Chapter 18
Pete slept the sleep of exhaustion. Gwen woke up several times in the night, jerking to consciousness with the sudden nightmare recollection of what had happened.
She reached out to Pete, touched the sleeve of his pajamas, and clutching the cloth went back to sleep again.
In the morning, she rose early to fix breakfast. Pete came downstairs and out to the kitchen. She looked up and smiled brightly.
"It's almost ready oh, Pete! Aren't you going to work?" She stared in surprise at his plaid shirt and old work pants.
"No. I thought we'd get ready to move. I'll call the dealer. You said he thought we could arrange it all today?"
"Yes. He said that." She was quivering with deep relief. She set the coffee pot on the table near Pete, and poured his first cup. "The the house is is empty. There were tenants they moved to an apartment. Some company wants to trade."
"Fine. His office opens at nine. We'll see about signing the papers today."
She ventured a faint reminder. "Don't you isn't there anything you have to do at the office today?"
He frowned. "Oh, there's a deal. Larry and I were to see a man. But he's Larry's client really. Larry can handle that." He rubbed his hands over his flushed face. "I'll cab Larry, tell him what happened. It's too early now. I'll cab him later."
After, breakfast, Pete phoned the dealer. He asked them both to come down to sign papers. So Pete and Gwen changed hurriedly and drove into town.
"You haven't seen the house yet," she reminded him.
"We'll run out there first. But I guess it'll be fine."
She was about to say it was near a school, but she stopped herself. By the stricken look on Pete's face, he was still thinking of the near-tragedy. This was not the time to make him plan for their future. She must be content, she thought, with dearly-bought wisdom, to move away from the crowd and give him time to adjust.
Pete glanced at the house, talked to the dealer about the financial arrangements, looked at a report on the condition of the house. Then they signed papers, and it was done.
"That's it," said Pete, as they drove home. "I wonder what would have happened if we had bought a house like that when we were married?"
Gwen moved closer to him on the car seat. She put her hand in his arm and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I love you, Pete," she said, a choke in her voice.
"I love you, too, Gwen." He rubbed his cheek briefly against her hair.
They were both tired, but felt driven to pack more things. Pete phoned the movers, and found one who could move them the next day.
"Shall we, Gwen?" he asked, looking over at her.
She nodded. He cleared his throat.
"Yeah, that'll be fine," he said briskly. "What time can you come in the morning?"
When he had hung up, he said, "Oh, gosh, I haven't phoned Larry!"
They stared at each other. Pete rubbed his face.
"Gosh," he repeated weakly. "I don't know how I forgot. I'd better call now."
He phoned the office. Larry wasn't there. Pete's mouth had white lines around it as he hung up.
"I hope he'll understand," he muttered. "Gosh. I don't know how I forgot."
"I'm sure he'll realize with the accident and everything how you came to forget," Gwen said.
They sat on the couch, holding hands like children. Yet she didn't feel dismayed. Pete could cope with anything, and anyone, she thought. She squeezed his hand encouragingly.
"It'll be okay," she said. "I'm sure it'll be okay."
"I could call him at home. But maybe he isn't home." He didn't reach for the phone. He didn't really want to talk to Larry, she realized.
Was Pete afraid of Larry? She was thunderstruck at this new idea. Was Pete afraid to do or say anything that Larry would not like? That was not a good relationship with one's employer. She searched her mind for evidence, but it was all rather vague and new.
"Hey anybody home?" The cheerful voice made them start. At the banging on the front door, Pete jumped up.
"Larry!" he said. "It's Larry." He flung open the door. Larry stood there, beaming. Barbara was just behind him. Coming up the walk were Isobel and Don Hoover.
"Come in, come in," said Pete, with false heartiness. Gwen knew that quiver in his cheek meant he was much more tense than he seemed. "Say, I completely forgot to call you. I meant to, then we got all involved in this real estate deal-"
"Real estate deal?" Larry came in, hearty and cheerful and exuberant. He grinned at Gwen and she thought abruptly of the way he had made love to her only two nights ago. There was a knowing familiarity in his glance that made her keenly uncomfortable. "What's all this about? You're not moving?"
He made it sound very childish and stupid as he kidded them about being in a hurry. Isobel and Don followed Barbara into the house. Don joined his outcry to Larry's.
"You're not moving? All for a silly incident? Oh, come on, now! The excitement will die down." Don flung himself casually onto the couch. Gwen drew up chairs for the others. The living room seemed to burst at the seams from all the exuberantly cheerful guests.
"Karen is getting along fine," Isobel contributed. "Don and I went to see her. She's sitting up and yelping for a good drink. I bet that hospital doesn't hold her long!" She giggled, her blonde face crinkling with mirth.
Gwen stared at Isobel. "Sitting up? Why last night those gashes-"
"Oh, she lost some blood, that's all. Larry pulled Floyd out of jail and sobered him up. Why in the world did you call the police?" Don looked genuinely puzzled. "We could have handled all that."
Pete said, his voice strained, overly-polite, "Floyd did seem to be killing Karen."
Larry and the girls laughed out loud. Barbara's laugh was high, unnatural.
"Oh, they always fight," said Barbara, in her chilly formal voice.
"Then they make up," added Isobel. "Karen loves to be dominated. She'll probably be faithful to Floyd for a while till a new man comes along."
"But she shouldn't do that weekend bit," added Don thoughtfully. "She ought to stick around home. Floyd gets mad if she's gone for a couple days. She should just keep her fun in the crowd."
"That's right," agreed Isobel, as calmly as though they were discussing the virtues of marketing in town versus marketing in the neighborhood. "She should stay near home."
Gwen's nerves were raw. She burst out, "Oh, I think the whole thing is horrible! The way you sleep around, the way you make love with each other! Love? You degrade the word! You don't know what love is! All you think about is clever sex techniques!"
"Well, listen to the little girl with all the answers!" Larry's tone had turned frigid. His dark eyes narrowed and glittered like an angry cat's.
She swung on him fiercely. "I know some answers you don't! I know what's right and what's wrong! I know you say this doesn't hurt anybody! It does hurt! It does! Floyd was hurt that's why he kit Karen! I was hurt when Pete left."
"How touching," said Barbara's dry cool voice.
Gwen turned to her. "And you're hurt," she added, more gently, "every time Larry makes over another girl. But you're afraid to say anything for fear you'll lose him."
Barbara's eyes flickered with fear? Gwen thought so.
"Your feeble efforts at psychoanalysis are amusing," Barbara said. Her voice was shrill, her hands locked together so that the knuckles were white.
"Analyze all you want," Larry cut in. "But you're not leaving! Don't be a fool! You'll wreck Pete's career if you keep on."
Gwen lifted her head proudly. "Pete will manage very well among decent people. He doesn't need to pander to a crowd and neither do I! My body is not for sale to my husband's employer, or to any of his friends!"
Isobel gasped aloud. Don laughed, his face flushed. Barbara gave Gwen a long speculative look.
Larry was furious, his eyes so narrowed the pupils glimmered in slits. "Get your wife to shut up!" he told Pete. "She'll cut your throat for you. A fool like that could do a lot of damage!"
"My wife is not a fool." Pete faced him sturdily, his head high. "Gwen is the smartest person here. She sees things the way they are. She isn't deceived by appearances and cynical talk."
Gwen gazed at him, her heart so full it seemed to be bursting. "Oh Pete-" she breathed happily.
Larry glared at them both. His face was set and ugly for so handsome a man. "Careful, Pete! You're going too far!" he warned sharply. "I could throw a lot of business your way-"
"For the price of some sex with my wife? No, thanks," said Pete. The white lines around his mouth were clearly visible against his tan. "From now on, she's my wife. And no other man touches her!"
"Keep her!" Larry sneered. "You're both damn prudes! Keep her! But you don't keep your job. You're fired! I can't stand prigs!"
Gwen's knees seemed to buckle. She caught hold of the door frame. She didn't remember getting up, but they were all standing now, glaring at each other.
The silence following Larry's words was hard to break. Pete did it.
"Then I'm fired," he said quietly. "My wife is not for sale-or hire."
Larry cursed them both. He ran out of the house. Barbara hesitated, looking at Gwen strangely. Then she followed her husband.
"Well, that tears it," said Isobel lightly. "Come on, Don."
Without a backward glance, the two left. The house seemed cleaner and nicer after their departure.
"That's that," said Pete heavily. He closed the door and turned back to Gwen.
"Oh, Pete, I'm sorry about the job. But I'm so proud so proud of you!" She came into his arms, and began to shake with relief. He held her tightly.
"I'm not really sorry," Pete told her after a pause. "I'm glad. I can get a job with another insurance firm. I've talked to a man he wants me to come in with him. It won't be as much pay, though."
"I don't care. I'll manage," she assured him. "Really, I don't care, Pete. We don't have to have everything at once."
He kissed her hair. They held each other lightly.
"We couldn't go on living like this," he said. "We don't have to live like this. Gosh, Gwen, I was so mad, jealous of all those guys." By the reserve in his tone, she knew he meant Isobel, too.
"I know, honey. I know. We won't do that ever again, not ever," she said.
In bed that night, then last night in suburbia, Gwen waited for Pete to come to her. She felt free and happy as she lay there. They were leaving; the torment was over.
Pete came from the bathroom, snapping out the lights as he came. He was a dark shadow in the moonlight as he walked over to the bed. Her heart caught in an excited pause, then beat double-time for a moment, as she realized he was naked.
He lay down beside her, and put one hand on her breast, gently.
"Gwen, darling," he murmured with assurance. His palm cupped the breast and squeezed it.
"Yes oh, yes, Pete!" she responded.
His hands stroked her body through the thin nightdress. He bent over her and his mouth opened as he pressed it to hers. His tongue licked her lips in a slow tantalizing circle, flicking, tasting. She opened her mouth and her tongue darted out to touch his. They kissed deeply, tongues exploring, pressing. His hands flowed over her breasts and shoulders and arms in gentle caresses.
"Oh oh-" she whispered, as fires began building in her stomach and thighs. "Oh Pete darling Pete-"
His hands lifted the hem of her nightdress. She sat up as he drew it higher. He lifted it up and off her head, then tossed the nightdress away into the darkness. When she lay down again, he lay with her, sliding over between her welcoming legs.
His hands began caressing her naked flesh. Smoothly circling, they touched her breasts, cupped and fondled them. He bent and kissed each nipple till it was taut and hard with desire. All the time his hips were moving in slow, cautious, sliding gestures. He bumped against her tenderness, and she shivered with anticipation. The hardness meeting her softness made her hot and melted and burning and wanting, all at once. She bent her knees and enclosed him, begging silently for more.
He made her wait, teasing her deftly with sliding movements that paused at the delicious places, then went on.
She thought, "He knows just how to build me up! He knows." The knowledge was good, yet she felt strangely depressed for a moment.
They had both learned plenty, those suburban nights. Gwen had learned from men and one woman. Pete had taken lessons from expert mistresses.
But the price of knowledge had been high. Some knowledge is too expensive, Gwen decided. From now on, they would keep their own standards and values. They could not endure to live by the standards of some other people such as the Karens and Larrys of this world.
Then Gwen's thoughts returned to the present, for Pete was moving more rapidly. His bps pressed to her breast, he placed his hips in line with the focus of his desire. Then, gently pressing, he made entrance.
Her desires warmed to a high heat. She lifted her hips off the bed to make it easier. He drew back.
"Oh, Pete!" she begged. "Now now! Oh, darling!"
He came forward with a rush. He slid deeply, smoothly to the hilt, encasing his sword in velvet. She moaned with joy to feel his greatness in her.
The room was silent except for the soft sounds that came from her throat. She heard herself cooing with ecstasy. Flutters deep inside her increased to spasmodic grippings which held him, released, clutched again.
He was gasping with keen pleasure, lying tight and high. His hands clutched her arms. He bowed his head to her shoulder, and his mouth kissed her flesh with open wet kisses as they swayed on the bed.
"Ah, ah, ahhhh," she cried out. "Ahhhhhh!" She fell back, limply, as the keen ecstasy of his release met the exploding fluctuations of hers. For a long moment she felt as though she were dying of joy.
He fell over on her, and she held him closely to her breast; her husband, her darling, home safe again. With her new hard-bought knowledge, she realized she could keep him here in her arms, and happy forever. She vowed silently to do this. And the doing would give her as great pleasure as it gave him.