made a hooker blush." Terry increased the volume of his laughter, enough for Kendall to notice. She looked up from her scrolling and posting for a moment and then immediately back down, glued to her screen. James was looking back at her during these. "Fuck." He exclaimed again.

"Ditch the bitch." Terry laughed.

"Believe me I will, but now is not the time. I need a good excuse."

"Well then go to dinner with the train-wreck and make up one while you're eating."

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." James was desperate, looking for a way out. "Ok fine, but if the bitch gets crazy I'm walking out and leaving her for security to deal with." Terry started laughing again at his friend's misfortune as James moved off and collected his date from the couch. Terry caught sight of her pantie less vagina as she got up and grimaced. Fuck, he thought. Kendall pushed her phone back into her top and followed James out the door. She had to hustle in her heels, as James was walking briskly.