Redemption

~40~

"Stop laughing you awful man!" Issy rubbed her forehead and brought her hand back, slapping it on the steering wheel.

She was driving a stolen car, well it wasn't stolen stolen, but Frank the Security guard didn't know John had swiped the keys from behind the front desk and now here she was driving a:

Lincoln back to the Lake with the possible threat of Larceny hanging over her head.

Lovely.

But that wasn't why John was laughing...

"I'm sorry" he giggled "But it's fucking hilarious Isabelle"

"You are a mean, mean person, stop laughing. You're making me feel terrible"

John sobered for a few seconds and Issy drew a quiet breath of grateful relief, he may have passed the phase...

He hadn't.

He was just thinking something up to continue his teasing of the woman beside him. A woman that was neat, tidy, correct, a bit of Cyn he supposed ... proper. Oh, she had all her wonderful sides and endearing moments, and could entertain his whims well. Sex was great and often, banter off the charts ... but she had a miniscule Achilles' heel of propriety and correctness. Thus why, this funny business was indeed funny; hilariously so.

John dug around in the glovebox in front of him....

"Congratulations Isabelle! you've just been censored by the US board of Stick in the Mud Inc" John pretended to offer her a 'certificate.'

It was a registration slip from the glove box but it served its purpose. Issy bat the offending page away and near growled at John's highly amused, I'm so clever face. "You're a very naughty gurrl Isabelle. I knew you had it in you, just took my bad influence and voilà! Here we have exhibit A" John pointed at Issy as she rolled her eyes "Miss Isabelle..... aka Gieselleeeee, censored for pornographic material!"

John started laughing his head off, again. Absolutely cracking up, curled up, knees drawn to his middle, one arm latched across his stomach, laughter.

It was kinda nice actually- John's happiness, not Issy's publishers request for a partial rewrite of her manuscript.

Maybe it got a bit too true to life.... John had said it made his toes curl and he was pretty rev'd and randy after reading it over, checking for mistakes, offering alternate positions ... Issy had placed a full stop on the last chapter only three days before they had driven back down to New York and the bed had gotten a thorough work out either side of the journey. John even wanted to go 'parking' in some derelict parking area he had remembered passing on the way north on his last trip. To 'create some vehicular rock'n'roll'. But, out and out porno... ugh.

Thank god it didn't go straight into print!

"That's it, stop that rot Isabelle"

John caught Issy's bottom lip. The pouting lip was soft between his fingers and he tugged gently, letting it go when a tiny smile pulled the corners of her mouth upward.

"You're thinking again" He stated sagely; then he chattered away with all his wisdom and wise-ness exploding from within "Bloody dangerous that sort of thought of idle thinking. Thinking gets you into trouble or turns you into a sad sack of dreary emotions. Laugh girl, it's bloody funny and look... nothing happened, no one got hurt, no one read it bar me and that Lori lass and some muddy stick. Now you go back to the lake and adjust those scenes of you and moi in between the sheets to something a little more PG"

"...For the sticks in the mud"

"Exactly, for the sticks in the mud" John gazed out the window, dragging the winder round and round til the window was fully open and fresh air flooded the car, whipping past his ears. Bloody brill. He turned back to Issy wondering. Her hand was trying desperately to capture wayward locks as it flicked around her face