Circle of Fire

Ch. 3 Sally

I took to my heels because those three were crazy, absolutely crazy! I didn’t know what to do with the bow and necklace, so I just shrugged and put them into my saddlebag. Funny thing about saddle bags. Normally, when a person has one, they have a horse too. I didn’t. I lost my horse aways back and never quite replaced him. Ah well, the saddlebag comes in handy an awful lot, and I always did enjoy walking. Gave one time to think.

Maybe it was predestined, or maybe it was just my subconscious, but I continued to follow that blue star for quite a while. When I realized what I was doing, I immediately decided to change direction. That was when I met Sally, or at least that was what I liked to call her.

Sally was tall, Nubian, and absolutely gorgeous. Looking at her made me weak in the knees. This was a woman a man could fantasize about until the end of his days and never want for anything again.

As I stared at her, my mouth on the ground, she spoke to me, “Hey there fella, are you looking for some company?” Her voice was husky and turned me on almost as much as her body had. I still couldn’t speak, but she didn’t seem to mind. She just continued to walk toward me in an unhurried, long-legged stride that was very much a part of her.

“Um...sure, sure Ma’am. I’d be obliged!” I was stumbling all over myself, but she never seemed to notice. She just smiled a soft, mysterious smile and looked over me. Her eyes seemed to take in everything about me in her quick glance, and I felt myself straightening and sucking in my stomach. Not that I needed to suck in all that much, but it never hurt either.

“So nice of you Mr.…?” she enquired smoothly.

“Carver, my name is Carver, Ma’am and I would appreciate it if you would call me by my first name. May I enquire what yours may be?” I was ultra-polite, there was no way I was letting this sweet woman travel alone without my protection.

“Shausha Chabliss Fashanu, but you may call me Shausha, of course.” I blinked a couple times as I tried to absorb a name that was that long with that many syllables. And I thought my mother was name happy when she named me Austin Carver Blake…wow!

“Well...Shausha, would you mind very much if I just called you Sally?” It sounded so much simpler, and easier if I called her that. Every time I said the word Shausha, it reminded me of that Mexican dance I had heard about, something - Cha Cha.

It was Shausha’s turn to blink before she smiled rather tightly at my ignorance and replied, “Why, of course, I wouldn’t mind if you called me Sally. So ignominious of you, Carver, to think of something so…simple.”

I grinned, I didn’t know what ignominious was, but it sure had to be something good considering how sweet her tone had been when she said it. Boy, I liked this woman. Smart and beautiful, how lucky could one guy get? Surely, surely, she couldn’t be married. I hope?

“Um, Sally, where is your husband at? He should be taking care of a woman as fine as you.” I knew I hadn’t stated that with any sense of subtlety, but I hoped she wouldn’t hear the eagerness in my voice to know whether she was married or not.

“Why honey, I’m not married. I’ve never found a man who quite…fit the bill for dear little me.” Was it my imagination, or was she gritting her teeth? I must have imagined it.

“That’s good. Er, I mean not good, that’s too bad, but I’m sure there’s a man out there who’s just right for you.” Wonderful, she’s not married, so that means she was fair game. Good.

“I’m sure there is, somewhere.” Her voice now sounded wistful, and she was looking at me in a way that made my body go warm and my heart start to pound. “But until that time comes Carver, would you mind very much if I stayed with you?”

Was she kidding? Any man in his right mind wouldn’t care if she stayed until she was ninety! I hastened to reassure her, “Of course not! You can stay with me a longtime honey; I won’t ever get tired of someone as beautiful as you are.”

I watched as she smiled a slow, satisfied smile. She sure was pretty. I wonder how long her legs really are? I would have to find out later that night I promised myself.

“Well Sally, we need to get going. This neck of the woods is filled with unsavoriness, and I wouldn’t want to see you scared if I had to fight off anything. Come along.”

With that, I grabbed her hand and we set off once more. This time in a new direction that Sally pointed out. I didn’t pay attention to where; it didn’t matter as long as Sally was there too…