Chapter 17
Mitch woke up and stretched. And Kathy was still sleeping. He hesitated for a moment, then kissed her face which made her stir.
"It's getting late," he said, "and I wanted to tell you something."
She was still groggy with sleep. "Yes. I suppose we should get up. What did you want to tell me?"
"It's like this. I'm going to put Dale's name up for membership in the Los Angeles Country Club. He'll meet the best people there and do a lot of business. He's a personable fellow."
"Thank you," Kathy said simply.
"I'm doing it for you."
She squeezed his hand. "I know. But don't tell Dale that. He's so sensitive. I love you for it." She kissed him.
Mitch started to dress. "You won't say anything?" It continued to bother him.
"No, I won't. You can trust me."
She got up and started to dress.
Kathy thought, "I wonder if this can be construed as selling me for financial advantages. But after all, I get some good out of the sale. It isn't as if Dale alone benefits. At least I can always take credit for helping him.
And he'll love me even more. Now that it's over I'm happy I could do it."
Mitch fumbled with his tie. Then he said, "What in hell am I doing putting on a tie at four in the morning? I'm nuts." Then more seriously, "Kathy, the way we play this game is never to see any swinger outside of the parties. It's an unbreakable rule. So I'll never see you except at the parties. But I want you to know that while I love Liz and we'll be together forever, I care for you a lot. You're a wonderful girl. I hope Dale knows how lucky he is. I just wanted you to know that."
"I like you Mitch, too. I wish you only the best. I'm happy you told me that." Then Kathy said more seriously, "I'm hungry-starved."
"Good," Mitch said. "Let's get to the kitchen before those other maniacs and get some food."
"Is my face all right?" Kathy asked.
"Like a dream." Mitch kissed her.
They went to the kitchen.
Dale and Natalie had been lying quietly in bed but when they heard noises in the kitchen, Dale said, "Let's get something to eat."
Natalie got out of bed. She was nude. She stretched and her sexy body moved Dale again. He got out of bed and held her. "Can we meet once in a while outside?" He asked.
"No," Natalie said. "It's against the rules and I never break the rules. We swing only at parties."
"Please," Dale begged.
"Not a chance. No." Dale was kissing her breasts. "Come on." She broke away and started to dress.
"Let's eat ... you're sweet, Dale, but we play the game just one way."
They went into the kitchen and Kathy and Mitch were figuring out the making of bacon and eggs. No one could find the bacon.
Dale's eyes met Kathy's. "You feel okay?" Dale asked.
"Yes," she said. "Fine." She wondered if she would ever feel exactly the same towards Dale.
She said to Dale, "Mitch is going to help us. He's going to get you into his club."
"I'm going to put your name up for membership." Mitch corrected. "And anything else I can do."
Dale shook his hand and gave him a sincere look, "I certainly appreciate it. I can't tell you how much."
"I can't tell you how much I like Kathy. You're a lucky man."
Dale nodded. She did it and he was proud of it. What if she did have to play switch partners? It meant nothing.
Natalie had the eggs frying and she found the bacon.
Liz came in looking fresher than anyone. "Oh, Natalie," she said, "that's no way to make eggs. You have to fluff them."
She took the fork away from Natalie and pushed her aside. Liz fluffed the eggs.
Everyone was in the room now. All eight of them. No one mentioned the activities of the evening past. It was as if nothing had happened. Mike and Mitch got involved in an argument over how to get rid of crab grass.
Liz explained how she got her son in bed early and the girls listened with interest.
All appeared back to normalcy except one-Kathy. She was quiet. Once Dale said jovially to Kathy, "Hi ya, kid."
She smiled back but she put nothing into it. It was a weak smile.
Kathy felt numb. She had to think. It wasn't a question of right or wrong. That didn't bother Kathy. She just wondered what this would do to her marriage. It hadn't hurt the other couples or so it appeared. Would it hurt Dale and hers?
They both had cheated now. From now on it wouldn't matter as much. That is the theory. But would it?
Everyone seemed so normal and average. Look at them, she thought. Like a normal, average bunch out for a quiet party with punch and cookies at the end of the evening.
Yet what had Natalie done with Dale? Mike with Liz? Thelma with Irv? She knew what she had done with Mitch. How could he sit there like that talking about crab grass? She knew she couldn't do it. She felt sorry for all these people. Where would they go for greater thrills and then still greater thrills? A shiver went through her. She couldn't understand why.
My God, didn't their parents ever tell them that they should be faithful in marriage? Her parents constantly repeated that. She was sure her parents were faithful. Sure? She'd bet her last dime on it.
She thought about Mitch. Well, she wasn't ashamed of it. No, she tried to help him. Poor Mitch. He had said he was 200 pounds of eunuch.
It was hard for a man to live with impotency-a man like Mitch.
As she thought about what she had done, it was important to her to know that her parents had been faithful. Yes, she was sure of it.
Once she remembered her mother had cried for several days over a letter a girl had sent to her father, but that was many years before. She couldn't remember whether her parents were married before the letter or after. But that was the closest she could remember her parents ever came to infidelity.
Mike yawned. "Guess we should be going. Hate to pay a babysitter for sleeping."
Natalie yawned and said, "Yeah, Irv, you've fed your face long enough. Let's put it on the road."
She turned to Dale, "Thanks again, lad. Maybe it'll happen again some time."
Dale started to kiss her goodnight but his kiss landed on her cheek.
The others got up amid all sorts of goodbyes.
"Ready?" Dale asked Kathy.
She nodded.
They said their goodbyes and walked to the door, and to their car.
Dale held the car door open for Kathy and bowed. She kept a straight face. They drove out of the driveway and Dale waved goodbyes.
"Maybe this is it," he said to Kathy. "The beginning of our march up the ladder."
"I hope," said Kathy.
Dale leaned over and kissed Kathy. "And thanks!"
"Dale," Kathy said, "I see no possible way we can make love for a long time or ever. I thought about it. I just couldn't do it knowing what happened with you and Natalie, and worse, with Mitch and me."
Dale decided to humor her. "Honey, I know how you feel right now. But tomorrow you'll feel different. You saw all those couples. It hasn't affected them. Why should it affect us?"
"I can't answer that question. I can only guess at it. My guess is I prize some things that life has to offer above thrills. Like love, family, loyalty, decency. But I don't want to preach. I went into it with my eyes open. No one forced me to do it. But now the reaction has set in. I feel at this moment I could never make love to you again. It would be dirty, second hand. I couldn't."
Dale was dead tired and more important he was sexually drained. At this moment he didn't care if he never made love again. He just wanted to humor Kathy until he got home.
"Darling, you'll forget by tomorrow. I know it seems important right now but believe me all you need is a good night's sleep. I love you and you love me. Nothing that happened tonight can affect that."
"Yes it can, and did," Kathy said.
They drove home silently. In bed when Dale leaned over to kiss Kathy goodnight, she turned her cheek-just as Natlie had done.
It was Saturday morning late and Dale didn't go to the office on Saturday. He awakened late and Kathy wasn't at home.
He found a letter on the kitchen table. It read: "Dale, I am so shaken by what has happened that I am going away for a while. I do love you, but whether I can forgive you or myself I don't know. Kathy."
While Dale was deciding what to do" about the letter the phone rang.
It was Mike. "Hey, lover," he said, "we forgot to tell you our next meeting of the loving couples is at my house on Friday night. You and Kathy have passed the test and we're inviting you to come."
There was a grin in Mike's voice when he added, "Good for business."
Dale thanked him and then he hung up.
"Let's see," he thought to himself, "will Kathy come back in time and if she does will she go again. If she doesn't come back will they let me bring another girl or come alone? Goddam it," he thought, "Kathy has put me on a spot."