Sarah - Psychosomatic

From last time ...

"I don't know, Patron. I theenk maybe I have seen her before. But I don' know. Anyway, I go now, Patron. I go home to my Rosa. She makes me feel good. Maybe, while I make love to my Rosa, I weel remember where I have seen the Senorita before. Maybe. Or maybe no. When I make love to Rosa, she don' like eet when I theenk of other women, you know? Oh well. Maybe manana.

And now ...

"You take the room next to Sarah's, Jake. Hang on a minute and I'll get yer suitcase outta my room."

Sarah looked at Jake quizzically.

"I stay here once in a while. Ma keeps a change of clothes and shavin' stuff for me - just in case. It don't happen too often, but she was always tryin' to get me to stay here when her daughter was still around, so I started leavin' a change of clothes here just to get her off my back."

"Tried to get ya to marry in, eh?"

"Yeah, there's nuthin' too subtle 'bout Ma. I love her and all, but she gets to be as obvious as a tank. Like puttin' me in the room next to you. She knows I don't like stayin' up here - I'd much rather be out in one of the cabins - but she ... oh, nevermind. You know what I mean. Next thing you know she'll be sliding your room key under my door."

"I don't know Jake - I might think about doin' that myself."

"Look, I told you before - that ain't gonna work. This is business. This is me training you, and that's it."

Jake reached behind the counter and pulled down the key to his room and stalked down the hall to his door. He inserted his key, went in, and she heard him lock the door from the inside.

"Where'd he go?"

"Down to his room. I was teasing a little and I guess I pissed him off."

"What'd you say?"

"Oh, just a friendly hint at ... you know. But I shoulda known better, I guess. He said right off he can't have .. nuthin' to do with women or whatever .. and I ... I just think he's quite a man and I haven't been with a man in such a long time and he gets me all started inside and I have no idea why I'm telling you all this."

Ma stared into Sarah's eyes for a long moment.

"Let me tell ya sumthin' and don't you dare tell Jake I told ya. There ain't nuthin' wrong with that man that a good woman cain't fix. He used to get his mail sent here sometimes and I seen letters from them doctors up at the VA. They say that's it all in his head - there ain't nuthin' wrong with his ... you know ... man parts. I cain't remember the word they used .... it was somethin' like ... sigh ... p - s - y .."

"Psychosomatic?"

"Yeah. That's it. Whatever that was you said. It means in his head, right?"

"Yeah, Ma. That's exactly what it means ..."

"Well, here. Take his suitcase down there and give it to him."

Sarah took the suitcase from Ma and started down the hall.

"Good night, Sarah."

"G'Nite, Ma."

And she muttered under her breath, "You old tank."

She stopped outside Jake's door, took a deep breath, and softly knocked.