Chapter 4
The following night Harold had dinner early.
He generally ate his food slowly, but that particular evening he ate rapidly.
"Are you going out tonight, dear?" his mother asked.
"Yeah. How did you know, Mom ? " "By the way that you're acting at the table. You are sure anxious about something." "Who's the lucky girl?" his father asked. "Her name is Daisy."
"It wouldn't be Daisy Barnes, would it?" Pam looked at him and asked.
"Yeah, Mom, that's who it is."
"I'm not very pleased to hear that," Pam turned her head and frowned.
"What's the trouble, dear?" Charles asked.
"I've heard a few things about this Daisy Barnes, and not very good. I know about her mother and her father too."
"What about them?" Charles asked.
"They both drink much too much, and I hear that they both earry on with other people."
"That's a pretty serious charge," Charles said. "Where did you hear it?"
"I've heard it from some women in the club. A couple of them live right near the Barneses. They're not really that highly thought of in the community."
"Daisy is a beautiful gal, Mom. She's a good gal too," Harold struck back, a little hurt by his mother's angry accusation.
"Yes, she is a lovely girl to look at," Pam said bitterly. "But she's not so beautiful on the inside, where it really counts. It's an external kind of beauty, the kind that's only skin deep and will go away in a short period of time."
"That's not true," Harold said, getting up from the table. "Excuse me, folks."
As that point he walked quickly out of the room, going to his bedroom to make final preparation prior to going out and picking up Daisy.
"I don't like the idea of him going out with a girl like that, Charles," Pam said to her husband.
"I think you're getting all upset about nothing," Charles replied calmly.
"Don't you care about his welfare?"
"What kind of a question is that, honey? Of course I do."
"Well you're not acting like it."
"Of course I am. It's just that I don't like to see him dominated by either one of us. Especially when he's certainly capable of taking care of himself. She's probably a sweet young gal."
"After what I told you I heard?"
"Let me tell you something. I'm happy you're active and all, honey, but some of these women that gather at these clubs are the biggest gossips on the face of the earth. They like nothing better than to run down their old man, or woman, whatever the case would be. I don't put much stock in what they say, and that's why I'm not all that concerned. Certainly the gal must have something going for her, or our Harold wouldn't find her attractive."
"like he said, she's very good looking," Pam said. "And that makes the little temptress all the more desirable. But from what I understand, she's got the boys over the high school just drooling all over her. She's a pretty shrewd little number."
"So is Harold. He can take care of himself."
"Sometimes I think you men are just impossible," Pam said, getting up from the chair quickly.
"What's wrong with you, honey? Things were going along just beautifully, then all of a sudden you blew up when you found out who our boy is going out with."
"I told you. I've heard some things I don't like. I'm afraid that girl is a-, well, a little tramp."
"That's quite a harsh accusation to make, honey, considering you don't have anything in the way of proof. Just a lot of hearsay."
"Well, as far as I am concerned, the sources are reliable. I don't like this at all."
"Give the boy a chance to work out his own problems," Charles said. "He's a man. If he-likes this girl, that's good enough for me. I think that he has very good judgment."
"He's just like any other man in one basic respect," she said, as she walked toward the door. "He's the type who can also be twisted around the finger by the right woman."
"Are we really all that helpless?"
"Certain ones of you are, and I think maybe Harold falls in that category."
"I think that you are worrying needlessly about this whole thing."
"Naturally you'd say that," she sighed, as she walked into the den, quickly turning on the television set.
As she watched a movie, Pam observed Harold walking toward the door. She heard him saying goodnight to his father.
He turned and looked at her, an expression of fearful concern on his face. He remembered what she had said about Daisy, and he didn't want to be exposed to any more language of that type.
"Goodnight, Mom," he said quickly.
"Goodnight," was all she replied.
But she found herself unable to concentrate on the movie she was watching. She kept reconstructing the dinner table events in her mind. She couldn't help but think that the information she had heard concerning Daisy and her mother was correct. And it made her all the more angry to think that her husband was in effect siding with Harold.
As for Harold, he felt free as a bird once more as he got behind the wheel of his car and drove over toward the apartment where Daisy and her parents lived.
He walked up the stairs to the second floor room, knocking on the door.
"Who is it?" he heard Daisy's voice call.
"It's me, Daisy. It's Harold."
"Come in a moment, dear. I'm just about ready."
Harold opened the door and walked inside the living room.
He observed a dark-haired woman sitting on the sofa sipping a scotch and soda.
She was attractive in a rough sort of way, but Harold disliked the fact that there were shadowy pouches beneath her eyes, and he didn't like the bloodshot eyes either.
"You must be Harold," the woman grinned.
"That's right."
"I'm Daisy's mother. Sit down, dear."
"Thank you," Harold said, sitting down in a chair across from her.
"Daisy has been telling me so much about you," Gladys Barnes chuckled. "You've even better looking than she said you were. You're an absolute doll."
"Thank you," he said nervously.
"Can I fix you a drink?"
"I'd better not. I've got to drive. Besides that, I'm a basketball player and I try and watch myself, especially during the season."
"What dedication," she laughed. "Here I am waiting for my old man to come home. He's no doubt getting smashed at some bar, probably trying to put the make on the waitress, and you're man enough to pass up a drink. I don't know whether to feel insulted or impressed."
"No offense intended, Ma'am."
"Stop that Ma'am nonsense. To you I'm Gladys.
Understand?" "O.K. Gladys."
"Stop talking the legs off him, Mom," Daisy chuckled from her bedroom.
"Just having a little sporting conversation. I don't have anybody else to talk to, since your old man hasn't come home yet."
"Maybe he was putting in some overtime."
"That's a joke," she chuckled. "Overtime my ass. He's putting in overtime alright. But it's not connected with his job. He's getting soused. I just hope he doesn't smash up his car one of these nights like he did the one before that he buried against the wall."
"Gee, that was too bad," Harold said.
"Yeah, too bad for the drunk," Gladys shook her head. "I told him that whenever he got that smashed he ought to either call me or take a cab. But you can't tell that bastard anything. He's the most hard headed sonofabitch that ever lived. Don't you ever be like that. It's one thing to stick up for your rights, I can go along with that, but I sure can't buy actions like he does."
An embarrassed Harold didn't know what to say. He was relieved to see Daisy make an appearance at that moment. He wanted to get away from talking to Gladys.
He couldn't help but think about what his mother had revealed pertaining to Gladys as he sat there talking to her. Perhaps she was every bit as bad as those women in his mother's club had revealed.
But now he was able to turn his attention to lovely Daisy. She looked stunning in a purple pantsuit, which showed off her exquisite figure to good advantage. Even though she was only sixteen, she had a figure which would make most adult women turn green with envy.
"Gee, you look great, Daisy," he said, getting up from the chair.
"Thank you, darling. You're looking good yourself."
"Shall we go?"
"Why not?"
He grabbed her hand, walking with Daisy out the front door.
A few minutes later they arrived at the drive-in. They had to wait behind a long line of cars before getting up to the ticket window.
"Boy, this is one movie I really want to see," Daisy chuckled."
"Me too. If you want to see it, so do I."
The man at the ticket window looked at them skeptically.
"Can I see your identifications, please?" he said tersely.
"What's with this identification bit?" Daisy asked indignantly.
"House policy, young lady. This is a special showing. It's an adult film."
"We're adults," Harold said.
"I'll have to see your identifications."
"That's a lot of phony bullshit," Daisy exploded. "You're a wise sonofabitch."
"Hold it, Daisy," Harold tried to calm her down.
"Your girlfriend has got a mean tongue, buddy. I don't like being called those names. Not even by a woman," the ticket man began to turn red in the face.
"O.K., I'm sorry about that. I'm sure she didn't mean it. Did you, Daisy?"
"like hell I didn't," she replied. "I don't like anybody giving me static. Just why can't I get in to see this movie? Hell, I know more about sex than most adults."
"That might well be, but we've still got our regulations."
"Oh, to hell with your regulations," Daisy said.
"Rules are rules," the man said. "Now I wish you'd move your car, friend. You're holding up the line."
"You mean we can't see it?" Harold asked, by that time getting flustered himself.
"That's right. I'm sorry."
"Aw, screw it," Harold exploded, starting up his car and backing it out, heading it out of the theater area.
"I'm glad I called the guy a sonofabitch," Daisy said.
"It's not good for you to get excited like that." "Why not?"
"It's not good to lose your temper in that way. Besides, you're such a gorgeous girl that I hate to hear you using language of that kind."
"Aw, what's wrong with using a few dirty words now and then? I use them when I think they will fit. They sure fitted in the case of that mother. Imagine having the nerve to pull something like that on us."
"I never figured we'd get turned away from seeing these things. It just didn't dawn on me."
"I didn't figure that either."
"Some of the guys on the team saw it. Of course, come to think of it, one of them I know has a phony I.D. card, and another one said he saw it with his old man."
"Yeah, well, tonight's not our night, I guess," Daisy shook her head sadly.
"Cheer up. The night's still young. Would you like to go to another movie?"
"Well, I guess we could settle for a John Wayne movie. It's not what I had in mind, but it's something, anyway. Besides, if we don't like it, we can always leave."
"Or maybe steal a few kisses."
"That's an even better idea," she laughed.
They went to the theater in the city a few miles away.
The picture was already well on the way by the time that they made their way in to seats at the back of the theater.
They munched on popcorn for several minutes, then quickly began to get bored with the movie.
Actually, Daisy had not been that eager to see a motion picture in the first place. She had wanted to be near Harold in a dramatic setting. And she liked the fact very much that they were going to a drive-in, so when their plans were thwarted, it made her angrier than it ordinarily would have.
Now she began to stroke Harold's leg. She observed his penis stiffen. It was a great sight for her to observe that hard rod, that noticeable bulge in his trousers.
"You've got a hard-on," she whispered.
"I know. Guess who it's for?"
"I hope for me."
"Who else?"
"It had better not be anybody else."
He leaned forward and kissed her lips several times. As he withdrew his lips from hers, she implored:
"Feel inside my blouse, baby. I want you to feel of my tits." "Right here?"
"Nobody can see us," she chuckled softly. "Look, we're here in this section all by ourselves. Come on, baby, and work those fingers around my tits. I've got some nice tits, baby, and you're going to love to touch them."
"I know, they're lovely."
"Then start working your fingers around them."
"I'm scared to."
"The big brave basketball player like you, all scared about the idea of feeling a gal up in a darkened theater. Come on, baby, you're not chicken shit. Go ahead and play with my tits."
"O.K., I guess you've shamed me into it."
"You shouldn't have to be shamed into doing anything. You should want to do it."
"I do. It's just that I get a little uptight doing it in here."
"Come on, baby, we won't be staying here much longer. I want you to touch my breasts and I want you to touch my mound. I'm real excited, baby. You've got me all turned on. So come on and play with my tits."
"O.K., baby, I guess I can do that."
Now he was reaching inside her blouse. As he came into contact with those firm, warm breasts of hers, he thought that he would orgasm immediately.
His whole body quivered as his fingers came into brisk contact with her firm skin. She loved the way that he was clutching her.
"Oh, that's it. Oh, I just wanted you to get me excited, honey," she said. "Isn't it fun working those fingers around my breasts?"
"Oh, nothing could be better."
"Don't go quite that far. Just wait and see what I've got in store for you later tonight."
He kept those fingers working against her breasts.