Preceded by Cheney's Gift and Cheney Feathers

I would have recognized Bettie Mae anywhere.  It wasn’t her whole name, but that’s what I called her.  She wasn’t no big movie star, or pin-up girl, to me neither!  Not to me. 

Bettie Mae was the woman I loved.

Bettie Mae and I went to high school together back in Nashville.  We went to Hume-Fogg Academic back in 1940.  She was a year or so behind me, but that made no never-mind.  I’d never seen a sweeter, more wide-eyed girl in my whole life. 

We didn’t really know each other much back then.  She only had eyes for this no good bozo named Billy Neal at the time.  I didn’t want to get involved cause I would surely have to hurt that boy.  Woulda’ too!  Didn’t like him, not one bit.

Truth is, I never actually spoke to her.  I always wanted to… but it was just never the right time.   Imagine me, Alexander Cheney, too scared to introduce myself.  But... I just couldn't.

I heard that she and Billy got married after graduation, just before they drafted his sorry ass.  Marriage didn’t work of course.  I heard they got a divorce and she was movin’ around a lot.

I lost track of Bettie until around 1955, or so.  Then, all of a sudden, she was just bustin’ out everywhere.  First there was this Jungle Bettie series.  These were pictures of Bettie Mae that showed up in those tittie magazines for men.  And they were everywhere.  Wink, Titter, Eyefull… all of ‘em had some of those pictures of my Bettie… in this skimpy little jungle print outfit and real jungle animals.  The pictures were well done too. She looked… wonderful.  

(Bettie would tell me later that she posed for some of those pictures with a live cheetah that scared the mess out of her.  Poor thing pissed herself on the first day of that shoot. But she trusted that Yeager girl taking the pictures and it all worked out.)

Then she showed up in Playboy.  Yes she did!  She was in the centerfold of the January 1955 issue… winking up at me wearing a Santa hat and not much else.   Of course, she didn’t look much like the girl I used to dream about back in Hume-Fogg.   Her hair was jet black now, in bangs, and… well she just didn’t look so “wide-eyed” anymore.  But it was still my Bettie. 

Now…she winks again, in that same famous pose with the Santa hat. My gift is apparently in full effect.  

Then she looks at me more carefully, as an expression of surprise and dismay comes over her face.  I realize that only now has she recognized me as the Lex Cheney that she went to high school with in younger days. 

“Lex” she says softly.  “That is really you isn’t it?”  

I say nothing.  I am that same, young Lex Cheney once again, only I am overcome by emotions I thought I’d brought under control many years ago.  I was wrong.  They’d only been suppressed. 

She slowly gets up and begins walking toward me.  She takes off her Santa hat and holds it nervously in her two hands.   I am well aware of her bare skin… but I am only looking into her eyes. 

“I always knew that you wanted to speak to me.  I saw the way that you looked at me Lex, but you never said anything.”  Her voice quivers as she speaks to me.   Her eyes are moist and shiny as she draws close enough for me to reach out and touch her. 

I cannot move.  All I can do is look at her as I concentrate on remembering to breathe. 

“By the time I married Billy, you were gone, and Billy was just so….”  She could not continue looking into my eyes as she spoke of Billy Neal.  I feel a pang of regret and I can do nothing about it.  This was so very long ago.    

“Have you come back for me now Lex?  After all of this time, will it finally be time for us?”

I look down as she stands in front of me.  I can see and feel that her body is trembling.  I am now holding her hands in mine.  The Santa hat has vanished.  The image of our hands is in sharp focus, while the perfect form of each breast and the juncture between her firm rounded thighs remains muted and blurred… unfocused as if off in the distance. 

As I watch our hands entwined, I see a tear fall onto the back of my hand.  It rolls off of my wrist and into oblivion as yet another tear falls between the juncture of our fingers.

In my heart… I know that at least one of those tears belonged to me.

“Mr. Cheney?”

I look up slowly.  It is somehow important to see if there are tears falling from her eyes or not.

My gaze lingers for a moment on her mouth.  I’ve never kissed her.  I’ve loved this woman from a great distance away, and I’ve never told her so… and I’ve never kissed her.  

I want to kiss her mouth… that perfect mouth.  Taste her perfect lips and run my tongue across perfect teeth.  

“Mr. Cheney?  Mr. Cheney!”

I breathe in and slowly exhale softly.  There is a cough tickling the back of my throat.  I am back now… and now I don’t dare open my eyes.