Chapter 4

Tina wasn't sure how long she had been gone. She didn't wear a watch. Her first sexual encounter could have lasted minutes or hours. Just to be sure she wasn't intruding on her folks, she once more opened the front door with noisy fanfare. She peeked in but the living room was empty. She entered, locked the door and headed for her room. There was a little unfinished business she wanted to attend to.

"Tina!" Her mother exclaimed from the stairwell. "I'm so glad you're back. I don't know If I could stand to wait another moment." She wore a long coat and was holding her purse.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Tina looked around. "Where's father?"

"He was called away. There was some emergency concerning his new deal. I've been frantic. We were just about to... " Cynthia omitted the verb clause. "... w-when the phone rang. I told him not to pick it up, but he said he expected a confirmation call. When he said he had to leave, I took the phone myself and told his boss what rotten timing some people had. I'm afraid I didn't win any points with either of them."

"Mother. It's okay. Are you real bad off?" Tina held her mother's shoulders.

"Yes, desperately." She looked at her daughter with perfect intensity.

"A-alright." Tina gulped. "What d-do we do?"

"There's a place on the other side of town. W-will you go with me?" She asked nervously.

"Yes, of course. Shouldn't I change first?"

"We don't have time." Her mother turned toward the door and went to unlock it. Tina hurried after her.

They were in the car, heading away as fast as Mrs. Brady trusted the cops to allow. Printed speed signs were ignored. Tina, aware of her own unfulfilled need, studied her mother and prayed she would never feel that desperate. She hung on to her seat belt shoulder strap as the car swerved past slower vehicles. It took about a half hour to drive across town. It was about nine-thirty when they pulled up at a conservative looking dance bar. 'Smokey Joe's Cocktail Club' she read from the flickering neon sign. Her mother pulled to a stop with a jerk and cut the engine. She gave Tina one brief glance of unspoken thanks then proceeded out of the car to the bar. Tina steeled her nerves and waited until her mother had entered the lounge before she started for it.

As she opened the door the musk of stale cigarettes permeated her nose, choking her somewhat. The lights were dim inside and the dull strains of Muzak existed for an excuse for the few couples to dance close together. She looked for her mother as she stepped inside and tried to halt a spasm of coughing. Cynthia Brady was standing at the bar, already engaged in conversational laughter with a few men who still were able notice her beautiful figure. The couple women at the bar were both older and uglier and even the men hanging with them wanted to pay more attention to the newcomer.

Tina found a safe, isolated spot to watch her mother perform the rules of engagement to cheat on her husband. She thought about the word cheat. Her mother had no desire to be with anyone but her husband, but her body drove her to seek sex with other men. One husband could not satisfy her constant need for sex without being driven to divorce. Tina had no doubt her mother was using her husband as much as she could without completely freaking him out. They had sex almost every night, but her mother needed it several times a day. Tina dared not try to count the number of men that had passed through her mother's cunt. That impossibly large number boggled her ability to remember her mother was ill.

While her mother was still interviewing the bar crowd, Tina watched the listless dancers shuffle passionlessly together. They might kiss or even fondle each other, but none had any heart for their actions. The place was a thoroughly depressing dive that served cheap sexual encounters with the liquor. Life here was as meaningless and tawdry as the high alcohol gives. Tina wanted to slink away and never return. She dutifully waited for her mother to decide.

It seemed at last Cynthia had found a candidate and proceeded to the exit where Tina waited. The man was about her mother's height, possibly younger and seemed to walk without any ill effects from his drinking. As they approached, her mother seemed puzzled. Possibly she didn't know what to say about her daughter being there. When the two met her, her mother stopped the man and introduced them.

"Susan, this is Jeff. Jeff here says he can offer me some special music to listen to at his place nearby. Jeff this is Susan. She's the daughter of a friend I said I would bring home earlier this evening. Do you have a place she could sit and watch TV while I listen to your music?"

"Uh... " The man pondered the ramifications of having to put up with a teenager. Tina couldn't help but notice his eyes run up and down her whole body before he brightened said. "Sure Linda, if she doesn't mind the noise. My apartment has very thin walls." Tina felt incredibly cheap and her stomach even churned at the thought of her mother wanted a man of such low regard. No doubt in this place there were no better choices.

"I-I'll be okay. Thanks, but I will have to get home sometime soon."

"Maybe we should drop her off before?" Jeff suggested.

"Not possible. She lives too far away. Can't we just listen for a little while, together?" Mrs. Brady asked huskily and she stroked his arm romantically.

"Oh, okay baby, but you should really stay for the whole collection."

"Maybe some other time." Cynthia flashed her eyebrows stupidly, and Tina knew there would no other time for this loser. "Jeff says he walked here so we'll drive him to his place." Cynthia explained, and then they left the obscene lounge and began driving to his place.

Tina sat in the back seat of their large american car. She peeked once into the front, and saw that her mother was already stroking the man's thighs. Then she turned her head away and looked out the rear window. She tried to think of Herbert but she keep thinking of her mother reaching into Jeff's pants to pet his stupid prick. At the thought, Jeff seemed to gasp slightly then cooed under his breath. Tina's stomach churned a little more. Worse, she wish she had been able to cum earlier. Her own teased pussy was starting to throb for comfort. Maybe she could masturbate later in the back seat of the car when mother took her home. She could say she was sleepy and lay down in the back and rub herself through her pants. It had worked before.

They pulled up to the apartment complex and parked. It was run down in a neighborhood where its depressed character seemed to be the norm. A couple black guys were hanging out with a hispanic woman who seemed to be well in charge of the action and was probably going to charge plenty for it. Tina tried to make a joke to herself about how much money her mother could have made but she ended up choking on near tears and the residual smoke in her throat.

"What an interesting place you have, Jeff. I can hardly wait." Tina's mother continued to play the idiot sexpot.

"Yeah, well the neighborhood has seen hard times, but you don't have anything to worry about while I'm with you. I understand these people." Jeff hurried out of the car and opened Mrs. Brady's door for her. As she stepped out Jeff caught her around the waist and walked her to the steps.

Right, Tina thought, you're just as much of a low-life as your neighbors.

"Come on Susan. I have soda upstairs. Would you like a soda when you watch TV?"

"Sure, why not." Tina got out and followed them at a distance. She certainly didn't want to wait in the car. Not in that neighborhood.

They climbed the stairs past the entrance gate to his door. He fumbled with his keys, possibly indicating his lack of sobriety, and finally opened it.

The man's place was a dump. It reeked of old socks, and a stopped up sink, and all manner of cheap living. The rooms were filled with papers, and magazines, mostly dirty, and empty beer cans and wine cooler bottles.

"Uh, the maid, uh, couldn't make it today." Jeff lied miserably.

"That's okay. I like the lived in look. Lead me to your stereo." Stepping in, Tina's mother urged the jerk to get on with it.

"It's in the bedroom. Susan, you can watch the TV. Here's the remote. You needn't bother us, I-I mean disturb us. You wouldn't want to interrupt Linda's musical enjoyment. Anything you find in the fridge is fair game. We should be out in a little while."

"Yeah, right. Thanks. I won't be any trouble."

"That's sweet Susan. Oh thank you Jeff. Now tell me again about this german composer... " Cynthia led her mark into the other room and closed the door behind them.

Tina did turn on the TV, and she tried to find something in the refridgerator to drink, but the smell emitting from it acted as a barrier. Tina figured her mother was going to give Jeff a quick fuck and get out of there as quickly as possible. She sat in the beat up, stinking lounge chair and tried to focus on the TV program. It was really dull.

Nearby, she could hear the sounds of rustling clothes and sheets and the squeaking of bedsprings. In one sense that was something she did not want to see, but in another sense, she very much wanted to keep track of her mother. What was happening in there. What did it take to go to a lousy place like this to fuck an even worse person? Whatever it was, her mother had it bad.

Suddenly Tina heard yelling from the other room. "You jerk! you drunken idiot! How could you? How dare you loose it. You sniveling creep. Get that back up. Get that back up now!" Her mother's voice sailed above the TV.

"Mother?" Tina quickly ran to the door and knocked. "Uh, er Linda? Are you okay in there."

"S-stay the hell out." Jeff answered in a strangely anguished voice.

"Oh, god damnit, the fool lasted less than a minute." Cynthia's voice sounded full of resentment. "You owe me mister. Now get that thing working again!"

"Stay away from me bitch! Get out of here. Both of you. Now!"

"Are you kidding? I'm here for the full symphony remember. All I've heard so far was a pitch pipe."

Tina knew what had happened. Jeff had cum too quickly for even her mother to climax, and her mother was probably pretty proficient. Her mother must be in a rage by now, and her voice bespoke that rage.

"Just give me your cock damnit. I need it!"

"No. Get out of here. Stay away from me." Jeff ordered unconvincingly. "You're a devil woman. Get out!"

Tina was at such a loss. How could this be happening? Her mother sounded like she was going to rape him. "Uh, Jeff. Don't fight her. She, uh, needs her medication. Humor her. She won't hurt you. I swear. Just relax and you'll be fine. Otherwise, you can never tell. She's never killed anyone, but it's not worth risking your life for modesty."

"Modesty?" Jeff yelped. "Can't you get her some medication?"

"Jeff, just let me have your cock. I won't hurt you if you just let me touch it." Tina noticed her mother's voice had changed as if she was playing along with Tina's lame excuse.