The Girl in the Mirror

"Unacceptable. I need you back here tomorrow."

Gone was any hint of the camaraderie from their last conversation. Tim's words couldn't have been shorter and more to the point.

"What's the problem exactly?"

"Lerner's getting cold feet again. You know him best, and he trusts you."

"He does, but this isn't the first time during this process he's started to get shaky. I'm sure I can handle this with one phone call."

"I think face to face would be better, Joe. He's agreed to come to the office tomorrow even though it's a Sunday."

"You arranged that without me? This is still my deal, Tim."

"One you're not here to handle, so someone had to pick up the slack."

"That's hardly fair, and as I said, I've dealt with this kind of thing before I don't think it's as serious as you believe."

"You know, Joe, I'm starting to question your commitment to this project. It's such a stepping stone for your next move. I can't believe you're not putting more importance on it."

Joe's hand started to shake, and he clenched his teeth, trying not to say something he would regret.

"You don't have to threaten me, Tim. I'm just saying I can handle this without being in the office. You've trusted my judgment before, and I've always come through for you. I'm just asking for the same consideration now."

"Okay, Joe. Have it your way, but I promise you if Lerner backs out because you weren't here to fix it, you can kiss that promotion goodbye."

Tim hung up before Joe could say anything else, which was just as well.

"Mother fucker...I've made this firm so much cash they should be kissing my ass not threatening to roast it over hot coals," grumbled Joe.

He slapped down the phone next to the alarm clock and sat back to stew on this unhappy turn of events. It would be a dangerous game to play not jumping back on a plane straight away, but he felt like this was something he had to do, one last piece of closure that he needed.

"I hope I don't live to regret this..." he whispered, turning over and searching for that elusive sleep that didn't seem to want to claim him.

THE AIR IS BETTER UP THERE -

Joe hadn't been up in the mountains of central Arizona since he was a kid. He had forgotten how much cleaner it felt to breathe, the air seemingly much crisper than down in the Valley. Marta had asked him to ride with her and keep her company. She wasn't coming back since her job was up here, and she would have to be there on Monday anyway. The rest of the gang was following behind them in the rental with Billy at the wheel.

"It's beautiful..." he remarked as the scrubby bushes and cactus gave way to thick forests of Ponderosa pines.

"I was starting to wonder if you were alive over there."

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, looking back at Marta, "I guess I haven't been very good company."

"Is everything alright? You're not still upset about the dress shop, are you?"

"What? No...this has nothing to do with you and I. I got into it with my boss last night. He wanted me back in New York today."

"On the day after your friend's funeral, and a Sunday no less? Was it that serious?"

"It wasn't anything I couldn't handle over the phone. I already took care of it this morning, but they don't think that way at my firm. It's always a crisis with them, and they expect everyone to drop what they're doing when duty calls."

"I can't imagine dealing with that all the time. I prefer a more low-stress environment."

"Not all of us have that luxury," he commented.

"A smart guy like you, Joe? I have a feeling you could do whatever you wanted. You made a choice to pursue money as your main goal."

"You think I should have chosen differently?"

"Would you have been happier if you had?"

"There you go again. Answering a question with a question. Anyway, the whole thing is moot now. I have too many responsibilities at this point to change course."

Marta shook her head, a gentle smile on her pretty lips, "What responsibilities? You're not married. You don't have any kids unless you're keeping a secret from me? I would think you could make any change in your life you wanted."

"I put a lot of work in getting to where I am," he said back, as if that should end the discussion.

"Does it matter if you're not happy? Besides, I'm not saying to quit chasing the almighty dollar entirely and become a folk singer or something. I'm saying make room in life for more than just the singular focus you have now. I'm saying be the best Joe Harper that you can."

"The best Joe Harper..." he said back to himself, echoing her words under his breath. He wasn't sure he knew who that was anymore.

"What was that?"

"Nothing..."

The rode for several more minutes in silence.

"I remember this area...There's a turn off up on the left. I brought your mom up here after the first snow one year. She wanted to have a snowball fight, and we just took off in the middle of the night and ended up pulling off and getting out to pelt each other and then made snow angels."

"You know, I was going to go further north, but this is probably a more appropriate choice..." said Marta taking the next dirt road they came too and leaving the blacktop behind. Billy slowed and followed as both vehicles bounced over the unpaved stretch in front of them. Marta drove a short distance further, pulling to the side in front of a trail that led off into the woods.

She exited the car, reaching through the back window to lift a small, carved wood box off the back seat.

"I thought we were headed north of Prescott?" asked Billy as he helped Tess out of the car.

"Change of plans," said Marta without elaborating.

Billy shot a look at Joe, who just shrugged.

"I need to stretch my legs anyway," said Frank, pulling himself from the back seat.

The group followed Marta as she led the way up the trail. The going was easy, thankfully, since Tess couldn't have dealt with a steep climb. The path stayed mostly flat with just an occasional slope to contend with as they made their way forward. They reached a clearing that Joe was almost sure marked the spot where he and Bonnie had stopped to have their impromptu snowball fight all those years ago. Marta pushed on picking up the trail again on the other side and following its winding course before it abruptly ended at a cliff's edge. Spread out in front of them was a narrow, tree-filled valley that twisted its way between two rocky peaks before vanishing into a hazy fog off in the distance. A gentle breeze was wafting through the trees, making the branches above them sway back and forth.

"This is it," said Marta, stepping close to the edge and looking down.

The others bunched up around her though Frank kept further back from the edge than the others. He wasn't exactly a fan of heights.

"Would anyone like to say anything?"

All eyes went to Joe, and he cleared his throat, not sure what words would be appropriate.

"I...I imagine Bonnie wouldn't have wanted us to belabor things too much. We might not have spent a long time together compared to all the years we've spent apart, but Bonnie left her mark on all of us. I know that my life was the better for having known her, and I'm just sorry I didn't try to reconnect with her along the way...I don't think I realized until this trip how much I missed the friendships I left behind."

Billy smiled and patted Joe on the shoulder while Tess slipped an arm around his waist and hugged him from the other side.

"I know that wherever she is now, Bonnie is making it an even happier place for everyone," he finished, fighting back the tears that threatened to cloud his vision.

Marta leaned out over the edge and opened the box letting its contents get picked up on the wind and spread out into the valley below.

"Goodbye, Mom. Safe journey until we meet again, and thanks for reminding me to invite your old friends. They have made this experience a lot easier for me."

"Now I am going to cry," said Tess wiping at her eyes.

"What now?" asked Frank.

"I don't know about the rest of you folks, but I'm starving," said Billy.

"There's a shock..."

"Don't worry. I know a great bar in town that serves the best barbecue," offered Marta.

"Wonderful words to my ears!" shot back, Billy.

"If not your backside," said Frank.

"For that, you can pick up the tab, Palmer!"

The food was just as Marta had promised, and the beer even better. So much so that after dinner, they began to drink in earnest with only Tess abstaining out of respect for her current state. They toasted one another and continued to relate stories of their high school escapades while getting louder as they went. The party atmosphere was kicked up a notch when the bar owner took to a small stage in the corner to announce that it was amateur night, and anyone who wanted to try a hand at entertaining the crowd was welcome to get up and do their best.

"Hey, Joe! How about a song, Man? One last tune..." slurred Billy.

"Nah...I don't think so...I haven't played in front of anyone in years."

"Come on, Joe. Don't be a wimp!" said Frank swaying precariously back into his chair after trying to stand up to make his point.

"I hate to pile on, but I, for one, would love to hear you play live," said Marta.

Her piercing stare made his mouth go dry, and he tried to divert attention from the idea by jumping up from the table and saying he needed to use the restroom.

"I'll be back. Someone order me another beer."

In the lavatory, Joe threw water into his face and wiped it with a towel from the dispenser on the wall. He looked at himself in the mirror. In the lowlight, and squinting hard, he could almost see the young man he had been years ago. He drew a breath trying to recall the feeling he used to get right before a gig, that nervous tightness in his chest that usually went away after the first song.

"Fuck...What am I thinking? I don't have it in me anymore," he said to his reflection, half expecting it to answer and back him up.

Tossing the towel into a receptacle, Joe threw open the door and stepped into the short hallway that led back to the bar room only to be stopped by the presence of Marta leaning up against the wall.

"If you're in line for the ladies, you're in the wrong place," joked Joe.

Marta returned his smile, uncrossing her arms and stepping closer.

"Are we going to get to hear you play or what?"

"Marta...I can't...I'm not even sure I remember how and it's been years since the last time I...Mmmmphhmm..."

That was as far as Joe got in his counterargument before Marta calmly reached up and pulled his mouth to hers. In an instant, every thought fled from his brain, washed out by the shock of Marta's perfect lips covering his in a smoldering kiss that made his legs shake. He reacted on instinct, slipping his arms around her slender waist and mashing his lips tight to hers, thoroughly enjoying the slick, full softness like flower petals rubbing and sliding sensually all around. A light-headed feeling quickly followed, and Joe's heart raced in his chest. When she parted from him, at last, he couldn't recall what he was even doing in the hallway.

"What were you saying?" she asked with a sly smile.

"Uh...I don't remember..."

"Play for me, Joe. I want to hear you," she said, leaning up to kiss him again, quickly but firmly before turning and walking away.

"Shit..." murmured Joe as he wiped a hand through his hair and headed for the stage.

He told the bar owner his name, and the man announced him as "Joe from New York," which brought some polite applause and a few catcalls about "Snowbirds." He picked up the battered old acoustic guitar that sat by the corner of the stage, looking at it with bewilderment for a moment like he had no idea what it was before taking a seat on the barstool by the microphone. His fingers picked at the strings, and without thinking, he made some adjustments to the tuning, years worth of playing coming back to him in an instant. A quick strumming of a few chords told him he had it where it needed to be, but he stopped again, realizing he had no idea what to play.

"Sometime today, New York!" shouted a man from the back of the bar.

"I think he fell asleep," laughed a large breasted woman from the foot of the stage.

Joe certainly seemed like he was in his own world, not looking out at the audience but staring at the instrument in his lap, a dazed expression on his face. Things were starting to get embarrassing when he finally looked up and locked eyes with Marta sitting two tables away. His hands began to move, and for the first time since he had conceived it all those years ago, the music of "Bonnie's Song" flowed out over a crowd.

He had never gotten around to writing lyrics for it, but the tune spoke for itself, haunting and lonely at the start, but growing into a happier, more vibrant tune as it went. A story told in musical notes that anyone could recognize, and more than a few folks in the bar began tapping a toe and nodding along. Joe may have started rusty, but the old motions returned to him, and by the end, he was hitting every string perfectly, creating a melody that hung in the air and seemed to drive any darkness in the room away. When he finally finished, it was too much more enthusiastic applause and many smiling faces in the audience.

"Joe from New York, folks..." said the bar owner with a wave.

"Damn, Dude! You were on fire!" said Billy loudly, smacking him so hard on the back it hurt.

"Yeah...thanks..." winced Joe, wishing he could reach far enough back to rub the injured spot.

"That was beautiful, Joe. What was it?" asked Tess.

"It...doesn't have a name. Just something I wrote a long time ago and never got around to playing," lied Joe.

Marta sipped her drink, looking at him with an expression that said she knew he was lying and why, but she didn't press him about it.

The night wore on, and in the end, Tess decided she didn't feel like driving a carload of drunks all the back to Phoenix.

"The singing alone will drive me insane," she said to Marta rolling her eyes.

Joe offered to book rooms for them at a local inn on his dime, and they readily accepted. Frank took Billy in tow, and the two of them lurched toward their rooms, stopping so that Billy could heave over the railing.

"I hope to God nobody is down there..." thought Joe.

Marta and Tess decided to share a room to cut the cost, and they vanished from sight after a quick hug.

"Goodnight, Joe. Hell of a performance. Bonnie would have loved it," said Tess kissing him on the cheek.

"Yeah...Thanks...I hope so," he said.

Marta hugged him even tighter and added her soft kiss to his cheek.

"You still got it..." she whispered in his ear before leaving him alone.

Joe went in and took a shower, the last dregs of the beer in his stomach, giving him a pleasant, warm high as he got ready for bed. He didn't bother to set the alarm figuring someone would wake him in the morning. For the first time since his arrival, he felt like he might get a good night's sleep.

Then came the knock at his door.

He wasn't sure how long he had been laying on the crisp, white sheets, but it turned out to be longer than he had imagined. A good hour had passed since he had exited the shower, and it was close to one in the morning.

The door had an eye hole, but he didn't bother to use it. Half expecting one of his drunk friends, he was surprised to find Marta standing on the welcome mat and looking up at him.

"Can I come in?"

"Um...Yes...sure..." said Joe stumbling back from the door.

"It occurred to me that I might not see you in the morning. I have to leave early for work, and you guys look to me like you're going to sleep late."

"Oh...I see."

"It's been quite a little adventure. I have to say you've lived up to your reputation, Joe Harper. Every story my mom told me growing up, and there were some truly outlandish ones, I can believe they're all true."

Joe felt a blush coming on and fought it down.

"I'm glad I got to meet you as well, Marta North. You're a chip off the old block and then some. You would have made a fine addition to this bunch of rubes back in the day."

"I consider that high praise indeed," she said, grinning.

Marta had stopped just short of the bed, and to his dismay she reached down and started to unbutton her blouse.

"Um...What are you doing?"

"Getting ready for bed...What does it look like?"

"In here!"

Marta looked around the room.

"Would you rather I slept on the floor? It would be a lot less fun for both of us. I can assure you."

"Well...It's just I...Uh..."

Joe was having a hard time putting his thoughts together as her shirt hit the ground, exposing her perky, round tits in a lacy black bra. Her skin, tanned and silky looking in the low light, was an unbroken expanse of light brown to the top of her jeans. She started to unbuckle her belt, and Joe's eyes grew wider as she removed her pants, kicking them off into a corner. The black thong she wore barely covered her shaved vagina, thick, juicy looking labia separated by a thin cloth. She started to walk toward him, and a dozen or more arguments about why this was a lousy idea ran through his mind and just as quickly faded away as she drew near.

"You've been looking at me with those hungry eyes ever since I first saw you, Joe. Aren't you tired of just looking?"

He sure couldn't argue with that.

"Damn...Marta..."

There was no hesitation in his movements. He swept her into his arms, a wave of desire so profound sweeping through him it left him trembling, clinging to her half-naked body like a lifeline. Their mouths found each others in an instant, and they began to kiss frantically, desperately, with a need that burned like a fire inside them both. Marta's lips pasted to his, her tongue swirling and sliding all over while shivers and tingles ran down his spine. He couldn't recall ever being so turned on so fast.

Joe held her to him, returning her kisses with his own, pressing his tongue to hers in a sensual ballet of flesh that left them both panting. She moaned softly into his mouth as he rubbed at her back, squeezed one of her tight ass cheeks in his free hand. They stumbled back toward the bed, kissing, sharing hot, deep French kisses. His experienced fingers encountered the clasp holding her bra in place, and with a single flick, he sent it falling away from her body. She slipped her arms up around his neck, still bringing her full, creamy lips to his while her bare breasts slid warmly up against his chest hairs.

"I want you, Joe..." she whispered.

He lifted her onto the bed, seeing her almost fully naked for the first time, and she took his breath away. Her body was a flawless expanse of youthful perfection; no tan lines marred its surface, not a wrinkle or a blemish. Her breasts were sun-kissed with dark brown nipples that were swollen into perky knots on her chest. She smiled and slid off her thong, showing off her equally magnificent lower body, unbroken brown skin, and a pussy that gleamed with dew.

"Someone tans naked," observed Joe almost reverently.

"I like being unfettered when I'm outside. It makes me feel closer to nature."

The thought of Marta running naked through the woods like some fairy or nymph made Joe's cock swell even larger in his boxers.

He lowered his briefs to the ground, and Marta raised an eyebrow.

Though not a freak, Joe Harper certainly had nothing to be ashamed of in the male sex organ department. His thick, uncircumcised cock sprouted from between his legs, pointing at Marta, almost beckoning her forward, and she didn't disappoint. A deep, soft groan escaped her lips as she reversed direction and moved head first to the edge of the bed, stopping just inches from the tip of Joe's stiff pole. While he drew in a sharp breath, she took him in her petite hand, stroking the flesh back away from his cock head so that it appeared from beneath its hood. Then she licked it all the way around, making him gasp.