Chapter 1
The month end balance on her bank statement was disturbing. Staring intently at the accusing numbers, Alice Martin shrugged her well-shaped shoulders and tossed the sheet of paper on the desk in the corner. They would just have to go easy for awhile and she could cut corners on food and Frank could try to control his drinking. They would just have to manage. She had decided that the combination color TV-stereo-tape recorder which she had seen at the shopping plaza was going to become part of her living room and the delivery men were due with it that very day. There was no turning back, and after all, Alice's sense of commitment, ingrained while she was very young, compelled that, once made a decision was final.
She walked into the kitchen and just as she started pouring another cup of coffee the telephone rang. The smooth talking voice at the other end of the wire was the manager of the home entertainment department at the store on the plaza mall.
"Everything has been approved and taken care of. I just wanted to call and make sure you hadn't forgotten, Mrs. Martin. The delivery men will be out some time today with your beautiful new console."
This was Alice's last chance to cancel the order. She feared Frank's reaction but pushed it out of her mind. Once it was installed, he was sure to like it. Besides, everyone else in the building had one and it just wasn't right for them to be different. How could she expect to become acquainted with her neighbors and invite them over if they didn't have a phonograph. Since she was home all day, why should she have to sit and look at the bland small black and white portable TV which was merely an eyesore in the room.
"Thank you," she said. "I ... I haven't forgotten. We .-We're looking forward to the new console. I plan to be home all day so the men can come out anytime."
The department manager's voice oozed with delight.
"I'm sure you and Mr. Martin will enjoy it immensely. Let's see now ... yes, everything is in order, you've signed the installment contract and put the payments on an eighteen-month contract."
"That's right," Alice replied weakly.
She placed the receiver back on the hook and stared blankly into space, pushing all doubts out of her mind. The terms and figures in the contract kept appearing before her eyes.
Forty-eight dollars a month each month for eighteen-months, due and payable on the first of each mouth! It would strain their already over burdened budget even more. Frank would explode! He was just getting started as a stockbroker and the market was quite low. Why couldn't they have enough money for the things she wanted? But it would work out ... somehow it would all work out. She would convince him. After all, she could always go back to work part-time and help out with all their expenses. That's right, I can help with all of our payments so there's no reason for Frank to be upset.
Alice picked up her coffee cup, ignoring the opened magazine in front of her. She never ate breakfast anymore. Her dressing-room mirror had revealed a slight bulge in her stomach and she told herself that she needed to cut down on food. After all, it was easier to eat less than stop her recent habit of having several cocktails with her husband in the evening. Drinking somehow made it all seem better. Her frustration ... the arguments, pain, and bitterness seemed to lighten. After all, she drank in self-defense and only in the evening.
What would her mother say! Imagine, the grade school teacher's little girl indulging in spirits. If mother could see me now. Oh, God! Poor little mama ... so pious ... proper ... and long-suffering.
The past pushed itself back into her consciousness. All those memories which she tried to repress came welling up in her mind, no matter how often she tried to crowd them out. And as so often in the past, she seemed helpless to control her thoughts and returned to those previous years when she seemed to have been another person.
Alice had moved to the city in order to attend the state college so that she could become a nurse. Her mother had suffered a fatal heart attack only one year after she had begun her studies. She could not continue at school because there was little which remained in the so called estate.
If only her father was still alive! He would have taken care of her and protected her. Although her mother's sudden death stunned her, her grief took on strange dimensions.
She continually thought of her father after her mother's death. They lived in a small town in Iowa where her father ran the local store. Although he was not a good businessman, those had been Alice's happiest days. A deeply religious man, John Owen's pride and joy was his only daughter, Alice. He taught her the fundamental doctrine of the church and shielded her from pain and unhappiness. Why did he have to die when she was so young?
It was only after the death of her mother, many years later, that she finally understood. She was in love with the memory of her father. Forced to face the painful truth, she attempted to come to terms with her realization. She carried the memory and love of someone who was ... unattainable ... the man who was her father. Her head ached with confusion and guilt, drowning her in long periods of depression.
She had finally convinced herself that she was exaggerating everything. It was perfectly normal for her to carry the loving memory of her father and it had been the shock of her mother's loss that had confused her thoughts. It had been her father's wish that she go to college and she was determined to fulfill his desire. Mrs. Owen had gone back to grade school teaching and agreed that her modest salary would somehow see Alice through school.
Her year at school exposed her to the outside would. She had immersed herself in college activities, met many young men who she dated, and gradually began to slip away from the religious precepts of her early years.
When her mother died, she had returned home and made all necessary arrangements. There was nothing to keep her there anymore so she returned to the city, determined to get a job and save enough money so that she could return to school.
Alice accepted a position as a file clerk in a bank, Her facile mind and ability was not ignored and she soon worked her way up to senior teller. It was at the annual bank Christmas party that she had met Frank-Martin.
Frank was about to graduate from the state college and he planned to become a stockbroker. There was something about him that drew Alice to him the first time she saw him. She didn't understand her attraction to him but found herself falling in love with him, almost immediately.
Her roommate had advised her to take things slowly and to get to know him better. But why should she be apprehensive? Frank was so sure of himself, so strong, and she felt completely at ease with him. It was as if nothing could hurt her when he was with her. She saw him almost every evening and couldn't keep him out of her thoughts. More than once Alice had quarrelled with her roommate about him. What did it matter what anyone else thought? Besides, Alice thought, her roommate Jane was probably only jealous of her.
It was on that rainy Saturday afternoon when Alice had been cleaning out her bureau that she had found the old photographs. Jane had a strange grin on her face as she examined the pictures of Alice's father which were resting on the table when she returned from work.
"What is it, Jane?" Alice asked, puzzled by the peculiar expression on her roommate's face.
"He was a very handsome man," Jane answered. "It all makes sense now."
"What makes sense?" Alice asked. She felt irritated and couldn't understand what was happening to annoy her.
"You know what "I mean, Alice," Jane said smugly. "Why, the resemblance in the picture ... the resemblance between your father and Frank Martin."
Alice blushed and stiffened. "Resemblance to my father ... Frank?"
What could Jane be thinking about? But, Alice suddenly knew that her roommate was right. The broad shoulders ... the thick light brown hair ... and that compelling wide grin ...
She quickly put the photographs back into the bureau, saying nothing more to Jane. The truth had surfaced, nevertheless. It was there, staring up at her from those pictures.
Frank graduated ax the end of January and they were married immediately. He was offered a job in Baltimore and they had decided to fly down to Miami for their honeymoon.
Alice was ecstatic during the trip South. Here she was, Mrs. Frank Martin. She had everything a woman could want and could ask for no more. Little did she know how short lived this euphoric happiness was to be.
The airport was bustling with people and activity and they had trouble finding a taxi. Frank was visibly annoyed and was curt with the driver when they were finally en route to the hotel. The fact that there had been an error made in their room reservation and that they could not have a private terrace sparked an argument with the desk clerk. Alice had never known Frank to be so irritable and he clumsily hurried her into the elevator.
As soon as they were in the room Frank ordered a bottle of scotch and started to drink heavily.
Alice had been eagerly looking forward to this night for days. This would be the most memorable evening of her life. Yet here she was in a strange hotel room with a drunk who was her husband. She haltingly unpacked and walked into the bathroom with her new, flowing, soft nightgown on her arm. As she showered, she thought of her desire to consummate her marriage. She wanted to join in union with her husband through the sacred act of love-making. Donning her nightgown, she returned to the bedroom, gripped with fear and apprehension. She did not know what to expect, yet wanting him and wanting him to take her. Here was her husband, drunk, and she yearned to be gently initiated into the ritual of love-making and experience the romantic depths of sexual union. Never had innocent, starry-eyed, naive little Alice Owen from Iowa expected to confront a hulking drunk as her bridegroom.
Frank's bloodshot eyes fixed on her and his leery stare pierced through her nightgown. He stumbled as he approached, sliding onto the bed as he tried to reach out for her. "That's really something ... now that's more like it. Really shows your body off! But, you don't need it now. Take it off so I see the merchandise. I want to see what my property looks like!"
Let ... let's wait a bit, Frank," Alice said, trembling. "Don't you think you should take a shower and get cleaned up a bit, first?"
"Hell no! Who needs to be cleaned up. I'm all ready for you." He had a wild look in his eyes and he moistened his lips with lust.
Alice left the kitchen and slowly drifted into the living room, opening the draperies and letting the light filter into the room. She knew she should dress but memories flooded her mind. She couldn't get started this morning and visions of days and people long gone passed before her.
Why was she so accepting of everything? What was it about her that made her so passive ... putting up with the way in which Frank treated her? Was there something in her mother's or father's influence which was the cause? Her father had never behaved this way. She couldn't understand why.
It passed through her mind that her interest in their apartment was merely a diversion. Buying all the furniture and making their home look so well kept her busy. It was a way of avoiding the gnawing need which remained unfulfilled. Alice was merely surrounding herself with things in an effort to compensate for the love she was not receiving. Sex was certainly not lacking, she had plenty of that ... but no love. Was this why she insisted on buying the new console that they couldn't really afford right now? She brushed her black hair away from her face and started toward the bedroom. Suddenly she was back in that hotel room in Miami with her drunken bridegroom.
"C'mon over here," Frank bellowed at her. Not knowing what else to do, Alice obeyed her husband and moved over to where he sat. Rising from the bed he took her roughly in his arms, pressing his body into hers. His lips rubbed over her face coming down hard on her mouth. His tongue worked its way through her teeth into her mouth, filling her with the stale, sour taste of alcohol. She pulled away, gagging on the lusting tongue which had blocked her mouth, and covered her face with her hands. Frank grabbed her again, moving his hands over her supple body, exploring her firm, well proportioned flesh. He massaged her shoulders, moving down to her firm, sculpted breasts, and the trim curves of her buttocks. His sweaty, insistent hands began pulling at her nightgown and he soon succeeded in tearing it from her body.
"Frank, please ... my nightgown ... easy ... Frank," she moaned.
"You don't need that damn thing. It's only in the way," he growled. Bracing her to him with one arm around her waist, he lowered his face to her breast and began licking. Soon he took her aroused pink nipple into his mouth and sucked on it hungrily.
"You have a great body, Alice," He whispered as his hands continued their restless probing over her body.
"Please, Frank," she gasped. "You're hurting me.
Ignoring her cries, he pushed her down on the bed and began flinging his own clothes off. Alice's eyes widened as he pulled off his undershorts. His erect cock, exposed in all its blood-engorged thickness and length, was freed from the confines of his shorts. It was so large! She had never realized that a man's sex organ could become so enlarged in erection.
Frank noticed her stare and he broke into a grin.
"What's the matter with you?" he asked. "Never seen a man's cock before? " "You know I never have," she replied sheepishly. "I only touched . . . it . . . that night ... on the beach." Alice felt her face reddening but she could not take her eyes away from the huge penis. "It . . . it's so big ... I... I can't believe it!"
"The more I can fuck you with, baby," he laughed mockingly.
Leading her down onto the bed, he lay down beside her and began reaching for her loins. With an involuntary gesture, she tried to keep his hands away and protect herself. She pulled her legs together and clamped them tightly.
"Open your legs!" he barked. "I want to get at that sweet cunt of yours."
She had to submit and hesitantly, she obeyed his command and released her muscles slightly. In an instant, he had plundered her with his hand, sliding a finger roughly into her tight virginal vagina, moving upwards toward the delicate clitoris that was nestled in its hooded canopy between the outer lips. She shifted her hips in an effort to escape the painful, hard thrust of his greedy finger.
"It's nice and tight," he whispered. "Just the way I like it, little virgin."
"Oh, that hurts! Please, Frank ... you're hurting me," she wailed. "Stop ... please ... don't!"
It was too late. Frank had ignored her pleas.
"That's it baby! Keep your little ass moving back and forth," he wailed. Her jerking body only urged him on. He pinned her back and climbed on top of her, balancing himself between her legs, the menacing head of his throbbing cock resting at the tiny opening before him. Leering down at her, his face wore an expression of total lust.
Alice suddenly knew his intention. She read it in his eyes. He wanted to shove that huge phallus into her small, inexperienced, and unready orifice with no tenderness and no other preliminaries. She was gripped with terror and alarm.
Pleading and begging she moaned, "You'll tear me apart with that ... your ... Frank please wait. Please wait a bit."
"Why the hell should we wait," he blurted angrily. "You've waited long enough to lose your virgin girlhood. It's about time, too."
He had moved his hips forward and downward, reaching down to guide his thick, veined cock to the soft ivory and pink opening, glistening in a maze of curly black hair. As he stretched the bulbous head of his prick roughly against the barrier of her hymenal membrane, a surging pain flooded through her.
"Please Frank," she implored. "No ... no noooooh!"
Desperately, she attempted to swivel her hips away from him and the painful sensation. It was too late! She felt the tissues stretching and could feel them beginning to tear. Rolling her head wildly, back and forth, she realized that there was no escape. He had her pinned to the bed. As tears begin to trickle from her frightened dark eyes, she looked up and cried out. "God ... of god, please help me!"
"Keep still, damn it," was the reply that she heard.
"I can't stand ... you're killing me!" she sobbed.
"Please ... I can't take it!"
"Hell, baby," he laughed. "I haven't even put it into your pussy yet."
Frank wore a lusting maniacal expression on his face as he began to push harder. Digging in with his toes, he levered his body over her. Sweat ran down his neck from his brow and he grunted with discomfort as his body stretched and shoved.
"Damn, you've got a tight cunt," he whined.
Finally, with an even stronger hold on her, he had plunged, straining all of the muscles of his back and legs as he drove his giant shaft into her. The thick blood-filled head of his penis broke through the wall of her hymen, tearing apart and ripping the delicate flesh as he surged into her. She was changed-ravished brutally by her husband- the physical and psychological fact of her virginity was gone. Her virginal womanhood had vanished.
Her wounded flesh spurted forth blood, the biting pain of it forcing a long, drawn out wail of anguish from deep inside her. She cried out like a beaten, wounded animal.
The pain was suddenly gone. All consciousness was gone and she sunk into a reverie of merciful twilight. Her body relaxed under him, and her head rolled to one side as her eyelids closed. He had not even noticed her condition. Continuing his movement, he lunged, deeper, blindly, ramming that thick hard cock into the delicate, lacerated, vaginal vault, the bleeding flesh of the hymenal pulling inside along the partial length of the lusting phallus and the soft, velvet-like tissue of the inner lining rolling ahead of it in waves.
The swollen head of his penis made its way past the cervical neck. He had succeeded in reaching the depths. His own hard pubic bone slammed into her blood stained pubic hair.
He was delirious with satisfaction.
"AAaaaggghhh," he moaned. "Tight . . . tighter 'n hell."
The remainder of his conquest was a nightmare for Alice, a scene from a grotesque Hollywood horror movie or a torture chamber that belonged to The Inferno. Roused from her semi-conscious state, she stared up into the lusting eyes of her husband-eyes red from alcohol and flaming with the driving desire to ejaculate. He continued to ram and slam into her with long, cruel, punishing strokes, each one intensifying the already unbearable pain.
She was inarticulate; unable to utter words. She could only sob, uncontrollably, keeping her body rigid for him to use, no longer trying or able to escape the brutal, pounding blows of the long, thick cock which was thrusting into her tender, raw opening like a sledge-hammer.
As the speed and force of his rapid strokes increased, she sensed that he was approaching climax. His facial muscles contracted, his eyes blazing, his hips moving up and down, his prick pushing on and on, he pistoned into her like some monstrous infernal sex machine.
Please let him cum quickly, she thought. I can't stand much more ... I feel as if I'm going to die. Let him cum now ... noow ... oohh pplease ... let him cum!
A strange sensation had fleetingly passed over her. She could not identify it ... but there was an awareness of something. It was a feeling of warmth, an electric tingle in her genitals. It had passed as swiftly as she had felt it. It was as if she had suddenly felt a preview of something. It was a feeling of warmth, an electric tingle in her genitals. It had passed as swiftly as she had felt it. It was as if she had suddenly felt a preview of something to come .. . something delectable. Suddenly she was aware that she had been on the verge of sexual arousal.
Frank gave one more final thrust and gasped. She could feel the expanding penis inside her as it spewed forth his sperm, pumping and forcing the viscous fluid deep, deep into her tortured and battered vaginal vault.
Groaning loudly he had collapsed on top of her, crushing her to the bed with his large masculine frame. After a few minutes, he rolled over to his side and was instantly asleep. Frank had slept the sleep of the dead man that night ... passed out dead drunk and sexually satiated.
Alice slept very little that night. Her eyes swollen with tears, she had left her marriage "bed and gone into the bathroom. Appalled at her battered body, she had examined herself, wiping the blood stains from her and applying an ointment to her mutilated genitals.
This can't be true, she thought. It's all some terrible nightmare . . . sexual union couldn't be like this ... love between man and woman had to be something wonderful ... mysteriously romantic ... not the crazed, brutal horror which had taken place! It was so hideous ... so full of pain and torment ... and nothing ... there had been nothing for her. Where was my pleasure ... joy ... ecstasy ... our sense of oneness? It was so primitive and barren!
She had gone back to bed, crawling into it to release the sobs of her psychical and physical pain. The merciful release of sleep finally came to her as she had lain in that bed alongside the an she had vowed to love, cherish, honor, and obey.
It was still quite early and Alice decided that relaxing a bit in the sun might calm her nerves before the new console arrived. She took off her robe and nightgown and changed into a bikini swimsuit. Packing up a large towel and the bottle of suntan oil she went back into the living room and headed for the sliding glass door that opened onto their terrace.
The bright summer sun blazed through the glass as she drew the drapes and pulled back the door, stepping onto the terrace. She turned and noticed her own reflection through the glass, long black hair and soft creamy smooth white skin, wrapped only in the scanty bikini, her appealing sensuous body barely covered by the skimpy design of the garment.
She gazed up at the cloudless sky, her body adjusting to the warm, penetrating rays of the sun. A remote speaker built into the wall was concealed near the sliding glass door. She went to it, lifting her hand up, twisting the control dial which flooded the terrace with the recorded music of a popular FM radio station. The music was pleasing and relaxing as she spread her thick terry towel down at an angle which reflected the sun's rays. Making herself comfortable on the towel, she put on a pair of sun glasses and began to spread the suntan oil over the exposed parts of her body. Caressingly, her hands moved slowly over her long, well-shaped legs and smooth thighs, rubbing in the oil carefully and evenly. All parts of her body received the same treatment, neck, stomach, arms and back. Relating again on the towel, she lay back to receive the warm, mid-morning sun, feeling languorous and luxurious as she listened to the chirping of the birds, the mixed sounds of buzzing insects, absorbing the penetrating rays of the sun. She closed her eyes.
Again, memories of the past flooded back before her. It was the time before she and Frank were married ... the Sunday they had driven up to the mountains ... and stayed till it was after dark. She vividly recalled all the details of the day.
She had prepared a picnic lunch and they had spent the entire day there. First, they had stopped at a resort area, strolling about looking at the gift and souvenir items in the little shops. Later on, they drove up further and leaving the car by the road, hiked up a beautiful, desolate canyon. They had found a small clearing where Frank set down a blanket and built a small fire to take the chill out of the air. It was a clear, crisp day and she was in love with life. Frank had playfully teased her as she unsuccessfully tried to assist him get the fire started. She had vowed that, in time, her inexperience would pass, and she would master some of his manly skills. Alice hadn't known when she had felt so calm and serene ... and so close to another human being. The laughter, fun, and companionship they had shared was all encompassing and perfect. Her head was full of joy and love for him.
As night drew near the wind increased and they huddled together to feel each other's body warmth. Frank had wrapped part of the blanket around her. His arms sought her and they nestled together, their bodies pressing intimately.
Gently, caressingly, he had kissed her, gradually becoming more passionate and insistent. She had learned to enjoy the sweetness of his tongue as it explored the walls and ridges of her mouth. Tenderly responding, she inserted her own moist tongue into his mouth, experiencing the tingling sensations of a deep, lingering kiss.
As the flame of warmth surged inside her, he had inserted his hand under her sweater and she allowed him to loosen her bra. His hands were strong yet gentle on her as he rubbed and massaged the smooth, curved loveliness of her supple breasts. He lowered his head and brought the pliant nipples of her breasts to erectness with his lips and tongue, while his hands ran up and down at will, making their way over her body. He gently eased down her slacks, caressing the curves of her thighs, working his way into the soft fabric of her underpants.
"Let's get more comfortable," he had whispered. "I'm afraid, Frank," she replied. "It's too dangerous."
"There's nothing to be afraid of," he insisted. We're going to be married soon, aren't we?"
"Yes, I know ... but I don't want us to spoil anything ... by going to far ... now."
"What would be spoiled?" he asked, sarcastically.
"You know ... it's dangerous ... we wouldn't want to .... well ... actually do it ... before we're really married," she replied hesitatingly.
"Alice, don't you trust me?" he questioned. We're living in the modern world. That old morality nonsense is ridiculous .. you're really not hung up with that old stuff, are you?"
She let him slip her underpants down, against her own best judgment. He had pulled her on her side and pressed her up against him, unfastening his trousers and lowering them down below his knees. He had fondled her for a few moments when she suddenly felt it ... the prick of his phallus against her abdomen.
His breath had felt hot and she felt the moisture of his mouth as he panted on her throat. "I do love you ... Alice ... and want you so ..."
"I love you, too, Frank," she had murmured, through a long, deep kiss.
"Then show me," he urged. "Show me ... how much you love me, Alice!"
He placed his hand on hers and guided it to his hardened penis.
"Touch it!" he said. "Feel all the love and desire that I have for you!"
He kept her hand on top of his throbbing organ, and she could feel the thickness and length of his cock through the cloth of his shorts.
"It's so large ... so big," she stammered.
This was the first time Alice had ever touched a man's penis. She pulled her hand back, saying, "Please, Frank, no ... I'm afraid."
Frank had lifted her hand again and placed it back on his virile hardness, rounding her fingers around the shaft of it and tightening her grip on it with his own hand.
"Maybe ... we should ... start back, Frank," she suggested.
Frank had had other ideas, however. He suddenly leaned over and pulling off his shoes, kicked his trousers off and lowered his underpants. Locking her body into his, he said, "This is-more like it ... now, you can really feel all that I have for you!"
Once again, he guided her hand to his swelling penis, locking her fingers around it. She could barely grasp it with her tiny fingers. It pulsated with desire and felt huge and alive in her hand. She could feel the warmth of his cock permeating her hand.. "Frank, please! I don't ... want to ... please wait. I ... I don't want us to ... too ... far," she had pleaded.
But, in an instant, he was on top of her, straddling her body with his muscular legs,, his strong hands reaching down and spreading her thighs, his enormous penis straining for the erotic moistness of her virginal cunt. She still had her hand around his shaft, and she struggled to shift the direction of his thrust, rolling onto her side at the same time.
"What ... are you trying to do ... my god, Frank," she cried out. "What are you thinking about!" She was on the verge of getting hysterical.
"I. .. want you, Alice! I have to get inside you ... to fuck you," he insisted, pulling her back in front of him with all of his strength.
"No! No! We can't ... not this way ... not here ... not now," she pleaded. "I want it to be right ...
to be good ... and beau ... beautiful ... after we're married."
"We're as good as married now ... c'mon on, Alice," he insisted. Frank was desperate with arousal, and he couldn't... wouldn't stop now!
His body lunged forward, his hips moving up and down, searching for the opening .. . the untouched sacred vaginal passage which was to be his, but she firmly gripped his prick, keeping it from penetrating her. All at once, her hand trembled and felt wet. His cock was jerkingly alive and a premature ejaculation of hot viscous semen ran out of the bulbous head, trickling down on her thigh and oozing down to her leg.
Frank's body convulsed with the pleasure and frustration of his premature release and he collapsed on top of her. They lay there for a few moments, the silence of the night disturbed only by the uneven rhythm of his quick breaths and the stifled sobs which Alice had not been able to control. He had finally straightened up, and stood before in the moonlight, his huge cock deflating and drying in the chilled, mountain air. "That certainly didn't do either of us much good," he said dryly. Alice had never known whether he had accused her or attempted to apologize.
He dressed himself and stood gazing out on the countryside. Alice joined him and slipped her hand into his. They stood silently for a few minutes, the wind billowing through the air and cooling their bodies. He reached down and gathering up the blanket and their picnic things, they slowly started back down the canyon to the car. Alice felt a throbbing sensation in her temples and had a mixed sensation of let down and relief. They reached the car and started back to the city. Alice soon nestled in his arms, thinking of their future, "It's better this way," she affirmed. "We can start our marriage out with a clean conscience, Frank."
"Yeah-sure," he replied dryly.
The car slowly made its down the curving road to the highway, and Alice's eyes closed. She drifted into deep sleep as she felt Frank's lips silently graze her cheek.
As they said goodnight in her apartment later that evening, they had decided on a final date for their wedding.
Alice started upright, pushing the memories from her mind. She gazed blankly about the terrace, regaining her orientation, coming back to reality. What was real was that she was Mrs. Frank Martin now, and she knew that she was far from being happy.
The rays of the hot sun gave her a tingling sensation and she felt beads of perspiration trickling down her chest. Why not, she thought. The building was quiet and all the men were at work. She looked around and noted the closed draperies of the apartments surrounding her. No one would see or take notice of her. Even if someone did happen to open their sliding glass doors, no one could see her in the shelter of the terrace wall. She decided to do it! Yes, she would do it right now!