Iceman by Rex Miller Page A

over and lost Jack after the “DNA stepping stones,” and when he paused, Jack said “Okay,” and thanked him.
    But there weren't no okay to it this time.

North Buckhead
    “ Y ou smell delicious,” he told her, his arm pulling her close.
    “Oh!” Thunder struck again and she shivered. Diane was sitting on his bed beside him. She felt small and she was glad she wasn't spending the night alone.
    “Are you afraid of a little thunderstorm?” he whispered softly, cuddling her.
    “Uh huh,” she said, like a little girl. It had been a weird night with Nicki, the secretary calling for her. All businesslike and somewhat brusque. Making her bring a suitcase, of all things, helping her pack, which she kind of fought until it was explained that he was planning some kind of nutty surprise. He was going to take her somewhere ... But what about the bank? All taken care of, they assured her. Something very weird going on here. A surprise vacation? She had put in for three long weekends and a week in the spring. But he was being groomed for the board at the bank and was on a first-name basis with her boss. He played golf with her boss, he assured her, which she didn't believe at first. HOW? she wondered.
    “You don't have to worry about a little thunder, baby. You're safe and cozy,” he purred to her. He had given Nicki instructions. Bring this. Bring that. She was packed for a longer stay than a weekend. He promised he'd tell her later. Then there were the crazy notes. He made her write this nonsense note to Bonnie, and a note to somebody without a salutation much less an address. Notes on postcards. A gag, he said. Some sort of practical joke.
    The thunderclap made her jump again and he chuckled.
    “Don't be scared. You're so beautiful,” he told her, kissing her on the hair.
    “No. I'm not."
    “You know what you really are?"
    “Huh?"
    “I tell you no lie, Princess Di. You're fucking drop-dead beautiful!” And that broke him up and he laughed with joy. “That's it, darling. Drop-dead beautiful!” He kissed her through the giggle and she snuggled close. And then she started to ask him about all the mystery.
    “What's all this with the suitcase and the cards, honey? Please. Tell me what's going on?"
    But just then Nicki came in the room, saying, “Excuse me, hope I'm not interrupting,” talking to him about something she couldn't follow, sitting on the bed beside her quite naturally as she spoke, her long, slim legs stretched out in front of her, the three of them together on the bed.
    “Hey, Princess, I've got a neat idea,” he said to her softly. “Why don't the three of us kind of cuddle together? Would you like that, baby? You and me and Nicki?"
    She thought he was joking. “Oh, sure. "
    “Hear that, Nicki, she likes the idea."
    “So do I,” Nicki said.
    “Hey! What the hell? I was just kidding.” She moved Nicki's thin fingers from her arm. “What the hell is this?"
    “Just a little lovin'? Don't you like Nicki?"
    “I like guys, if you haven't noticed. I don't happen to go for other girls.” She was irritated now. Diane was rather homophobic, for one thing.
    “Well, that's no big deal,” her strange boyfriend told her. “Nicki ain't a girl, she's a guy."
    She knew as he spoke that it was true. “Oh, sure,” she said again. The damn thunder was making her jumpy. And now THIS dumb scene. “Listen, I think I wanna go home. Would you mind?” She thought of the woman's face. The jawline. Mannish in profile.
    “I don't think she believes us, Nick. Are you gaffed?” The slim woman beside her shook her head. “Pull up your skirt, doll. Show Princess Di what you have between those lovely legs."
    “Come on,” she told him. “This isn't funny ... JESUS!” She jumped out of bed. Nauseated. Shocked. Nicki's long, dark penis lay across her thigh. Diane was horrified. “GOD!"
    “See?"
    “Get away from me."
    “Okay. Okay.” He got her gentled down after Nicki left the room.
    “He's a