The Man Who Came from Nowhere

"Now that is a nice way to start our first date? Already we are up to three or is it four threats."

"Is this a date?"

"You are the one who asked; you tell me."

"I'll tell you when you kiss me good night."

"Wow! Can I take you home now?"

"Asshole. What kind of music is that?"

"That is what was on the radio when I bought the truck. The channel doesn't want to change. There are some cds in the glove box. Pick your poison."

She reached to the radio and pushed a button. The channel search moved through three channels before she stopped it on a station that was playing mellow country western music. "That's better. Are you one of those guys who don't read the owner's manual?"

"They come with a manual?"

She opened the glove box and under the cds, she pulled out the cellophane wrapped book which had never been opened. She set it on the console and added, "Required reading for novices."

"Read? Is that required to date you?"

"Asshole."

"What is this fixation you have for my anal orifice?"

"Because as my frustration grows, I am more and more tempted to shove something bigger than my foot where the sun don't shine."

"You mean like Alaska?"

"Don't tempt me. Hey, we have gone in a circle!"

"Well you sort of forgot to tell me where this place is and I'm not going to waste my one question on where we are going."

"Grrr. Go two miles that way and turn right. There will be a sign on the gate."

"Bill Paxton's place. Why didn't you just say so? It would have saved me a couple of gallons of gas."

All she could do is drop her jaw and say nothing until he turned in the driveway and parked next to several other trucks. He found that there was a large concrete pad surrounded by trees with a number of picnic tables and a huge grill not far from the main house.

As he started to get out, she grabbed his arm and said, "Now listen you..."

"My name is Nick."

"Shut up. Under no circumstances are you allowed to ask anyone here anything about me. I am dead serious."

"You already told me that I would be dead if I did. Trust me...for once."

"Grrr."

As they got out, a man somewhere between Neecy/Nessa/Deni's age and Nicks walked up and said, "Hi, Deni. I'm so glad you could make it." He turned to Nick and said loudly, "Nick! How great is this. I didn't know that you knew Deni..."

"I..."

Deni interrupted, "Bill. Under penalty of death, you are not to answer any questions about me to him."

Nick added, "The death involved is mine. So, don't let me ask."

Bill grinned boldly and replied, "Gotcha. The game is on."

"Deni!" A woman's voice screamed and ran up to her and wrapped her into a hug. "Bill said that you might not make it. I'm so happy. Hey, who is this stud. Is he your new squeeze?"

Deni turned three shades of red and started stuttering. NIck stepped forward and said, "Hi, I am Nick and the only thing she wants to squeeze is my neck."

"Oh dear. She has it that bad? My name is Mandy. How long have you known her?"

"Let's see, just short of 24 hours, give or take a little."

Mandy grinned and then asked with a playful grin, "What name did she give you?"

Deni regained her voice and muttered, "Mandy; do not go there."

Nick answered, "First, it was Neecy and then later, the waitress said that she was Nessa and a last name that I am not allowed to say in public. Tonight, she said that she is Deni." Mandy doubled over in laughter while Deni delivered a solid punch to Nick's arm. "Hey, you will make me drop your wine bottle. It cost at least two or three dollars."

Deni then addressed the bent over Mandy, "And you aren't allowed to talk to him either or I will kick your ass after I kick his."

Nick offered, "What is this fetish she has about anuses?"

Bill replied, "I would tell you but then there would be three of us who couldn't sit down. Let's go introduce you to the others. Deni, bring Mandy when she quits laughing." Bill led Nick towards a nice, large fire where a grill held a dozen racks of ribs and several steaks. They were by followed by Deni who was quietly reading Mandy the riot act.

"Guys, this is the guy I told you about. Nick...I don't know your last name."

"Hi everyone. I just go by Nick...except to Deni who prefers calling me asshole."

That brought several peals of laughter and a couple of "join the club" responses. This earned Nick with another punch to his arm but not the one holding the wine.

Deni stepped up and said boldly, "And if anyone, and I mean anyone, tells this thing about me, I'll be taking names and will dispense punishment later."

At least two people repeated the line, "She's got it bad" to nods and laughter.

Finally, one man said, "Sit down Deni and pour yourself a glass of whatever you are drinking. After we eat, we want to talk to Nick for a while. Don't run him off before we talk."

She turned to Nick and asked sweetly, "And what am I drinking tonight, sweet thing?" More laughter.

"I brought this red wine but since you jiggled it, you might want to stand back. It might fizz when I open it." That brought more laughter. She stepped back while he effortlessly popped the cork and poured her a plastic cup full.

"You mean that you didn't bring me glass glass to drink out of. Oh shit; this is good."

Bill looked at the bottle and said, "It should; this cost about $75 a bottle." Deni almost spit her wine out on hearing that.

Nick just shrugged and said, "That was all I had in the house; besides, I get it wholesale."

The man at the grill spoke up. "All right folks, if these get more done they will crunch when you bite into them. Get your plates and ladies first."

Mandy dragged Deni to the table whispering intently as she went. Nick just stood quietly as the others began milling around. Bill noticed and came to him, "In case you haven't noticed, Deni is everyone's favorite but they love to tease her."

"I can understand that but she seems to take it pretty well."

"She does and can dish it out just fine. Um... I shouldn't say this but the only sore spot with her is that Blankenship thing. She was in love, he married her for money. It lasted two years before she kicked him out. But she is still sensitive about being used like that."

"I kind of guessed something like that. We all have our scars. I won't use that one and thanks. And don't worry; I won't pry about her. I want her to tell me what I need to know."

"You're a good man, Nick, and she will respond to that even with the teasing."

"So far, it has been fun but I am very alert to where the lines might be. Any others?"

"Not many. She is a little sensitive about her place in the community. All of us here went to school together and know her. Others kind of get a different impression of her. But she can usually blow that off."

"Fine. Let's get some dinner. I skipped lunch again today."

They filled their plates and joined Deni and Mandy at one of the picnic tables. Deni immediately shot a look at Bill, who shook his head, and then at Nick. "So, what lies did Bill tell you about me. I know he did."

"Well he did tell me that you are really only 18 and a natural redhead; but other than that, his lips were sealed even when I offered him money."

"Now I know you are lying. Bill would sell Mandy for twenty dollars and me for five."

"He told me you cost ten!" Nick retorted indignantly.

Bill interjected, "I said ten if you also bought three head of cattle or more. The market is kind of tough these days." Mandy swatted her husband leaving several barbeque fingerprints on his shirt.

"Can I get a discount for three without Deni?"

"Nope. Package deal."

"Ok; I'll buy but I want a written guarantee that I can return them if they don't work out."

"Only on the cattle."

"I wasn't worried about the cattle." That earned Nick his own set of barbeque fingerprints on his shirt.

When dinner was winding down, Nick poured Deni another cup of wine as three of the other men came and sat at the table. "Nick, I'm Tom Jenkins. Bill was telling us about this sprayer nozzle thing you told him. Could you explain that to us? We all have similar problems."

"Sure; glad to. All sprayers basically work the same. A pump pushes the material through a hose at a certain pressure. At the end, there is a nozzle with a hole drilled in it. That is where the pressure builds and the spray pattern is developed. It is also carefully sized for the job it needs to do. Over time, the abrasive chemicals in the stream wear at that hole and it gets out of shape. Some of the chemical also sticks, creating a rough edge and surface. Together, that makes the spray pattern come out pretty funky. If it isn't too bad, you can run a drill bit through it and clean it out a little and it will improve. But most of the nozzles are steel and won't last very long anyway. The best thing to do is get a plug of stainless and drill it out yourself. That will improve the performance but over time, it will still get a little rough. When it does, start drilling it out just a hair oversize like another thirty second but increase the pump pressure about five or ten psi. That will balance the flow and pressure and will keep the spray fairly consistent."

Tom Jenkins looked at the others and they each nodded. "That sounds so simple. And it works?"

"When you look closely at most mechanical things, the principals are pretty basic and simple. But each manufacturer makes his just unique enough to be able to tell customers that his is better. Over time, they forget the details and the customer just goes back to buy more replacement parts that are very profitable. Kind of like the old camera days; they give you the camera but make a ton selling you film and developing services."

One of the others snickered and said, "Like computer printers. They sell you a piece of junk cheap and keep their hand in your wallet for ink cartridges."

Nick grinned, "You broke the code."

Deni was sitting there listening but also watching how Nick related to the others so calmly and easily. This obviously wasn't just an act but a natural part of his being. But it also raised a number of questions about his background.

One of the others asked, "Won't the manufacturers get pissed if you tinker with their products?"

Nick scowled a little before replying, "Some will. They think that they invented and own the laws of physics and mechanics. They guarantee their new products just long enough to satisfy new customers but they know how long a part should last and are very pleased to offer those profitable parts when they start breaking. They actually love it when you start tinkering because then they can walk away from any responsibility. The issue for the user is to know what you can tinker with and what not to. Tinkering with the nozzle is not a game changer. Changing the pump to a higher pressure or volume one can create problems." Several nodded as memories of tinkering with other products came to mind. Nick closed the discussion with, "As long as you do basic things without changing the overall design purpose or function, you are relatively safe."

"Thanks. I've got a sprayer that is acting up and the manufacturer went out of business. I either have to buy a new one or find a way to get this one working again."

"Give this a try. If it doesn't improve it, let me know and I'll take a look at it for you."

The men got up and went back to their places talking to each other while Nick turned his attention back to Deni, Bill, and Mandy.

Mandy asked, "You seem to know what you are talking about. Is that what you do?" Deni's ears perked up waiting for his reply.

"In a way. I studied mechanical engineering but got really involved with hydraulics. There is something fascinating about moving fluids from one place to another and getting them to do useful work for you. So yes, that is part of what I do or should I say, used to do. Now I kind of do a lot of different things."

Bill stood up and said, "It is time to start moving other things like bodies. I'll turn the music on."

Mandy grinned and nudged Deni who looked at Nick and asked, "Are you going to dance with me or chicken out?"

"Are your wearing steel-toed sneakers or are those just for looks?" That earned him another swat. "Mandy, has she tried out for a pro wrestling or football team. She does that pretty good."

"No. She learned that was the way to get the attention of a guy she likes."

"Mandy!"

"Come on, bossy. Let's dance and leave Mandy alone. We already know that you are attracted to me. Let's work on me being attracted to you for a while."

"What do you mean? You know damn well that you are attracted to me. How can you say..."

When they stepped into the open area where people were dancing, He spun her around and then took her in his arms and pulled her close. She was caught by surprise by the spin but was more shocked when he pulled her close since it was a faster song. When she got her wits back, she said, "Now about this issue about you being attracted to me; you wouldn't be dancing with me like this if you weren't."

"Part of the attraction process is to see how your body fits against mine."

"And?"

"You'll do."

She swatted his butt before saying, "I'll have you know that many men lust after this body and will never get the chance to feel it against theirs this close."

"Consider yourself lucky. Very few women get to feel my body against theirs either."

"Hmm! You'll do."

She leaned in and pressed her lips to his ear before whispering, "I'll bet you get an erection before the evening is over."

He returned the favor by nibbling her ear lobe before replying, "How bad do you want to have an orgasm on the dance floor?"

Her lips whispered more urgently, "If you even try, you will never see me again."

"I have no intention of trying but I have no control over you." Then he kissed her ear and felt her tremble.

"That ain't going to happen!"

"We'll see."

The song changed to a slow one and he gracefully moved her around the dance area as if they had been doing this for years.

Two hours later, they had killed the wine bottle, chatted with several couples, had dessert, and danced a number of times. When people began to say their good nights, they also approached Bill and Mandy to say thanks.

Mandy went to Nick for a hug and whispered, "Treat her right and you will have a wonderful woman on your hands; treat her badly and I will hunt you down and kill you."

He returned her hug and said, "No need to clean your gun. I have no intention of treating her badly in any way. Right now, I am just being patient to protect both of us."

"Good move. Thanks for coming with her. She doesn't get out much; she pushes herself too hard."

"If she is willing, we will be around more often."

Deni noticed the talk going on and demanded, "What kind of plot are you two conjuring up?"

Nick replied, "Nothing. She just offered to fix me up with a cute girl when you dump me." That earned him several swats from both women until Bill quit laughing and pulled Mandy away.

Nick took Deni's arm and led her to the truck saying, "Calm down. She did say that she was older and less inhibited than you are."

"Then you deserve her instead of me."

"I like to live on the wild side."

"Ha! We'll see about that."

"I am quite sure that we will."

They drove quietly until they were halfway back to her car when she took his hand and said quietly, "I have no intention of dumping you." She paused, "In fact, I am more worried about you dumping me."

He thought for a moment until he found the right words, "We basically just met and are still trying to figure each other out. So far, I see no reason to even think about that. In fact, I kind of hope that we can continue exploring each other for quite some time."

She squeezed his hand and replied, "I'd like that."

"Me too." He added as he parked next to her truck. He got out and helped her out. Then they both stood between the two vehicles shuffling their feet. Finally, Nick asked, "So have I been good enough tonight to earn that good night kiss?"

She grinned and answered, "What do you think?"

"I think that I want to do this." He took her in his arms again and twisted her over in the classic kiss move from the old movies and laid a very gentle kiss on her waiting lips. Her eyes closed as her arms went around his neck and pulled him closer. The kiss did not slow down until he felt her body begin to shake and quiver before going limp in his arms. He pulled her tightly to him and just held her.

He felt her come around and he loosened his hold on her except that she whispered, "Take me home."

"Where is your home?"

"Not mine; yours."

He opened the door to his truck and helped her inside again. When he started the engine, she leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder while holding his hand. He didn't speed driving home but enjoyed every moment of the feel of this woman as she gently caressed his fingers. But when he parked in front of his house, he realized that she was asleep. He carefully picked her up out of the truck and carried her inside. He lay her on his bed and took her shoes off before covering her with his quilt. Then he went to the living room and lay back in his recliner while reliving the entire evening. He too quickly fell asleep.

He slowly woke up when a hand gently caressed his cheek. "Why are you sleeping out here?"

"Because you were in the bed. Two bedrooms but only one bed."

"You...you could have slept with me."

"Yes, but I'm not sure that either of are ready for that yet. Soon, hopefully but not yet."

"You are probably right but still..."

'But still, we are in the same place and woke up together. Now we get to argue who is going to fix breakfast or are we going out to eat."

"There will be no argument. Either you fix it or I buy the breakfast out. I am a lousy cook."

"Ok, I'll have breakfast ready in about twenty minutes."

"Seriously?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"Only if you are fully awake." She leaned over and kissed him. Then she added, "I want another kiss like last night's."

"Your wish is my command. Before or after breakfast?"

"Tonight." She grinned. "That will make the heart grow fonder."

"Mine or yours?"

"We will see what we see when we get there. May I look around your estate while you do breakfast?"

"Certainly. Make yourself at home. The entire full featured tour takes about five, maybe eight minutes. I'll have your coffee ready when you return."

"Great. I think I will start with the bathroom though." She grinned.

He just nodded as he put the bacon in the oven. He then went about preparing the rest of the breakfast until she came up behind him. "Cute feminine bedroom. Is that for your girlfriends?" She felt him sag and saw a frown. It dawned on her that she had stepped right into a very sore spot. She quietly added, "It is for your daughter isn't it and she hasn't been here yet. Sorry. I didn't mean to open a wound."

"It's ok; it would have come out sooner or later."

"How...long has it been since you have seen her?"

"Three years."

"Shit!"

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "We write to each other on the computer. I use a name that isn't obviously me."

"Does she know it's you?"

"Yes." Then he put the biscuits in the oven, poured her a cup of coffee and said, "Fifteen minutes and breakfast will be ready." She knew that there would be no more said this morning.

"Thanks. I am going to look around outside." Then she kissed his cheek and went outside but was crying before she got down the steps. She wandered around and found his garden which she decided was thoughtfully planned and growing well. She found a partially finished garden shed that she also approved of but wondered how much he had done himself. She then kicked herself because she knew that he had probably designed it and then put up everything himself including the roof. Finally, she turned back to the house and prepared herself to face him again.