Chapter 17
"Rudy," she said, into the phone, "The spare-it isn't here...."
"What?"
"I looked-in the drawer, where you keep it...."
Profanity rolled thickly from the receiver. She had never heard him so viciously vindictive. He was in a crazy rage.
"I won't listen to any more of that!" she shouted and hung up. She was trembling. Why did he have to vent his spleen on her? She hadn't taken it....
Immediately the phone rang again. Tina was watching, wide-eyed. Becky lifted the receiver, tiredly. The whole thing was no longer laughable.
"Look, Becky!" he said. "It must be there, in the drawer...."
"No. I looked through all of them. The package is where it always is, but the hair piece isn't in it."
"This is a lousy trick of yours!" he bellowed. "You don't like my wig, so you got rid of that one!"
"No, Rudy. You can come home and look for yourself. Calm down a little. You can put on a hat and get by just fine...." A memory was crawling around in her mind. "How did you lose your hair piece, the one you wear?"
She was trying to be reasonable.
"None of your damned business!" he growled. Then, abruptly he went on. "What'd you do to this Irene? She said she was getting even for something?"
The picture in her mind was clearing, now. Irene calling that day, wanting Becky to come to her motel-and her refusal ... Evidently Irene had come to the store, to Rudy's office and had ripped his toupee away-or something like that....
She remembered something else. Saturday night ... the feeling that someone had been in the house, one vanity drawer partly open. An odor of perfume in the air ... Irene's threat....
The redhead had struck at her through Rudy. Being in showbiz she had spotted Rudy's imitation mop. It was a dirty underhanded trick, but he wasn't permanently injured. He could get another hair piece.
"I'll tell you some other time," she answered at last. She was ashamed of the whole business-that Irene had even singled her out for attentions.
"Well, you got me in one hell of a predicament," Rudy snapped. Then he added, darkly, "You haven't heard the last of this!"
"Rudy, be sensible. You can order a new hair piece. The world hasn't ended!"
He muttered a vivid curse and the line went into the buzz of the dial tone.
She sank back on the sofa. Her nerves were in rags. It was a cruel thing to do to Rudy. It had struck him where he was most sensitive. Still, she couldn't feel too sorry for him. Maybe some of the swagger would leak out of him ... maybe for a while he wouldn't be such a woman killer....
Since Tina knew part of it she explained the whole affair or as much of it as she was able. She deleted Irene's call, her invitation. She left Tina with the impression that Irene had it in for Rudy because of something he'd done at the party....
"Rudy shouldn't get you so upset," Tina protested. "You look like you're ready to fly apart!"
Becky inhaled deeply. "Of course I can't prove Irene came in the house and stole his extra toupee ... But it is gone. His vanity's been hurt, Tina. I guess you can understand that."
"Of course, honey," Tina said, sympathetically. She left her chair and came over to the sofa, gliding down beside Becky. "I hate to see you so upset. You're trembling!"
All this fuss because I wouldn't "play along" with Irene. She's a vicious slut. I'll bet she sent those filthy pictures, too ... trying to get me into the notion.
Tina's nearness was comforting. Rudy never held her or made over her any more-not unless he wanted her physically, sexually.
Becky trembled, closing her eyes, as Tina's hands pressed and squeezed.
"Relax, honey," Tina cooed. "You're so tense!"
"I've been on edge for days," Becky said, knowing the blonde's hands shouldn't be where they were but liking the sensations, needing comfort of some kind.
Tina patted her and kissed her. Becky found her lips eager, opening for the wiggly tip of Tina's inquisitive tongue ... She groped for the blonde and they hugged tightly. Tina's mouth was so soft, soothing. Tiny twinges of desire made her thighs burn.
"Come over to my place, honey," Tina urged, breathing into Becky's mouth. "Gene won't be home for hours. If Rudy comes now he'll just make you miserable! You're all tied up in knots. You need this-and so do I...."
"Yes," Becky answered. "You're right, honey."
Ten minutes later they were in the Walters' master bedroom. The air conditioning there was much superior to that of the Finches. The walk over had cooled some of Becky's desire, though. This was no real answer to any of her problems.
"Tina-what if Gene did come home?"
"Stop worrying, will you? He's real busy today ... and isn't it a little more fun if a person takes a chance?"
"You're awful!" I must be getting used to the idea. Not one drink since Saturday night.
And not one kiss or touch from Rudy, either. All we do now is argue and fight.
Tina drew Becky toward the bed. The blinds were drawn to keep out as much heat as possible. The room lay in a soft yellow twilight.
Becky sighed and sank down on the edge of the bed. It was very resilient, the pink tufted counterpane a wide expanse of subtle invitation.
"We've never had enough time to really enjoy this, honey," Tina whispered, wiggling down beside Becky.
Becky didn't feel like analyzing it in words-the wrongness of what they were doing was still a hindrance. Talking only seemed to make it worse.
She looked down at the swell of Tina's breasts, at the plumpness of her thighs-her skirt was recklessly hiked back to her hips-and a fit of telltale trembling shook her. The memory of their other times came back with startling clarity.
She reached for the blonde. Their mouths met heatedly. This time Becky initiated the tongue-play as ripples of tingling passion eddied through her body. Tina softened, yielded. Becky felt her nipples sharpen inside her bra-cups. Touching Tina's silken thighs filled an aching need within her....
The kiss went on and on until Tina fell backward on the bed, gasping.
"Ohhh-honey! Undress me-quick! I'm burning up!"
Becky had never felt exactly as she did then. She was in a kind of reckless haze. The idea that she was to be the aggressor filled her with zestful excitement.
She pushed Tina's skirt back all the way. Her panties were almost nothing. Oddly some of the poses of the models in those photographs came to her mind, firing her passion.
With teasing deliberation she inched Tina's panties down, the vision of satiny allure making her shiver. Tina writhed with voluptuous abandon ... her thighs spread.
Becky caressed her the way she liked to be caressed.
A loud knocking on the Walters' front door, followed by the musical chiming of the doorbell, shattered Becky's mood.
"Ohhh-damn!" Tina gasped.
Becky retreated, swimming up out of her mist of desire. She backed away, watching the blonde struggle off the bed, pulling her undies back in place.
"Don't-go away," Tina breathed, straightening her frock.
Becky covered her face with her hands. She trembled, too aware of an evil attraction about the cuddly blonde. She stood uncertainly as Tina left the bedroom, while the knocking continued.
I won't stay here! Becky thought. She followed Tina, her knees wobbly.
The front door opened and she heard Rudy's voice.
"Is my wife over here?" he demanded, loudly.
"Yes," Becky answered, walking up behind Tina. The blonde gave her a wilting glance.
Becky could see Rudy now. He wore a summer straw hat, looking rather small for his head.
She knew it was over-this time. She had barely escaped.
"Come on home," Rudy said curtly, glaring at Becky. Then he looked at Tina and a strange expression came over his face. Becky could see that Tina's cheeks were flushed, that two buttons on her bodice hadn't been fastened ... Muscles in his jaw ridged, his mouth drew into a tight line.
He knows! Becky thought, her own half-awakened desire fading swiftly. She seemed to shrivel inside....
Moments later she entered their house by the back door, Rudy following. He slammed the screen hard. Then the door.
"What the hell goes with you and Tina?" he burst out.
"Just a friendly little visit between us girls, darling!" she answered. "You want me to be real modern, don't you?"
"That little bitch!" he stormed.
"You thought she was all right the other night!" Why deny it? He had already guessed....
"I ought to knock you down!" he shouted.
She faced him, her anger a dark ugly cloud in her brain. "This is it, Rudy! I'm leaving. At least, Tina has some understanding. You don't-not any more. You and that silly wig!"
He was rigid with fury. His face went chalky. "I heard something else today! I heard you were talking to that big-shot brother of mine!"
"Yes! I met him. We had soft drinks and talked. Is that so terrible?" She couldn't stop there. She had to say more. He had hurt her-how many times? "He's a real gentleman, too."
Rudy staggered, as though she had struck him. He shook his head. The straw hat made him look ridiculous. He seemed to shrink before her eyes. He turned away and strode into the living room. He seemed less a man than at any time in their life together.
Her nerves gave way. She dropped into a kitchen chair and tears flooded from her eyes. Too many emotional strains lately-too many cutting words that couldn't be taken back.
II he would only come in and say he was sorry-if he'd only be what he was before ... Maybe we could overcome all the badness....
She heard him return to the kitchen doorway.
"You know what a divorce will do to me," he said dully. "You know how the management feels about it...." He came nearer and her heart pounded. Was he really going to try to make up? Could she forget-enough?
She raised her head, glancing at him. The hat was gone. For a moment he looked like himself....
"Well, we can't go on like this," she said, her voice shaky. "All this switching, and...."
"And going over to see Tina," he finished, accusingly.
She jerked to her feet. "Yes, I've done some things I'm ashamed of. You hardly ever even touch me-unless you want something. I didn't care about your hair piece at first. But it's changed you-can't you see that? Why do we have to mix it up with our so-called friends? Is this your idea of success? Can't we live normally?"
He ran his hand over his spot of baldness.
"I don't know," he muttered, his eyes dropping.
Suddenly she felt sorry for him. She couldn't explain the emotion, except that he seemed to be partially unmanned. He swung away, returning to the living room. She stood up and followed. He dropped on the sofa, his shoulders slumped.
"I'll try to stay-one more time, Rudy...."
Leaving him would rock the town. She knew that. He might not get the store at Pasco....
"Thanks," he muttered.
No conciliatory kiss, no hug. They seemed to be strangers making some kind of necessary bargain. Nothing had been solved, really. A coldness crept through her body. She was very glad now the thing with Tina hadn't reached finality. She had been very upset, needing attention. Tina had caught her in a weak moment....
"But I didn't take your hair piece, Rudy."
"I know. I've got an idea that bitchy Irene came in here and stole it...." He looked up. "She tried to proposition you?"
Becky flushed. "I told her no."
"I'd like to wring her damned neck," he growled. "Came in the store and...." Again his hand went to his baldness.
She didn't feel like laughing at him now. The comedy of the situation was gone.
"I'll try to do better," he said, weakly.
The cold, empty sensation inside her remained. She wondered how long their truce would last. How could they surmount all that had happened, the ugly words, the hatreds?