Chapter 11

The crowd was a jumping-one, a young one. Vince Carbo was pushing the booze to them as though it were going out of style. He flaunted the law, did not question their ages, and Laurie could only suppose that bribes were paid to the appropriate people.

The band was hot from the word go. They shoved Laurie and the crowd the "beat" they wanted; an uninhibited rhythm that emancipated all their dark inner urges. Laurie's squirming go-go dances stimulated them further; the booze did the rest. Young girls were squired to dark comers, kissed and felt up. One girl of no more than 16 was being pawed by two Tri-Central sophomores. One of her companions had worked his hands under the youngster's slipover sweater; the other boy was feeling his way under her plaid skirt. The girl was protesting ... at least, protesting as much as she was capable of, considering how drunk she was ... but she was no match for two well-endowed, eager college boys. If she screamed, no one heard her, and Laurie decided no one could hear her. The noise was just too much.

Laurie looked away briefly and when her glance again stole back to where the young girl was being publicly assaulted, she was not surprised to see that the trio had disappeared. Probably out to the parking lot. In one of their cars, Laurie guessed, getting herself jazzed up but good.

Laurie shrugged it off, her eyes going out for a sign of Eddie Prohaska and his kooky friend, Al Zetlow. They hadn't shown and she began to wonder where they were and what they were up to. Maybe hustling up some more drugs, she speculated, but, on the other hand, what conclusive proof did she have that they were involved with drugs? None yet. She didn't know a darn thing for sure. Not a thing.

The band finished their set and Laurie came down to the bar for a drink. Vince was swamped. His bartender hadn't shown up; he and an inexperienced waitress were trying to handle the trade by themselves. Laurie wanted a drink badly but she didn't feel like standing in line and getting her rear end pinched; and then she remembered that there was a bottle in the comer of Vince's desk and the thought of that gave impetus to some-thing else.

She divorced herself from the crowd and hurried to Vince's office-dressing room. She took a quick swallow from the bottle, then she began going through his desk, searching for suspicious bottles or capsules. In the middle of her frantic search, Sid Laska broke in on her.

"Find what you're looking for?"

Laurie paled. She slammed the bottom drawer of Vince's desk. Guiltily, she said, "I was looking for a safety pin."

"That's a likely story," Laska said, closing the door.

"I don't much care whether you believe it or not," she said.

"Suppose I tell Vince you were prowling through his private desk."

Laurie's face shadowed. She was frightened and there was no use trying to conceal it. Sid drew closer. His hands reached out for her. Laurie felt herself drawn against him.

"Lemme go, Sid. I have to get back out there."

He held her tightly. "Not yet, you don't."

"Sid...."

"You don't want me to tell him, d'you?"

"Tell him what?" she said irritably.

"About you going through his desk."

"I told you I was looking for a safety pin."

"Is that what you want me to tell him?"

Laurie sighed tiredly. "What d'you want, Sid? What d'you want me to do?"

His eyes gleamed darkly. His hands explored the hotness of her that existed between her young thighs. In a rasping, husky voice, he said:

"Do to me what you did to Vince."

Laurie was shocked and angry that Vince had told Sid. "I don't like to," she argued.

"But you did it for Vince."

"He forced me."

"Which is what I'm doing," Sid said, opening his pants.

"You mean, you'd...."

"Yes, I'd tell him I caught you in his desk."

"You're all bastards!"

"Sure we are. We won't argue with that," he grinned.

Laurie closed her eyes and went to her knees. Her red lips parted. Seconds later, her mouth was bobbing up and down on him.

"Not so fast," he moaned from above.

But Laurie paid no attention to his protests. She was anxious to complete her distasteful chore as quickly as possible, and toward this end she applied all the maddening technique she knew. Her tongue was a vile and wild thing; her hands tickled him and implored him to hurry.

One minute and 18 seconds after she commenced her immoral act, Sid Laska rocked into orbit and then plunged earthward. Laurie came to her feet while Sid searched his pockets for a handkerchief.

"Mind telling me what you were looking for, now that we're done?"

Laurie lied and said, "Some money."

"Money?"

"I was broke and needed some. I didn't want to ask...."

"So you thought you'd steal it."

"A few dollars."

Sid Laska fished out his wallet and threw a ten dollar bill at her feet. "Next time ask," he ordered.

"You won't tell Vince, will you?"

He smiled surreptitiously. "Why should I? I had my fun, and if I want" his smiled broadened gloatingly "I always know where to get more, don't I?"

Laurie heard herself answer in a voice not like her own, "Yes, Sid, you know where to get more."

Before Laurie returned to the bandstand, she drank three double shots of bourbon to wash away the taste of Sid Laska. She thought of how wonderful it would be to stomp hell out of his face, to grind her spike heeled shoes into that smug bloated face of his. Sid was watching her from the other end of the bar, exchanging words with Vince Carbo. If the sonofabitch went and told on her, she thought angrily, she'd tear his eyes out.

Suddenly the band broke out in a loud boom boom and Laurie took to the stage. The crowd applauded raucously. They were drunker, wilder. Young girls staggered to the dance floor and began to swivel their hips and bob their breasts. Miniskirts edged upward; bedlam was the keynote, sex the master. Laurie threw herself into the act. She pumped her young pelvis, wiggled seductively, winked at the boys and men who stared at her from their tables. And then she saw him-Danny! Danny and some younger girl with dark hair and a lush figure. They were seated at a table along the wall, whispering intimately to one another, holding hands beneath the table.

Laurie's hot anger exploded. Of all the nerve! Coming here where he knew she'd be working. Coming here with another girl and then making out right in front of her. Her eyes overflowed with jealousy. She looked away from them briefly, flirted with others in the crowd, throwing them inviting winks, working furiously with her body. But in the end, in the end because she had to, her glance went inexorably to .Danny and his girl. His hand strayed between the young brunette's legs. To Laurie's utter horror, the girl was welcoming Dany's advances, actually spreading her legs, allowing him to explore anywhere he wanted.

Laurie fumed. Was that darned Danny going to lay her right here in The Cave? Was he trying to make a fool out of her?

She seized on an idea. "I'll be right back," she yelled at the band. She ran to the bar, signalled Vince. He came to her side. "Am I the boss up there?"

"Boss?"

"Can J do anything I want?"

"Long as you don't screw the band," he grinned.

"That's all I wanted to know," she said excitedly.

"Whatcha going to do?"

"You'll see," she answered secretively. "Just watch my smoke."

She jumped back to the stage. She glared at Danny and his girl. Then, and without any advance warning, she threw off her halter. Her over-ripe breasts sprang free. The crowd gasped. The boys cheered loudly. Laurie smiled gratefully and pointed her strawberry-nippled offerings at Danny and his girl. That would show him who was the smart one, she gloated to herself, and as the band swung into something hot and groovy, Laurie gave her suggestive go-go all the wickedness it deserved.

Danny was plainly thunderstruck. His hand was limp on the girl's thighs, his mouth was ajar, and his eyes looked in acute shock. Laurie glowed. She danced furiously. Her young breasts jiggled and bounced and she publicly proved that she needed no support, no artifices, for her swollen teenaged breasts.

Midway in the number, Laurie saw Eddie Prohaska come in. He whistled and waved at her. Laurie smiled warmly at him. Now she could make Danny so jealous he'd explode.

When the piece was over, she wiggled down off the stage, her halter draped over her arm. She made no attempt to put it on, came alongside Eddie at the bar.

"You'll catch cold," he smiled, glancing hungrily at her nipples.

"Are you complaining?"

"Me complain?" He laughed. "Never, never."

He pinched her breasts, ordered a pair of drinks.

Laurie's pride soared. Danny was probably watching her out of the comer of his eye-wanting some of it, too, she thought-and wishing he was Eddie Prohaska. And Laurie decided to make him wish for even more. She sat as close to Eddie as the stools would allow. Her breasts, heavy and in need of kissing, rested on the bar, The male customers ogled her young melons; however, her attitude was reckless and carefree, one of: let them look.

"Can I get curious?" Eddie asked.

"Go ahead."

"Why the free exhibition?"

"You don't like?"

"I didn't say that. I only said why." They clicked glasses and drank.

Laurie said, "I'm just an exhibitionist at heart, I guess."

"Like hell. You're not the type."

"Well I don't know what type I am, Mr. Eddie Prohaska, but those things that you've got your eyes glued to are called tits, and if that doesn't make me an exhibitionist then I don't know what does."

Eddie shot her a questioning glance. "There ought to be an argument for that...."

"But you can't think of one?"

"Not at the moment."

"Don't try," she said, hoping Danny was watching her.

"What should I try?" he asked, looking for a double-entendre. , "You could start with a kiss," she suggested.

He seemed reluctant, and possibly, she supposed, because of her daring display of breasts.

She said, "Course if you don't want to, there's others...."

"Laurie...."

"Kiss me," she demanded. "That sounds like an order."

"It is."

He kissed her. The moment their lips touched, she felt an electrifying and thrilling response within her body. Eddie tried to break the kiss but Laurie clung to them. Her tongue stabbed between his lips. A new wave of hotness spread through her and her nipples felt rigid, tingled with excitement. With hard resolve, Eddie unloosened himself from her embrace. Several onlookers were staring boldly at them.

"You could get raped that way," Eddie warned her, his face red.

"I'm hoping to," she said.

"By me or by the whole place?"

"Why be particular?"

"Bitch," he smiled.

"Shall we dance?"

"Like that?" he asked, shooting a questioning glance at her bare breasts.

"I thought you were groovy ... like way out and all that other nonsense."

"I am."

"Then let's hit it, jack."

"Laurie...."

She wouldn't listen to reason. She pulled him off his stool, led him to the dance floor. There were whistles, shouts of approval. Eddie bridled but Laurie's firm insistence won out. The band was playing a slow number and Laurie melted against Eddie's shirt front.

"You're burning holes in me," he whispered into her ear.

"I think I'm burning holes in a lot of people," she said, trying to see Danny and his girl, at the moment out of her sight.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What?"

"That you're trying to burn holes in a lot of people."

"Nothing," she said softly. "Hold me close."

"I am."

"Closer."

"Like this?"

She felt the ardor of him. "Yes."

"You're making me hot."

"I'm trying to. Can you feel my nipples?"

"Yes."

"Wouldn't it be fun to kiss them now?"

"For chrissakes, Laurie!"

"You don't like me to talk that way?" she asked demurely.

"Not when I can't do anything about it"

"I like to tease." She pressed against him, rubbing her nipples over his shirt, closing the gap that separated their lower bodies, squirming to be as close to him as she knew how.

He protested that they were in public, and they shouldn't put on so brazen a display. Laurie laughed in his face. "You have to be kidding."

"But I'm not kidding."

"Then come out of squaresville," she told him, surprised by his reserve. "Look around you and you'll see that we've started a regular live-in."

Eddie did as she suggested. It was true, for stimulated by Laurie's provocative performance, many of the youths had persuaded their dates to open their blouses, or in some cases, even remove them. One girl, a tall redhead, was dancing bare-breasted with a short blonde-haired sailor. The sailor's face was nestled between her breasts.

He looked in seventh heaven.

"See," Laurie indicated, "I've set a new trend."

"Crazy, man."

"All the way," she said dreamily, and at that moment Danny and his date climbed away from their table and left. Laurie felt a strange mixture of anger and disappointment wash over her. She wanted to run to the parking lot and give Danny and the girl a piece of her mind. On the other hand, what had they really done to her other than be here?

"Something wrong?" she heard Eddie ask her from what seemed afar.

"No ... no, just tired." And that was a terse condensation of her feelings about everything. She was tired of being involved in all this sexual subterfuge, trying to discover the secret of who had the LSD and who was distributing it. To know the answers was to be done with all this sordid business, and toward that conclusion she was spirited with a sudden and strong determination to find out the why's and the where fore's. And she had an idea. A brainstorm!

"Eddie, how would you like a home-cooked midnight snack?"

"A what?"

"How would you like me to go to your place and cook us up a pair of steaks, or something?"

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"What else? I can borrow a couple of steaks from Vince's kitchen and you've got something to drink, haven't you?"

"Well ... yeah. Yeah, there's plenty to drink."

"Then why the look?"

"What look?"

"That look. Like something's hurting you."

He laughed, gave her a squeeze. "I'm s'pose to meet Al here at one," he explained.

"So go ahead and meet him," she said quickly, thinking that this was even better than she'd planned. "Give me your keys, I'll drive to your place, and by the time you get there, everything'll be ready."

"I guess it'll be all right," he said somewhat hesitantly.

"Sure it'll be all right," she gushed excitedly. "I'll tell Vince I'm not feeling well, leave early-a naked cook, no less."

"Sounds fascinating. What am I supposed to eat ... the steak or you?"

"Me, you fool." She was crushed against him, her nipples sunk deep in his chest. "Is it okay?"

"Why not?"

"And may I ask how you like your meat, well-done, medium...."

"Rare, sweetheart." He gazed down at the hot pink of her nipples. "Blood rare."

Twenty minutes later, Laurie emerged from The Cave, Eddie's car and apartment keys clutched tightly in her hand, the steaks paper-wrapped and wedged under her arm. She found his car, climbed in, and was about to start the engine when she noticed the action taking place in the next car. A young couple, oblivious to Laurie's presence, was necking like crazy. Laurie guessed that they were quite drunk, because if they weren't they'd have heard her approach and stopped. Such was not the case. The youth had raised the young girl's sweater, dropped her brassiere, and in this single instant in which Laurie paused to stare, he was now fondling her naked breasts.

Laurie could not have said why she couldn't turn away, but that was the essence of the situaion. Some inner force compelled her to watch them and now having succumbed to this compulsion, it became impossible ... utterly impossible ... to start the car and drive away.

No question about it, Laurie decided, the girl certainly wanted these things to happen to her. She was doing nothing to thwart her admirer's advances, and as Laurie looked on, she saw something of herself in te girl's behavior. Perversely, she wished it was she who was now opening the boy's pants and not this other girl. Dancing in the half-raw had excited her; witnessing this was making things worse. Nevertheless, she continued to peep on the young lovers, drawn by a desire she couldn't satisfy.

Several minutes later, the youth divested the young girl of her clothes and they crawled into the back seat. The view was excellent and Laurie had a thrilling look at a young college youth spreading his girl's legs and settling between them. Their bodies joined together. Laurie sucked in her breath. The youth began working back and forth. Unconsciously, Laurie raised her skirt. Her hand disappeared between her thighs. Her face contorted with pleasure. The youth, meanwhile, was plunging faster and faster. His girl was raising her buttocks off the leather seat, meeting his thrust with one of her own. Laurie went wild. She felt like pulling her clothes off and joining them. Her hands moved furiously. And then suddenly, crazy with thrills, she squeezed her thighs together on her hand and let out a throaty moan. It had felt wonderful, she was forced to admit; but by the same token, she considered herself not one bit better than the perverts whom she'd recently been associating with: The hot and the luckless.

She put the steaks in the refrigerator and began her search. She went through every drawer in the apartment, searched under mattresses, carpeting, behind cabinets, and even under the paper that lined the cupboards. Her find was exactly nothing. No drugs, no strange looking pills ... nothing. Now her gloom was complete. And she couldn't, she knew, endure another night with Eddie and Al. Not tonight, anyway.

She found a piece of paper, scrawled a note that she wasn't feeling well and had gone home, then left it on the kitchen table where Eddie would be sure to find it. She penciled a P.S. that the steaks were in "the fridge." Then she picked up the phone and called the professor at his apartment.

He was not too happy being awakened from his sleep. "D'you know what time it is?"

"Don't you have a watch?" she snickered.

"Yes, I have a watch," he said hotly.

"Would you like to make love to me?" she asked.

He was silent, recovering from his anger, considering her proposition. "Well?"

"Where?"

"In bed, sugar-lump."

"Whose bed?"

"There you are, always with the technicalities."

"Why don't you come here."

"All right."

"How soon?"

"Right away."

"Good. I'll be waiting."

"Is there anything you want me to bring?' she asked, just before she hung up.

"Just you, honey-bunny. Just you."