Marlene and Berri, Part 6

MARLENE AND BERRI
PART VI

It was about ten in the morning. Dill quietly strolled out by himself into
the kitchenette and sat down. Happy Days was now in syndication so he turned
the TV on. It was from the first season, when Rock Around The Clock was the
theme song. 

Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he sat down and watched the show. He found
himself staring at the open pack of Pall Malls. His eyes kept darting away
from Ralph Malph and Potsie Weber toward the pack. Finally he picked the pack
up and turned it over. Curiosity absorbed him. He took a sniff of the
tobacco. He couldn't put the pack down.

His gold lighter happened to be sitting alongside it. The pack consisted of
the Pall Malls Berri hadn't smoked yet--about half the pack. She had been
lighting up periodically the entire morning.

Slowly Dill pulled a Pall Mall out of the pack, and looked behind him. Berri
had been showering and would be done shortly. He got up, turned off the TV
and shoved Queen's Night At The Opera into the tape deck. While he was doing
this, a Pall Mall was dangling from his lips.

Finally he went ahead and picked up his lighter and as the flame came out, he
pulled it toward the tip and smoke wafted out of it. After a couple of drags
he shook his head and came close to snuffing it out when he heard a mild
giggle.

He turned around and there was Berri, wearing a pink nightgown and toweling
off her red hair, darkened from the water. She smiled at Dill.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I think I'd rather watch YOU do it," Dill responded as he planted the
still-lit Pall Mall between Berri's fingers. She took a drag, smiled,
exhaled, and put it back in the ashtray.

:"I've got something here you might like a little more" she said, as she
disappeared back into the bedroom.

Dill was singing along with You're My Best Friend. Suddenly the door flung
open, and a burly guy in a faded denim shirt with dark wavy hair burst in.

"What the hell are YOU doing here?" the new arrival demanded.

"I'm a guest of Berri's," Dill quietly responded. "And you are..."

"Stan!!" the voice was Berri's. She put down the metallic box she was holding
and nervously picked up the smoking Pall Mall. "What is the idea? Why are you
here?"

"Why shouldn't I be here? You are my woman!"

"I thought Tracy was now," Berri replied, sucking repeatedly on her
cigarette.

"She and I had an argument. Tell this joker to leave, babe. We've got some
talking to do."

"You and I are done talking, mister. Now that I know the real you. Get going
right now, and don't look back!"

Dill got in between Stan and Berri and said "You heard the lady! The door is
right there. I'd take a long walk off a short pier if I were you!"

"Oooh--listen to the punk," Stan replied. Berri stood watching this and lit
one Pall Mall up from the end of the almost finished one she had been
smoking. "I'd watch my mouth if I were you."

Dill calmly said "I said the door is right there. And I'm coming outside with
you. We don't need to mess up none of these nice things in here."

"You got it, creep!"

The door slammed with the two guys on the other side. Meanwhile Berri walked
up to the window, freshly lit Pall Mall in hand, and watched the scene
through the window. A pleasant smile came to her face and her eyebrows
jumped. Only five minutes later a vehicle and started up and veered down the
road--Stan's. Dill walked back in, his T-shirt a little rumpled. Berri gave
him a hug. 

"Where did you learn that?" she asked.

"My brother Dewey was in the service, and picked up a few martial arts
techniques. He taught some of 'em to me."

"You learned well," Berri said kissing him on the lips. She picked up the
metallic box and pulled out a bag of sinsimilla and a packet of Zig Zags.
"Now, let's enjoy some of this."

This would be yet another new experience for Dill.

TO BE CONTINUED

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