Chapter 5

The day had turned cold, a gray blanket of high fog having draped the Big Sur coast with pale light, and Linda's depression had gotten steadily worse. She had slept late, staying in bed as long as possible without arousing suspicion, yet she still had to face her son, so had feigned a headache to hide her uneasiness.

She had kept conversation to a minimum, and Rick had been sympathetic, promising to stay out of her hair if that would help. Her ploy had worked, and she was able to get Rick to deliver a new message to Valerie Boyd. She was to spend the day resting, and if Valerie had no other plans that evening, she would be glad to visit with her then. Linda had reasoned that she would have the day to pull herself together, although it didn't quite work out that way.

It was four in the afternoon, and Linda was making her third pot of coffee when Rick came back to the cabin with Karen. She was in the kitchen and didn't hear them come in at first.

"Mom?... Oh, there you are!"

"Hi..." Linda felt her face heat up and redden with embarrassment. "Hello, Karen." She hadn't expected Rick to bring the Boyd girl with him, and she felt it impossible to conceal her uneasiness.

"Hi, Mrs. Hall. Are you feeling better?" Karen said, a tone of real concern in her voice.

"Yes, thank you," Linda answered as she turned away, diverting her attention to the coffee pot. Why had Rick brought Karen? Were they planning to stay? She wanted so much to be left alone, to escape the terrible thoughts that had been plaguing her all day. "I'm making some coffee... Do you want some?" She couldn't think of anything else to say.

"If it's all right with you, we're going out, Mom," Rick answered. "We wanted to stop by and see how you're getting along... And, well..." He stopped, looking to his girlfriend for the rest.

"I'm just fine, dear. Don't let my silly headache spoil your weekend!" Linda was serious, and she felt bad enough for having to lie. She did want her son to have a good time, even if it involved sex with Karen. It was too late to undo that!

Rick started again, "Oh, about Mrs. Boyd... I gave her your message, and she said she was very anxious to see you. She's coming here at six... Said she wanted to take you out to dinner... If you're up to it..." There was more, but he would let that wait for Valerie Boyd to tell the rest.

"Mom said she knows just the thing for your headache, Mrs. Hall," Karen jumped in, a pert smile on her pretty face. Then she nudged Rick, indicating they should go.

"That's sweet of her to be so concerned. Rick, I think you must have made too much out of nothing. My headache is practically gone, really!" She wanted to dismiss the idea that she needed care, but there was obviously no point in making excuses to the children. She would find a way of declining dinner with Valerie later.

Linda poured out a cup of coffee for herself and, holding it like a prop in front of her, she motioned with her other hand toward the front door. "You kids go on and have a good time... And stop worrying about me." She hoped her performance was convincing, that they couldn't see through her and know what was really troubling her mind.

"O.K., Mom," Rick said as he took Karen by the arm, leading her toward the front door. "Mrs. Boyd will be here in a couple of hours... You've been alone long enough today," he added sounding more like a parent than a son.

"Nice seeing you again, Mrs. Hall," Karen said at the door, and she hurried out in front of Rick.

"See you, Mom."

Linda waved and watched Rick close the door behind him, her mind once again replaying the scene she had witnessed between him and Karen. Yet, it didn't trouble her nearly as much as what had followed, and she wondered if she was making more out of it than she should.

She had known from the first day she had met Valerie that the Boyd woman was different in her attitudes than herself. So seeing her in such a compromising position last night really shouldn't have been that surprising, but Linda didn't want to face the simple fact that it wasn't Valerie's performance that bothered her. It was what she herself, had done, staying there in the woods and watching the lewd sex act until her own body had become like that of a wanton whore. It wasn't so much Valerie she found difficult to face; it was herself.

To make matters worse, from the moment she had awakened that morning, she was unable to control a demanding itch - a heated need for sexual release - in her loins; and it was this failure of mind over body that had made her depressed. She had wanted to finger fuck and caress again, as she had done the night before; and it had taken all of her willpower all day long to keep from succumbing to the urge. She almost believed that Valerie's presence that evening would be a relief, and going out to dinner with her might actually be good.