Chapter 5
"Able isn't able!" Edna crowed with malicious glee. "Able isn't able!"
"Sorry," Able said, panting. He was standing by the sofa near Daisy's head. He tried to sound light-hearted and joking. "I guess having all you people watching-or maybe the long strain-"
"Able isn't able!" Edna went on, prancing teasingly in front of him. She shook her breasts and, feet apart, bumped her naked loins toward him. "Able isn't able anymore!" she chanted. "Able isn't able anymore!"
Able's cheeks burned at the taunts. They seemed quite unfair. If Chuck or Ben had gone first, they might not have succeeded either. But he could hardly advance that little thought with any strength when both of the other men were still so obviously ready to give any woman the full strength of their manhood.
This little drama of innocence lost was still far from being played out.
"Leave him alone," Ben said. "The same thing could have happened to any of us."
"Not you!" Edna said. "Look at you!"
Automatically they all looked at Ben. He appeared so strained with need that he might have been in pain.
"And look at Chuck!" Edna said.
And all eyes turned to Chuck. Like Ben, his desire was still as strong as steel. Both men were burning with longing.
"Well, I never thought Able and Daisy would really go through with it," Fern said weakly.
"Chicken!" Edna laughed. "Just plain chicken!"
"Give me a little time," Able said. "Maybe I'll show you something yet."
"You?" the blonde said gleefully. "What have you got to show; Stand beside Ben and Chuck and show us!"
Able's cheeks burned still hotter.
He was at once glad that he hadn't been able to carry through, and he was humiliated. He was glad because he had an idea that if he and Daisy had actually performed before the others they'd never be able to forget the incident or to forgive themselves. He was humiliated because he felt as if he'd revealed some weakness, some lack of manhood, to the others.
And Edna seemed to be intent on grinding his nose into his failure.
He was still excited even though he was incapable. He wanted to make love. He wanted to show Daisy and the others that he could still be powerful. But at the moment he felt completely incapable.
He wanted the others to go away. He wanted to be alone with Daisy. He wanted to regain his strength and show her that he was still capable of satisfying her.
But the others showed no sign of leaving, and he couldn't very well drag Daisy off from them. He felt that if he did, and even if in the privacy of their room he managed to give her what they both wanted, the others would never believe that he had. They'd always think that he was weak, that he was inadequate.
The incident had delivered one of the greatest blows to his ego that he'd ever received.
The others had been under a strain for a long time, too. The men, like Able, had been excited, cooled off, and excited again a number of times during the evening. If only they would at last lose their strength for good, if the party would only cool off, if everybody would just return to normal, Able would feel a hundred times better than he did right now.
But such a thing showed no signs of happening.
After her last jibe at Able, Edna turned to Chuck and slithered up against him. She kissed him and drew his hand to her breast. She ran her palm down over his chest and stomach, then played lightly over him with her finger tips.
"You've got lots to give," she crooned lovingly, "you've got lots and lots for Momma, haven't you, baby?"
"So has my baby," Fern said, and she turned to Ben to cup and stroke and fondle him. "Lots and lots." The two pairs kissed. Bodies rubbed slowly.
Hands glided over breasts and between legs. They panted harder and strained toward each other.
If that had kept up everything might have turned out all right. The two remaining couples were clearly reaching the limits of restraint, and at any instant they might have sunk to the floor and, with no thought of others watching, completed their love-making.
If they had, the sight would probably have stimulated a revival of Able's powers. And then he, of course, would have immediately returned to the sofa and given Daisy the strongest loving of her life.
Then the incident would have been over. The memory might have proved either amusing or embarrassing, but in any case it would have been consigned to the past.
But events didn't turn out that way.
Daisy groaned. She groaned softly but throatily, as if she were crying out with need, and one by one the others looked at her.
She was lying just where Able had left her, her head and shoulders on a pillow, one foot up on the sofa. Her hands were at her lap, and her nipples were as erect as ever. She'd been watching what the others were doing and her face was a mask of naked desire.
Edna giggled. "Poor Daisy! She looks like she needs loving worse than any of us."
"Daisy, honey," Fern said worriedly, "are you all right?"
Daisy didn't answer. Her breasts rose and fell with her hard, shallow breathing and her fingers twitched at her legs. Her hips began twitching in simulated ecstasy, which was no more than her tortured emotions and starved desire toying with her.
She looked dully at Chuck's middle.
She looked at Ben's.
Two men who were blazing with need and ready to go.
Able caught the look and his throat closed down, his heart pausing, then slamming like a tympani.
Edna giggled again "Nothing wrong with her that a good man couldn't cure, isn't that right, Daisy?"
"Two or three men," came the answer on another soft groan. "Six men, the whole United States Marines."
"Oh, Daisy, honey," Fern said sympathetically.
"When a girl's in need that much," Edna giggled, "I'd think that at least one of you fellows would be gentleman enough to help her out."
Able tried to say something. His lips moved but no words came.
Fern stared at the naked blonde. She had a slight smile on her face. "You're not serious!"
"Sure, I'm serious. I told Chuck that I didn't mind his making love to another woman as long as he let me watch. And you said that you felt the same way."
She turned hard challenging eyes on Able. He felt completely hollow inside.
"I'm sure that Able feels that way, too, don't you, Able? And that's only fair, since you can't give Daisy what she needs."
"You're crazy."
The words came out weakly. He was amazed to find himself feeling that he was at a moral disadvantage in spite of the fact that what Edna was proposing was in itself completely immoral. After all, he had played along with the original insane idea, with the result that Daisy was in her present tortured situation.
"Maybe you think I'm crazy but Daisy doesn't. She's the one who's going crazy right now. How about that, Daisy? Would you like to have Chuck help you out?"
For once in his life Chuck looked shocked. He said, "Hey, now!" and took a step backwards.
Daisy looked blearily at Chuck. Then she closed her eyes.
"All I know is that you're right. Right now I'm the one who's crazy for loving."
Ben looked at Fern. "You honestly wouldn't care?"
"Not really."
He looked at Chuck. "Well, I don't hear Able objecting. Go ahead, boy."
Chuck, looking a little frightened, took another step backwards, and Able took a step forward.
"Now, wait a minute-"
Edna's arm slammed across his chest and her eyes blazed angrily at him.
"You're out of this!" she said harshly. "Everything's up to Daisy!"
And it seemed to him that under the circumstances everything really was up to Daisy. For him to interfere would prove nothing, nothing except that he was a jealous inept husband who couldn't hold onto his wife.
Everyone suddenly turned to statues. The atmosphere had changed in the last few seconds. The last element of lightheadedness and joking had died away. There were six people in a rage of desire, only five of whom could do anything. There was a naked woman on a sofa, a woman who seemed to be especially in need. There were two lust-strained males who might be able to help her. There were two naked women who were eager to watch anything that might happen.
"Well," Ben said, his voice husky, "if Daisy doesn't object, I guess the job is up to me."
Nobody said anything.
Ben walked slowly and almost reluctantly toward the sofa where Daisy lay stretched out as if ready to be taken. He put one knee on the sofa just as Able had.
Able felt as if he were in a dream and completely paralyzed.
Ben looked down at Daisy for a moment. Then he lifted one of her hands, bringing it to him.
Her fingers curled on him and Fern gasped.
She's not going to, she's not going to! Able thought Ben reached down to pet Daisy as she was petting him. He explored her, making sure that she was ready, and Daisy whimpered and shook as if a fresh wave of sensation were coursing through her body.
He bent down and touched one nipple lightly with his lips and she thrust her breast up against him. He moved his mouth to her other nipple, working it hard, and the hand that was stroking him shook, tightened, and pulled.
She's not going to! She won't! She can't!
He raised his head and lowered his hips. She stared between them and presented herself just as she had earlier to Able.
No! No! No!
With a shaking hand she brought him to her until they actually touched.
For an instant the pair was completely still. Only Edna, Chuck, and Fern moved, staring as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Ben pressed forward. The white areas of their tanned bodies came a little closer.
With a series of three or four little strokes he went all the way.
Able stared at them, his mind reeling, as they lay perfectly still again, white flesh pressed tightly against white flesh.
They began.
He drew back and thrust, drew back and thrust, and the fourth time, she suddenly shook and stiffened and cried out, "Oh, I'm there!"
They were still for several long seconds.
Then they began again.
Everybody else was motionless and quiet. Able continued to feel that he was in a dream of paralysis. Chuck stared unbelievingly.
Fern stood with her mouth open and slowly stroked herself about the legs.
Ever so slightly, Edna thrust her body forward in rhythm with the pair on the sofa.
Daisy uttered another pained cry, and her body wrenched and froze.
She seemed to relax after a few seconds.
"Keep going!" she said hoarsely. "Keep going!"
But Ben was obviously stimulated beyond control. He released a little cry and she said, "On, no, not yet!"
But then he groaned again, lifting his buttocks and lashing back with all his strength, releasing every bit of his pent-up tension.
With a final shudder, he rolled to the floor, wearily trying to regain his feet.
Daisy wailed the cry of a woman still in need and raised her hips.
Chuck hardly hesitated. He took three steps to the sofa and filled the position that Ben had left. Daisy reached for him and tugged.
No, no, no, Able's mind screamed.
She brought him into position, and he lanced forward, taking her with a single stroke.
They started almost at once.
Ben climbed to his feet and stared at the pair with the same amazement that others seemed to share, as if he could hardly believe that he'd just been where Chuck now was.
Daisy made the summit.
And made the summit again.
And then Chuck snarled and let go, sliding, striking, pistoning, as fully released as Ben had been.
This time Daisy didn't cry for more.
The night degenerated rather curiously after that.
For a few minutes everybody was very quiet. Chuck and Ben didn't look at anybody. They had the air of men who didn't want to admit that they were embarrassed. The room had an atmosphere of profound let-down.
Daisy stirred and got up. I need a drink of water or something," she said groggily. And she went to the bar and poured herself a drink.
Able was still having difficulty in ridding himself of his feeling of paralysis, a feeling of profound shock.
Nobody thought anything about their nakedness now. They neither covered themselves nor exhibited themselves. Their nakedness simply didn't seem to matter any longer.
Finally Chuck forced a small laugh. He looked at Ben.
"Not bad, eh?"
Ben shrugged. "Naw, not bad."
Chuck shook his head. "Crazy! Crazy!"
That seemed to bring Edna to life. She looked around the room, searching each face, and her eyes blazed. Her laugh was erratic.
"Everything's just jolly for you three, isn't it?" she said. "But what about Fern and me? Who's going to help us out?"
"We'll help you out, honey," Chuck said soothingly. "Just give us a little time."
"Both of you?" Edna asked pointedly.
Chuck paled. He still hadn't looked squarely at Able for more than a second at a time.
"Can you wait, baby?" Ben asked Fern softly.
"Oh, sure," she said, giving him a little smile.
Edna's voice rose. She sounded as angry as Able had ever heard her.
She took several quick steps toward Able. Feet apart, she arched toward him and, before he realized what she was going to do, reached out to agitate him.
"Come on, chicken, come on!" she virtually shouted. "Get going, give me a loving."
"Edna, for Pete's sake," Chuck said.
But Edna wasn't to be stopped.
"What's the matter, chicken? You scared? You don't like girls? You don't like to love?" she asked. "Come on, chicken."
Able felt more chilled than ever. He'd never felt more incapable.
He glanced around the room. Daisy was apparently paying no attention at all to what was happening. The other three looked embarrassed. Chuck dragged Edna away from Able.
"Come on, Edna," he said softly, "leave the guy alone."
"All right, all right! He's no use to anybody! Hey, let's all have a drink! Let's all get good and stinking!"
She and Chuck headed toward the bar. Ben started to follow them but stopped as he saw Fern staring at Able.
The small copper-headed girl wasn't smiling. She was looking at Able as if trying to read his mind. She took a step toward him, hesitated, then moved closer.
Ben gazed at her as if he didn't quite know what to do.
Able felt nothing as he saw the wealth of sun-burnished curves and the white areas coming closer. Any other man would have reacted but he was completely numb. She stopped a few inches from him and they looked at each other's naked bodies.
Then she raised her arms and slid up against him.
Her eyes probed his.
She made him kiss her. Her soft curves slid lightly against his hard muscles. Her hands moved on his back.
"It's all right," she whispered.
Her hand moved between them, trying to get him going.
He looked over her shoulder. Only Ben was observing them.
"You can have me if you want me," she went on.
"You know that, don't you? Anytime you want me. Wouldn't you like to love with me? I'd like to have you, Able. Won't you give to me, Able? Won't you please love me?"
He would have if he could. But he couldn't.
Ben's hand fell on Fern's shoulder and, not too gently, pulled her away. She gave Able one last look of regret, a look almost of hurt pleading, and went with her husband to the bar.
Able felt completely alone, completely isolated from the rest of the group. Even when he walked over to join them he felt alone, and no one spoke to him.
Very soon Edna said, "I'm going up to bed," and Chuck followed her up the stairs.
Ben and Fern looked at each other, exchanged some unseen signal, and followed immediately after Chuck and Edna.
Able and Daisy were alone at last.
And silent.
Without a word she started toward the stairs. When he followed her she ran, dashing on ahead of him. as if to put as much distance between them as possible.