Taking Chances, by E. L. Van Hine and L.H. Nicoll

[MaineWriter]

And a famous exchange from Chapter 40:

“Where’d you say Ellery was?” He sat down on the sofa heavily, putting the ice pack back on the side of his face.

“I would say, that’ll be him,” Joe said, standing back up again as headlights swept the windows. Moments later, Ellery came in the door, eyes only for Ennis as he dropped his overnight bag.

“Oh sweetheart what’d he do?”

Joe cleared his throat.

Ennis looked up at Ellery in a kind of slow shock, taking in the blue boots, the tight black denims and brief vest, then finally the ponytail and earring. “What the fuck are you WEARING?” Ennis said, voice cracking.

“Oh. Shit. Yeah. Guess I better change.” Ellery stepped through the living room, suddenly self conscious in front of his colleague, and tossed back over his shoulder. “Hey there Joe. You take his statement, okay?” and went in to the bedroom to change. He only wished he could have provoked that reaction from Ennis under better circumstances.


L

[mariez]

And I have my eye on 4000. I keep asking myself, is this something I should be proud of? LOL.

L

LOL!!  Of course - just one more thing to be proud of, Queen of Schmoop!   

Nice variety of quotes, Leslie - a lot happened in these chapters.  Jumping back to Chapter 38:

“No, this here is Wayne from Ellery’s bar. He got ta talk to someone about Bill Early, an I ain’t no police so I didn’t want ta hear none of it myself.”

“You need ta talk to Joe or the Sheriff. Let me see if Joe’s still here.” She jumped up, and Wayne began to move away. Ennis snagged his arm and held it in a stiff grip.

“You do got flabby arms. I take it you haven’t done no horseback ridin lessons.”

“Fuck off Ennis, I swear. You hate my kind so badly you shouldn’t even be allowed in the Red Stallion.”

“Shut up Wayne,” he growled. Just then the stubby figure of Joe Tooey appeared at the door. “News a Bill you say?” he smiled.

Ennis nodded, wordless, keeping an iron grip on Wayne’s arm.

“You want a donut, coffee?”

“Oh a donut!” Wayne enthused, trying to break away.

LOL!  What a great tension-breaker Wayne is!  We can always count on Wayne to give us a laugh - he is one of a kind! 

Thanks - Marie

[mariez]

From Chapter 37:

“Jesus Christ. I found me an Ennis,” he whispered.

Now that he had a face... a very memorable face, one that was more familiar to him than his own, he had some chance of canvassing. But in the meantime, he had a call to make.

“Huh... hello?”

“Weiss?”

“Cantrell? You still in town?”

“Yeah, sorry ta get ya out of bed but I had a question ta ask ya. Does the name Justin Worrell mean anythin ta you?”

“Worrell. Justin you said? No, but there’s a judge by the name in the criminal court, old guy now, he might be retired. Not a real common name around here Cantrell. Why you askin?”

“Just followin up, I found out who Twist was meetin down here an he lives in Austin. An I can’t find fuck all on him, not even his marriage license. Just got his Texas driver’s license.”

“Well if he’d been in trouble you know how judges look after their own, maybe he’s related to the judge. You can find HIM in Who’s who... he is all over the damn place. Listen Cantrell I got ta sleep. Call me sometime after dinner if ya need anything more.”

“Sure enough, sorry about that, Weiss.”

He hung up, plucking his lip. Deeper and deeper. He headed back to the library then to look up Judge Worrell before it closed. Then it would be off to the Lone Star, this time to stake it out.



Amidst the themes of love, acceptance, forgiveness, etc. - Louise gave us a helluva mystery, too!

Thanks - Marie

[MaineWriter]

All right re-readers...

I am actually posting a little early today because I have a busy day tomorrow and might not do the quotes justice. Today's reading assignment, chapters 41-45:

http://louisev.livejournal.com/38743.html

Ennis opened the bedroom door in time to see Ellery taking the band from his hair, the earring already out, the lizardskin boots kicked into a corner.

“What the fuck is this?” Ennis said, voice hushed.

“That is one hell of a bruise sweetheart. You need a big cut a steak on yer jaw.”

“Where did you get those horrible boots? You look like a...”

“A queer, sweetheart. I was stakin out a queer bar. I had ta blend in. I thought I’d surprise ya at the airport. Well... surprise.”

“Jesus Christ. And... an earring?” He held a hand up to Ellery’s guilty earlobe. “Is this some new thing yer gonna start in doin?”

Ellery frowned. “Now hold on. I told you I was makin a stakeout. Piercins close up. I had a piercin a long time ago an you didn’t know nothin about it. And no it ain’t no new look. I thought you might find it ... excitin.”

A gentle knock came on the bedroom door. “Uh, gentlemen....” came Joe’s mild voice.

“No I ain’t found it excitin!” Ennis hissed, dropping his voice now. “Don’t... just don’t... do it around me.”

Ellery was unhappy, but bit back his anger in light of Ennis’s injury. “We’re comin Joe, just changin.”

“Don’t change completely okay Ellery? Just the clothes,” he joked through the door, and then Ennis heard him moving away.

“I’m changin my clothes now Ennis. I promise.”

Ennis turned, wordless, and left the room. “I tol you everythin Joe, that was it.”


This was such an interesting exchange...Ennis really tries to believe he was "jacksexual" and now, "ellerysexual" but here he has cold, hard evidence that Ellery is queer and knows what queers do...like get their ears pierced and wear blue boots. It is so interesting how Ennis holds things at arms length, and is now struggling with it.

L

[MaineWriter]

I remember when this was first written, people were dying...DYING...for bottom!Ennis. Here is the first hint that that wish might come true...

Ennis found the cigar box and lighted one, Ellery curling up next to him, one long lean thigh wrapped around his. Ennis took a drag from it and handed it off, Ellery wiping his sticky fingers on his drawers before accepting it. “You sure do like me pokin around down there.”

“Yeah.”

“I’d like ta try it with my cock sometime.”

“So you said.” Ennis took the cigar from his hand once again, not looking at him.

“Think you might be willin ta try?”

“Maybe. Fingers feel good....” he said, tentatively.

“You never done this, taken a cock?”

He shook his head. “You sure like it though. Jack sure liked it a whole lot.”

“That’s cause it feels good sweetheart. Jest different is all.”

“I’ll tell ya when okay?”


L

[MaineWriter]

More from Chapter 42:

“Wayne been feelin yer ass with me outta town boy?” Ellery joked softly.

“No but he must a figured out since I ride horses all the time.”

Ellery snaked a hand under his hip and squeezed one of his cheeks. “Yep. Rock hard.”

“You really wore those boots an those tight jeans in a queer bar? Anybody try ta pick ya up?”

Ellery nodded. He knew this would come up again. “Yeah but nothin serious. I appeal ta men who don’t appeal ta me generally. Man like you comes along once in a dog’s age, got ta keep an eye out. No way a man with a tattoo that says “Mother” on it ever gonna get my pants down.”

“Better not or I’ll have to whup yer ass for it. I’m a jealous man, Ellery.”

“Yeah, figured that part out earlier tonight. Part of you was purple an the rest was bright green. I ain’t got no interest in other guys, Ennis. An if you want the god’s honest truth, that bartender told me he had me figured fer a cop because I wasn’t lookin at asses and cocks.”

Ennis smiled. “Good ta hear. Ya shouldn’t be. Only cock I want you lookin at is that one right there, an I mean it.” he pointed a lazy finger at his crotch.

“Yes sir,” Ellery replied.


L

[MaineWriter]

Another famous exchange, this one from Chapter 43...I love it when I rediscover these gems! LOL

They ate quietly, Ennis looking unhappy at the prospect of seeing Wayne again, and before their last cup of coffee he finally said “I really think ya can talk ta Wayne without me bein there.”

“I don’t think so Ennis, now come on. You intimidate him. That’s a good thing. He is a whole lot more intimidated by you than he is by me.”

“Yeah well sometimes when I intimidate him I think he’s gettin a woody in his drawers.”

“Oh that’s what’s goin on! Well he’ll do that anyway. Wayne is queer for everybody. No offense intended but it ain’t personal. Even knowin I don’t like fem boys he tried ta get into it with me a couple years back an I had ta almost slap him before he took no for an answer.”

“He does that in front a me he won’t know what hit em.”

“You do brighten up to a nice shade a green, Ennis,” Ellery said. “If Wayne an me were on a desert island an there was nothin there but a coconut between us, I think I’d fuck the coconut before I’d fuck Wayne.”

Ennis spewed coffee down his chin. “Maybe you oughta tell em that.”

“I did. That’s why he doesn’t flirt with me no more.”



L

[MaineWriter]

In Chapter 44, we get to know Lauren for the first time:

“You gettin a new bartender?” came the soft voice of the lanky assistant, holding his broom as if to ward off danger with it.

“Oh hey Lauren. Needed one for a while. An I’ll be honest with ya, Wayne pulled a really bad stunt this week an I don’t know if I can keep em. If yer lookin fer more hours an think ya can handle it this might be a good time ta step up.”

“Yeah, Wayne tol me he was gonna get in trouble. They arrest em?”

Ellery shook his head. “No, they chalked it up ta him bein a bonehead. You want some more nights?”

Lauren nodded, giving Ennis a shy look. “You come ta work here too Ennis?”

Ennis gave him a faint smile. “Only Saturday nights ta help out in case a trouble. I ain’t no bartender, so no worries there.”

“That’s too bad,” Lauren said. “I think it’d be nice if you worked here. Wayne lets people get away with all sorts a shit. If ya pardon my sayin so.”

“Is that a fact?” Ellery said. “Like what sorts a shit?”

Lauren’s eyes widened. “Maybe I shouldn’t be tellin tales outta school...”

“Lauren I own this fuckin bar. I am yer boss. If he’s lettin shit go on it can get us closed down so like what kind a shit an I don’t want ta ask a third time.”

Lauren stepped closer into the office, even though the building was otherwise empty. “He... was lettin boys give head in the Gent’s an take money fer it. An a course taken off their clothes on the dance floor an givin away their drawers.”

“Goddammit!” Ellery smacked his hand on the table. “That is the type a shit that is gonna make me lose my license. Well I don’t care if the bar does have ta be closed for a while. That boy has got ta go.”

Lauren’s eyes got wide. “I didn’t think you’d fire em for that.”

“I shoulda fired em fer harborin a fugitive, Lauren. An he violates my liquor an entertainment license that way he sure as hell is gonna get fired for it.”

“I am real sorry Ellery. But he tol me not ta say nothin an I didn’t want ta lose my job too.”

“You ain’t gonna lose yer job unless you was one a those boys givin head in the Gent’s.”

“I wasn’t. I got me a boyfriend Ellery.”

“That is real good ta hear Lauren.”

“He takes real good care a me too.”

L

[MaineWriter]

And for all of those who missed it, chapter 44 is where Ennis spanks Wayne:

“You sass me I’ll let Ennis whale on ya for a while. He is just dyin ta after what he went through cause a you.”

“I didn’t do nothin ta Ennis.”

“No, but Bill did. Just in case you missed the egg on his jaw there.” Ennis grinned malevolently at Wayne.

Ellery counted out a stack of bills in fives and tens and ones and set it in front of Wayne. “That’s this week’s pay. Don’t come in tonight. Don’t come back Wayne. An don’t let the door hit yer ass on the way out.”

Wayne picked up the stack of bills and shoved them in his shirt pocket, glared at Ennis, and stood up, edging out of the office. “Fuck you Ennis,” he hissed as he walked by, and Ennis let fly with a hard whallop on the seat of his too tight jeans. “Jesus Christ, you asshole!” he cried, and ran out of the bar.

Ellery smirked at Ennis. “If he had a brain in his head, he could lodge a complaint of assault for that Ennis.”

“Let em. I’ll tell em he pissed me off.”



L

[mariez]

Great quotes, Leslie!

This was such an interesting exchange...Ennis really tries to believe he was "jacksexual" and now, "ellerysexual" but here he has cold, hard evidence that Ellery is queer and knows what queers do...like get their ears pierced and wear blue boots. It is so interesting how Ennis holds things at arms length, and is now struggling with it.

L

Yes, that's so true - and, considering his choice of Christmas gift to Ellery, Ennis never did get completely comfortable with those boots, did he?   

I remember when this was first written, people were dying...DYING...for bottom!Ennis.

L

I'll admit - I was one of 'em!   

So Chapters 41-45 for Wednesday.  Well, you know what that means? Chapters 46-50 on Thursday.  I'm so pathetically excited!!    Guess who we hear about for the first time in Chapter 47 and meet for the first time in Chapter 48?   Whoo Whee! 

Thanks - Marie