It's an Elkins State of Mind

 

It’s an Elkins state of mind

 

Lori did not care much about what people thought of her.

 

For as long as she could remember, she had been on her own. She had enjoyed life in her own terms, but she’d never had any money; her only property were the clothes on her back and a cell phone that she used to help her get by. She was not skilled in anything in particular and her wild spirit would not let her settle down and learn a trade. But she survived, and what she had to do to achieve that could fill out a book; her ‘memoirs’, as she liked to say. She might get to actually write it one of these days.

In the meantime, she was in Oasis Springs because she got a call from some lawyer. At first, she did not believe the man; it was probably one of those scams so popular then, and she ended the call before he had the chance to steal her identity or something. But he called again and sent her some data that told her at least he was real.

What he said was almost incredible, to be honest. But she had nothing to lose, so she hitched up a ride a few days after they talked. She wanted to scout the town before actually meeting the lawyer. The place was in the desert, and that spring the weather was good in the day, but very cold at night, so she roamed the streets in the day, looking for stuff that she could sell, but spent the nights at a shelter. There, she heard about how there were things to dig up around that people bought; while she was deciding whether to go to the lawyer’s office, she dug up some rocks and other stuff to sell. She did not get much, but she made a few bucks. Among the volunteers at the shelter there was a very young man who got infatuated with Lori from the second she smiled at him. Sweet, but not her type; but he helped her get to the sites where the most things were usually dug, and he leant her a couple of tools to work. She also got to meet people and got into ‘play’ with a few men, which meant a few more bucks. Like I said, Lori was no stranger to using whatever ‘assets’ she had in order to survive.

All that was making Lori forget about the very likely scam that the lawyer intended to put on her, and she got derailed for a few weeks, hooking up with men, and learning the lay of the land in Oasis Springs. It was always useful to know who was who in a new place, and where to get what could make a girl ‘happy’ there. However, after about three weeks or so checking out the place, Lori realized she could be in trouble and she would need the only thing that can usually get you out of that. She still was not buying what the man wanted to sell, but she decided to paid the lawyer a visit. He welcomed her and got to tell her the details of what he’d said on the phone.

“Well, Miss Elkins, it is nice to finally meet you. It is Miss Elkins, is it not? I’ve been trying to get hold of you for a good number of months now, you know?” said the man, looking appreciatively at the young woman’s body, and then, not so much at the black tattoos covering most of it. But Lori was used to those looks. She had started getting tattoos when she was much younger, but a few years back she went for a full body tat. It had been painful, but to her, it was worth every cent she spent on it—and every fuck she had to give to save the money.

“Yeah, so you say. So, what’s this all about? You said someone left me something?”

“Yes, your great aunt Lyla. She passed here months ago. I’ve been trying to find you since then. So sorry for your loss.”

Lori nodded as if she was thinking of her ‘great aunt Lyla’, but in truth, she had no memory of ever meeting an old goose of that name. “So, what she left me?”

“Well, there is this lot in town. It is not large and it’s not built upon, but the deed is in order; you can take possession of it. She left that and a substantial sum of money.” The young woman’s eyes shone at the prospect of ‘easy’ money, but she knew that there was no such thing. “Uhuh. And so, what is the catch?” “What do you mean, Miss Elkins?” “It’s Lori. You know what I mean. No one leaves something for a person they don’t know without there being a catch.” The lawyer smiled; not a fool this woman. Strange, but not a fool. “Ah, well, Lori; there is no ‘catch’, but there is a condition.” She laughed, “I knew it! Come on then, what is it? And exactly how much money are we talking about?”

The lawyer had dealt with people, clients and their heirs, for a long time; this woman was no lady grieving for a long-lost old aunt. He knew that, in order to finalize this business of old Ms. Lyla and move on to his other contracts, he would have to sell the deal well. “Well, Lori. The thing is that the lot cannot be sold in the next five years.” Lori frowned at that. “What am I gonna do with an empty piece of land that I cannot sell?” “I’m thinking you could live there.” “Where? And how? I’ve got no money, and you still haven’t told me how much money is there to be had. I’m not getting stuck to a shit piece of land for a buck, man.” The line was in the water, he had to be careful now. The lawyer opened a folder on his desk and slid it towards Lori. “Let me show you this.” The woman raised an eyebrow but leaned forward to peer into the page in the folder. The amount in a cheque there was ten thousand simoleons! She read it twice. There was no mistake, the paper in front of her contained a bank cheque for ten thousand simoleons in her name, but there was something about a condition. “Is this true?” “Yes, it is. That amount is after taking off state taxes and my stipulated commission.” “Ok, so. I cannot sell the land for five years, is that it? I can do that.” She was thinking about the sweet deals she had found in town, and the other thing that she learned one morning or two before.

“Actually, the condition for the lot is that you don’t sell it in that period of time. But there is another condition for the money.” That time, Lori got out of her seat. “Come on! Who do I have to do? Tell me now, old man.” He laughed at her words; feisty and worldly, this one certainly was. “Ha! Well, that is entirely up to you, Lori, but I can assure you that it is not part of the condition here.” “What is it then, spit it out.” “You must be married.”

There was a deafening silence in the room. Lori was trying to think fast. She had moved here, but she had been a free spirit with no ties to anything and anyone until then. With this lot, she’d be tied to the place for five years, it’d not be impossible to hook up with someone and get him to marry her in due time. After all, ten thousand bucks was a good number of reasons to get married, and there was the other thing. She sat down again, “Ok, that lady was a cuckoo. But I think I can manage to do that in the next five years.” The lawyer sighed. It was almost done. The way this gal was able to think on her toes could make it work; then he could get his commission and move on. Otherwise, he had to give the money to charity and there was no commission in that.

“You have to understand that I have been looking for you since your great aunt passed, Lori.” “Uhuh.” “That was—he checked his calendar—a week short of five months ago today.” “Why are you telling me this?” “There is a timed clause in the will that says that you must be married to get the inheritance. If I’m not wrong, you’re not married right now, are you? That means that you have one week, seven days, to get married before the time expires and you lose the money and the lot.” Lori was slouched in the chair by then. “I knew it was too good to be true. Why the hell did the bird do that?” “I don’t know. But you’re young and, hm, reasonably good looking. I am sure you can manage to call upon a friend to help you in this time of need. The will does not specify that you must be married to a man, if you swing that way.”

Lori was thinking fast again. On the one hand, she was ready to run away; this was too much! On the other hand, it was ten fucking thousand simoleons! The problem was not getting a man or a woman, the issue was to get anyone to agree to do that for free. She would not want to split ten thousand simoleons with anyone if she could help it and she knew that any of her ‘friends’ would ask for payment to do something like this. She’d have to play her cards very well. “OK, ok. So, today is Monday. If I am married by next Monday I get the land, and the money, is that right?” “Yes, it is. It’s right here in the will.” She was smart enough to actually read the details of the will and ask more questions. When she was satisfied, she nodded her head. “Ok, then. I will get back to you within the week.”

 

That was why she had spent the rest of that Monday helping out at the shelter, and after his shift was over, she invited the young man out. She took him for a walk around town; there was a nice park where they could sit and make out, she had been there with another guy the previous evening. In between kissing and fondling, she explained how much she was enjoying her time in Oasis Springs thanks to him. She told him that she wanted to stay, but she’d have to leave, so they better make the best out of the little time they had together. She made him feel like a big man in her hands and he was pretty much ensnared when he left to go home.

The next day she took him to the same park and gave him the full Lori experience. He was making promises of love by the time he left that evening.

On Wednesday, Lori actually took him to the lot that was supposed to be hers in less than a week’s time.

She told him the story of the inheritance of that lot, leaving out the part of the money. He only had eyes for Lori.

 

She explained that because of a clause in the will, she could not stay in town with him. The clause said she had to be married and she would not hope to get in that stage in their ‘relationship’ in such a short time!

He listened attentively, but his eyes kept wandering to Lori’s breasts, right in his sightline.

 

She put her hands in her face and cried!

He stood up and went to her, of course. Holding her hands in his to see her face, he said. “But- but you don’t have to leave! If that’s what it takes, I-I will marry you.”

She looked up, an expression of hope in her eyes—real hope, after all.

 

“Are you sure? This is too soon! I-I wanted to get to know you better, before, you know. But I feel that you’re The man for me! We’re soulmates! Would it matter that we get married now, rather than later?”

“No, I don’t- I don’t think so. You’re gorgeous, and I-I, you’re stunning!”

 

Before he had the time to think more, Lori got on one knee. “Kayoshi Ito, will you marry me?” “Ah, uhm, it’s Kiyoshi, with an ‘i’.” “Oops, sorry, darling! I’m so excited! Kiyoshi, sweet thing. Will you marry me?”

She even had a ring to offer him! No doubt she had asked around about the requirements for a marriage in Oasis Springs; she seemed to have covered all her bases.

He took the ring from her and put it in his hand and stared at it. “Yes, I will! Oh, this is nice! Thank you, Lori!”

 

“Wonderful! I’m so glad that I can stay here in Oasis Springs, ahm, with you!”

He smiled when she held his hands in hers. “Me too! When would you like us to get married?”

“How about we go to the City Hall right now? I happen to know a lawyer who helped me get the license, just in case.”

 

------------

Lori got married, and got the lot and the money that went with the inheritance.

For a few more days she stayed at the shelter while her husband stayed at his parents’ house. Needless to say, she convinced him not to tell anyone just yet.

When she planned her moves, Lori had ordered one of those prefabricated houses and as soon as the money went through, she got it placed on the lot. By the following Monday, Lori and her young husband were in their new home in Oasis Springs.

Even though the place was basic, it took quite a good amount of her money, but Lori made sure to save some for the rainy days she knew were inevitable.

 

Kiyoshi was sweet and not bad at scratching the itch that Lori knew she had always had. His eagerness to please was enticing. She made sure to give him very good make out sessions to keep him happy, but she excused herself more often than not because of ‘the baby’.

 

In truth, one guy was not usually enough for her, and she found the time to meet the guys when her young husband was not around. Again, she did not care what people said about her, but her other guys had been very clear that they did not like him.

 

Months went by like that. By that time, Lori knew that Kiyoshi was playing his role well, not ‘seeing’ what was in front of his eyes. That made things easier for her. She had never expected to pass the baby as his, but he was so blind by her, that he never really asked about that. She would have gotten rid of the baby had she been paying attention, but she was always quite irregular and the new guys she met upon arrival were hot—if it was in fact one of them who got her pregnant, she was not sure; and the things she had been doing got her distracted a lot.

 

In short, she was triple stuck in Oasis Springs. One, for the next five years or so, she would have to keep that property; might as well live in it for a while. Two, she was pregnant, and three, she had a husband.

At least the pregnancy was coming to an end, apparently.  The doctor at the town clinic said she should be delivering the baby in about a couple of weeks or so. That would be one less reason to feel trapped, she hoped.

 

And about her last tie to the town, well, she was still growing something she found around town in a digging; that might help her out of that predicament?