A Complete Education Ch. 03

"Corky's going to use the bathroom," I explained.

"Yep," she said, "then I'll come back and chop you up with an ax."

She laughed to herself and headed off in the direction I pointed.

"Guys," I whispered, "I can't believe you behaved that way."

"Well, jeez, Anna," Mary said, "you have to admit she is a little scary looking. And, it is a "she" isn't it?"

"Yeah," I answered, "and relax. She's been out plowing all day. Let's cut her some slack."

We heard the toilet flush and Corky was back in the kitchen.

"Well, I'll be goin'," she said. I told her I'd get her tip.

As I was digging out my wallet, she said, "I hate to be a mooch, but you wouldn't have any coffee, would ya? I got a long ride back and could use the caffeine."

"It'll only take a sec to make some," I said.

"Ah, forget it," she said. "'Sides, I should be getting on the road. I didn't eat all day and the smells here are doin' a job on me."

"Well, then," I announced, "you'll just have to stay for supper."

The looks on Mary and Jimmy were priceless.

"Thanks, really," she said, "but I should roll. I can probably find some coffee back at Coos Corner. I think the Mobile station might be open."

"Nonsense," I argued. "Look, we got plenty of food. It's only leftovers, but I think it will be good."

"Nah," she said. "Look that's nice of you and all, but I've been out all day. I did fifteen plowing jobs, towed three trucks outta' ditches, fixed a car that lost its fan belt and helped Mrs. Adams haul in some logs for her wood stove. That's all to say, I smell like shit and am not presentable to sit down with you guys."

I looked at her. She was tough, but I could also see she was tired.

"Corky," I said, "you've saved our asses by plowing us out. Let us return your service by offering a meal. You can shower and clean up. I'm sure we've got some clothes to wear."

"Hey, you're payin' me for plowing," she said. "That's our deal. Don't need nothin' else."

"Please, Corky," I added. "It would be our pleasure."

She laughed hard.

"Don't think your friends share that feeling," she said.

"They probably do," I said glaring at them as they more or less cowered behind the island. "When they're not behaving like lost children, they're fairly nice."

She looked at me, then at Mary and Jimmy and back at me.

"As I said, Thanks, but..."

"Don't be a shithead, Corky," I said more forcefully than I meant to. "Stay for fucking dinner."

"Well, since you finally asked me real nice, I accept." She smiled for the first time. Her whole face changed. Her eyes lit up and the menace seemed to fade. Even Mary and Jimmy noticed the difference.

"Great," said Mary. "And we promise not to continue to be idiots."

I led Corky down the hall back to the bathroom.

"You can take as long as you want," I said. "I'll get you some towels and clothes. She pulled off her parka and I took it.

Underneath, she wore bib overalls and a long-sleeve flannel shirt, with a turtleneck underneath. I could detect a strong scent of dried sweat. I was not offended and realized she must be exhausted.

Hanging the parka on a hook in the hallway, I grabbed a couple bath towels and a washcloth. Judging from her size, I figured my pants would be too small. I called to Jimmy and he retrieved a clean pair of sweats and a long sleeved white t-shirt. Mary contributed an oversized sweater. I thought offering a bra seemed too intimate. My bikini bottoms might be too small, so Mary gave me a pair of hers. I completed the ensemble with a pair of thick wool socks.

I knocked on the bathroom door.

"Come in," she called.

I opened the door to see Corky standing in front of the sink dressed in boy short bottoms and a t-shirt cropped just below her breasts. She was washing her face and scrubbing off the heavy make-up.

"I, uh, have some towels and clothes," I stuttered, still taken aback at what I am seeing.

Corky had a strong figure. Her legs were thickly muscled and her shoulders were broad, with thick arms. She was not masculine looking, just really buff. But what really knocked me off balance was the amount of ink she had.

Coming out of the back of her panties was a green and black snake. It coiled back and forth across her spine and disappeared underneath the short shirt.

I handed her a towel and she dried her face. The make-up was mostly just smeared more around her face.

I opened the small utility closet and pulled out a jar of cleansing cream. She smiled and took it. Her front had more ink. The snake reappeared, slithering out of her t-shirt and making a loop around her navel before the beginning of the head was seen crawling under the top of her panties. Where the head stopped, I could not tell and really was hesitant to imagine.

Corky turned back to the mirror and rubbed cream onto her eyes.

"You're staring," she said.

"Sorry," I muttered.

"Guess you haven't seen a lot of girls with this much ink," she said.

"Uh, yeah, not too many," I replied.

Corky let out another throaty laugh, "Fuck, girl, you've never seen anything close to this."

I laughed and confessed the truth.

"It's quite amazing. Really. I'd love to draw you."

She looked at me. "You're an artist or something."

"Mostly something," I said, "since I haven't sold anything."

She took me off guard when she said, "Oh, it's only selling that makes you an artist?"

I reddened. She slipped the knife in so smoothly.

"Well, I mean that nobody has like recognized my work, and..."

"So, someone has to be recognized before she thinks she's an artist?"

Two things struck me. First, Corky's perceptions were right on and cut to the heart of what I was struggling with in my art. Second, her language had shifted. She dropped the crude way she spoke and gone was the heavy New Hampshire accent she used before. There was a lot more to this woman than I first saw. The Goth-like make-up, piercings, language and even the way she dressed gave you an impression that she was strictly one-dimensional. There were a lot of layers here. I was about to find out a few more.

She had removed all the make-up. And, throwing water on her face, she turned to me, smiled and said, "Naked me."

Her face was shockingly beautiful. The heavy make-up had obscured the intensity of her eyes. At first I thought they were black, but I now saw deep violet. The black lipstick hid the sweet pout of her lips and their delicate shape. Her high cheekbones now blended with the smooth skin to reveal a striking beauty. At first I thought she might be in her thirties, but she looked to be in her late twenties.

"You're staring again," she said.

"You're beautiful," I replied.

"Coming from you, I take that as a deep compliment."

I blushed.

"That's interesting," she said, "I made you blush."

She dried her face and turned back to the mirror for a final inspection. Looking at me in the mirror, she asked, "So, you'd really like to draw me?"

I nodded.

"Do you have any of your work with you?"

I thought of my sketch books. I also thought of the sketches I made of Mary and Jimmy in the Kiss pose. How would they feel about me showing them to Corky?

"Some," I replied.

"Maybe, I'll take a look and think about it."

"I'll take these clothes and wash them for you. You can wear these and everything should be done after dinner."

She looked at me and nodded. She said, "Might as well add these."

She peeled her shirt off and dropped her bottoms. I gasped at the totality of her naked back.

The snake ran along her right butt cheek, but its tail was not visible disappearing between her legs. As it climbed, it had made one last coil that was previously hidden under her shirt.

She turned to face me. My heart jumped. The snaked crawled over her shoulder, crossed her chest above her breasts, and slithered between them. It then coiled around her navel, the head finally rested along side her outer sex lips, the forked tongue touching the top of her folds over her clit. The tail of the snake came up along her right thigh and its very tip vanished inside her sex lip.

Her breasts were not large, slightly smaller than mine. Each nipple was pierced with a thin silver post. The effect was that the nipples stood out. Maybe it wasn't just the piercing that made them look so rigid and tempting.

She kept her bush trimmed to a narrow, pencil-thin strip of white blond. Either she died her pussy or she really was that blond. "Still want to draw me," she asked in a soft voice.

"Yes, you look like that girl..."

"Don't fuckin' say it," she hissed. "This is a snake and not a fuckin' dragon. I had this ink started long before those stupid books and the movie. I fuckin' hate it when people think I copied that bitch in the books."

I smiled and she glared.

"What," she spat out.

"Touched a nerve?" I offered.

She stared at me and then broke into a smile.

"Yeah, I might have been a bit defensive." Gone, again, was the harshness of her tone and language.

I looked at her and let my eyes roam over her naked frame. At least she didn't accuse me once more of staring, although I could not wrest my eyes from her sex. The snake's head had two brilliant yellow eyes that seemed to stare back.

Reluctantly I moved my eyes to her face. She smiled and took a step toward me. She looked down at her crotch.

My eyes followed hers. She touched her outer lips where the snake's tail disappeared. She opened her lips, exposing a beautiful pink inside and the tiny final part of the snake's tail tattooed there.

"And, yes, it hurt like a motherfucker," she said and laughed.

I was frozen in place.

"Still wanna' paint the deranged mountain girl, Ann-AH," she purred.

I couldn't respond.

Taking her hand away, her sex lips closed.

"Hey, do you have a razor?" she asked. "I have to do some garden work." She rubbed some stubble. Since I did not notice it before, I knew it must truly be light enough to be almost invisible.

I nodded my head and pointed to the shower. She adjusted the water, stepped in, pulled the curtain shut and said, "See ya' at dinner."

In a daze, I wandered back to the kitchen. My movements were awkward, knocking over a wine bottle, that was thankfully corked, dropping a handful of silverware and stubbing my toe on the table.

"What's up, girl?" asked Mary.

I just shook my head and started the laundry while urging my friends to move dinner along.

In fifteen minutes Corky joined us. She wore the socks, sweats and t-shirt, but no sweater. Her breasts moved freely under the shirt and the nipples clearly stood out. I thought I could even make out where the piercings were. She had smoothed her blond hair against her scalp. She looked a lot younger and very pretty.

"Thanks for the clothes," she said. "Whoever offered the undies, appreciate it, but I just went commando. Didn't look like they'd fit anyway."

Jimmy and Mary were still a bit wary, but then Corky started telling us stories from today and other adventures with her towing business. She had a natural knack for story-telling and we were laughing out loud at her descriptions of the local folks and the predicaments she embroiled herself in.

The dinner went well, aided by a bottle and half of wine.

I asked Jimmy to grab another bottle, but Corky said none for her.

"I still have to drive almost an hour," she said. "The roads are shitty, it's dark and I'm fuckin' beat. I shouldna' had wine anyway, but I'm havin' fun with you guys."

"Stay," I offered.

I'm not sure if it were Jimmy or Mary that kicked my shin. I ignored the pain and the silent warning.

"We have open beds upstairs, or you can crash on the couch. Your clothes are still damp anyway. They'll be ready in the morning. Do you have to plow tomorrow?"

"Nah," she said, "the snow petered out this afternoon. I got my regulars done. The garage ain't open on Sundays, so I don't have no mechanic stuff to do. But, I can't put you out. I'll be fine."

"Really," I said, "you're not putting us out. We have to leave in the morning sometime, so we'll all be up and moving. I'd feel a lot better if you didn't drive tonight."

Corky was about to respond when the lights flickered a couple times and went out.

"Shit," I cried. "The gennie must be out. I have no clue what to do."

The only light in the room came from the fireplace and the few candles. I could see the worried looks on Jimmy and Mary. Corky, however, was calm.

"Well, let's take a look," she said. "Ain't much I can't fix or rig up until it can be fixed proper."

She and I pulled on jackets and boots. I grabbed a flashlight and we headed to the shed. Once there, Corky took the light and examined the generator, the lines, the tank and anything else in sight.

"Everything seems Ok," she said. "Let me pull the fuel line. Sometimes when they sit for a long time, they build up condensation. Mostly it's not a problem, but if there's rust and the rust flakes off, it can clog the line and out she goes. Do you know how to turn off the flow from the tanks?"

I nodded and went to the valves and closed them.

Corky told me to stay and she took the light. She returned in a couple minutes with a tool box from her truck and a bigger light. With me holding the light, she pulled the fuel line. She ran a thin wire through it and cleaned it. She then cleaned the head that fed the gennie. She reassembled everything and had me turn on the gas. She pushed the battery operated spark and a whoosh told us we were back in business. I could see the lights on in the house through the shed window.

"Should hold for a while," she said. "Probably should have Edgar get it replaced."

I promised to let him know. On impulse, I kissed her.

"Well, well" she said. "I think we're done here." She turned and replaced her tools in the truck and rejoined us in the kitchen.

Corky went to the bathroom to clean up.

Mary said, "Anna, do you really think it's a good idea to..."

"Guys, chill," I said. "She is actually a pretty cool person. If she were some college kid, with the right clothes and talked like us, we'd all be insisting she stay. I know it's fine. Trust me."

They looked at each other and then shrugged.

"So, I guess the two of us will just have to be satisfied with each other," said Jimmy with an exaggerated sigh. I recalled the pleasure of earlier today and I admitted I would miss what might have been with the three of us tonight. I think we all realized, without speaking about it, that the three of us would not feel comfortable piling into one bedroom with a guest in the house.

"I think you'll manage just fine," I said. "I'll be fine, too."

Mary looked at me. "You want to fuck her, don't you?"

I shook my head no, but my heart was pounding. Did I? Was that kiss a prelude or was it all there is?

"Anna, whatever you do is..., well it's really none of anyone's business. Just be careful."

Corky returned and we shared another bottle while we all cleaned up. It was about nine and Jimmy and Mary said they were going to bed.

Corky and I sat on the couch watching the roaring fire.

"Do you like brandy," I asked.

"Sure, I guess" she replied. "Don't have many opportunities to try it."

I poured two snifters and we sat close to each other. I pulled a fleece blanket up to cover us both.

Acting on her request, I pulled out my sketch book. Corky paged through, taking her time, studying each image. She spent a long time on the more refined drawing I was working on of the Kiss.

"These are excellent, Anna. You have the magic."

I laughed, embarrassed at her appraisal.

She looked at me. Her violet eyes reflected the flame as her lips parted slightly. She breathed through her mouth. My mouth was dry.

Breaking her stare, she sipped the brandy.

"Sorry, I think I'm throwing a wet blanket on some fun you guys had planned for tonight."

"What makes you say that?"

"I'm neither blind nor stupid. I can see love in this drawing. I also saw how you guys looked at each other."

"How's that?"

"Like you wanted to rip each other's clothes off and get down and dirty."

I chuckled, "Guess we don't hide things so well."

"My eyes see, my ears hear, my heart pounds, but my cunt..."

I finished the sentence for her, "...but my cunt admits no promise of love for pleasure alone is its master."

She looked at me suspiciously.

"Is Corky short for something," I asked.

"Cordelia."

"Holy shit, you're Cordelia. I mean, The Cordelia."

"The Cordelia?"

"Yeah, Cordelia the poet. Cordelia who's blog, The Granite Word, is my daily drug. Yeah, The Cordelia."

"Well, I'm not really a poet."

"The hell you aren't. As you can see I've memorized a lot of your work. You cut to the heart. I love your work. Of course, you're a poet."

Corky smiled, "But, I've never sold anything."

I caught my breath. She laid me open. In an instant, I saw my fears cowering in the open. She was challenging me. I knew she was telling me I was an artist if I made up my mind to be one.

I moved in to kiss her.

She pulled back, placing a hand on my shoulder and gently preventing me from reaching her.

"What?" I asked.

"Anna, we just met. I like you. I enjoy talking with you. But, I am not going to have sex with you."

"Oh, sorry, I thought after our kiss..."

"You kissed me, remember?"

"Well, I apologize. I guess I'll go to bed now."

Corky laid her hand on my arm.

"Stay and talk, Anna."

I sat back. To break the silence, I asked about her name.

"So, your name is like..."

"Yeah, like King Lear's daughter, who can't tell a lie and gets sent to the boonies. She does come back and tries to take care of the loony king. That's me to a T."

"Is it a family name?"

She looked into the fire and sipped the brandy.

"No, it's what it appears to be. A name from Shakespeare. Interested in a story?"

I nodded and leaned against the arm of the couch, watching her profile in the dim room. The firelight bounced off her nose stud and made her blond hair seem almost orange.

"My Gran is the coolest woman I've ever known. Back in the forties, she was the first in her family to go to college. Went to Plymouth State, which was a teacher's college back then. Got her teaching degree and lined up a job around Boston. During college she would take every opportunity to go to Boston. She loved the museums, the city, the excitement. Couldn't wait to get outta' the North Country.

"So, the summer after graduation, she meets some Canuck lumberjack. He was with a crew from Montreal and clearing a shitload of forest for one of the paper mills in Berlin. He didn't speak much English, but my Gran spoke French. Well, she spoke Parisian French and he spoke Quebec French. But, she could communicate with him. Met him at the local diner where she was waitressing to earn money to help get established in Boston.

"So, la-di-dah, and soon they are in the cab of his pick-up truck with her legs pressed against the window. She said it was her first time ever and she knows it was stupid. But, she was young, wanted to take on all the world had to offer, and he was a handsome guy.

"So, a month later he's back in Canada with his wife and Gran is knocked-up. She didn't even consider an abortion, remember this a long time ago. After the shock to her parents, she decided to have the babies, yeah, twins.

"She had them and decided to name them after her favorite Shakespeare plays. So, I had Uncle Hamlet and Papa Lear. That's where Ham and Lear's got its name.

"Gran never married and started teaching at the local high school. Just because she didn't marry didn't mean my ol' granny gave up on sex. She had two long term relationships. One was with the husband of the town's grocer and the other was the wife of the mayor. She didn't try to hide a thing. Both spouses knew about the relationship with Gran, but never made a fuss. Gran said she'd keep Monday, Wednesday and Friday open for her woman lover and Tuesday and Thursday for her man. Weekends were her own.