Chapter 16
School was over and Jean was getting ready to leave for the day.
It was the same day that she had enjoyed her luncheon sexual interlude with Perry and Dennis. She was a little relieved to observe Dennis and Perry leave together, not bothering to stop her again. She did not know, but they might suggest something more, maybe even in the classroom.
Also, she was relieved that they did not give her any trouble that afternoon. They had been relatively quiet, and it had been easy for her to conduct class. Now she was looking forward to going home and resting.
It was not that she did not want to screw with them a lot, because she did. It was just that she recognized the dangers involved. Even now, when she knew the score, she still did not want to take anymore serious risks than she had to. And she had taken a very serious one earlier that day.
Just as she was leaving, Clyde Downs, a veteran teacher on the faculty who had befriended her on a number of occasions, walked up to her.
"Hello, there," Clyde said, flashing a big smile, on his round, friendly face.
"Hello, Clyde."
"Mind if I walk with you to the parking lot?"
"Why, no."
When they got to the parking lot, Clyde made a suggestion.
"How about us having a drink down the street?"
"I really shouldn't," she said. "Besides, I'm not much of a drinker."
"Come on, a drink with a fellow faculty member won't hurt you."
"It might cause some talk," she laughed.
"No, they don't go into this bar. Besides, even if they did, all they'd know is that we're having a friendly drink together. Whatever they think beyond that would be nothing more than their imaginations at work."
"I really shouldn't."
"I think you should," Clyde insisted.
"Well, I guess one."
"Get in my car, I'll drive."
"All right."
The neighborhood bar was practically empty when they entered. They sat at a table in the back.
No sooner were they served than Clyde began to talk to Jean more personally than he ever had before.
"You know, you've sure got a beautiful set of tits," he grinned.
"What's gotten into you?" she looked at him strangely. "You've never talked like that before."
"I've never let myself go in front of you before," he shrugged. "I think it's time now to let the old chips fall where they may."
"I don't think it's time, Clyde. .You're a very good man, and you've been very nice to me, but that doesn't mean that you can take all kinds of conversational liberties with me."
"Knock off that bullshit," he laughed.
"What do you mean by that remark?"
"Just what I said. I mean knock off that bullshit."
"It doesn't happen to be what you say it is."
"Like hell it doesn't. You're handing me a lot of silly crap, and you know it. You're trying to act like you're little miss virgin, when you know damned well you're not."
"I won't listen to anymore insults. Please take me back."
"Come on, relax."
"Very well, if you won't take me back, then I'll walk back."
"It's kind of a long walk."
"I don't care."
"I think you'll care when I tell you what I know about you," he laughed.
"Just what do you mean by that?"
"Tell me, do you really think that a guy as shrewd as me thinks that you're only an interested teacher trying to help two students?"
"I don't follow you."
"Like hell. You follow me all too clearly," Clyde said. "You've been fucking Dennis and Perry."
"That's a terrible charge to level. Can you back it up?"
"You're damned right I can. My eyes certainly can. I saw you blowing those guys in the old administration building at lunchtime today."
"You're out of your mind," she said. But now her entire body was shaking. She recognized she had been trapped after all.
"Yen, I'm out of my mind. That's why you look like you've seen a ghost."
"I'm not used to having people talk to me that way."
"Look, I also know about the wild party you had over at your place."
"How did you know about the party?"
"I suspected some hanky-panky with you and the two boys for quite a while," Clyde said. "I knew that they were real swingers, and that they'd let you in on an awful lot once you got involved with them. Well, a few times when I didn't have anything else to do, and when my old lady was away at bridge-club meetings, I drove over around your apartment. I did a little snooping. I saw that bunch come in there that night. I've seen Perry and Dennis leave your place too."
"You can't prove what went on inside."
"No, I guess I can't conclusively prove it, but I think that the circumstantial evidence would prove awfully damaging, particularly if I mentioned it to somebody like, say, Mister O'Connell," he threatened.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Wouldn't I?" he shrugged nonchalantly.
"What do you want to do, destroy me?"
"No, I just want a little action myself. If I get that action, then everything will be okay. If I don't, then you've been had, my darling."
"You're a terrible man, Clyde. You're a married man and you ought to know better."
"Hell, my old lady has a loose cunt and she doesn't even like to fuck anymore," he shrugged. "Not only that, but being a teacher I just can't go out and pick up with anybody. My ass would be grass if I did. So I've got to use my ingenuity and get myself a screw every now and then that way. Yeh, I've balled with a few students, and with a few teachers on the faculty. But unfortunately, right now, there aren't too many prospects with the young girls, and most of them don't look like much, anyway. As far as the teachers are concerned, you're the only one in the whole place that has any looks. You're gorgeous and I'm determined to have you."
Now he had his hand under the table. He was stroking his fingers against her thigh.
"Get your hand off me," she said.
"I don't think you're in a very good position to order me around about anything," Clyde laughed.
"Please take me back."
"Okay, just give me time to finish my drink."
He removed his hand from her thigh, much to her surprise. He quickly finished his drink, paid for both of them, then walked with her to the car.
Very few words were exchanged on the way back. A petrified Jean Johnson sat with her eyes staring out of the car window. She felt like she was trapped. She wondered just how she would remove herself from such a dilemma.
"Just remember what I said, dear," he said as she got out of the car in the parking lot. "You're not in a very good bargaining position to buck me on anything."
"Thanks for the drink," she said sarcastically.
"Don't mention it, honey."
She watched his car speed off. As she walked in trembling fashion toward her car, the tears began to surface in her eyes.
A feeling of helplessness had swept over her. She wondered just what Clyde Downs would try next. She only hoped that he would leave her alone, that the rebuff that she had given him would prove satisfactory.