Chapter 8
Bull was nervous. First it was the damned kid, and now it was the girl. He had looked forward to seeing the little witch again, but there was something about her that hit him wrong. Dames just didn't look the way she did. They didn't act the way she did.
He didn't know just exactly what Lily had done to Richard or how she'd gone about that. Got him into the sack somehow, he guessed. But she had reported that when she was done with him he had acted subdued as hell and Bull probably wouldn't have any more trouble from him, and he hadn't The kid had laid off. Now it was the girl!
He first noticed her last Wednesday evening, when he stopped in at Smith's Confectionery for a cup of coffee. There she was, not staring at him exactly, but glancing at him, sort of. And not smiling, and looking sort of pale. When he stared directly at her, she looked away fast enough and started sucking at her soda straw.
Later he could have sworn that he heard someone following him down the street, walking when he walked, stopping when he stopped. And when he looked behind him, there was some female almost a block away, and in the dim light he couldn't be sure if it was her or not.
He saw her several times the next day. He got the impression that wherever he went, she somehow knew he was going there and got there first. She paid little attention to him, but it was almost creepy the way the witch got around.
It was natural, of course, that he should start noticing her around town after what had happened last Friday night. But he hadn't seen her at all for five days, and then she started popping up everywhere. That was not at all natural.
That evening he happened to look out of a window of his apartment, and he saw a woman across the street. She was small and her hair was dark. He could have sworn it was Laura Dale. To be sure, he left the apartment and went out front, but when he got there, she was gone.
It was the same story the next day-Friday. The girl never said anything, she just looked at him now and then. She didn't look as if she meant anything, like maybe she was still mad at him-if anything, she looked a little scared. But if she was scared, why the hell didn't she keep out of the way?
He saw her a couple of times on Saturday, too, and when she came into Brownie's Saturday evening, he'd about had it. He was sitting at the bar, drinking a rye and Coke and minding his own business, when in came the girl and sat down at the far end of the bar where she could look at him. She ordered something, maybe Seven and Seven, and got it, since good-looking dames don't get turned down in Brownie's no matter how young they look. She sipped her drink for a while, then got up and walked behind Bull-she actually touched him-and sat down again at the near end of die bar.
That was it. Bull had had enough. He picked up his rye and Coke and moved down beside the girl.
"Okay, cutie, what've you got in mind?"
The girl gave him a frightened look and turned her eyes back to her drink. He could hardly hear her answer. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, come on. You've practically been tailing me for three, four, five days now. You got any funny ideas, like that boy friend of yours?"
"No, sir," she said. "Not like him."
Bull forced a laugh that was closer to his usual snicker. "Not like him, huh? Then what is this?"
After a moment she said, "My boy friend and I had a kind of a fight."
"And that's all my fault, natch," he said sarcastically.
"I guess it is, in a way."
"Kids jealous?"
"I don't know. I guess so." The girl still seemed to be afraid to look up at him.
"So now you're out to get even-"
"Oh, no!" Now she did look at him, and she looked shocked at his suggestion.
And Bull was completely at sea.
"Well, what do you want me to do? Patch things up for you?"
She looked back at her drink and said quite simply, "The hell with Richard."
Bull floundered. "So you're like that now, hey? So what do you want with me?"
"I guess I just wanted to be around you, was all."
At first Bull wasn't at all sure that he had heard correctly. He asked in a gender voice that he'd used before, "Why, kid?"
She colored and brought her glass closer to her mouth without drinking from it. "You told me that I wouldn't forget. I guess I haven't."
The breath went out of Bull's lungs. "Are you kidding me?"
"No. I haven't known very many men, not nearly as many as some girls I know, but you were different...."
Relief and triumph rushed through Bull Chapman. Of course! He should have seen that from the first! He should have known all along! He had known all along, but he hadn't used his damn brains!
Hell, he had known that she had enjoyed him! They almost always did, unless there was something wrong with them! And when they had a real man, they never forgot! Look at Lily. She knew he was the best thing that had ever happened to her. The only thing they don't like is feeling that a guy has the upper hand of 'em, so you've got to be careful not to give them a chance to even the score. But the real sensible ones simply relaxed and enjoyed themselves. And maybe came back for more. Like Lily. Like this kid.
She was a woman like all other women. She'd fought him and cussed him out, but when all was said and done, she knew he was good. Like nothing her panty-waist college-punk boy friends could "give her. So she had given Richard the gate and gone prowling, like any real swinger would. And she knew Bull Chapman was good. She was young yet and kind of shy, but she'd been waiting all along for him to make a pass, and he'd been too stupid to see that!
He shook his head and smacked a palm over his eyes.
"Is something wrong?" Laura asked. "No, kid. Nothing's wrong. So you've been dreaming about me, huh?"
"You said I would."
"I guess you're not very experienced." Bull felt downright fatherly.
"Maybe not, but," she flashed him an impish smile, some of her shyness leaving, "not without talent, I think."
"You can say that again, sweetheart."
"It's not that I'm so wild," Laura said seriously. "I just want to have fun like other people I know. I don't want to miss my share of the kicks. I want to start living my life while I'm still young enough to enjoy myself. Is that so awful?"
Bull shook his head. "You got the right attitude. I knew that night, when I saw you workin' on him, you were a real swingin' chick."
Laura giggled. "God, that was awful!"
"Nah, don't give that a thought. What the hell. But you sure gave me a scramble afterward."
She grinned brightly, "I was so mad!"
"I'll say you were!" Bull grinned with her. The cutie was really loosening up now. God, you could never tell about these wild rich kids-because she was wild, whether she called herself that or not. Kids like her could look so innocent, but underneath they were on fire and ready to try anything.
They chatted on, and Bull gradually became aware that he had struck even richer pay dirt than he had realized that night. This girl could turn into a real find. She told him that she would be of age in a few months, and there went that danger. Besides, her money opened up all kinds of possibilities. Bull had never before connected with a witch this young and unmarried and ready to live it up and rich-all at the same time.
Her hand was on his wrist, and he put a hand over hers. "One of these nights," he said, "you and me might try swinging over again."
A light went on in Laura's eyes. "I'd like that."
"Any time."
Laura smiled and looked away. "I wish I didn't have a date already tonight,"
"Richard?"
"Hell, no!" she laughed. "Break it."
She laughed again. "I suppose I could! Where would we go?"
"Hit the joints, go to my place."
"I'd kind of like to go where we were before. I like that out in the open. And the place has memories, you know? I'd like to have another drink or two and go there right away. That would be a nice way to start the evening." The light in her eyes got brighter and warmer.
Bull grinned. "I'm with you, baby."
"Okay," she said happily, "I'll give this joker a call."
Laura went to a phone booth, and Bull could see her making impatient gestures as she talked. After a moment, she came back grinning. She put her hand on his leg and boosted herself up onto her stool.
"He was madder than hell," she said. "He could have committed murder."
He had no trouble at all in locating the turn-off. There was a car parked up the lane, but it was quite a distance away, and with his lights off, Bull doubted that he could be seen hiding the Chevy. He put it in exactly the same place Richard had hidden his Nova.
They got out of the car and headed for the clearing. It wasn't as easy to find as Bull had expected, and Laura dragged him off in half a dozen directions.
"Baby, does that have to be the same spot? What's wrong with this one?"
"But I want that to be the same! Like I said memories! And besides, unless Richard came and got it, there's a blanket there. Come on, now!"
They kept searching, but still they didn't find the place, and soon Laura was close to tears. Bull was willing to go along with her to a certain point, but he began to get irritated. He'd started getting eager for her back at Brownie's, and he wanted to get the party moving.
He decided he'd better put his foot down. "Baby, you dragged me out here when we could just as well have gone to my place. Now here's a nice clearing. Lots of thick grass. Private, what are you most interested in? A little lovin' or finding an old blanket?"
She looked at him pathetically. "Lovin'. Bull. I guess maybe I'm just a little scared to get started."
He snickered. "Honey, let old Bull turn you on."
He gathered her into his arms and kissed her. She trembled against him, and that wasn't from desire alone; she had a scared look in her eyes. This kid might have been around-he knew that she had-but just the same she was even greener than she made out to be.
"Easy, baby," he said, "Bull's going to be nice to you, don't you worry."
He took her into his arms again, and this time she relaxed more. He concentrated on the various parts of her body pressing against him, and he stroked her back and buttocks as he lightly brushed against her. He had given her the rough treatment the last time. This party would be a little easier going.
He released her and reached for the top button of her sweater.
"Let me do you first," she said.
"No, baby, I can't wait that long to see you."
He hurriedly undid the sweater and took that off her. Underneath, she wore a full slip, he noticed with some disappointment.
"Wait a minute," she said. "I'll undress first, but let's do this right. Take this easy and make this the best possible for both of us. Sit down and watch me."
"Well, okay," Bull agreed with a sigh.
He flopped down and tried to make himself comfortable. Laura did a couple of little dance steps in the moonlight, and she did look cute. She extended one leg slightly and drew her skirt and slip up above her knees. Bull saw that she was unhooking her stockings from a garter belt, and the sight of her lovely leg was enough to make him want to pull her down beside him. When she was done with one stocking, she unhooked the other. Then she slipped her shoes off and came over to where Bull was sitting. She again extended one leg-toward him-and drew her skirt up.
"Take that off," she said. "Slowly."
Bull was in no hurry now. His fingertips went to her soft upper leg and lingered there. As he rolled down the stocking, he felt the muscles and tendons beneath the flesh when the stocking was off, he reached again to knead her leg for a minute.
"That's the idea, Bull, baby," she said, as if she were enjoying that. "Now the other leg, and make this nice for both of us."
Bull took his time, as he'd been told to do, feeling his own pressure building as he touched her.
She stepped away and started taking off her skirt. She wasn't being hurried about anything, not even this. When the skirt was off, Bull expected the slip to go but it didn't. Instead of pulling that over her head, Laura turned her back and managed to work the slip off her shoulders so that it fell to her waist. Then she reached up in back and unhooked her bra. She turned back toward him and eased the bra off, first one cup, then the other. Her boobs were as magnificent as Bull remembered them, white, high, and proud, but he didn't get to look long, for Laura turned sideways to him and pulled her slip back up. He was about to object when he saw that she was coming toward him with a promising smile on her face.
She knelt beside him, her back straight. He put an arm around her and gripped a nylon-clad buttock. Then she eased her slip off the boob nearest him. The pink tip emerged and brushed against his cheek. She took the breast in her own hand and touched his mouth. He brushed the cloth away from her other breast and took that to hand, and Laura murmured long and loud with pleasure.
His desire began to get the upper hand. He couldn't help that; he began to bend her back, to force her to the ground. He didn't want to wait much longer. But she said quickly, loudly, almost in panic, "No, Bull, no! Soon now! We have to do this right so that afterward we'll both want to do this again! Again and again!"
Slowly he released his grip.
Laura walked away from him, her hips swaying, the cloth over them shimmering in the moonlight. She acted casual, almost as if she didn't know that he was there. Then she stopped and, an inch at a time, drew up her slip in back. As the cloth came up. When the slip was at waist level, she slowly lowered her panties. The two smooth round hemispheres appeared, and Bull breathed deeply and thought about what he planned to do tonight. Laura dropped her panties slowly and stepped out of them, allowing her slip to fall, and then repeated the whole process in taking off her garter belt.
"Now, baby, now," Bull said, and Laura grinned at him over her shoulder.
The next time the slip came up, that moved even more slowly than before, and didn't fall back again. As Laura stood perfectly straight, the material moved, and then the buttocks emerged into the moonlight. She kept going and the small of her back came into view. Then the slip was up to her shoulders and over her head, and she was naked in the moonlight. Even viewing her from behind, Bull could see that he hadn't actually realized what a beauty this girl was. He wanted to love every inch of her glowing body.
She lowered the slip in front of her body. Then she turned toward him. She was holding the garment so that he couldn't really see her, but after a moment she eased that down a few inches and her boobs came into view again. He wanted them. He wanted them so badly, he could hardly stand up to go after them.
"Come here, baby," he said. "Come here, or I'm going to have to come get you."
She came back toward him, gradually lowering the slip until that hung down under her navel. "Drop that," he said. "Not yet, Bull-"
He snatched the garment away. He looked up at her, drinking her all in; the strong young legs, the jutting, bold globes.
"Get down here, baby."
She smiled as she bent her knees and knelt beside him. "Sure, Bull, and now let me undress you."
"All right, but hurry."
She unbuttoned the top of his shirt, and he saw that she was going to be much too slow. Angrily, he grabbed the front of the shirt and ripped that open, letting the remaining buttons tear away. He pulled the shirt off and tossed it aside. "Let me, Bull!"
"Then snap it up!"
"Your shoes-"
"Damn the shoes!"
He allowed her to unfasten his belt and zipper, but after that she was still too slow. He was so impatient that he couldn't wait for her to do the job. He raised up enough to shove his pants and shorts from under him and scooted them down, pushing off his shoes and socks at the same time.
He reached for Laura and pulled her against him. His mouth rammed against her mouth and his chest crushed one high pillowing breast while his fingers dug at the other. Her nails made him ripple with pleasure. "You're such a man," she said, "such a bull of a man!" He released her breast, and reached for her legs.
"No, not yet! Kiss me more first! Kiss me. Bull!"
"To hell with that!"
He squeezed at her legs painfully. Then he began pushing her back on the grass.
"Wait!" she said. "We're not ready yet! Let me play with you, bull! Let me kiss you!"
"Baby, I can't wait," he grunted. "I've got to have you now. You're killing me."
He forced her shoulders to the ground.
"Take me, you sweet witch, and I'll give you the thrill of your lifetime. Take me!"
She held him as if to guide him, and he tried to get to her, but somehow he couldn't quite manage.
"Take me! Take me quick!"
"I am! I am!"
He kept trying at her and he touched her, but still she held off.
"Here," he said. "Let me do this."
"No-no-let me help you!"
She gripped him more tightly and pulled and pushed at him, yet he never was close. That was almost as if she were fending him off, rather than helping him.
"Laura! Please!"
What the hell was she trying to do! Make him finish too soon?
With an enraged growl, he pulled her hands away. He raised up, grabbed her, and pushed at her. Her eyes were startled and frightened. The moonlight struck her now so that he could see precisely what he was doing. He moved forward so that he was touching her.
He savored the moment.
"Okay, witch, now!" Laura screamed.
There was a crashing of brush and before Bull could look up something burst into hot stars in the side of his head. He felt himself flipping through the air, thudding heavily to the ground, and rolling limply through the grass.