Traveller by L.W. Samuelson (reading comprehension books .txt) 📖

Traveller. It’s Lori. I’ve missed you.”
“Lori! I’ve missed you, too.”
“Are you okay? I had a premonition that something bad happened,” she said having already been filled in by Jesse.
“My space ship was destroyed,” he said.
“That’s great Traveller! I was always worried you’d fly off somewhere. Now you’ll have to stay here with me.”
“But, but . . .”
“You’re free to be yourself now. No Benwarians to look over your shoulder. You came looking for friends and you found them. You have to look at the bright side of things. Don’t grieve for that which cannot be changed.”
“You’re right. It’s just that I’ve severed all ties to my heritage.”
“Move on. Let no sentiment of home detain you. I’ve got great news. I’ve booked the band at the Fifth Amendment two weeks from this weekend.”
“Really? I love music almost as much as I love you Lori. You’ve lifted my spirits more than you can imagine.”
“I’ll see you when you get home. Don’t let Jesse get you guys in trouble. Think of me fondly and with a smile. I love you.”
“Thank you Lori. That means more than a spaceship ever could.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow Traveller.”
“Goodbye,” he replied.
“Who was it?” Jesse asked when he hung up.
“You fool Jesse. You answered the phone,” Willy said.
“So who was it?” asked Jesse again.
“Lori. Let’s get me disguised so I can win some money for her.”
“Now you’re talkin’,” Jesse enthused. “I saw a blonde wig in the gift shop. There was also a nice dress. We’ll need make-up and high heels.”
“I’ll do the make-up. My sister and I used to practice on each other. Once she trained me, I used to do my mother’s for her,” offered Tim.
“That is so gay, but whatever. You do the make-up, but he’d better be pretty when you get done. Let’s drive back to Twin Falls to get some of the other stuff we need. We’ll be back toward evening when all the fun starts,” Jesse said.
“Man, you guys crazy. We gonna end up in jail,” said Willy smiling at the thought of Traveller as a woman. “I jus’ hope he don’t turn out to be a bitch.”
“Bro’ what a horrible thing to say about you’re sister,” Jesse joked.

When they got back from Twin Falls, Tim shooed Jesse and Willy out of the room. He didn’t want them watching as he applied Traveller’s make up. They had purchased eyeliner, mascara, rouge, false eyelashes, high heels, a bra, even falsies. Everything a man would need to pass for a women right down to the razor for shaved legs and nylons.
Chapter 40 - Marilyn Monroe Lives

Traveller watched an old Marilyn Monroe movie on television called “A Seven Year Itch” while Tim was applying the make-up. He watched her mannerisms and listened to her voice. “I want you to apply a beauty mark,” he told Tim after watching for a while.
After Tim was done, Traveller was every bit the woman except for his brown hair. “And on with the wig,” Tim said. He put it on Traveller and gasped.
“Let me see,” Traveller begged.
“Just a minute. I have to adjust it,” Tim said. He pulled and tugged at it before pinnning it to Traveller’s real hair.
When Tim finished, he stood back to examine his work. “You’re beautiful,” he said getting out of the way for the alien to see.
Traveller didn’t recognize himself. He pursed his Monroe lips and winked. “O Tim, take me out to the ballgame,” he said in an unmistakably husky female voice.
“I bet Willy and Jesse will never recognize you. Let’s go to Cactus Pete’s and find out. I’ll stay in the shadows while you flirt with Willy,” Tim suggested.
They found Willy at the bar drinking a coke. Tim joined him and signaled for Traveller. The wall behind the bottles of booze was covered by a mirror. Willy enjoyed being able to watch people pass behind him by staring straight ahead.
He perked up, when he saw a tall blonde with shapely legs approaching. “Whooee, man somthin’ fine be passin’ our way Tim. Man, she be a knockout. Hello mama!” he said.
Traveller placed a hand on Willy’s back just as he was taking a sip of pop, “Hello handsome. What’s a girl gotta do to get a drink around here?” he/she asked.
Willy spewed coke on the counter. “I buy ya drink sweetie. Just tell me what ya’ll havin’.”
Traveller ran his fingers through Willy’s kinky hair, “If I did that handsome, you might find out who I am,” he/she teased.
“It be a secret? You all can’t actually be Marilyn Monroe, she dead,” he said.
“No hon, try a little closer to home. I’ll have a Jack Daniels on the rocks,” Traveller gushed sexily.
Willy had been utterly fooled even though he knew what the plan was. Traveller was so pretty, so feminine, so beautifully sexy, and so into character that even now he found himself disbelieving. Only the scarred arm told him otherwise, that and the fact that Tim was laughing and pounding the flat of his hand on the bar.
Willy wasn’t amused. “Damn man, you guys cold-blooded. Jeeze Bro’, I didn’t know it was you,” he said angrily averting his eyes.
Without breaking character, Traveller replied, “What’s a woman to do when Willy goes for a man?” The alien kissed him on the cheek leaving red lip marks.
“Damn it Bro’ quit foolin’ around and go win some money,” Willy said as he wiped the side of his face with a napkin. Feeling the hot blush of embarrassment he exclaimed, “And stay away from me!”

Tim and his “wife” circled the tables until they found one with two adjacent open chairs. The gentleman, Tim, seated his ever more flirtatious wife before setting down beside her/him.
The dealer dealt Traveller a pair of aces. He/she batted her eyelashes noticing that his name was Jimmy. “Why Jimmy I think I’ll just split these and bet a hundred on each,” she said when he got back to her.
He dealt her/him a king and then a queen; he/she won three hundred dollars. A girlish giggle escaped from Traveller. “Oh Tim, Jimmy’s just the nicest dealer,” he/she said. Meeting Jimmy’s eyes as he gathered the cards from the other players, he/she winked.
Tim and Traveller played tag team twenty-one. Traveller would nudge Tim when the cards went his way then he would bet more. There were several times that both of them won a substantial amount of money. When it became obvious that they were counting cards, Jimmy’s supervisor walked over to observe. A husky blue-eyed blonde, Traveller immediately caught his attention. “Well hello handsome. If those aren’t just the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen. What’s a good-looking guy like you doing in a place like this?”
His stern demeanor transformed into a smile. “Hello miss. You wouldn’t be counting cards would you?”
“Why, I never,” Traveller said reading the name on his tag. “Well Mike, if you want me to leave, I can take my money and go across the street.” She kept eye contact smiling all the while.
Mike felt like he was literally talking to Marilyn Monroe even though she was dead. He couldn’t help but smile when he said, “I think that would be our money you would be taking across the street. I’ll give you a half hour before I send security over. Enjoy yourself.” He walked away feeling guilty for some reason.
“Well I thank you,” Traveller called after him in a warm femine voice.

After their half hour ended, Tim and Traveller walked across to Barton’s Club. The heads of many an elderly gentleman turned when they saw the beautiful Marilyn Monroe walking gracefully on the arm of a young man. One even whistled whuutt whoo. Traveller smiled at all of them transporting them back to the time when they were Marilyn’s age and in love with the beautiful buxom actress.
Jesse was coming out of Barton’s as Tim and Traveller entered. He did a double take when he saw Traveller. “Is that you?” he asked in disbelief.
Traveller couldn’t break character. The alien no longer existed as along as he looked like Marilyn, he was Marilyn. “Hello Honey,” he said.
“Don’t talk like that you’re scaring me,” Jesse said trying to hide the fact that he was attracted to the busty babe who had once been his alien friend.
Traveller put a hand on Jesse’s shoulder. “It’s the only way I know how to talk sweetie. Is something wrong?”
“You, I . . .,” he sputtered.
“The world’s spinning. Let’s go make some money before it stops,” said Tim pulling Traveller inside the club. Jesse was left standing with his mouth moving like a fish out of water and his eyes as wide as dinner plates.
Once inside the club, they were confronted by a gigantic dollar slot machine. No one was using it. Traveller read the graphics on the front of it explaining how much each series of symbols paid.
“Let’s get some dollar chips. I want to try my skills against this machine. It has to be more challenging than playing twenty-one,” Traveller said.
“Here,” Tim handed him some dollar coins from his pocket. “I’ll be back,” he said leaving to get some chips.
The progressive slot machine paid more money for each dollar inserted. Traveller put in three silver coins then pulled the handle slowly with his left hand on the machine listening to the gears inside as they whirred and fell into place. He won twenty dollars.
On the next pull he came up empty, but he was able to discern a different pattern in the way the gears sounded. On the next play, he slowly pulled the handle down until he felt a click and then he sped up. This time he scored a fifty dollar jackpot.
Traveller played again and again trying different rhythms as he pulled the lever. He didn’t notice that Tim had returned and now stood behind him watching. He put in three coins yet again. This time he patted the machine slightly.
All hell broke loose. Sirens sounded and the machine ding dinged. Angry red and yellow lights flashed with coins tumbling from the mouth of the multi-colored monster. It bled money for several minutes until five thousand pieces of flashing silver escaped from the beast that had swallowed them.
“I do believe you hit the jackpot,” Tim said.
“Why Darling, I do believe you’re right.”
Two security guards arrived to survey the carnage and help the lovely blonde gather her winnings. She batted her eyelashes at one of them and said, “Thanks honey, wrap those up. I think I’ll quit while I’m ahead.”
The guard fell all over himself to help her. He even pushed the other guard out of the way when he tried to gather some of the coins. After they were gathere, he insisted on carrying the largest portion of them to the cashier’s kiosk.
“For your trouble dear,” Traveller said slipping a hundred dollar chip into the guard’s palm.
Tim stood well back and watched. Traveller’s Marylin Monroe had attracted quite a crowd of onlookers, some to see now much she had won, others to bask in the beauty of the blonde bombshell. It became obvious to Tim that they had drawn too much attention to themselves. He moved close to his creation and said, “It’s time to go sweetheart.”

* * * *

Jesse and Willy were sitting at the bar discussing their friend. “Man, I ain’t goin’ near him till he take off that make-up become a man again. Shoot, I find myself wantin’ to hug him, whisper somthin’ sweet in her, his ear.”
“I know. I