Modern Day Cavegirls - Dirty Love

She saw someone in the next vehicle and she did a quick double-take.

There was a man in the car next to her. He was a little older than she was; middle twenties maybe and he had a nice face framed by long, dark brown hair.

Jesus, he was wearing a tie.

He was fiddling with something as he kept looking up at the light to be ready when it changed.

Nobody knew it or cared, but his car was pretty old and still had a tape player in it that worked.

Once in a while.

Sometimes.

If the stars were lined up in a certain way and ...

If you jiggled the tape door just right.

It only did that the first time that you tried to use it. After that, it worked fine as long as you didn't turn either the tape player or the ignition off.

Max looked ahead, waiting for the light.

She looked over again for a second and saw that he was still fiddling with whatever it was.

She looked straight ahead, flicking her eyes to the opposite light and seeing it as it turned red. She was about to begin to count to three and then feed in some gas and let out the clutch when she heard a snippet of an old Led Zeppelin song at top volume – loud enough for her to hear over her trike's motor easily.

"Till the juice runs down my leg."

-------------------------

Patterson dove for the volume control and he whipped it counter-clockwise far too hard. It turned the tape player off, and he cursed.

Now he'd have to go through all of that shit all over again.

He looked around to see if any pedestrians had heard it. There was an old woman who stood glaring at him before she walked off in a huff. He remembered where he was and looked in his mirror, worried about annoying the drivers of the cars behind him.

There were no cars there. Nobody.

Then he became aware of the sound of a motorcycle, clattering beside him on the other side and thumping out a beat like it was trying to say the word 'potato' over and over.

Potato-potato-potato-potato-potato-potato – tato tato tato – Potato-potato-potato-potato-potato-potato --tato tato tato ...

The next thing that he heard was the sound speed up into a quick 'rrrUUUmm' before telling him about the potato again.

He looked and saw ... a young guy there with a boyish face, dressed in coveralls and wearing an ancient-looking leather jacket with a filthy sheepskin collar. He was wearing a helmet and Patterson could just see a little light brown hair sticking out of the helmet here and there. What he could see was thinness and grace as well as beauty. He'd never known that such a thing was possible.

He looked really good to Patterson, seeming to be the paradigm of what Patterson wanted in a mate –without ever having known it before in his life.

Actually, he looked to be pretty much what Patterson would have wanted in a friend – to be much more pragmatic about it.

The eyes were a sparkling shade of darker green and those lips...

There was a boner coming to Patterson in this, he just knew it already.

That person was the most lovely androgynous being that Paterson had ever seen.

Clean and ... dirty at the same time. Slightly bored-looking and also Interesting and inviting. He looked at those eyes again, sparkling with good humor and those lips.

He stared as he watched those lips repeat the line slowly and then those lips ...

They were blowing him a kiss.

While he tried to process it all, he ran out of the ability to do that and think and most of all, wonder who this was. He absolutely knew that the words had been heard.

Holy Hannah, he'd almost felt that kiss. The person laughed a little and they were gone.

His erection was total now, straining against the fabric of his pants and feeling ... deliciously uncomfortable. He smiled, his day feeling much improved now – until the driver of the truck which had rolled up behind him, wanting to make a right turn shouted to indicate what he ought to do.

It was something that Patterson had wished that he had the ability to do to himself for years.

Patterson drove, looking everywhere for a silver gray Harley three-wheeler.

He turned on the cassette player again at the next light and jiggled it and after a second he heard the potato thing again and looked to his right just as the next line blared.

That lovely face was grinning and lip-syncing the words.

"I'm gonna fall right out of bed."

Patterson laughed and nodded, completely thrilled and fascinated now.

The amazing creature on the old Harley winked at him.

Nobody had ever winked at him – in his whole life.

Unfortunately, he was in the through lane and this sweet being was making the right turn....

Max laughed to herself. That had been two minutes of fun. It didn't mean much more than that to her – although she did admit to herself that she'd never seen a man like that before.

He was good-looking and even a bit handsome in his way. It was hard to tell, but he didn't look to be that big – which she liked. He had a thin, but really nice face and he looked a little ...

Lost-looking.

She gave her head a shake, not believing herself. She'd heard that same thing said about her forever and she STILL didn't know what they were talking about.

It didn't matter. She'd never see him again and he was a guy. She asked herself when the last time was that a man had even been anything more than disinterested and harsh to her when she'd asked anybody anything.

She couldn't understand it really and she didn't have the time to try to figure it out. She reminded herself that for sure, Bobbi hadn't sent her out here to blow kisses at anybody, so she'd better just get back with the program.

She grinned again anyway. She'd never see him again but he was pretty cute.

---------------------------------------------

Patterson wanted to just turn right across the other lane, but he saw the cruiser parked a little farther up the block. He would have liked to try to follow, but that would just make him seem like someone that he wasn't and never had been.

So he just let it go with a smile and thought about work.

--------------------------------------------

Su-jin' s phone rang at work on Wesdnesday about 11AM. It was Bobbi.

"Meet me in the parking lot out front of the hangar. I'll be there in ten minutes to pick you up."

Su-jin walked downstairs wondering what it was about. When Bobbi pulled up, she just said "Get in," and they were gone. Bobbi drove to a law office as she spoke. "Just listen, Su-jin.

Jodi asked me for a few days longer. I don't know where it came from, but she suddenly saw some sense that must have come to her from God only knows where. I was there with some Sherriff's deputies and out of the blue, Jodi tells me that she knows that she can't possibly keep herself and Tyler alive and that it's not right to do it to him.

She said that it's killing her to do, but she knows the best thing to do is to put him up for adoption – only she doesn't want to wait – and she wants you to raise him if you'll consider it. She had some of those legal forms that you buy at the bookstores!

I told her that I'd call you, but you need to make a couple of decisions.

If you want to adopt Tyler, I can help, but you know that you're going to need a higher income or you'll be in the same place that Jodi's in herself."

Su-jin burst into tears, "Poor Jodi."

After another moment, she began to weep, "Poor Tyler!"

Bobbi shook her head, "Weren't you listening? Do you want to adopt Tyler or should we just let him go to Child Services so that they can find him somebody?"

Su-jin looked up, "No!

If Jodi-Lynn cannot do it, then I want him. I love Tyler!"

Bobbi sighed, "That's what I thought that I was telling you. To do it this way is what's called private adoption, my attorney told me. A huge percentage of adoptions are done this way – but I was saying that you'd need more income."

She put her hand on Su-jin's arm, "I can help with that too. You just have to tell me that you don't want to work for the agency anymore and work directly for me. That way, I can exercise my option with them and I have to pay them a fee to end the contract.

Right now, I pay them money every week for your work. They take a chunk off the top and give you the rest. If I call the option, then you get it all, starting next week or the week after. There is no middleman then. I pay you directly, just like I pay everybody else.

Do you want this, Su-jin? Do you want that little boy? We'd all help – you know we would. Hell, Rose loves him to death and until you get him into daycare, you can always bring him to work and he can be in his playpen for his naps and charm the socks off of everybody when he's not napping.

I just gotta know.

And unfortunately, I have to know now or fairly soon – which is one hell of a way to make life-changing decisions."

They talked it over and Bobbi called her lawyer and told her to draw up the paperwork on the assumption that everyone would agree. She handed the phone to Su-jin so that she could clearly spell out her full name to the lawyer.

While that happened, Bobbi drove them to Jodi's house.

As Bobbi was talking with Jodi about the time considerations, Su-jin was almost beside herself, wondering if she'd been too hard on Jodi-Lynn. Tyler woke up from all of the commotion again and saw Su-jin. He tried to get to her, calling out "Umma" over and over hysterically until his throat sounded raw from screaming. Su-jin stood weeping, needing to pick him up, but ...

Jodi looked over at Su-jin and nodded, "Take him for a little while. He'll calm down for you. He always does."

One minute in Su-jin's arms and he was down to softly sobbing as he had his arms around Su-jin's neck. He didn't see it, but she was crying even as she soothed him and spoke to him. To Su-jin, this wasn't right – this whole business.

She tried talking with Jodi, but Jodi only told her that she knew that she could only be in Beaumont for a time because she didn't know when Tyler's father's release date was and also staying with her mother came with a 'best before' date as well.

"I don't know where I'll be going, Su-jin. I only know that it won't help either Tyler or me if he's with me. He's better off with you – anybody with eyes can see it. I think Bobbi's gonna need a few days to put this together and I need that time to get some idea of where I might go."

She began to weep and walked away.

Su-jin felt only worse, though Tyler felt better by then since he'd stopped crying.

When she thought that she saw an opening, she went to Bobbi, "I don't know how it is done here, but can it not be so that I have ... I try to remember the word ... guardianship until Jodi comes back when things are better for her?"

Bobbi said, "It's probably possible, but I don't think that it's what Jodi wants and if she ever does come back and demand that you give Tyler back, then you'd have to comply. What if it's in three years? How will Tyler be able to understand it? How will you feel to see him go? I sure don't think that you'll love him any less in that time.

And let's face something here, Su-jin.

Do you really think that she ever will get to that point? I have strong doubts. I'm not looking down on her for this, but the fact is that even when she's given a hand, she gets nasty after a while - as you now know well. Maybe it's something that she got from her mother, I sure don't know. Even Jane could only take her in small doses, not all the time.

Janey had a dream – which is her airplane. Funds were allocated to the work to get it fixed up and recertified. It was a piss-pot full of money. As soon as Janey mentioned it, Jodi was pestering her for loans – which really meant that they'd never be paid back - which meant that Janey's plane would never be finished. But what came out of her mouth was the same as you heard yesterday. She told Janey that she could afford it – since she's loaded.

Janey had the sense not to agree.

That plane and the money was a gift as well as all of Janey's OWN money in the world too. Janey sprayed an awful lot of crops to pay for her dream. Jodi just wants everyone to pay for hers like they owe her anyway. As hard as I try, I can't see a good ending for her.

Have you decided about your work contract? Look, just say the word, even if this falls through. I already know that you work hard for us. Why not get the full benefit and I'd be SO happy to tell the agency that we're finished.

You work hard. You should get the full pay for that. Please allow me to do that for you at least. You already fit in here. I hear that all the time."

Su-jin nodded, "Thank you, Bobbi. To hear it means so much to me. But this ... How will I do it?"

Bobbi's face was wet as well, "It becomes your struggle – though as I said, there is no shortage of help for you here. The only other choices are general adoption, handled by the state or Jodi takes Tyler. Either way, you'll never see him again.

Things like this become like looking at a scale and weighing things against each other – something that women's hearts just aren't suited for if what is being measured has a tie to their hearts. I can do it easily for my business. For this ... Su-jin I don't know what I'd do myself."

She looked down, "I'd probably adopt him and at least have him in my life."

Su-jin nodded, "I see it like that too. Call the agency whenever you want to, Bobbi. I want to work here and for Quicksilver's. If this can happen - that I get Tyler for my son, then I need to change my life once again. But I almost cannot think of a better reason."

Bobbi nodded and walked back over to Jodi.

Su-jin looked at Tyler, "Were you spying to see what you can know?" She hugged him tightly, "I don't know what to do, Tyler. It is a big, big thing."

Tyler looked up and smiled, "Umma."

Su-jin smiled, "It's not so simple, but thank you, little friend."

She noticed a man standing not very far off, looking at her. He wore light gray coveralls. She'd seen him here earlier, before the talk with Bobbi. He'd been standing with his back to her, talking over his radio.

The rear of the coveralls said. "Sherriff's Office"

Under that in larger letters, it said, "TRU."

He was looking at her now and she noticed many things in an instant. He looked to be what Su-jin would have said was 'American'. But there were details.

His face said that, but it also said something else to her. His eyes were brown, like hers were. More than that – they were just like hers were, yet his hair ... blonde.

She looked at his name tags.

The one sewn on over his pocket said "Kim."

His plastic name tag read "Kwang-jo Kim."

She didn't know him, but many, many people shared that last name, so it meant nothing to her.

He stepped a little closer and said in a low voice, "So, you will adopt the child?"

Su-jin's eyes widened since he'd said it in Korean. She immediately thought of her 'uncle'.

"Who are you?" she asked, "Who sent you?"

He shook his head, "No one. I work for the Sherriff's Office here."

Su-jin lifted her chin in his direction, "TRU? What is that?"

He shrugged with a small smile.

"Tactical Response Unit'," he said in what came to her as perfect, accent-free English, "I'm a cop. This here doesn't really merit my being here, but we were short-handed today and," he looked around with a little grin, "it's a small place.

Sometimes I have to put on a different hat and be a regular cop.

Will you have difficulty with the adoption? It's none of my business, but I thought that I heard something like that. He loves you, I see."

Su-jin nodded and answered in their language, "I was ... living with his mother. She does not think that she can manage their lives anymore if she keeps him. She will have trouble managing her own life, I think."

The trouble is that I have only been here a month and I do not earn so much myself – though I see that now I will get an increase whether I adopt Tyler or not."

She looked at him for a moment, "Please pardon me, but ... you do not look ..."

He nodded, "Korean mother, American father. I was born and grew up in our homeland."

It caused him to smile a little and he ran his fingers through his hair as he went on, "My appearance has caused me nothing but trouble at home. I wanted to leave, but I took a little too long and I had to do my national service first, of course.

The trouble was that I enjoyed it and I spent a few years longer than I had planned. Special Forces."

Su-jin nodded, "Which unit? I know of seven brigades. There may be others which I have not heard of."

He looked very surprised that she'd ask. "9th Special Forces 'Ghost' Brigade. Why?"

Su-jin looked a bit cautious, "Tell me, did you enjoy your hand-to–hand training, once you reached that brigade?"

He shook his head, "It was terrible. I almost quit and left the unit to go back to the regular army. But I thought about it and then I knew that it was what the instructor wanted me to do. He did not see me as a true Korean."

He shrugged, "My face again."

Su-jin nodded, "He wouldn't, of course."

He looked a bit shocked and she hurriedly said, "I meant nothing in it personally, Kwang-jo. For myself, I find that I like the way that you look – even with blonde hair."

She grinned, "Especially with blonde hair.

But I know that man well. I fought against him for a long time."

She looked away and saw that Tyler was dozing and she left a soft kiss on his head which didn't waken him. "He would not show you the courtesy of being what you obviously are to almost everyone else. He has very small eyes, Kwang-jo. They do not let him see what he should.

To him, a man who looks the way that you do cannot be a true Korean just as someone like me cannot be anything but what he thinks that he sees.

I know that he likes to host small ... informal parties for successful students. If you scored well, he would have invited you regardless. Then he would have hoped to hear from you to say that you could not attend for some reason and he would have been pleased."

She saw the surprise in his face, "Yes! But I went, if only to annoy him. I hated him. I made sure that he could not fail me at anything - no matter what it took, just so I could have him behind me when I went on to a final position."

Su-jin smiled, "Then you rise in my eyes. I hate him too for my own reasons. Tell me, did he ever mention his children?"

Kwang-jo nodded, "Yes. He was very proud of his four sons and where they ended up – as though he had something to do with it. Why do you ask this?"

Su-jin looked down and shook her head, "It means nothing. There was a fifth child."

She looked up at the line of trees in the distance and drew a breath, "But that one is never mentioned.

I am that child. The rest is a sad story that I will not tell with a child in my arms."

He bowed, "I did not know. I am sorry."

She shook her head gently and smiled, "My name is Kim Su-jin. And please tell me why your hair is that color, Kwang-jo. I like it and now I wonder."

He reached for his hair again, "With it like this, I look a little more American. If I let it grow out, I still look like an American with maybe a Korean background. I just did it because I wanted to.

But back home, with black hair ..."

He shook his head, "It's a little funny, really. Here I look fine that way and it is me anyway. But there, I think that I look like a confused Korean man to people there."

Su-jin laughed, "You don't look confused here, so you must be in the right place! That is how I feel here now also."

Kwang-jo came a little nearer and he looked at Tyler. "He is a fine-looking boy," he whispered in Korean. "I see that you have left a little of the Orient behind you if you think that it is nothing for a Korean woman to adopt a child who carries nothing of herself in him. I like this too."