Chapter 5
The next day was Sunday. Pete slept till past noon, lying on the couch in the living room. Gwen peeped in at him a number of times. He was sprawling there in his shorts, legs limp, arms curled around his head, looking exhausted.
When he finally woke up, he was cross, grumpy, complaining about the heat. But he said nothing about divorce. Gwen waited, a pain in her heart, sure he would speak. Pete said not a word about Karen, or love, or marriage, or divorce.
Gwen was bewildered. She knew what she had seen. She had not imagined the frantic, sensuous scene on the lawn. Pete had made love to Karen as he had never made love to her, with a hungry fury, an insatiable appetite for more. And Karen had met him with hungers of her own.
Night came; Pete slept on the couch again. Gwen lay awake for a while, then finally the weariness of her body won over the turmoil of her mind. She slept hard.
When she awakened, the sun's rays were high over the bed. The house was silent. She got up and pattered barefoot halfway down the stairs. Pete was gone. It was past ten o'clock.
Gwen sat on the stairs and pondered. She was more calm now that she was rested. There must be something here she did not understand, she thought.
Maybe Pete didn't want a divorce. Maybe Karen didn't want to marry Pete. After all, Karen was married. And that crowd Gwen ran her fingers through her long, wavy brown hair. She tugged at a lock. That crowd. Did they make love to each other without wanting to get married?
She went mechanically through the routine of the day. It was horribly hot. The temperature went up to 98 degrees and stuck. The humidity was almost that high. Gwen took another shower after lunch, and put on her thinnest, coolest housecoat with nothing under it. She stood before a mirror and looked at herself. But no one could possibly see through the red and white checked fabric, she decided.
The doorbell rang. She jumped, and took one last look at herself before racing downstairs. If
Isobel wanted to repeat what she had done, this time Gwen would refuse, coldly, firmly, like an adult who knew plenty.
"Oh Don!" she said, staring at the tall blonde man in the doorway. Somehow she had not expected to see Isobel's husband.
"Hi, Gwen. Are you okay?"
"Oh sure fine. Come in." She stood aside rather uncertainly.
He came in and sat down on the couch. She sat on the edge of an armchair.
"We wondered about you and Pete when you didn't come to our party last Saturday." He smiled, his nice blonde face so open and innocent she was ashamed of her suspicions of the crowd.
"Why, Pete and I went to a company picnic. Larry was there. We thought I mean I didn't even know you were having a party."
"That's okay. I spoke to Pete, but he didn't mention having a picnic. Is he the type who gets all wound up in his work and forgets to eat and sleep?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so."
Don Hoover was so pleasant and casual that Gwen felt relaxed. She leaned back in the chair and let him talk about his own work. He ran a clothing store, he said.
"Frankly, it bores me now. When I first started it, out here in the suburbs, I ran everything myself. Now that it's successful, I hire some guys to do the work and I get bored!" He shrugged and laughed. "The price of success."
"Oh, but that's wonderful. To be so successful, I mean. You must have done awfully well."
He smiled at her. "And you, baby," he said gently. "Are you doing well?"
Tears sprang to her eyes at his unexpected question. She gazed at him dumbly, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Hey hey! I didn't mean to get you upset! What's wrong?" He jumped up and came over to her. He lifted her out of the chair and into his arms. "Hey there, sweetie. What's the matter? Pete been stepping out on you?"
She nodded vigorously. He patted her head. His arms were sure and hard around her as he comforted her.
"That Karen-dame, I'll bet," he said calmly.
"How did you know?" she sobbed.
He drew her over to the couch and pulled her down on his lap. Somehow she wanted to stay in his arms and be petted. She felt abused and wronged.
"Suppose you tell me about it," he said. "Has Karen been chasing Pete since you moved out here?"
"Yes. Since practically the first day. And she and he Saturday night oh, Don!" Gwen sobbed aloud.
Don cuddled her in his arms like a child, and petted her. He said soothing, meaningless things that were very comforting.
"There baby, honey-lamb. There, too bad, poor angel. Innocent lamb. Too bad. Just cry, honey. Too bad." He patted her head and her back, kissed her forehead, made her rest her face against his shoulder.
It was so nice to be understood, she thought. Don was a nice guy. He was sweet and gentle. Not like Pete. Pete held grudges and was angry and rough. And Pete made love to Karen on the lawn.
She had to tell Don about it.
"Saturday, we went to the company picnic. And Pete has been mad at me. Because I said he was an animal. And I thought we'd make up that night. But he didn't come to bed." She hiccupped loudly, to her embarrassment.
Don patted and rubbed her back vigorously. "Okay, baby?"
"Yes." She sat up straight on his knees to talk better. "I heard voices. I looked out the window, and they were out there." She pointed dramatically to the side lawn. "Pete and Karen. And he kissed her. I mean, he started it!"
She looked at Don's blonde face, so near hers. His blue eyes blinked. He nodded.
"So then what did he do?" he encouraged.
"He kissed her. And she kissed him. Then they went over in the bushes and and she took off his clothes-"
"And I'll bet he took off her clothes."
"Yes." She looked at Don suspiciously, but his face was serious, not mocking. "And then they did it."
"Did what?" One of his hands rested casually on her knee. She could feel its heat through the thin housecoat.
"Well I mean-" She felt hot blood come to her face. "He he made love to her."
"Yeah. Then what?"
"Then uh he lay down, and she she-"
He was waiting, a questioning look on his face. She forced herself to finish.
"She took hold of his his penis and and then she sat on him."
"Uh-huh. That all?"
"I saw them start in again and I went to bed."
"Yeah. Well-" He paused thoughtfully. "I'd better tell you about Karen. She's a man-eater."
"A what?" Gwen was startled.
"You're cute," he said. 'Tour big brown eyes are so big!" He kissed her cheek with casual affection. "Listen, honey. Everybody knows Karen. Don't take her seriously. Don't panic. Karen goes after any man, and I mean she really goes after him. She wiggles her hips, and touches him, and gets him all hot in the pants. No matter how he feels about his wife, he gets so hot he has to have Karen. Get that?"
She studied Don's face. "Did you I mean did you too? Want her, I mean?"
"Oh, sure. A couple years ago. We had a wild affair for a few weeks," he admitted. "Then it cooled off. When anything is that hot, it has to get cool. Know what I mean?"
She didn't know exactly, but she guessed it was something to do with what Isobel had said the other day.
"And Karen doesn't really want to marry Pete?" Gwen asked.
"Marry? Gosh, no, baby! Oh, you poor kid. Was that what you were worrying about?"
She nodded.
"No, honey. No! She goes after a guy till she gets him. Then she uses him hard wow, I mean hard. After that she gets bored. She discards the guy for the next one."
"The next one?" Gwen found it hard to believe anyone could discard Pete for another man.
"Sure. Believe me, there's always a next one. Or she goes back to Larry. They get hot for each other off and on."
Gwen sat still, digesting all these strange and far-out ideas. The situation was so different from any she had ever imagined. For her, love meant marriage, faithfulness, never looking at another man.
Yet here she was, she reminded herself. Sitting on the lap of another man.
She had an attack of primness. "Well, I'm sure I thank you," she said stiffly. She started to get off his knees. His arms clamped around her firmly.
"You know what I'd advise you to do?" he asked.
"No. What?"
"Be patient. Wait for Pete to get tired of her. He will. Meantime, have fun while you wait. He isn't the only guy in the world. And you're a cute bunny."
Her senses had been strongly awakened the past few weeks. Last night she had wanted her man. Now, here was a man, with his arms around her, making a direct suggestion with his words, and indirect suggestions with his hands as he fondled her.
She leaned back in his arms, her eyes half-shut. She didn't seem to be able to clear her mind to know right from wrong. Last night Pete had ignored her. The previous night he had made love with another woman. Today, why shouldn't Gwen make love with a man?
Don's hands roamed gently over her body. He kissed her cheek. Easily he pushed her back so she lay across his knees. Her housecoat hiked up till the hem was midway up her thighs. Don smiled, and bent down. His bps brushed her cheek, then touched her mouth. His tongue licked her closed bps.
"Honey," he whispered, "when I kiss you, open your mouth. I'll give you something sweet."
Obediently she opened her lips. His open lips touched and clung. Then a hard wet probing tongue came into her mouth. Oh, it was sweet, sweet as hot honey. It rolled around in her mouth, probing to touch her tongue and teeth, the roof of her mouth. She almost choked with the cloying sweetness.
He lifted his head. "Nice?" he whispered.
She nodded dreamily.
"This time, put your tongue in my mouth."
His lips touched hers. Her small tongue darted out eagerly. She was curious about this new sensation. She probed slowly into his mouth, touching his tongue. His tongue snaked out and answered hers. They kissed, deeply.
At the same time, one of his hands closed about one of her breasts. Through the thin material of the dress, he squeezed his warm fingers to bring the breast to burgeoning life. The nipple sprang to attention, perking up against his palm. She squirmed on his lap, her legs opening as she pulled herself closer. Her brain was spinning with all the delightful caresses.
His hand left her breast. She tried to protest, but her mouth was full of his wet probing tongue.
His fingers swiftly unbuttoned the housedress, down over the breasts, down to the waist, down to her hips. The big buttons were unfastened one by one. The fabric fell away from her body. She knew by the coolness as the breeze from the window struck her sweating naked body.
"Oh oh no-" she tried to say. His mouth clung to hers. A heat between her thighs was melting her, and moisture was gathering there. She wiggled more vigorously. His hands were busy on her body. Each breast was being squeezed now. The firm pear-shaped mounds were big and swollen, the tips aching. Still he kissed her mouth, his tongue probing, his lips sucking heavily.
She wanted him. She realized that, and fright mingled with heavy desire. She wanted this big blonde man, this stranger. She wanted his naked body pressed to hers, satisfying her keen awakened desires.
She moaned, and thrashed her legs. He lifted his head. "Honey Gwen," he said thickly. His lips took one of the nipples. He kissed it, then his teeth closed firmly on the peak. He pulled upward. A delicious thrill shot through her. This was what she wanted Pete to do to her, she thought. Oh, Pete, Pete, Gwen thought. Oh, Pete.
A hand inserted itself between her wet squirming thighs. Fingers probed. He touched the hard knob, the center of her femininity.
"Ooooh," she groaned. "Ooooh ooooh-"
"Like this?" he whispered. His flushed face was right above hers. He watched her face, and he was smiling as he probed deeper. "Like this, sweetie? Little bunny. Little soft sweet bunny rabbit."
Pete, she thought. No, this wasn't Pete! This was Don! A stranger another man-
She had to gather all her strength. She popped out of his arms like a kitten squeezed too tightly. She rolled off his knees onto the floor. He was up and after her, but she kicked him away.
"No!" she yelled. "No! I won't!" She glared at him.
His face was red. His masculine power was evident, all hard and swollen within the pocket of the trouser fabric. But he controlled himself. "Look, baby, we aren't hurting anybody . "
"I love Pete," she said firmly. She got up. With shaking hands she started to button the housecoat. She didn't dare turn her back to him for fear he would grab her. She endured his stare at her waist and gbstening thighs as she buttoned hastily.
"So you love Pete," Don said gently. "But he's chasing Karen. I can give you a good time, sweetie. And you want it. I can tell. Look." He showed her his right hand with which he had been probing between her thighs. The hand was wet.
She flushed red-hot. "No!" she denied him.
He shrugged. "Okay. Not today. But you will soon, I bet. A girl has needs, just as a man does. I can satisfy you, Gwen. I'm not bragging. I know I can satisfy you."
She knew it, too. She knew it by the way he had caressed her and aroused her and made her want him. Looking at him right now, she wanted to unbutton the dress again and be down on the floor and say, "Okay, satisfy me."
The impulse scared her. He was much more skilled at love-making than Pete but Pete was her husband. She resolved to be faithful to Pete, and wait for him to return to her.
"No, Don," she said, more gently. "No. I love Pete."
Don laughed softly. "I can wait, honey. You'll be ready soon. You're like a ripe peach, just begging to be picked and eaten. You're juicy and sweet and dripping with-"
"Please go!"
She went to the front door and opened it. Don went out laughing.
And she wanted to cab him back! She slammed the door and sagged against it. She was shivering in the afternoon air. Shivering with unfulfilled desire.