Chapter 15

Next day at the office, both Ralph and Jay stopped often at her desk, trying to persuade her that she ought to work late that night, too. Toby kept saying no, politely. It wasn't that she'd had enough for a while, that she'd temporarily lost interest in sex. It was just that she didn't want to make a habit of fucking the mailroom boys, in Wilton's handy office or anywhere.

It was good to know that she could get all the grade-A fucking she wanted, any time she wanted it, right in the office. But she didn't want to make a habit of it.

The boys' frequent friendly pauses at her desk had an effect on her, however. By late afternoon, she was feeling unmistakably horny.

When Steve phoned, around a quarter to five, she was both surprised and pleased. Surprised, because she'd forgotten that she'd given Steve her office number. Pleased, because she liked Steve very much, and pleased because of the way she was feeling, at that particular time. Steve was not the land of boy who'd call her unless he had something on his mind.

"Are you busy tonight?" Steve asked. The impetuous young, she thought. Don't waste any time.

"That depends," she said, from force of habit. A girl has to keep her options open. As well as her mind. And her legs, when the time is right. And lately, for her, the time was always right.

"Well, my parents are going out tonight. They've already left, to meet people for cocktails and dinner, and then the theater."

"So?" Toby said.

"They don't go out for a whole evening very often. They won't be back till midnight, at the earliest."

"So?" Toby said again.

"So I'm throwing sort of a cocktail party, for some friends. Some of them are the guys you met the other night. Tommy, Sam, Kevin."

"Cocktail party," Toby said, laughing. "With the accent on the first syllable."

"Could be," Steve said. "I sure hope so, but it all depends."

"On what?"

"On who else is there."

"I hope there'll be some other girls there," Toby said. "Gang-bangs are fine, but only when I'm the hostess, and when I happen to feel like it, just once in a while. You understand me, I hope."

"There'll be other girls here," Steve said. "One, anyway. I know Kevin's bringing a date."

"Good," Toby said. "I'll be there, in an hour, or maybe less." She was shameless, she thought. A bunch of kids. And she didn't feel guilty about it, not a bit.

"Get here as soon as you can," Steve said, sounding very boyish, all at once. "What's the hurry?"

"The sooner we get the party started, the easier it'll be to have it all over with by midnight. Before there's any chance of my folks coming home."

"And everybody turns into a pumpkin," Toby said.

'What?"

"Nothing." Kids today never even heard of Cinderella. They watched television, while they were growing up. Or instead of growing up.

"But that's not the only reason I want you to get here as soon as you can."

"What's the other reason?"

"I want to see you, as soon as possible. I always want to see you, as soon as possible."

"That's very sweet of you, Steve," she said. "I look forward to seeing you, too."

She meant it. She felt warmly pleased, and fond of the boy, as she hung up.

She felt horny, too, of course. But then, she'd practically alwavs felt horny, lately. Ever since she'd discovered her very own fountain of youth.