Chapter 9
IT WAS ALMOST THE SAME AS THE FIRST TIME DAN and Sharon McKay had visited Floyd and Betty Denning. The four of them were sitting in the luxurious living room, sipping their drinks and chatting about nothing in particular-just as they had that first time the four of them had been together-but now they were all very uncomfortable.
Dan was afraid that Sharon was going to find out about his activities with Thelma that afternoon; and Betty was afraid that Floyd was going to find out about her venture into aggressive Lesbianism with the colored girl. These two both carefully avoided looking directly at each other, both fearful that the other might suddenly start saying things that were better left unsaid.
Sharon was afraid that Dan was going to be angry because she'd talked far too much to Floyd that afternoon in the hotel room; and Floyd was worried about what might happen during and after the little speech he meant to make. If he could ever figure out just what he wanted to say. These two also carefully avoided looking directly at each other. So, due to the various fears and worries, the two couples were spending most of the time suffering through strained silences.
After one of these long strained silences Floyd cleared his throat. Sharon, sitting beside Dan on one couch, uncrossed her legs and sat up very straight. Betty, sitting on another couch beside Floyd, did the same thing. Dan looked at Floyd when he saw that both women were looking at the older man. Dan also sensed that something very important to them all was going to happen-or was going to be said. Because Sharon had told him that Floyd had done the inviting, even though she'd refused to give him a clue as to the reason.
Dan forced a little chuckle. "I have the feeling that you have something on your mind, Floyd. Why don't you just go ahead and spit it out?"
"Yes," Betty said, finally meeting Dan's eyes for several seconds. "You insisted on this-this little get-together this evening, Floyd, and I'm sure that we're all very anxious to hear what you have on your mind. Isn't that right, Sharon?"
"I already have a general idea as to what Floyd's going to say," Sharon said. "Do you want me to do the talking, Floyd?"
"I think that I can manage," Floyd said. "It's just that I'm not sure where to start. Well, maybe you could get things going."
Sharon placed her hand on Dan's nearest knee and then quickly pulled it back into her lap. "I told Floyd about how we make our living, Dan. This afternoon after he-well, I just told him, that's all."
"That isn't all," Floyd said. "Sharon told me only after I offered to marry her. Asked her to marry me, is a better way to put it. I'd already told her that I loved her." Floyd chuckled. "This wedding was to take place after we'd both gotten divorces, of course!"
Betty glared at Floyd. "I should hope so! Why, you-you jaded old fart! You can't even handle me without all kinds of fancy frills! Just how the hell did you think that you were going to keep a beautiful young girl like Sharon happy! Not to even mention satisfied!"
"He did a very good job of it," Sharon said. "In fact, if I hadn't-if I didn't love Dan I would've married him in a minute. Money or no money, I'll even add."
"I've been like I was when I was younger," Floyd said. "Until today, that is. After Sharon told me about-well, I just couldn't perform after I heard about your business, Dan."
"Our racket," Dan said, hoping that Betty wouldn't get any screwy ideas about confessing. "I'm just about ready to move on so I guess it's just as well that everything's out in the open like this."
"It isn't out in the open as far as I'm concerned," Betty said. "All I know is that my fool of a husband thought he was in love and wanted to marry somebody else just because he could get as hard as he could when he was younger and not so jaded. There! Maybe I got my tongue twisted a couple of times, but I think I made myself clear enough."
Dan said that he'd explain if Betty would shut up and give him a chance. Betty did listen while Dan talked, smiling and glancing at Floyd now and then, and then she started laughing when Dan had finished giving a quick run-down on the way he and Sharon had been operating.
"Did you tell Sharon about us, Floyd?" Betty asked after she'd finally stopped laughing. "If we'd just been honest in the beginning, look at all the nonsense we could've eliminated!"
"I told Sharon," Floyd said. "Maybe she'd like to enlighten her husband right now."
"Floyd and Betty are real swingers," Sharon said, again resting her fingers upon Dan's nearest knee. "They've been swapping for years. They belong to a group of married swappers, I mean, and they go to those wild swinging parties we've heard and read about."
Dan pushed Sharon's hand from his knee rather roughly. He was sorry the moment he'd made the rash move, but he didn't know just what to do about it. In fact, he wasn't even sure how he felt about the way things were turning out-had turned out. He almost wished that he could simply stand up and take Sharon out of the apartment without another word. For the first time he felt real shame for making a mockery out of his marriage. Why? Because it was being talked about, he guessed.
"Well, we're having another long and strained silence," Betty said finally. "I can't see that anything has really changed all that much. Dan won the money he got from me and I'm sure that it was well worth it to Floyd no matter what amount he gave Sharon. I know that I would've willingly paid double what I lost playing poker. Why don't we just pair off right now and later we can discuss putting Dan and Sharon on a flat salary. How does that sound, Floyd?"
"I don't think that we'd be interested in anything like that," Dan said, wondering how much money Sharon had gotten out of Floyd. Or how much she'd held out on him. He looked into Betty's dark eyes. "That would put us in just about the same class as servants, wouldn't it?"
"Not necessarily," Floyd spoke up. "However, I'll have to say right now that I'm against such a plan. The whole idea is just a little too unhealthy-or something-even for me. I could help you find a job, Dan."
Sharon laughed. "You just said a dirty word where Dan's concerned, Floyd!"
"And how about you?" Dan asked. "Did you tell Floyd what you were doing before I picked you up? Before I married you?"
"No, but I will now. I was a whore, folks. The more polite term in call girl, of course, but no matter how it's said, I was hustling my ass-and my talents. I serviced countless men, many women, and then I married Dan and let him reform me."
There was another long silence. Floyd had a shocked look on his face and Dan could see the new greedy interest Betty was taking in Sharon's large knockers and long golden legs. Betty had really gotten hooked on pussy-lapping, all right. Dan looked at Sharon and when she didn't turn her beautiful face or eyes toward him he got to his feet. He sure as hell didn't want to see his wife in action-with a woman or a man!
"We were happy enough before we met these people, Sharon. Let's get the hell out of here-and out of the building. We can pack our clothes and leave, and maybe these nice swappers will turn the keys over to the real estate agent for us. Well, are you coming? Or would you rather go to bed with Floyd? Or Betty? Maybe you'd like to have them both at the same time. They have a mirrored bedroom with the largest bed you'll ever-"
"Just a damned minute," Floyd interrupted, getting to his feet. "You seem to somehow have the idea that you're better than we are since we admitted to swapping, Dan! Why? What gives you the right to look down your nose at us when you've been using your wife's body to make a major part of your income? Do you think you can come up with any reasonable and logical answers to those questions?"
"I certainly want to hear them," Betty said, also standing. "You and I have screwed and gone down on each other, I think I'm safe in saying that Floyd and Sharon have done the same thing, and now when you find out that we were swappers all along you get huffy about it. Hell, I just don't understand any of this!"
"Maybe some things just can't be explained," Dan said, looking at Floyd and then at Betty. "Do you think that you could explain to your husband what happened this afternoon?" Knowing that he'd said too much, Dan looked down at Sharon. She was the only one still sitting and she still didn't meet his eyes. "Are you coming with me, Sharon?"
"If you still want me after you hear what I have to say," Sharon said, remaining sealed. "I want to give Floyd back the thousand dollars I put in the drawer. I've already destroyed the checks he gave me. They amounted to ten thousand dollars. I was seriously considering leaving you, Dan-with or without Floyd. But after I told him most of the truth today and then we couldn't get him hard, I admitted to him that I didn't think that I could ever leave you. I'll stay with you, live with you, have sex with you and anybody else you want me to, but I'll never tell you that I love you again until you tell me what I've always wanted to hear. End of speech."
"That's telling him," Betty said, clapping her hands together several times. "Now if I may have the floor for a very short speech I'll tell all of you just what I think."
"Let me say something first," Floyd said. "I don't want the thousand bucks back. My experiences with Sharon were worth far more than that to me, needless to say, and-well, that's about it, I guess, except that I'm curious about Dan's remark. I'd like to know what happened this afternoon. What is it that would be so difficult to explain to me?"
"Nothing all that important," Dan said. "I just happened to find out about Thelma being gay. Betty gave me that information, I mean, and all the time-" Dan forced a smile, "-I thought you might be making it with the maid."
Betty looked at Sharon. "You seem to be the only one who might not know that Floyd and I have "found a great deal of pleasure in sharing our lovely colored maid, Sharon. Now that we have that as common knowledge I'd like to get on with my little speech. Do I hear any objections? No? All right then. Sit down, Floyd-Dan. Thank you."
After the two men were again sitting down, Betty lowered her skirt-covered funny onto the couch. Then she said, quite loudly, "Shit! That's what I think about all the silly blabbing during the past few minutes! If somebody was listening, if an outsider could hear all the bullshit being thrown around here, we would quickly be classified as childish idiots. We're all adults, supposedly sophisticated enough to speak our minds as well as freely use our bodies, and I suggest that we remember that."
"I thought it was going to be a short speech," Floyd said. , "You, dear husband, just remember that I'm not angry because you confused sexual love with something far different. Hell, I'm in love with just about all the men when we're having sex. When Dan has his big prick jammed in my quivering cunt I think that I could love him forever and ever! I can tell that Sharon has her emotions all involved in or with her love for Dan and his big cock and I can also tell that Dan is emotionally involved with his beautiful young wife. Right, Dan?"
"You're doing the rather nasty talking," Dan said.
"Nasty? What's nasty about using basic English? Nothing, of course! No more than there's anything nasty or ugly about sex. Thelma's always talking about the great beauty she sees in all things sexual and I think we could all learn a lot from that girl. I know I did this afternoon! With Dan's help. Floyd, I finally succumbed to my desire to be aggressive!"
"I see that you expressed that without using basic English," Floyd said. "I also see that the color didn't rub off. An old and rather trite saying, I know, but right at the moment I can't seem to come up with anything else. I hope that you don't think that I'm surprised. Is that the end of your speech?"
"Just about," Betty said. "I will add that I'm open for any and all questions and/or suggestions, though. How about you, Dan? Do you have anything to say?"
"I think that you've already said enough," Dan said.
"I'd like to ask a question," Sharon said. "Maybe I'd better preface it with several remarks or statements, though." Sharon laughed. "My, aren't I being formal! Which is rather stupid under the circumstances, I think. First, I agree with the colored girl about there being great beauty in all things sexual. With a few exceptions, I hasten to add. By the way, Betty, I'm glad that you enjoyed Dan's big prick jammed in your quivering cunt."
"Sharon!"
"Dan, you turned down your chance to speak," Sharon said calmly. "I'm just expressing myself in basic English. You should've heard me talk to some of the men when I was officially whoring. Would that be a correct term? Anyway, even some of the married men I've jazzed since we've been in the racket had to hear so-called dirty words to help them climax. That wasn't necessary for Floyd, though."
"You should see what is sometimes necessary for Floyd," Betty said. "With Thelma, I mean. Not that the brown beauty doesn't enjoy it! That gal really digs everything!"
"I'm not interested in seeing Thelma do anything," Sharon said. "I think I'll just skip the remarks I meant to make and get on with the question. I might be boring you people."
"You aren't boring me," Betty said. "You're fascinating me, really. I can certainly understand how Floyd fell in love with you. I think I'm falling in love with you myself! Maybe Dan wouldn't object if you and I went to bed together. If you'll agree, of course! Maybe he'd even join us for a threesome as he did with-"
"You've answered my question," Sharon said shortly after Betty had let her words trail off. "Did Dan go down on the colored girl, Betty? Too I should say, as the remarks I was going to make had to do with what might be your confession."
"I think that Dan should do his own talking now," Betty said.
"After you've boxed me into a corner," Dan said, standing up. "I don't have to tell about or explain my actions to anybody. I'm not Sharon's boss, either. If she-"
"Let me make a suggestion," Floyd interrupted, quickly getting to his feet. "Betty's right. We've been blabbing like four idiotic kids. Let's go to a party. We won't even have to make a phone call. If we don't find some action one place we will at another. I'd like to show Dan and Sharon just how adult we swappers are. There's no jealousy, no silly bickering, and no profit motive. Complete sexual freedom practiced honestly just might make you two understand each other far better." Floyd chuckled. "And that's the end of my little speech!"
"And it was very well put," Betty said, getting to her feet. "I think it's up to you, Dan. I think that you should either admit your love for your lovely wife right here before witnesses or else you should give her freedom without thinking about a fast buck."
Dan hesitated. There might be some way they could profit by the experience. And there would be plenty of pussy. "I'll leave it up to Sharon," he said, not looking at his wife.
Sharon laughed and stood up. "Why not? I've always wanted to attend a swinging sex orgy!"