Chapter 12

They stood watching me as I gradually became sober again. Sandy and Larhonda were leaning against the sink and stove; Dave was sitting across the table from me. His face was no longer a double image.

"What's going on?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

He slid a picture across to me. "What's this?" I asked, picking it up. It was a shot of me on my knees with his prick in my mouth.

I looked at it for a split second, the images coming back to me. I felt disgust with myself and with Dave. What kind of guy was he, anyway? I slammed the photo face down on the table.

"What the hell's the idea?" I asked. I looked from Dave to the women. Larhonda had a slight smile on her face and I blushed when our eyes met. She must have been watching when Dave made me do all those things.

"Pete," Dave began, "we've got ten more just like that one. Now, we've got a little agreement we want you to go along with. If you don't, well, I'd hate to think about your life in this town if these pictures start falling into the wrong hands, say, your boss, your parents, friends, and so on."

I looked at him in horror, astonished at what he was saying. I was beginning to feel sick. "What is this?" I asked. "I didn't know what I was doing. I was drunk... and what do you have against me, anyway? I never did anything to you."

"But you did something to a friend of ours." Sandy stepped forward, arms folded across her chest. She no longer had a friendly, come-on kind of smile when she looked at me. Now she was frowning and her eyes told me that she didn't think much of me after all.

"What?" I exclaimed. "Who?"

"Lois Kranz," Sandy said. "We were friends for years in New York. Then she got married and moved up here. But we've always kept in touch and when we moved up here awhile ago we had her over for dinner one night. She broke down and told us everything."

I swallowed. I felt like just getting up and running out. The whole thing was like a bad dream. All my plans, everything-- what was going to happen?

"So, you've been blackmailing her," Dave said. "That's pretty low, isn't it?"

I didn't say anything, just scowled at him.

"You're a real loser, pal," Dave said. "Christ, girls, imagine this jerk falling for it. Pal, you've got such a big ego for a little man. Did you really think we needed you for our fun and games? Did you really believe you were so terrific that we had to make it with you right away or die of frustration? God, what a creep. What a--"

"Shut up, will ya!" I half rose in my seat, but sat down again when Dave stood up and glared down at me. He was too big to tangle with. I knew that if I tried anything, like getting the pictures and running, I'd come out the loser.

I sank down in the seat, miserable. Sandy came over and smiled like some kind of a sadist.

"Big time," she said. "Ha! You're nothing my friend. I wouldn't look twice at you, you know that? What I can't understand is how Lois ever made it with you. I guess when you live in a small town you can't be choosy."

"That's the truth," Larhonda said. "If this cat's an example of what's happening in these parts, look out! I'm beating a trail back to New York!"

"Why don't you both just shut up!" I hollered. My face was hot. "Downstairs, you both loved it! I didn't hear no complaints downstairs!"

"We love sex, Pete," Sandy said. "That's why we loved it, not because of you." Then she came right behind me and put a hand on my shoulder and her mouth to my ear. "Hell, Pete," she whispered, "I've had broom handles that were better than you."

All three of them burst out laughing at that. I rose and put my hands on my hips.

"Listen, I'm getting out of here. I don't have to take this shit from you."

"Yes you do!" Dave snapped, coming out of his laughter. "Sit down if you don't want to have to leave this town for good."

Glumly, I resumed my position on the chair. I had a good idea what he was up to and there didn't seem much I could do about it. My blackmailing days were over. It's funny, but at the moment I wasn't so upset by the end of my plans. What was really getting me was the truth about the broads and their reaction to me. They had only been using me. Sandy didn't like me after all.

This depressed me more than anything. Here I thought I was turning on actresses and models and all the time they were scheming, using me.

"Now, are you ready to hand over the pictures?" Dave asked.

"If I don't, I guess you'll do what you say," I said.

"That you can be sure of," he said.

"All right," I said, "you can have them."

The three of them looked at each other. "We didn't expect you to be so cooperative, Pete," Sandy said. "Why are you being so nice about it?"

"Well, I don't have no choice, do I?" I snapped. But the truth was, I figured that even if the jig was up with Lois, they didn't have to know about the other broads and I'd still be able to work my plan.

"We want the money back too," Dave said. "Lois told us she's sent you two hundred and ten dollars."

"Yeah, that's right," I said. "But I can't give you the money until tomorrow when the bank opens."

"That's all right, but we want the pictures right now." Dave looked at me, waiting for an answer.

I paused for a few seconds. "Right now? I can't do that," I said. "I'll have to go home for them--I'll tell you what, I'll go home and bring them back here right away."

What I was afraid of was Dave finding any of the other shots of the different women. Then he would really be on to me. And all the stuff was in the trunk of my car, even the bank book. I couldn't have him nosing around.

I rose and looked at him to see if he would go for it. He rose too.

"I'm coming with you," he said.

"But--why?"

"I don't want you holding out any of the shots. I want them all. If I go with you and am there when you go to your hiding place, I'll get all the shots. It's not likely you'd have more than one stash."

"But--but why would I hold out on you? I mean, with you having those... shots." I pointed to the bunch of pictures of me in his shirt pocket.

"I don't know, Pete," he said, "I just don't want any loose pictures of Lois around. You figure it. It's dangerous for her and her life here. So, if you're ready, I'll come along."

I didn't know what to do. Here was a spot. If I didn't use my head fast, my whole scheme was gonna be out the window.

"But, Dave, the shots are hidden in my room and at this hour my folks are asleep. They're light sleepers, Dave. What if they wake up and find me and you in the house at this hour?"

"Just tell them I'm an old drinking buddy come home for a little chat. Tell them anything, I don't care."

"But, Dave, they wouldn't believe--"

"Look, I don't give a shit!" he snapped. "All I want is the pictures. Now, let's go!"

There was no way out of it. We put on our coats and stepped out to my car. Just as we got there I stopped, thinking like a bastard. This was it. I had to tell him the truth and hope he'd keep out of my business. I knew there was no way to fool him; he was dead set on being there when I broke out the shots. And I knew what would happen if I didn't play ball with him. I could never live with the shame of everyone knowing and seeing what I had done.

"Uh, Dave, we don't have to go to my place."

"No?" He stood there breathing out puffs of frost, looking at me for an answer.

"No," I said. I paused, not wanting to do it, then forced myself to unlock the trunk and pull out the large brown envelope. I saw it was hopeless, but it was still torture handing the envelope over to him. He held out his hand as I slammed the trunk down. I faced him, hesitated a second, then handed it over.

"Aw, shit," I mumbled.

"Well, well," he said. "So we don't have to go to your place after all." He turned and went back to the house. I followed, hoping he wouldn't give me a hard time about the bank book and all the other stuff.

When we were back in the kitchen, Dave opened the envelope. He and the two broads were sitting around the table, I was standing glumly by, leaning against the refrigerator. I was in a sweat as the pictures tumbled out, followed by the book, and a sheet of paper I used to keep track of all the broads and their weekly payments.

Dave let out a long, low whistle. "How'd you take these? You have an accomplice or something?"

"Not exactly," I muttered.

"Look at this one!" Sandy passed a pic to Larhonda. "I'm getting horny just looking at them."

Dave was flipping through a stack of shots and passing them on. "There's some nice stuff up here," he said, turning to me. "I'll give you credit for good tastes anyway."