Chapter 7
Eli Slack was a fattish, gray-haired man with a big nose and squint eyes. He looked constantly as though he was sniffing.
"I got a bottle of the best, just f'you," he said, pouring four drinks from a dusty, brown jug. He patted the jug and set it by his chair. "Comes in from Mexico, we got connections."
Luther sipped the smoky liquid and smiled. "Damn, we're glad to get back in town, Eli. This country sure is knee deep in lousy booze."
"It's that fuckin' prohibition," Slack said. He winked at Brenda. "Scuse my language. The ass-holes in Washin'ton making ever'thing tough fer us honest folks."
Slack had rented a shack for them on the edge of town, a small five room house, furnished. It was just barely adequate as housing. Slack had pointed to the ceiling when they entered. "Don't think it'll rain soon. If it does, we'll hafta move ya. How long you stayin'? "
"Depends on you, "Luther had said.
"We'll see then."
In the evening he had brought them the jug, and sat for a conference. Dex had learned, during the day, that Slack owned a roadhouse along the Quincy River, an illegal operation that carefully avoided the local law. Eli had booze, gambling and a whorehouse.
"I ain't got any women like you," Slack said, patting Brenda's knee. "I got seven, eight girls but floppers, you know what I mean? They flops on their back and opens their legs-shit. Any damn nannygoat c'n do that!"
"You want the show in the same place?" Luther asked.
Slack nodded, eyeing Dex.
"They'll like him," Brenda said, noting the look.
"Don't doubt it. Luther don't pick no duds."
Luther shrugged lightly. "He got a prick like a goddam horse."
Slack smiled. "That so?" He looked at Dex with speculation, and turned back. "Yeh, since you was here, I got a little stage rigged up. We put on a show now'n then for the visitin' firemen. Little dog act or somepin. Dolly, one of our gals, she got a nice dog."
Brenda made a face. Slack laughed: "That ain't fer you, honey. I wouldn' let no dog put his cock-'scuse my language-up your snatch, no time. Dolly, she's just a old country whore, she don't know no better."
"When you want us?" Luther asked.
"Tomorra night?"
Brenda nodded and Luther smiled. "Fine."
Slack rose and took up his wide-brimmed hat. "Whyn't you come on out when you get slept and look the joint over?"
"Okay," Luther said.
Slack kissed Brenda's hand, shook with Dex and went outside with Luther.
When Luther returned he was smiling. "Eli says we ought t'draw thirty or forty guys at least. He says we can do three, four shows anyway."
Brenda smiled, bright-eyed. "Two shows a night?"
Luther shrugged, looking at Dex. "Depends on Hercules here. You make it for two, you figger?"
Dex wrinkled his forehead. "Hell yeah."
"Well, we need the dough. We need a couple tires too, 'less Slack kin steal 'em for us."
"What's the split?" Brenda asked.
Luther picked his chin. "Well, you know Slack. He wants fifty-fifty. But I figger even then we're ahead. Half with forty guys is better'n anything else we done for a long time. He says maybe we can get some better prices too-we give 'em a longer show." He looked at Dex. "How long c'n you keep it hard, neighbor?"
Dex looked at Brenda. "Couple hours."
"Feed him some meat," she said.
Luther sighed. "Yeh. How 'bout we use another girl?"
Brenda shrugged.
"Yeh, how 'bout that?" Dex grinned at her. The idea made his cock stir.
"Well, we'll see. I'll talk it over tomorra with Slack. He just hinted at it."
They unloaded the trailer, moving the bed into the only bedroom. Dex would sleep on the couch. Luther unhitched the trailer and took the pick-up to the market with Brenda to get groceries.
He walked outside and looked at the sky. A few clouds, reflecting light from the city. Quincy was larger than he had thought. They ought to do all right. Luther was feeling better, he could tell. The husky man had his ups and downs. Luther loved Brenda. He had nearly killed that farmer in the storeroom. Dex shook his head. Luther was a fool. Brenda loved him maybe, but she would make his life miserable.
He walked down the dirt road. There were only a few houses on the street, no lawns, just weeds and cactus and some scrawny trees. Another ass-end of town. His life was spent on the wrong side of the tracks. He had to get some dough together, get out of this rut.
Leave Brenda? He paused, listening to the lonesome howl of a distant hound. Another dog took up the yowl, and another. There he was, baying at the moon. How could he get Brenda away from Luther?
And if he got her for his own-would she be his only? Hell no! By this time he knew her better. What she said and what she did were two different things.
He turned and went back to sit on the front steps of the little shack. He lit a cigarette; tomorrow he'd get his weenie into her. Maybe two shows. A nice long show, where he could fuck her up one side and down the other. He felt himself. Shit-the cock was hard again. His balls were crawling, the penis was pushing against the cloth, hurting a little. He unzipped and let it stick out in the cool air.
"Man, you sure got it for her," he said aloud to the prick.
Eli Slack came for them in the morning and drove them to the club, the Roost, painted on the brown and white sign. It was a sprawling frame building, once a farmhouse according to Slack.
"Out back we use the barn for the girls," he said. "We got it remodled, 'course. They're rooms upstairs now, so 'stead of playin' in the hay, you play in the cunts-'scuse my language." His big nose pointed this way and that, seeming to sniff out news. "We got mighty good law in Quincy these here days. Chief is a fella named Elmer Clepper, cousin of my wife's. They was all Cleppers down there in Dean County."
Dex watched the fat man. Slack had things going the right way here. Cousin of the Chief of Police. Not bad. Slack knew how to figure close; he seemed to be a big, dumb hick but he was sharp, playing all the angles.
" 'Course we treat 'em right," Slack went on. "We brings Elmer and a couple o' his boys out here ever' Monday night and put on a feed for 'em and turn 'em loose up there with the girls."
"No dough?"
Slack shrugged. "Oh, little o' that too, little o' that." He parked the car on the side of the roadhouse facing a door. There were few cars in the big lot. A man opened the door, looked out and waved, then shut the door again.
"That's Hennery," Slack said. "He's the gun 'round here." He smiled at them. "You got to have a little protection, y'know. Money, it attracts them undesireable types. You know what I mean?"
"Yeh," Luther said.
They got out and Slack escorted them inside, standing by the door graciously as Brenda entered. He treated her like royalty, Dex thought. Maybe he had a hard one for her too. Probably.
They went into a large dancing and drinking area. All the chairs were piled on tables and several men were mopping the floor. Slack ignored them and led the way across the wet, passing the long bar where piled glasses winked and a man with a cigar in mouth and a pad of yellow paper was checking bottles. Slack nodded to him.
He paused near an orchestra ramp. "This here's the grand ballroom, ladies an' gents," he said with the squint eyes darting here and there. "We softens up the suckers then we brings 'em back here, some of 'em." He opened a door and led them through into a square room with mirrors on the walls, crap tables and two roulette wheels.
"Gee, that's a nice layout," Brenda said, with obvious interest. "You done all this since we were here."
"Yeah." Slack was proud of it. He stuck his thumbs in his pockets and smiled around the room fondly.
Dex looked on dully. This was money. Real money. It cost like hell to furnish a layout like he was seeing. Eli Slack was in a different league from them. Slack was showing off to the poor folks.
Slack ushered them out and locked the door. "There's tables upstairs too for them as wants a little cards, and girls. Tables an' beds." He winked at Brenda. "Good thing about gamblers is they like a girl t'screw if they's winning, and they like one if they's losing. Changes their luck."
"Less they gets the clap," Luther said.
Slack guffawed. "Yeh. But the gals, they looks 'em over real good. You got to look at what you eat." He laughed and slapped Brenda's butt lightly. "Lemme show you our little stage."
He opened a side door and they went out again to the parking lot and down the side of the building to the barn.
"The girls won't be up this early," he said. He produced a key and opened the front door. A negro maid smiled and disappeared and they heard her rattling pans somewhere in the back. Slack went up the stairs which were carpeted. "Don't look like a barn no more does it?"
"Sure don't." Luther said.
The second floor looked like a cheap hotel, Dex thought. A line of closed doors down a central hallway, with a couple of fire extinguishers on the walls. Slack marched down the hall in front of them, turning to mouth the word: "Girls," and point to the rooms.
He opened a door at the end of the hall and they filed in. It was a smallish room, thick-carpeted, with drapes and hangings on the walls, no windows showing, and a small stage at the far end. Slack closed the door.
"Here y'are, friends. You work here."
"Iszat the only way up here?" Luther asked.
Slack went up the two steps to the small stage. He put his hands on his ample hips and surveyed the room. "We c'n get fifty folks in here, had 'em too. We just brings in chairs."
The stage was fitted with small footlights, and Slack went to the side and pulled on a rope. A curtain swung across, then back again. "This here's a real stage."
"Gosh," Brenda said admiringly.
"We shows movies too," Slack said, pointing to a small booth in the rear. "We got some fuckin' pictures-like that. Warms up the guys while we wait for the cooch show." He winked.
Dex wandered backstage. It was tight, almost no room for scenery. The back wall of the building was only ten feet from the front of the curtain. There was a door at the corner of the wall, probably the back door Slack had mentioned. He was very impressed. They ought to make a couple bucks in this joint.
Luther was asking for a couch. Dex went back and joined them.
"I'll have Billy bring one in," Slack said. "What else you want?"
"That's all," Luther shrugged. He smiled thinly, "That's all you need. They'll come t'see the action not the props."
Slack slapped him on the back, laughing. "Thass right, that's sure right."
"How about heat?" Brenda asked. "I work in my skin."
Slack laughed again. "Don't you worry none. This place gets cozy as a finger in th' ass! 'Scuse my language. We got a heatin' system in the basement. Had t'put it in, the whore girls complained alia time."
He produced a cigar, not offering them around, bit the end and sucked on it. "I got a few of the boys out drummin' up trade now." He scratched a match and looked at them, bathing the end of the cigar in the tiny yellow flame. "How long a show you figger to put on?"
"What can we get for it?"
Slack squinted, puffing blue smoke. He sighed. "Maybe ten bucks ahead."
Luther said, "How 'bout a half hour?"
"Make it a li'l longer than that." Slack looked at Brenda. "No offense, honey, I don' remember. Will you hump some o' the boys afterwards?"
"No," Luther said.
Slack sighed again. "That's a damn shame. It would sorta add some flavor, you know what I mean? Think I could push up the take." He cocked his head at Luther.
Luther frowned and looked at the floor.
"You got some other gals for that, huh?" Brenda said.
"Oh yeah, sure I have." He winked at her. "But I ain't got none like you."
There was a silence. Slack puffed on the cigar, looking at them, looking round at Dex. Dex shrugged.
"All right," Slack said. "We make it a hour show, ten bucks a head and no screwin' afterwards-not with Brenda. Right?"
Luther glanced at Dex, and nodded.
"Except for me." Slack looked at the cigar.
"What?"
"Except for me-and the gal here."
Brenda blinked at him. She moved her eyes sideways to Luther. His face was getting red.
"Eli-I thought we was good friends," Luther said in a low voice.
"Hell, we are," Slack said jovially. "That ain't much t'ask. This here feller"-he indicated Dex-"he gets his nuts off, huh?"
"That's business."
"So's this. You got to take a little, give a little, friend."
"I'll do it," Brenda said, "Let's not fight about it."
"Sure," Slack said. He puffed and looked at Luther. Behind him, Dex glowered.
Luther walked to the stage and back as they watched. "Once?"
"Sure."
"When?"
"Oh, how 'bout this evenin', before the show?"
Luther pressed his lips together, nodded and walked to the door. Slack winked at Brenda and followed.
They spent the day doing nothing. Dex walked into town, curious to see it, finding it exactly as he had expected. He wandered along the show windows, looking at clothes and goods beyond his reach. It took dough to buy that stuff.
He stood on a street corner looking at the skyline, wondering if it would be possible to work himself into Slack's organization. Slack smelled of dough. In a day when everyone was scrambling for a buck, Slack was sitting on top of a heap. Not a big heap, maybe, but a heap. And bigger than most. Bigger than he had or Luther. And bigger than they were-likely to get with the show. The show was too limited; all they could hope to do was make a living with it. Dex realized suddenly that that was all Luther was trying to do. Luther was marking time.
He went back, slowly, thinking about Brenda. If a guy had a coozie like Brenda it didn't matter what he did as long as he could spread her every day. His cock stirred. Every time he thought about her he got horny. Maybe it was the knowledge that he was going to prong her tonight. He dreamed about it the rest of the way-the way it felt when he got it in her.
They weren't in evidence when he arrived; the pick-up and the trailer were locked, and the front door was latched. He went around to the back and put his foot on the back stoop. He could hear voices. The bedroom window was open.
Dex slid along the building and put his eye to a corner of the window. It was dim inside, but they were on the bed only a few feet away. They were both naked, curled in each other's arms, with her on top. Dex frowned, peering at them. Luther wasn't in her. He couldn't see Luther's cock at all. She was half lying on him, whispering to him, stroking him.
Luther's voice, when it came, was a rumble, but Dex could not make out words. He stared at Brenda's lovely buttocks, feeling his cock rise. Shit, he'd stick it up her so far...
They didn't move at all. Dex went out to the truck, lit a cigarette and rubbed his dong. Thinking about Brenda was hard on the balls. Did she really love him-Luther?
When he finished the cigarette he went in the back door and made noises in the kitchen. In a few moments Brenda came out, smiling. "Where you been?"
"Up town. Just curious." He heard Luther go into the bathroom and close the door. He moved in close to her quickly. There seemed to be a sparkle in her eyes. "Can't wait for t'night."
She giggled lightly as he unzipped, took out his cock and put it in her hands. She massaged it ardently. "Ohhh, Lordy."
He hissed: "See how hot it is for you?"
She dropped the prick and turned away. "Get it outahere!"
He ran his hands up under her robe, feeling naked flesh, reaching for her cunt and finding it wet. She sucked in her breath and moved quickly away from him. "Get that thing outa sight!"
The toilet flushed.
Dex gritted his teeth and stepped to the rear door. He stuffed the hard prick into his pants as he went outside. Jesus! That woman would drive him insane!
He went around in front and sat on the steps, staring at the distant town. Patience, he told himself. He was gonna fuck her tonight-after Slack did. That sonofabitch Slack. He had a houseful of cunts but he had to have Brenda too.
Luther unlatched the front door. "C'mon in."
Brenda was fixing supper in the kitchen. Luther poured out three drinks and they toasted Quincy. Luther seemed much calmer now. He was able to mention Eli Slack without swearing. Perhaps Brenda had talked him into something. She had changed into a skirt and man's shirt. Dex tried not to look at the swell of her breasts and the little points her nipples made.
"What's after Quincy?" Dex asked.
"Well go on south to Dimon, that's a small burg, the next big town is Parrish."
"I don't remember that, Parrish," Brenda said.
"We didn't go there. But it's a town, and we oughta make something. We went to Clayton last year, where we had the run-in with the law."
Brenda nodded, flicking a glance at Dex.
"What happened?"
"Jail," Luther said. He shook his head sadly.
"They stuck Brenda in jail-it was a put-up job. Just so they could."
Brenda shrugged at Dex over his shoulder. "Well, they didn't hurt me, baby."
"Yeah, but three of 'em takin' turns, Jesus! Law!"
"There's creeps wherever you go," she said.
Dex thought about Slack. Luther poured another dirnk and downed his in a hurry and poured another. Dex had never seen him drink so much.
"We'll quit this racket, honey," Luther said. "Soon's we get some dough saved-then a farm. That's the way to live, get yourself some land. A guy's who's got land'll get by. He won't starve."
Dex glanced at Brenda. She was standing at the stove, a faraway look in her eyes. He wondered what she was thinking. Did she look forward to a lonely life on the farm as he did? This depression really made guys think of starving, he thought.
Luther shook the bottle and poured himself another. He didn't offer them any. Brenda came and kissed him on top of the head. He reached up and patted her on one breast absently. She stared over his head at Dex.
Before she served supper, Luther had another drink. During the meal he had another and Brenda began to look concerned. Luther's eyes were getting foggy, red-rimmed and heavy. He was silent as he ate, sometimes looking at her, mostly looking at his plate.
When they finished, he sat at the table, wrapped in his thoughts.
Dex went outside in the dark and lit a cigarette.
Luther was probably feeling sorry for himself. He wondered how much dough Luther and Brenda had saved. Was it in the trailer? He walked around the rig slowly, looking at it. It was home-made, sturdy, painted gray like the pick-up. There would be plenty of places to hide dough-you could build in places, sliding panels and stuff. It might take a long time to turn them up. A guy would have to have a long, uninterrupted time.
He flicked the butt away and the back door squeaked. As he turned, he saw Brenda hurrying out of the house. He snapped his fingers and she turned instantly and came to him. She was smiling.
"He's asleep. He always sleeps when he drinks."
She was in his arms, pushing him back against the body of the trailer, her loins grinding into his, her lips voracious.
"Jeez, I gotta have you!" She was feline and provoking.
His cock went to attention and she could feel it. She grabbed for it, pulling on it, too excited to unzip him. "I gotta have it!"
He whirled her about, sat her butt on the fender and yanked the zipper down. The prick sprang out, almost into her slit. Her trembling fingers pushed it into the nest and he thrust. She gasped as it drove in to the hilt.
Man! she was right-she was crazy for it! She squirmed as he fucked her furiously, saying: "Ooooooo," in his ear and holding on to his body with her legs up on each side of him.
She was wilder than usual. Was she so hot because Luther had been fucking her all afternoon, or hot because he hadn't?
He slowed after the first furious flurry and began pumping it into her with deep regular strokes. Her soft hands caressed his face and she pulled his mouth to hers and licked his lips, "-gotta have it-"
He rammed her. "You gettin' it, honey."
She giggled and licked into his ear, making him squirm. "Make me come-I wanna remember it when Slack-" She broke off abruptly.
He had forgotten. She had to screw Eli Slack that evening.
"Thatsonofabitch!"
She petted him, kissing him softly. "It won't be that bad. Not lovely like you-but I'll make it. Make me come, baby, make me come!"
He increased his goading, holding her with both arms, a luscious package into which he thrust his gift.
She responded very quickly-wanting it, writhing for it. Exploding into frenzied convulsions, she gasped and panted loudly. And in the midst of her paroxysms, he found it impossible not to accompany her.
It was another of their desperate grapplings. They were constantly forced to seek release in awkward positions-it took part of his brain to remember not to drop her. He kept up the delicious friction, fucking into her madly, losing the rhythm, almost losing her vagina, but finally thrusting deep and keeping it there, swaying as though to topple.
It took a long while till they were still, with the penis deep inside. She was breathing softly as though asleep.
"You mustn't leave me," she whispered as he stirred. "I mean ever."
"You know I'm crazy for you!"
She cuddled and snuggled as though to get closer.
"He said: "You don't have to let Slack."
"Yes I do." She kissed him softly. "Don't think about it."
"How can I help it?"
"It'll only take a little while, then it's over."
"I don't hafta like that sonofabitch-or you sere win' him."
She giggled softly. "But I come to you when I really want it!"
He looked down at her.
"Baby," she whispered, "This thing is always on my mind!" She slipped her hand down and encircled his cock. "Don't you know that?"
"What about Luther?"
"That's different."
"Why is it?"
She was silent. She sighed and pushed away from him slightly. "I'm getting cold-it's cold out here."
He stepped back and let the dong slide greasily out of her and hang limply, still half hard. She kissed him briefly.
"I'll go sober up Luther."
Before he could object, she had turned away and was running to the back door.