Chapter 47

When one car slowed down on the highway the others followed suit. John's car stopped at a relatively abandoned gas station, looking more like a barn in the middle of no where. Inside there were restrooms, which most everyone took advantage of, and snacks and drinks were bought. The gang were out of the car only minutes but Billie walked the entire time, at one point raising her hands in the air and stretching her arms. They were somewhere outside Decatur and there were many more hours to drive.

Jane walked out of the station with several magazines under her arm. Red was the one already in the backseat, propped up against the door and dozing off. He deserved his rest. The women would sit in the backseat with Red, John and Homer in the front. They piled back in the car, John hesitating outside the open door. When Billie walked by to slip in to the backseat John reached out, touching her arm. Instinctively understanding she stepped up on her toes, to two leaning in to each other, and shared a quick kiss. When John climbed behind the wheel he was smirking.

This time Billie sat next to the door. The seats were still crowded and when Jane opened up a magazine Billie could see the whole page as well. It was easy to talk to her, something Billie appreciated wholly. Jane liked all the feminine things that Billie herself liked and expected all women to enjoy- clothes, jewelry, make up. She was sure that Mairy liked these things too, but due to her attitude it felt bizarre to picture them conversing and sharing opinions as she was doing now.

After going through articles of clothes Jane turned the page to a dessert recipe. She commented on how she disliked the baking process of that certain dish, then apologized for complaining. "Oh- but you're probably not interested in that."

Billie caught on to her meaning, shaking her head. "Oh, I am. I can cook..."

Her assumption had been correct and Jane looked at her, pleasantly surprised. "Do you? Wonderful," she smiled, then beginning to tell her about her disastrous attempt some nights ago to create a new dessert. "I saw the recipe in a paper. Beignet's," she said, pronouncing the word exactly as it had been written on the paper.

Billie frowned. "Beignet's?"

Jane nodded, explaining that they were a kind of French pastry, dessert like, fried and covered with powdered sugar. The connection was made and Billie smiled. "Oh, beignet's!" she said, pronouncing the word as it was meant to be said- ben yey. The two shared a laugh. From then on Billie understood all her comments, mentioning that it was made much the same way as fry bread, a classic Native American food. She explained how the bread was made, starting from scratch to create the dough and then frying, it edible plain or with beans or topped with sweet things for a dessert version.

"Yeah?" Jane was interested with the knowledge the young girl possessed, warming to her even more. "I should try making it one day. Will you help me?"

The younger girl was beyond agreeable.

They continued to look at the magazine, over more food advertisements and recipes, adding more to their list of "will-makes" in the future. At one point Jane spotted a pie containing raisins, suddenly looking forlorn. "I couldn't make it... Red's allergic to raisins." At the mention of the mans name Billie glanced to him, seeing that his large body still possessed a kind of authority even in sleep. The man was out cold. She pondered that she didn't know what John was allergic to.

It wasn't much longer until Jane was yawning, and Billie found herself looking over the magazines alone. The woman had begun to sleep lightly, leaning into Red's arm. Billie tossed the magazines aside, looking out the window. Greenery passed by in a blur. She'd never been to Iowa. Had John? Again Billie started to feel sullen with her lack of knowledge toward John. It was only natural; they weren't experts on one another, not yet, but she was still frustrated. Looking forward she had a clear view of the back of his head. She saw another scar, low on his neck, like a bare spot in his hair. That, too, she knew nothing of.

Pushing away her qualms she smiled, leaning forward. Her fingers touched the back of his neck, sweeping down in small caresses. John tried to glace at her over his shoulder, his face lighting up instantly. "Hi, baby."

Billie sat completely forward in her seat, then able to wrap her arms around his neck. "Hi baby," she murmured back against his ear, her voice seductive. Her lips puckered lightly against his ear and down his neck, John shivering. He stirred in his seat, aroused. "You're speeding," she told him lightly. He smiled in response.

As John had done to her to relax her to sleep, Billie then began to knead his shoulder blades. Her strength was much less than his, she having to push hard against his muscles, moving her fingers in a circular motion. After several moments of this John started to arch his neck back, unconsciously wanting to be closer to her. It felt glorious. He didn't know why she had come to him like that suddenly, affectionate and flirtatious, but he was glad for it. He wanted to be near her too, wishing that they were alone again. He thought he felt her lips again, somewhere on his neck, and he let out a low moan. Weakened by his lack of sleep, stress, and her touch, John's eyes closed for a brief moment. There was a honk and the car jerked.

"'ey!" Homer yelped as the car went off course. The horn had come from another car on the road, thankfully it belonging to the gang following just behind them. Annoyed at the almost accident and the couples affection, Homer jerked around in his seat and glared at Billie. She was beginning to think it was the only expression he could make. "Lay off him, would ya?"

"Calm down," John said sternly, reaching out and slapping him hard on the chest. John could often sound ferocious when he didn't mean it deep down. Billie knew this was one of those times. She sat back in her seat, again looking out the window, smirking.

- - -

They were headed for a place called Mason City. She found out from Red, who had woken some hours later, that this destination was picked because of its security. The gang had friends. Gangsters, those who didn't hate each other, used their alliances for all kinds of support. She listened to name after name being mentioned, eventually failing to even try to put them all together, but she understood the bottom
line- friends of friends of some man with a bookmaking racket in Chicago had connections near Mason City. They would be able to settle the gang as safely as possible.

When they neared it was sundown. The gang was to split up; some headed into the city while others would stay the night in a hotel outside of town. Billie couldn't see much of the area but what she did see was unimpressive. What would she do here? She would be bored and alone while John was busy planning a robbery. It would be the first one Billie experienced; not first hand, and definitely not partaking in the crime, but it affected her greatly. That would be the real test, she thought, as to whether she could handle this kind of existence. She was worried, incredibly, for many things and again John was a cool customer. Robberies had to be second nature to him by now.

They were alone. When the gang split John was again given his car, he and Billie taking up the front seat. The two were going to stop somewhere to eat, not having done so all day except for some little snacks, and go to the hotel later. The kicker was they would be sharing a room. It was just another thing to worry about. Billie didn't want to get in the habit of nagging or nit-picking, but there was so much she could call on. She feared that expressing her worry would look like badgering. Thanks to these thoughts Billie said nothing on the matter until she was seated across from John in a dingy restaurant. She felt a need to speak and finally did so after they had ordered.

"John, I don't want to share our room with Pete and Mairy."

He looked to her, unsuspecting of such words and the torment across her face. She was worried and looked troubled by bring up the subject. He understood already. "Well, sweetheart, I don't know if there will be another option."

She was frowning. "Why can't we stay with Red and Jane?"

John sighed, reaching across the table. Their hands came together. "They won't be at the hotel. The rooms are already paid for," he told her quietly, looking deeply into her eyes. "It just happened to work out that way..."

They held the gaze for a moment then Billie looked away. He was looking at her too sincerely, too concerned. She didn't want to be upset but she was. From looking down in her lap she muttered, "She doesn't like me. What if she says something?"

Those words made John's face harden. "I'd like to see her try." Billie gave the smallest of smiles but still didn't look up. John squeezed her hands, she then relenting. "Mairy's a kill-joy. You can't let her bother you. She's just jealous, doll."

Billie considered this. How could she, young and naive, be the envy of a grown woman who seemed more powerful and confident than she could ever be? What did she have? The thought came haltingly. John. He was the only thing she had and he was everything. Billie looked at him across the table, his brutally handsome face, dark features, and the look of concern he harbored just for her. She imagined anyone to be envious of that.

"What's she jealous of?" she turned the question to John. He started to smirk.

"Well you're young, and beautiful, and smart. You have everything going for you. The world's at your feet. You're happy."

She listened with another small smile. "And I have you."

They starred at one another, both smirking, but he understood her meaning the more he looked in her eyes. He arched his head to the side, looking as though he might laugh. Then, he shook his head.

"You don't think she wants you?"

Billie remembered the poker game and how Pete treated Mairy. There was nothing visibly special about their relationship, and really it was more offensive and pitying. When John looked at Billie the whole room could tell he was in love with her. To say the very least, he treated her like she was more important than anyone else. Any woman would have been jealous of that, and especially one who was receiving bad attention or none at all. Still, John shook his head.

"Nah. She doesn't look at me like that."

She decided to take his word for it. John and Mairy had known each other longer than she knew either of them combined. It was easy to believe him when she thought about all the positives in their relationship and the simple fact that, in his eyes, she was the only one. John was glad to have momentarily eased her worries, but he still saw tension around her eyes and remembered her apprehension when bringing up the subject. He had left her crying in Indiana and that subject hadn't been touched again even though he'd promised.

"Is there anything else you wanna talk about?" he asked gently, searchingly.

There was everything, but she knew what he was referring to. Specifically it was departing Indiana in the middle of the night due to her own wanted poster. She opened her mouth to speak, having more than enough worries, but no kind of sentence formed. She wanted to wait until they were home when she realized neither of them had a home. When they left they would be heading to a hotel, one they were to share with another couple. Billie sighed heavily but managed a smile. "Later."