Carousel the Relapse: Spinning out of Control

By Kimberley Rose Dawson

Liz Burgess love addiction, her Carousel is re-ignited after lying dormant
For twenty years when she meets up with an old flame

Then at the age of sixty-six she ends up in a relationship with a thirty-six year old man and is devastated when he leaves her for another older woman

Her Carousel starts to spin out of control when she falls in love with three different men at the same time. Will one of them win her heart?

Will she be able to get off the Carousel or will it spin her into a dilemma she cant find her way out of?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9781468524345

Kimberley Rose Dawson

Kimberley Rose Dawson has written three books Carousel, Carousel The Missing Years and Carousel The Relapse. Ms. Dawson has recently sold the film rights to Carousel and Carousel The Missing Years to Eclectic Diversions Inc. A Production company based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Ms Dawson's readers have thoroughly enjoyed reading her first two books and have been anxiously awaiting the release of Carousel The Relapse. Ms. Dawson has recently moved from the mountains of Beautiful British Columbia to Ontario where she was born and raised, a cherished home coming. She has acquired a cozy little apartment in Bradford with an abundance of windows that let in the golden sunlight, a perfect spot for writing. Ms. Dawson lives alone, but enjoys visits with her family of five children, eleven grandchildren and four great grand children who are all still living in Western Canada.

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© 2012 Kimberley Rose Dawson. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 2/28/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4685-2433-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4685-2434-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011962554

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

PROLOGUE

PART I

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

PART II

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

PART III

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

PART IV

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

PART V

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

PART VI

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER 27

PART VII

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER 29

CHAPTER 30

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 33

CHAPTER 34

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Other Books by Kimberley Rose Dawson

Carousel

Carousel The Missing Years

Based on the true story of Elizabeth Burgess’ Relapse of her ‘Carousel’ addiction after it lay dormant for twenty years

This book is dedicated to my dear friend

Jacqueline Marie Stockley

Born July 21, 1943

Died May 12, 2011

This book is a tribute to

William Alexander Bonnor

(Brad Bowen)

Born March 5, 1945

Died February 21, 2011

To My Granddaughter Jasmine

Who we found too late

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Jasmine

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I’d like to thank:

My dear friends Jackie & Annie Stockley and Carol Morris for helping me to escape;

Nancy and Reg Wilson for taking me in when I became homeless;

Mary and Richard Bone for helping me to get a place to live and transportation when I came back to my home of origin;

Diane Scott for buying me a bath pillow and being there for me when I was so lonely;

Samson and Delilah for being there and for not bothering me while I write;

John Stevenson (Homer) for all his support after reading my first two books and assuring me that I am a good writer, Love ya;

Roy Dreosto (who is not just another pretty face) for editing this book, Love ya, buddy;

Ken Patry for all the dinners and for being such a good and understanding friend;

Dale, the computer guy, for making this book possible by adapting my stuff to my laptop when my computer crashed;

Sandy Ford for being such a good friend and prompting me to get a Vancouver Canucks sweater, and for all the man hugs, Love ya friend;

Joanie Matthews for being there for me when I arrived at The Pub;

Carlos Manuel Simonds for teaching me a valuable lesson about men;

Chico, Greg, Irish Jimmy, Glenn, Sonny, Mark, Chris, Mirko, Freddy, Les, Tim, Lawrence, Danny, Kurt, Rob, Joe, Ray, Tommy and any of the men I might have forgotten for all the hugs and attention that kept me going;

And last but not least Kim Weir-Mazerolle and Kim Bartlett for being my friends and for being the two best barmaids in the county.

Carousel: A merry-go-round repeating the same rotations covering the same ground over and over again.

Liz’s was a Carousel of painted white steeds, garlanded with flowers and ribbons with smiles on their faces. Promise of happiness and potential for love was contained in their beauty. As they turn their smiles turn to sneers. Quickly as they go round and round; look they are smiling; look again they are sneering.

Suddenly the Carousel grinds to a screeching halt. The horses’ faces are very sad.

But then the Carousel starts to turn in the opposite direction, whirring madly out of control. Liz must get off, but can she?

PROLOGUE

As long as I keep busy I don’t think or feel. My plans changed yesterday and then I was left with nothing to do so I ate a dozen donuts. I had started to feel bad so I ate to stuff the feelings. I did feel better after.

What was I starting to feel that I wanted to cover over? The grief of Jasmine’s death for sure, but I’ve always felt bad. A great sadness, an emptiness, a loneliness? What is it from? What’s it about? My mind always goes racing frantically trying to find something to do or think so I don’t feel it. Why don’t I just feel it? Because I am afraid it will suck me down into a vortex so deep I will lose myself. What am I afraid of? My own anger under all that sadness, emptiness and loneliness, Peel the layers away. Dare to feel the feelings and get down to the anger.

Go down, go down, go down, see the little girl who would wander away and fall asleep outside all alone with only the wind to caress her. The little girl who was spanked so harshly for what, she didn’t understand. The little girl who was treated mean by her brother, who knew why, jealousy, perhaps? The little girl, whose older sister was mean to her, because she got saddled with her little sister all the time. The little girl, who wasn’t wanted.

The young teenager who was beaten to a pulp and not allowed to see her only true love. The young woman whose husband cheated on her constantly and threw it cruelly in her face. The young woman who cried so hard for him when he left because he was the only love she had, as bad as he was. The young woman who fought so hard to keep from drowning while she held three babies above the water line. The young woman who cried because sometimes she was harsh with her own babies. The young woman who so longed for love that she married a cruel stranger. The young woman who craved for love so badly that she had an affair with a young man who turned out to be a pedophile. The sad degenerate of a woman who finally folded with the weight of the guilt, and the fear, and the emptiness that swallowed her up as she descended into the depths of alcoholism only to explode up through the deep and erupt through the barrier with emotions spraying in every direction. Emotions that were held so deep within they had to spew out, emotions making her nearly crazy.

The middle aged sad woman locked up in a psychiatric ward, trying desperately to heal while wound after wound was torn open again and again in therapy. The mature woman who struggled so hard to be beaten down to the mat time and time again only to keep jumping up and dancing as fast as she could just ahead of her sparring partner, life, until she just couldn’t dance any more because of the sheer exhaustion. The fragile woman who threw herself back in to the volley of looking for love only to be bashed almost beyond recognition at the mercy of the wolves, licking their lips and baring their teeth, hoping to get just one nip at her. But once again she will gather all her strengths and fly and soar above them all. Because she is made of steel, She can’t love or be loved.

PART I

TWO SOUL MATES

CHAPTER 1

SCAPE GOAT

The large thumb of his tanned right hand rubbed the thick black rubber belt. His eyes glazed over as his mind drifted down, down, down into a vortex of pain. The pain was etched on his handsome face. His square jaw was clenched and a muscle in his cheek visibly throbbed, a twitching knot of flesh.

You little son of a bitch! How many times do I gotta tell you to watch your little brother?

The stocky thick muscled man raced in a rage toward his twelve year old son.The young lad stood rigid in his tracks knowing what was coming. The washing machine belt with the silver metal clip whistled through the air and found its mark on the boy’s bare back opening a slash down his torso. The flesh quivered as the boy sucked breath in through his clenched teeth.

Hey, Bowen, where are you man? You look like you’re a million miles away. Grant yelled. You gonna hook up that fan belt or what?

Yeah, yeah, Brad uttered, coming back to the present, but the anger lingered in his troubled mind. He picked up the sweating bottle of Molson Canadian and sucked back a large swig, shook his head and the bangs of his chestnut hair swished across his forehead. At 25 years old he stood six feet tall and weighed 185 lbs. He was built like a brick shit house, and was twice as ornery. But the vision of the old man with the belt that plagued him more often than he cared for could still send shivers up his spine. He never could figure out for the life of him why he always got blamed for anything that went wrong on that old farm on the prairies.

In spite of the painful memories of his father’s beatings though, he still loved the land of the living skies as they called it back home. Saskatchewan was his birth place and sometimes he wondered why he was still here in Ontario.

He shook his head trying to shake out the pain, and forced his troubled mind to think about the trophies they would win with the super-dynamic stock car they were putting together. Brad had rebuilt the motor from scratch and being the best mechanic in the county, it wasn’t difficult for him. He had moved from Saskatchewan to Ontario to go to Mechanic’s college when he was twenty-three. His wife Karla and his three sons had moved with him, but Karla had missed the prairies and her parents so much that she had returned to the land of the living skies with her children, leaving Brad to fend for himself. He would have moved back with her, but there wasn’t the work there that he needed to support a wife and three kids; so he had dug in his heels, stubborn man that he was. In his heart he had hoped they’d eventually come back to him.

His friend Murray had done the undercarriage of the vehicle, and Grant was a body man. And among the three of them they had created a demon car that would outrace any of the others. They had set the motor and the drive shaft for precise timing to get the maximum revolutions, and they knew it would work.

Brad hoped for success. He needed it as much as he needed breath and blood. Living with his demons from the past, and then with Karla leaving him, he was beginning to feel like a failure.

**********

Oh, man, would you look at that baby go! Whooeee! Murray shouted as he ran his pudgy hand through his oily sandy coloured hair brushing it off his nose. It flopped right back down over his eyes, and he blew a great gust of wind from his thin lips to blow it back up, and it stubbornly fell back down again. He held it up with his hand as he squinted to see the stock car turn the corner at the far end of the track, several car lengths ahead of the others. Grant sure can make that thing hum. He shouted over the roar of the engines racing past.

Yeah, but without your expertise under that vehicle we couldn’t have done it, Brad said with a grin.

Murray blew his hair up again, and it stood straight up for a few seconds as he muttered, Hmmmppphh. Murray was actually a man of few words. He was not that bright book-wise, but he sure knew his way around a vehicle. Couldna done it without you, Brad. He grinned. They knew the trophy was in the bag as the Black Bandit literally flew around the track past them.

********

Two years and hundreds of trophies later Murray and Brad sauntered into the Beetonia Hotel for some cool brews after a hot and dusty day at the races. A new waitress, dressed in a little pink skort and a white peasant blouse trimmed with embroidered pink flowers, sauntered up to their table. Brad noticed her legs as she approached. They just didn’t quit, and he felt a hardening in his jeans. Karla had been gone for two years. He was really beginning to feel his needs.

Liz nearly flipped out when she set eyes on him. He was wearing a blue plaid shirt, tight blue jeans and cowboy boots, a left over remnant from the prairies. His dark brown hair slanted across his brow almost covering one eye. He then shook his head to move the hair and get a better look. He smiled longingly and Liz returned the smile with all the warmth she could muster. Her ‘Carousel’ started to spin out of control, the ‘Carousel’ that spun with delight every time she saw a good-looking guy that interested her. The ‘Carousel’ usually stayed dormant when she was married, but Norm, her husband, had been so abusive to her that she couldn’t help but look around to keep her self esteem bolstered up.

What can I getcha, she asked, with as much confidence as she could muster.

Two cold Molson Canadian, Brad answered feeling shy, and awkward.

She went to move away from the table with their order, and Brad called her back. She turned and saw a quarter pinched between the thumb and forefinger of his huge hand. Uh, can you put this in the jukebox and play, Take Me Home Country Roads for me? he asked with a twinkle in his eye.

You get three songs for a quarter, she replied.

You can play whatever you want as long as you play Take Me Home Country Roads for me, he said as he grinned, his eyes lighting up. It was his favourite song, and the words took him home in his mind to his vast prairie land where he always longed to be. But now he wasn’t sure anymore that he wanted to go back as he watched her walk away, the pink skort swaying with every step.

Liz marched up to the steel bar, where Wally was drawing draft, and leaned over the bar and whispered in Wally’s ear, "Who is that? She gestured with her thumb towards the two men sitting on the bench along the back wall in the Ladies’ Room".

Which one? Wally said with a grin.

Liz looked at him and laughed and took a swat at him. Not the little pudgy guy with the greasy hair, gimme a break Wally, I’m not that desperate. The tall good looking one with the flashing blue eyes.

Wally laughed at her scrunched up pretty face and said, That’s Brad Bowen.

Is he married? she asked. She would never have gone after a married man. True, she was married herself, but she was so unhappy in her marriage that she was sorely tempted, almost beyond what she could bear. She was treading in dangerous waters with Norm being so abusive.

I don’t think so, Wally answered. He lives in Newton Robinson, in a little house by himself as far as I know."

Oh, is that so?. Liz commented, with a dreamy look on her face as she spun around with her tray to return to the table with the ice cold beers. The words To-o-o the pla-a-a-ce I belo-o-o-ng resounded from the juke box and Liz thought to herself, That’s exactly where I’d like to belong, as she looked longingly at Brad’s muscular arms. There was a dreamy look on her face alright, and the ‘Carousel’ began turning again, but then there is Norm. What to do? What to do?

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The Black Bandit

CHAPTER 2

THE DREAM

Liz loved her new job. It gave her the excitement she needed to thrive, and allowed her to be home with her children during the day. After a very short time, she had gained the reputation of the best, and most honest bar maid in the county. People she didn’t even know asked for her by name to wait on them. It was a real feather in her cap. She was flying high, enthusiastic about her job. But was it enough to build the self-esteem that Norm was constantly tearing down with his verbal abuse. Her mind kept flashing to Brad Bowen. She felt young and alive every time she thought of him. She was young, only twenty-six. Who would have guessed, she had four kids at home?

But there was trouble in paradise so to speak. Norm was unhappy that Liz worked in a bar, and she was nervous that he might try to make her quit. She wasn’t about to stop now though, Brad Bowen had just been hired on as a part-time waiter.

Norm, being jealous, possessive, and insecure, didn’t trust Liz so he would go to the bar to keep an eye on her. He insisted on being at the bar as long as she insisted on working. Liz was reluctant to have him there. He would drink too much, and become obsessed with watching her. In order to perform her job satisfactorily, it was necessary for her to be congenial with everyone. Norm had a hard time accepting that, and with his dark brooding eyes he would sit and glare at Liz. Not only that, Brad Bowen was a burr under Norm’s saddle. Even though Liz was very careful not to let her attraction show, Brad kept checking her out every now and again. He couldn’t help himself. Where she was concerned he just seemed to go into auto-pilot and Norm didn’t miss a beat. So soon Norm’s silent war escalated from glaring eyes, to derogatory and lewd remarks, all directed at Liz. This upset the customers. Finally Dave, the owner, asked him not to come to the bar while she was working. But Norm came anyway.

Norm and Liz began to fight at home. It was a stalemate. Norm wanted her to quit, and Liz refused to give up the job that gave her renewed self-esteem. Norm continued to be verbally abusive until Liz couldn’t tolerate it any longer. After an evening of work, Liz followed a staggering Norm out the door of the Hotel. She was hopping mad.

She stomped across the lawn between the hotel and their apartment. Norm, super drunk, went ahead of her into the quiet apartment. Liz, close, on his tail, came through the door and slammed it hard behind her.

That was smart. You’ll wake the kids, Norm slurred.

Oh, shut up, Norm. The kids are spending the night with Dar. Then she screamed, How dare you!

What?

"How dare you call me a slut in front of all those people?

I’ve had it, Norm! I’m not giving up this job. It makes me feel alive. I’m not doing anything wrong and I’m making lots of money for the college fund for the kids. If you can’t stop drinking then don’t come to the bar."

You are a slut. Any woman who works in a bar is a slut.

Don’t you say that, I’m not a slut, I’ve always been faithful to you and it’s not that easy, when I feel so lonely all the time.

What are you talking about?

Never mind, she snapped quickly as she realized she had let the cat out of the bag. She hated him and she had been devastatingly lonely for the past few years.

With learning that, Norm grabbed hold of her by her upper arms and started to shake her. What do you mean lonely? he screamed.

Let me go! She twisted free, and he slapped her hard in the face with his open hand.

Liz ran to the front door and held it open. Get out of here! she screamed. I’ve had enough of your jealous insecurities.

Gladly! Norm grabbed his coat from the back of the chair and stormed out the door.

Norm went home to live with his parents, and Liz stayed at her apartment with her best friend Dar upstairs. With Norm gone and no longer contributing to their support, Liz was forced to start working full-time. She hated to leave the kids, but with Dar so close and available to watch them, it made it a little easier.

Weeks went by and Liz was busy juggling her time between work, kids, housework, grocery shopping, laundry, and school functions; and of course Brad. He seemed to be the hub of it all, as he had become the centre of her universe. The flirting at work is what had kept her feeling alive.Not only was she busy with her life-style, but Norm kept calling and hassling her. He kept begging her to forgive him, and promised faithfully that he would never give her a hard time again.

He always offered to help with the kids. He took them camping several times. Liz was grateful for his help, but she couldn’t crumble. He was so abusive, and she was burdened with a heavy load. She began to think he might be able to make the load a little lighter. But then there was Brad. They hadn’t dated yet, because he was feeling guilty about Karla and the kids. What would he do if they came back? Liz knew that with all the flirting that was going on it wouldn’t be long and she wanted him. She was confused to say the least. Norm had a dual personality, on the one hand he was a caring family man, and on the other he was violent, jealous and insecure. And then there was Brad who was so sweet.

Not only was Liz feeling confused, haggard and tired, but the ever-plaguing emptiness kept gnawing away at her, the emptiness that had plagued her for years. The emptiness that the ‘Carousel’ filled, her addiction, she didn’t want to start running around again. It always made her feel so cheap. Norm didn’t fill the emptiness or keep the loneliness away from the door, but as long as she had a husband, she could be moral. She wasn’t a cheater.

Two months had flown by, and Liz sat on the couch staring at the TV without really seeing it. She pulled her quilt snugly up under her chin. She was exhausted, and her mind was wandering, she and Brad still hadn’t dated. She knew he liked her but could she wait? She was also running out of money. Even though Brad would give her his tips from the bar all the time, there still wasn’t enough and could she do the immoral thing? She kept holding Brad off. Her thoughts raced through her mind. ‘If only Norm would promise not to drink and to stay away from the bar while I work. I’m so afraid of running around again. I hate the way I feel when I do. Maybe I should just quit the job, to keep him happy. But then it makes me feel so alive, and it really helps the college fund. Those kids are going to go to college if it kills me. Oh, I just don’t know which way to go.

Arguing with herself, she finally drifted off to sleep on the couch with all her clothes on.

After she dozed, she started to feel a whirring sensation. Then she was sitting on a beautiful carousel of painted white steeds garlanded with pink ribbons and roses. It was twirling slowly, and warm wind was caressing her face, gently blowing through her long chestnut hair. Pleasant music drifted from the centre of the carousel. She felt wonderful, she smiled warmly.

Then as she turned and glanced over her shoulder, she saw Edmund, her first and only true love riding one of the horses behind her. His beautiful mouth formed a warm smile and his eyes twinkled with delight. He was beckoning for her to join him. She tried to dismount and go to him but she was stuck. She twisted and struggled as he motioned for her to join him on his horse. Then finally she broke free, and moving swiftly from pole to pole she made her way back towards him. But every time she got closer, he drifted farther away. Then finally she reached his horse, he was looking behind him. He turned, it wasn’t Edmund! It was Ryan! The first man she had ever been unfaithful with. His face was horribly distorted, as he laughed mockingly at her. All the horses turned towards her sneering. She woke up in a cold sweat. Ryan had taken advantage of her when she was drunk. Norm reminded Liz of Ryan, no conscience. But Brad reminded her of Edmund kind and thoughtful, her mind was made up.

CHAPTER 3

THE BIG RED COUCH

The very next day Liz marched right up to Wally who was standing behind the stainless steel draft bar. He had a quizzical look on his face. He knew instinctively that she was on a mission.

I want to go out with Brad Bowen, she stated firmly, as though Wally was omnipotent.

Thank God, he said. "I’m sick of watching you two, dance around each other. I was going to do something myself soon if you hadn’t asked.

Well can you set it up? She asked with a little anxiousness.

Sure, said Wally. He’s ripe for the plucking, if you know what I mean, Wally teased.

Liz swatted at him, and then with a questioning frown, Do you think so?

Oh, yeah, are you blind or something? He retorted with some sarcasm in his voice.

Liz was just beaming. She had suspected such, but with having low self-esteem, did she dare to dream?

************

A few nights later Wally called Liz over and said, It’s all set up. We’ll meet you at the Wellington Hotel in Barrie on Wednesday night.

What do you mean ‘we’? Liz asked.

Brad wants me to come with him. I guess he’s kinda nervous.

Yeah, okay…I guess, Liz answered reluctantly. Wally was a really good friend to her. She had worked with him since she started, but could she handle two of them on her own? She didn’t think so, she needed back up. So as soon as she got home she called Angel. Angel worked with Liz in the bar on weekends. She was a cute little blonde, who was always up for an adventure.

Oh, my gawd! He finally asked you out. He is sooo cute, and he seems really nice. Oh boy, sure I’ll go with you. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Besides, Wally’s kinda cute too.

Yeah, he is, but his wife’s a barracuda. Are you sure you can handle that?

Oh, gawd, I forgot about her, Yeah, she would make mincemeat outta me. Angel hesitated and rolled her eyes and said, Or maybe not, if we’re careful?

"Norm would make mincemeat outta me for sure if he knew what I was doing!"

You shoulda never married Norm. You’re such a fun-loving nice person, and he’s an ass.

"I know. Carol, one of my best friends, told me not to marry him years ago when we were just engaged, but you know me I never listen.

Oh you listen alright and don’t say anything and then you go off and do exactly what you want to.

Liz giggled nervously, because Angel had pegged her exactly right.

Anyway I like this Brad guy. He seems to be really nice, I like working with him. He’s a real gentleman, Angel said.

"Yeah, and my track record hasn’t been great since Edmund died."

Who’s Edmund?

Edmund was my first love. We were sooo in love, and I have never forgotten about him.

What happened to him? she inquired.

He was killed in a car accident when we were both eighteen.

Wow, that’s too sad. Anyway what’s with the track record?

Well, let me see, there was Ronnie the Retard, Brian the Bullshitter, Ryan the Rapist, then Norm the Nincompoop. Liz said as she counted off on her fingers and rolled her eyes.

Angel roared laughing.

Well, it’s time for a change.

Yeah, it’s kinda like being reborn. I need a fresh start, and I think Brad’s the guy who fills the bill.

I certainly hope so. You deserve a break.

So what time are we supposed to be there? Angel asked.

Eight o’clock. Liz responded.

************

They’re not coming, Brad stated, nervously as he looked at his watch and took a big swig of his beer. His watch read eight-o-five.

They’ll be here, Wally said nonchalantly. Wally was the calmest person Liz had ever met. Nothing fazed him. His wife on the other hand was scary. As kind and as calm as Wally was, his wife was the opposite, anxious, suspicious and mean-spirited. Liz wondered why Wally stayed with her, and how he dared to venture out with Brad. But Wally was his own man and took everything in his stride.

Here they are. Wally stated in a matter of fact manner.

Brad turned, and his heart catapulted into his pants at the sight of her. She was like a breath of spring air to him. She was wearing Carol’s best new dress, a navy blue, A-line with a white swirling pattern on it. It was a jersey material that hugged her hour glass figure with a white lace, criss-crossed at the scooped neck that revealed just enough cleavage. The color, the cut, and the shape of the dress flattered Liz perfectly. She was grateful to Carol, her friend since childhood. She felt she looked almost as good as Carol did in the dress, but then Carol had often been mistaken for Elizabeth Taylor with her black hair and violet eyes. She was beautiful and a lot of girls didn’t like her because they were green with envy. But that never bothered Liz because Carol and she loved each other deeply. Liz had never been a jealous person, and besides with her man problem, Carol was the perfect friend. She drew men like moths to a flame, and Liz was always around for the overflow.

Wally took a look at Angel all dressed in pink and let out a soft whistle. Bonus. he stated under his breath.

What? Brad asked but didn’t wait for an answer. He was too enthralled at the sight of Liz, he didn’t even notice Angel.

Hi, Liz said shyly, as she sat down beside Brad.

Hey, you, he said with a deliberate prairie drawl. His eyes never left her, as she slipped into her chair. The two were engrossed in each other, and didn’t even notice Wally and Angel who were left to their own devices.

Angel was twisting around in her chair constantly, and she kept glancing over at Liz who was totally enthralled with Brad. The aura all around Liz was sparkling with delight. Her ‘Carousel’ was spinning once again for the first time in years. And the horses were definitely smiling. She couldn’t have noticed Angel even if she had wanted to. Then after a couple of beers Angel leaned over to Wally and whispered, You sure Bonnie doesn’t know where you are?

Don’t worry, she’s working, Wally answered.

But that still didn’t satisfy Angel. She pictured Bonnie’s big meat hooks reaching out for her and shuddered. Bonnie seemed to be more man than woman. Angel was sure she must have dragged Wally to the altar in one of those meat hooks, because it didn’t make any sense to her that he was married to such a beast.

Wally noticed her shudder and always eager to oblige turned to Brad and said, "Hey, man, do you think we could go to your place with the girls. I got a bottle of whiskey in my car and we could pick up some Ginger-ale and Coke at the 7/11. I don’t think Bonnie knows where you live.

Great idea, Brad muttered without even taking his eyes off Liz.

Brad drove Wally’s car with Liz snuggled up close beside him, and Angel drove her car back with Wally in the passenger’s seat looking smug. They made their way to Newton Robinson where Brad lived.

Wow this is a cute little house, Angel exclaimed as they pulled into the yard just off Highway 27.

Yeah, Wally responded. It’s small but it’ll do the trick

The two couples walked through the back door to the kitchen as Brad switched the light on. I guess I shoulda pulled your car around the back, Brad said to Wally.

Aw, it doesn’t matter, Wally stated. Bonnie is working she won’t be up this way.

Little did Wally know that Bonnie had a radar system comparable to the ‘Dew Line’, so while the foursome was just relaxing with their night caps a ferocious banging began at the back door. Bonnie’s voice hollering at the top of her lungs was heard through the thick wooden door. "Wally, I know you’re in there. Open this door, Brad Bowen, before I break it down. Angel totally freaked and grabbed Liz by the arm dragging her into the living room.

Oh, my gawd, Angel squeaked. "There’s no place to hide. Liz went into total panic mode. It didn’t matter about her because being with Brad was really none of Bonnie’s business, but how would Wally explain Angel? Liz felt awful. It was her fault that Angel was in this predicament and she knew Bonnie would just kill her, not to mention Wally’s outcome. She spied the big red couch along the back wall.

Quick, get behind the couch, Liz whispered. Never in my whole life have I had to do something like this. she muttered just as Brad slid the bolt back on the door. Bonnie’s fierce pounding told him that she wasn’t going to let up.

Where are they? Bonnie screamed. She looked like the Banshees from hell.

Who? Wally asked innocently.

The girls you’re with.

What girls?

The girls that belong to that blue car out there.

That’s my brother-in-law’s car, Brad quickly threw in. I’m working on it for him.

Sure, I’ll believe you where thousands wouldn’t, Bonnie said sarcastically as she moved towards the living room doorway.

Wally stood up blocking her way. He wasn’t sure where the girls had gotten off to, but he knew Angel’s life was on the line, not to mention his own, if Bonnie discovered them. Back off Bonnie, Wally said with all the conviction he could muster. Bonnie pushed at his arms that were extended to either side of the door frame, but to no avail. Wally stood his ground in spite of Bonnie’s size and force. He had to keep the girls safe.

Liz’s heart was just about beating out through her chest and she was afraid Bonnie would be able to hear it, it seemed so loud. Angel’s eyes were bugged right out of her head and her mouth was dry. She licked her lips trying to gain some semblance of sanity.

Within what seemed like an eternity Wally and Brad had convinced Bonnie that the car was Brad’s brother-in-law’s, and that there were no girls. She left in a huff. Still not convinced, but knowing that she couldn’t have her way. She would see the end of this come hell or high water at another time.

Brad sauntered into the living room when the girls didn’t come out. He looked around and saw no one. Then he went into the bedroom. Nothing. Where the hell are they? he said. Just then the couch slowly started to move forward. Brad broke into fits of laughter.

Stop it! Liz cried. This isn’t even half funny. Angel could have been killed.

Brad just roared holding his sides at the look of the two girls. Their eyes were bugged out and their hair seemed to be standing on end with fright.

Then the girls looked at each other and seeing in each other what Brad was looking at they both started to roar with laughter. They went to their knees holding on to each other. Oh my gawd, that was scary. Angel cried.

Never in my whole life, Liz muttered between giggles.

Something to tell your grandchildren, Angel squeaked out.

Or not, Liz roared. And burst out into another fit of laughter.

Wally sauntered into the living room totally undisturbed and stated, "I think Angel and I better take off