Chapter 12
Iris was a lousy actor.
That much was evident one minute after she started reading for me.
We were in the living room of my apartment, and I was seated in the big armchair, a freshly mixed drink in my hands, while Iris stood in the center of the room and read from the script. I had chosen a medium length scene for her to do, and I had an open copy of the script in my lap so I could follow her and cue her with the appropriate lines. She was pretty bad.
She tried hard, but there was no doubt at all that she just couldn't handle it. I've heard actors mumble through a part on the first read-through, and you wouldn't think they had a bit of talent. But that was on the read-through, after they had already been selected for the part and were first getting familiar with the script. In an audition, though, an actor or actress tries for clarity, emotion, and proper interpretation of a scene Iris was trying, all right, but she just wasn't coming through.
I tried to keep my face impassive as I listened to her and watched her struggle with the reading. A couple of times I almost winced, but I kept myself under control. Iris glanced up at me now and then, and I could see that she was troubled. It was clear that she knew she was doing badly. By the time she finished. I had gulped down my drink and was sitting staring into the empty glass.
Iris put the script down on the coffee table, looked at me hesitantly, and asked, "How'd I do?"
I cleared my throat noisily, trying to find the right words, and I could tell by the way she looked at me that she had already read the answer in my face.
"Well...." I began.
"Wait a minute, Phil," she said quickly, and there was a desperate note in her voice. She picked up the script and flipped through it, talking rapidly as she leafed through the pages. "I'd like to show you a little more of what I can do-if it's all right with you. Yes, here it is." She folded back the script. "In the third act, the younger sister does a sort of dance all by herself in her room. I remember that scene when Jason let me look over the play before reading for him. Do you know the scene I mean?"
I nodded and waited for her to go on.
She dropped the script back on the table, her face pale except for two bright spots of color in her cheeks. She was making a last-ditch try now.
"Well, I've done a little dancing, Phil, and what I'd like to do for you now is sort of improvise this scene. I was pretty good at improvisation at acting school, and I think it'll give you a better picture of ... of what I can do. Okay,"
"Sure, go ahead," I said quickly, wishing she hadn't asked me that because it would only prolong things, but knowing that I couldn't very well refuse her. She was trying very, very hard now, and while I was anxious to get it over with, the least I could do was to let her complete the audition as she wanted to.
For a moment, I had forgotten my hunch about the probability of her inviting me to make a pass at her.
I was reminded of it very forcibly in the next few minutes.
"Do you have a record player?" Iris asked. "Over there," I said, nodding with my head at the far wall.
"Will you put on a record for me, Phil. Something with a strong beat." She smiled self-consciously. "If it's all right with you, I'd like to go into the other room for a moment and ... well, get myself into the mood. That's what you have to do when you improvise, you know."
"Sure," I said. I put down the empty glass, set my copy of the script on the table next to hers, and got to my feet.
Iris went to the bedroom and paused in the door.
"I'll let you know when I'm ready, then you put on the record. Okay."
I nodded, and she went into the bedroom, closing the door halfway. I selected a record, put it on the player, turned on the set so it would warm up, and then mixed myself another drink while I waited for the go ahead from her.
I had time for two long swallows of my drink before Iris finally called out, "All right, Phil. I'm ready now."
I pressed the start button on the record player and, drink in hand, walked across the room to the armchair. Behind me the automatic player clicked, the record dropped to the turntable, the tone arm swung across and down, and music flooded the room as I plunked myself down in the chair. It was music with a strong, rhythmic beat, just as Iris had requested. I glanced at the partly closed bedroom door and wondered why it had taken her so long to get ready.
I found out a second later.
The door opened, and Iris stepped out. I almost dropped my drink. I half-rose from my chair, my eyes straining in their sockets as they took in everything in a series of swift glances.
Iris was barefoot.
She was also bare-legged.
And bare-chested, too.
In fact, her sole adornment was a pair of sneer white panties.
She stood poised in the bedroom doorway as I slowly sank back in the chair. This was a little more than I had bargained for, but it was all right with me. My eyes took another swift inventory of Iris's charms. Her tiny waist seemed even smaller when contrasted with her full breasts and generously-rounded hips. Her flesh was creamy white, except for the pink mounds surrounding the rosy nipples of her breasts. The sheer white panties hid nothing. They were as transparent as any material could be.
I raised my glass to my lips and held it there, gulping down the liquor, as Iris went into her dance. Her dancing was better than her acting. Much better.
She planted her feet firmly on the floor, her legs spread wide, her arms held out. She looked for all the world like someone about to star a series of calisthenic exercises.
What she did next was not exactly calisthenics.
It started in her shoulders, just the slightest of shaking movements. Her breasts began to move along with her shoulders, just a slight movement at first, no more than a gentle swaying back and forth of her uptilted nipples.
I finished my drink fast and set the glass down on the small table next to the chair.
The shaking movement now spread to Iris's arms, and the sway of her breasts was more pronounced. And all the while she was keeping in perfect time with the music. I was suddenly very glad that I had selected a long-playing record.
Iris's hips began to go into action now, and she was still keeping time with the music. My eyes darted up and down from her breasts to her hips, not knowing where to look first. Her full, beautifully-shaped breasts were swaying back and forth excitingly now, making my throat go suddenly dry. I wanted another drink badly, but I wasn't going to take my eyes off her for even the few moments it would take to mix the drink.
The shaking motion spread to her entire body, and the smooth flesh of her firm legs rippled and moved. So far, Iris had remained in one spot across the room from me. Now still keeping her arms outstretched, and still moving her shoulders and arms and hips in time to the music, she began to inch her way across the room to where I sat in the chair. Her legs were still apart, although not as wide as before, and she moved toward me slowly, step by step, coming at me straddle-legged with every part of her in motion.
When she was about three feet away from me, she stopped moving forward, and now she began to add a small jiggle to her movements. Her breasts bounced rhythmically, and she was so close to me now I could have reached out and grabbed her-which is exactly what I wanted to do. But I kept myself under control. I had a hunch those sheer panties would come off before the dance was over, and I sensed also that she had a few more delights in store for me in her dance.
I was right. The jiggling, bouncing, shaking movement of her body now gave way to a rolling, thrusting motion of her hips. The music from the record player grew louder, with sharp, snapping drumbeats. Iris smiled and began to move her hips in time to the drum beats, and I soon saw that she was building up to some very effective bumps and grinds. She had perfect control of her body, moving in exact rhythm with the music. Her hips drew back and snapped forward in a series of spectacular bumps aimed right at me, and I licked my lips and grinned.
I've seen my share of burlesque shows and stag shows, but what Iris was doing now outstripped everything I had ever seen before. She ground her hips in a slow, insinuating circle, and then, as the music built up to a crescendo, she reared back, her legs spread and bent slightly at the knees, and suddenly snapped forward. Her breasts heaved and bounced, her thighs rippled, her torso twisted in an ecstasy of movement-and deep down inside me, I felt myself beginning to react. Hunger for her filled me, building up in me rapidly, making the palms of my hands literally itch to touch her.
Iris, with that inborn sense of timing that women have in such situations, immediately sensed that she had gotten through to me. A triumphant smile flitted quickly and briefly across her lips. She had me now, and she knew it. But she held back, continuing to dance before me, continuing to excite me, making doubly sure that my desire would not fade.
She turned gracefully, whirling around with the music, presenting her back to me. She placed her legs together, her hips swaying in time to the music, and she bent over slowly, giving me a delightful view of her rounded buttocks through the sheer panties. She bent over still further, keeping her hips swaying, and when she was fully bent over, her hands came back and her fingers slipped inside the waistband of her panties.
The beat of the music picked up a little, but while Iris's hips kept time with the beat, her hands nevertheless moved slowly. It was a fascinating sight to watch as she remained bent over and slowly pulled down her panties, keeping her hips moving in time to the pounding rhythm of the music.
Her buttocks were bare now, the panties down around her knees. She bent at the knees, the mounds of her buttocks curving tautly, and she slipped the panties down to her ankles, stepping out of them gracefully and easily.
She straightened up, keeping her back to me, and once again struck a pose and stretched out her arms. The record would soon be drawing to a close, I knew, but there was still time for more of Iris's dancing. She began the shaking routine again, giving me a back view this time, and now there were no panties to cover her middle. Not matter how revealing her panties had been, the dance was much more effective now that she was completely naked from head to toe.
Her buttocks quivered and shook as Iris went into her routine. She, too, must have known that the record would end soon because she speeded everything up. She gave me a few seconds of shaking, then launched into the grinds, then began bumping. It was a delight to watch from the rear. Her buttocks would pull back toward me, then she tensed, and then her buttocks snapped forward several times as she bumped away.
She turned around quickly, and I got a full front view. Her hips were in violent motion now, her breasts heaving up and down as she continued with the bumps, making each one more forceful than the last. The music was swelling to a final crescendo of savage beats, and Iris's bumps and grinds came in quick, pounding succession.
The music rose to a squealing finish, capped by one final drumbeat, and Iris's hips thrust forward in a last, eye-filling bump that made me draw back in awe.
The record finished, and there was silence in the room, broken only by Iris's heavy breathing and the click of the record player shutting itself off. Iris looked down at me for a few seconds, and then, in one swift movement, plunked herself down on my lap and threw her arms around my neck.
My reaction was instinctive. I'm a normal human male, and when a naked blonde puts on a dancing exhibition, such as Iris had, and then dumps herself down in my lap, I don't stop to reason things out. I just react.
My hands went around her bare waist, and her seeking mouth crushed down on mine. Her tongue went to work instantly, pushing its way past my lips and teeth and right into my mouth. Her body was hot and pulsing under my hands, and I was suddenly and very acutely conscious of the fact that I was fully clothed. All I could think of was that I wanted to get out of my clothes in a hurry. I didn't think of the audition and Iris's poor acting. I didn't think of Carla, or of Julie. I thought only of the feel of Iris on my lap and the softness of her flesh as I held her.
Iris mouth was working against mine, her tongue pushing and probing hotly against my mouth, her soft buttocks squirming into my lap. I let my hands slide to her hips, then dropped one hand to her leg. Instantly, and without breaking the kiss, Iris moved her knees, and my hand dropped between them. I stroked the inside of her leg, my fingers brushing the silken warmth of her flesh, and desire surged up in me like a white hot flame burning away at my insides.
Iris suddenly tore herself away from my grasp, pulling her mouth from mine, and getting to her feet quickly. She took hold of my hand and pulled. I came up out of the chair fast, ready for anything.
"Hurry!" she said hoarsely. "Take your clothes off! Hurry!"
I hurried. The urgency in her voice caught at me and excited me and made me forget everything but the desire to hold that naked body pressed to my bare flesh.
I tore at my clothing, almost ripping my shirt as I took it off. I broke a shoelace and cursed as I fumbled with it.
"Hurry!" Iris said again, and she turned from me and went back to the record player. As I shed the rest of my clothes, she put the record back on again and started the player. The music burst into the room just as I yanked off my shorts and finally stood as naked as she.
Iris turned and came to me as I stood waiting for her with my back to the chair. She pushed herself right up against me, her nipples pressing close against my bare chest.
And then she started dancing again.
She stretched high, but instead of stretching out her arms, placed them around my neck. I stood firm, not backing up one step. Iris started shaking, just as she had before-only this time she was shaking against me. I put my hands on her hips, felt their agitated movement, and pulled her even closer to me.
She didn't stop moving.
Her hips rolled and shook, her stomach pressed into mine, rubbing, grinding, flesh against flesh, her warmth flowing into me and spreading throughout my body. Her breasts heaved and surged against my chest, the nipples sliding back and forth over my skin.
Iris kept her arms about my neck, her mouth open as she looked up at me and ground her body against me. I bent my head down, and her eager lips sucked hungrily at my mouth, her tongue drawing mine out after it and into her mouth. , The music pounded away at my eardrums, and Iris pounded away at my body with hers, and all of it-Iris, me, the music-seemed to blend into one churning, rolling grinding mass of sheer sensation.
And then Iris began the bumps.
Amazingly enough, she kept in perfect time to the music, her mouth clinging to mine, her hips thrusting back and forth as she bumped against me over and over again. It was wild, it was crazy, it was out of this world.
There seemed to be no stopping her. Desire became a thing of painful joy in me, and my body began to move with hers. I let my hands drop to her buttocks and squeezed hard, pulling her tightly with every move, releasing her only to allow her to draw her hips back for another lunge at me.
We stopped kissing long enough to suck air into our lungs, and then our mouths crushed together again and not once did Iris stop moving against me.
I was ready to take her now, and my mind raced ahead to the bedroom. I tried to pull away from her and lead her there.
But Iris had other ideas.
She moved so fast I had no idea what she was doing. Next thing I knew she had spun both of us around completely and now had her back to me while she faced the armchair. My arms automatically went around hex, and I pulled her to me. Her writhing buttocks came back against my middle, and she continued the dance, still somehow keeping in time with the music. We were front to back now, her gorgeous body nestled against me, her buttocks moving furiously.
My breathing was heavy and rapid now. We had switched positions without Iris once losing a beat of the music, without slowing down for a second-and passion continued to build up in me without a letdown.
I moved my hands up her body until they cupped her breasts from behind, and I began to move against her, pushing my middle into her soft buttocks, then withdrawing, then coming forward again. Iris squealed with delight, and her hips moved violently as she moved herself back against me and pressed her buttocks to me.
Then, moving so gradually at first that I wasn't aware of what she was doing, she began to bend over. Her back arched, and her breasts pressed into my palms as she slowly doubled over, keeping her hips in constant motion.
I suddenly became aware of the silence of the record player, and I knew that the record had finished and the player had automatically shut itself off. But Iris had not once stopped moving. She was now moving in a different rhythm, a rhythm of passion and desire that was older and more meaningful than any music.
And she continued to bend over until finally I let go of her breasts. Evidently, that was what she had been waiting for. She stumbled forward, her body moving away from mine for the first time, her arms stretched out in front of her as she fell toward the chair.
Only she wasn't really falling.
She had a definite purpose in mind.
Her hands touched the seat of the armchair, and she let her whole body move forward, up onto the seat cushion. It was a big, wide chair, and she fitted into it nicely. She bent over, slid her hands along the cushion, and settled herself on the chair on her hands and knees. While I watched her in wonder and in rising excitement, she positioned herself on the chair so that her head and shoulders were resting on the back edge of the cushion, her knees on the front edge, her buttocks high in the air.
Then she wriggled her buttocks suggestively, and I needed no further invitation.
I stepped up to her, placed both hands on her upraised buttocks and gently moved her into position as I came up to her. She moved herself until her knees were braced against the arms of the chair on either side.
Guiding her buttocks with my hands, I pressed myself to her, and took her quickly that way with one slow motion.
A long sigh came from Iris. We worked slowly at first. Now that we were finally together, there was no need for the wild, churning movements that had preceded our union. Now we both wanted to slow down and take our time. It was better that way. It would make everything last that much longer.
We fell into a natural, rhythmic movement, and her buttocks rolled softly as she circled her hips. I pressed myself closer to her and thrust tentatively. Instantly, she moved just a little faster. I responded with another movement, and then another.
We kept going like that for several moments, not forcing anything, moving easily and rhythmically. Iris moaned softly a couple of times, and I felt desire beginning to build quickly in me.
I increased the speed of my movements slightly, and Iris also moved a little faster. I kept a tight grip on her buttocks, my fingers digging into her flesh, guiding her as she moved.
We were building up speed now, and Iris gasped as I moved suddenly. I moved forward again, and this brought another gasp from her.
And then, suddenly, both of us were moving with complete abandon. Her buttocks writhed and twisted against me, and I moved to her repeatedly, lifdng her knees from the chair each time, forcing myself closer and closer to the all consuming passion of her body. I moved against her over and over again, losing all sense of rhythm, feeling only the driving pleasure of the powerful desire that gripped me.
Iris whimpered and moaned and threw her entire body into the effort. Her buttocks heaved up against me, her hips twisted and rolled as she gyrated herself, arching her back, digging into the cushion with her knees, moving back and forth and up and down in a frenzy of heated motion.
I clung to her and let my hands move from her buttocks to her breasts, gripping them as they swayed above the cushion, curling my fingers around the mounds of her breasts from behind and underneath. .
A cry of pure pleasure came from Iris as our passion mounted rapidly to the bursting point, and we finished in a blinding, explosive climax that tied every muscle in my body into knots.
After it was over, I remained close to her for several moments while both of us slowly relaxed and caught our breaths. Then I stepped back and moved away from her. Iris remained as she was for a while longer, kneeling on the chair, her buttocks upraised, and finally she rolled off the chair and knelt on the floor She looked up at me and smiled slowly, and I smiled down at her in return and then helped her to her feet.
She came into my arms and kissed me warmly on the lips and whispered, "That was fun, Phil, wasn't it?"
"Uh-huh," I answered.
She kissed me again. "You want me to stay tonight?" she asked in a husky voice.
Suddenly, the magic was gone from the moment. Everything came back to me with a rush-the audition, the fact that I now had to tell Jason how poorly she had done. I couldn't take advantage of her for the whole night. What had just happened was over and done with. She had offered herself to me in such a way that I hadn't been able to refuse-not after the way she had aroused me with that naked dance of hers. But this was different. If I accepted her offer to stay the night, I'd only be compounding the wrong I had already done her.
"I'd like you to stay," I said, mustering all the false sincerity I could. "But I've got to get to work on the play tonight." I smiled ruefully. "Business before pleasure, you know "
She nodded her head understanding. "Guess I'd better get dressed and leave you to your work, then," she said.
"Guess so," I answered.
She smiled, kissed me again, then picked up her panties from the floor and went mto the bedroom to dress.
I gathered up my own clothes and dressed quickly, trying not to think of what I had done and what I was about to do to her. I'd have to tell Jason the truth about Iris's acting ability. After that, it would be up to him. He could give her the part of the younger sister in the play, or he could tell her she wasn't suited for the part. I knew that, unless Jason was firm in his decision to hire her, I'd put up a fight to keep her out of the play. It was the only course I could take to maintain my integrity as director of the play.
Integrity.
If I had any, I thought, I'd tell Iris right now what the score was as far as her acting was concerned. But I didn't have the heart to do it. I couldn't hurt her that much-not after she had given herself to me in the hopes of getting the part. I'd let Jason make the final decision, and I'd let him do the dirty work of telling her-if he went along with my advice.
Iris came out of the bedroom fully dressed. I helped her on with her coat, thankful that she seemed to have forgotten my earlier invitation to have a sandwich and coffee with me. I don't think I could have gone through with it, knowing what I did and thinking the way I was thinking at the moment.
Iris turned to me after I had helped her on with her coat and slipped a piece of paper into my shirt pocket. "That's my phone number, Phil. You call me whenever you want me, you hear?"
I nodded.
"I mean that, Phil," she said in a low voice. "Any time you want me."
I nodded again.
"When will you decide about the audition?" she asked hesitantly.
"I'll talk it over with Jason soon," I promised.
She smiled and kissed me quickly and lightly on the lips.
I walked with her to the door and opened it for her. She paused in the doorway and looked at me. her face solemn. "I want that part, Phil," she whispered. "I want it badly."
She looked at me for a long moment, then turned and left the apartment.
I closed the door and stood with my hand on the knob for a long while. Then I moved away from the door and lit a cigarette. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and I quickly turned away.
I couldn't stand the sight of myself.