Chapter 2

The next time Sally Denham looked from her front window, the brown station wagon was gone from its parking spot and she breathed a little sigh of relief for that. She hoped she wouldn't ever have to face her husband's boss again, that they could leave Quiggville without this being necessary. They would be leaving, she felt sure now... because of course what John Blodgett had suggested was impossible. Even if she could somehow force herself to go through with it, Ray would never want to obtain the store under such conditions... would he? The sad thing was that while she already knew now that their case was hopeless beyond any doubt, Ray still dared to think he might get the loan, after all!

In fact he spent most of the Labor Day weekend working on his presentation for Mr. Quigg. He was going to the bank on Tuesday morning and Sally became increasingly nervous as he talked to her about it. Yes, she nodded, it was a good time... the first day of school... fall at last in the air, a new season... a perfect psychological moment.

"For God's sake, pay attention!" Ray snapped at her suddenly, and she jumped. Hadn't she been paying attention? "You don't want to stay here at all, do you?" he continued accusingly. "You don't like Tennessee--you want to move to a city--why don't you come right out and say so?"

"Oh, no," she said, seating herself in her husband's lap, "I do want to stay here, darling. All our plans... and there's our lot in Hickory Acres... I want exactly what you do. I-it's just that I'm afraid you'll be so disappointed if--" she broke off, tears in her lovely gray eyes.

"I'm sorry, honey," he groaned, "I'm trying to take out my own doubts and frustrations on you. Sometimes I even wonder if we should have got married at all... your parents were right you know, you could have done a lot better."

"Ray Denham, you stop that silly talk! I could never in this world have done any better. I love you."

They clung to each other wordlessly, but even as their lips were meeting the inevitable question was drumming through Sally's brain, what should I do? Suppose that she did let John Blodgett come here... that she permitted him to make love to her... it was only a half-hour or so out of a lifetime, and then he would be committed to keep his promise because once they had done it they were equally guilty and she could tell his wife. Innocently, Sally believed that Lauralee must be the reason for driving John Blodgett to proposition another woman. His wife was beautiful and aristocratic, but perhaps there was something lacking sexually. Only why did he want her, then, when she couldn't even satisfy Ray, her own husband! No, she couldn't go through with it, not even for Ray's sake. Just the idea of it turned her stomach... another man, inside her... no, no, no.

Ray went to the bank and was well received by Lee Quigg, who immediately passed the news on to Blodgett after the visit. Ray was told the loan would be taken under consideration, although Quigg looked rather grave when Ray admitted his only assets were $2800 in his savings account.

"What about your folks?" Lee questioned, "haven't any of 'em got some property or something they could put up for you?"

"The only property my folks have already has a mortgage on it," Ray admitted. "Everybody's not rich like your family, you know."

"Well, I want you to know that I'm going to do the best I can for you, Ray," Quigg said, shaking hands. "I'll be in touch with you." He ushered Ray to the door of his luxurious office as if he were the bank's most valued depositor and the gesture made the young pharmacist feel somewhat better about his prospects... not knowing, of course, that his wife's assets--namely, her appealing young body--were going to be the deciding factor.

And so they waited to hear from the bank, with both Ray and Sally growing more edgy every day. John Blodgett was disappointed that he had not heard from the young Mrs. Denham, maybe she was going to be tougher than he had figured. God damn, he did hate to lose a bet!

Lee Quigg was pestering him about it every day. "I have to tell him something soon, John. What do you want me to do?" It looked like a little push was needed to get things moving in the right direction again and so he instructed his brother-in-law to stall just a few more days and in the meantime to invite the Denhams to the party that was being given at the Country Club on Saturday night. Although they were not leaving for Florida for at least another month, the party was in the nature of a going away affair for John and Lauralee. Accordingly, Lee telephoned Ray at the drug store and gave him the invitation and Ray took it to be a good sign that he and his wife were being included.

To his amazement, Sally did not share this enthusiasm. She did not even want to go, and they quarreled again before she abruptly gave in and agreed. Ray felt he would never understand his northern wife, particularly when she began to take great pains in getting ready for the party, getting her hair done and shortening an old long formal that she'd had in college into a cocktail dress. It was simply made of light green lace, sleeveless and with plunging necklines in both front and back, a great deal more sophisticated than the styles she usually wore.

Quiggville was too small to support a country club, but many of the local people were active in the one at the county seat and for this evening, at least, Quiggville natives seemed to dominate the crowd so that the Denhams saw more familiar faces than they had expected. Several tables had been pushed together in one comer of the large main room and they were welcomed into a group that was already quite lively when they arrived at nine-thirty.

Sally's eyes were drawn irresistably to the table where the Blodgetts sat. Oh, God, he'd seen her and was staring back! John Blodgett's light blue eyes ran all over her figure appraisingly. Then he nodded and raised his glass to her in a mock toast. Sally sat down, her cheeks blazing, and tried not to look again. Lee Quigg had seen her entrance, too, and he leaned over to whisper in his brother-in-law's ear, "Still think you can fuck her?" Blodgett smiled and made a little circle of his thumb and forefinger. Shortly afterward he got up and made his way to where the Denhams were sitting, greeted Ray effusively and asked Sally to dance. She got up stiffly and joined him.

"You're lookin' mighty pretty tonight, Sally," he commented, immediately pulling her close in an intimate dancing position. "All the local girls are jealous."

"I am a local girl," she pointed out coldly.

"Well, 'course you are, and I hope you stay one... but I forget that sometimes. You haven't been really initiated as a local girl yet," he chuckled. "How come I haven't heard from you? I though we were going to get together."

"Mr. Blodgett, please," Sally fought to retain her composure. "My husband is here, your wife is here--how can you go on that way?"

"Why, honey, they don't know we aren't talking about the weather and the football game same as everybody else! Don't push away from me like that... I like to feel those tits of yours right up against me. First time I ever saw you, I noticed what a pair of beauties you had."

Sally stumbled and missed a step, but he held her so tightly that no one even noticed. She felt as though her whole body was dissolving in shame... good God, she had to go on dancing with him and listening to the flood of obscenity... she couldn't make a scene here!

"Wait till I get you alone," the husky voice went on, "and get your clothes off. I want to suck those tits... I bet they taste just like honey!" To her absolute horror, Sally found that the very shocking lewdness of his words was arousing her breasts, she could actually feel them swelling and the nipples stiffening, right through the filmy lace of her dress. In her entire life no one had ever spoken to her as he was doing, certainly not her husband, Ray! "And you got something else that's just like honey..."

The music went on and on and the numb girl allowed herself to be guided along in the loathsome arms of John Blodgett, braced for whatever filthy thing was coming next. Her whole body tingled from the stunning surprise of hearing words she had seen only on lavatory walls and which could not help but arouse erotic thoughts in the most chaste girl by their very lewd suggestiveness.

"When do I get into the honey pot, Sally? Come on, I've got something here I want to stick in your cunt... can you feel it?" he slid his hand down her back until it rested below her waist, and forcefully propelled her hips toward the lower part of his body. The rigid bulk of his penis seared into her stomach like a branding iron...

"No!" she exclaimed, so loudly that nearby couples heard the exclamation and turned their heads curiously. Blodgett relaxed his grip and let his hand return to the proper position... he didn't want to go too far, she was a jumpy little bitch... just far enough so that she got the message loud and clear. He had by now worked her to the far end of the room from where their mates were sitting.

"There's not much time left," he warned her, "if you still want your husband to get the store. I would say, in fact, there's only a few days left. Shall we make an appointment?"

"No," she said dully, unable to think clearly for the emotions that were swirling through every raw nerve end of her body, "I-I can't. What you're asking is impossible. I have never--never been with another man besides my husband. Why won't you let me alone? Find someone else, please!"

"Then I'll give you only a few more hours," he said angrily. "You let me know your decision tonight, before you leave here."

"I told you no."

"I'll ask you just one more time," he promised grimly.

By the time he had returned her to her chair beside Ray, Sally was limp and drained of feeling. She had known they shouldn't come, when she heard it was a party for the Blodgetts, and now it was turning out to be a further nightmare. But Ray had not noticed a thing, he was actually enjoying himself, having a few drinks under his belt by now.

Groping for reassurance, Sally reached over and put her hand timidly on Ray's knee. He turned to her, beaming at this unusual display of affection.

"Here, honey, here's your drink. Maybe it's too weak now... the ice melted while you were dancing."

"No, it'll be fine," she seized the glass gratefully and swallowed the pungent bourbon and cola mix. Ordinarily she did not care for hard liquor, but Sally sensed she was going to need something to get her through this evening. After the second drink she began to warm and relax slightly. John Blodgett stayed with his friends, and the younger crowd around her and Ray's table was quite enjoyable to be with. She loved to see Ray having a good time... it was the first evening in ages that he'd gotten out like this... probably the last time they would be with these local people, too. She supposed that when the new owners took over the drugstore, or before, her husband would start looking for another job. God, what if it should be another place like Quiggville, maybe worse? The thing was, she was at last beginning to feel some slight sense of belonging here and getting acquainted. If they owned the store... if they could build the house in Hickory Acres... it wouldn't be at all bad! They could join this country club and Ray would be able to play golf... she would take part in garden clubs or something.

Someone else asked Sally to dance and when she returned to the table her third drink was waiting. She finished it, and later there was more... never had she had so much to drink in one night; she was probably in for a hangover in the morning, but at last she was really enjoying herself, having a good time! Much, much later they began drinking sentimental toasts to the Blodgetts and Lauralee Blodgett stood up and made a drunken, tearful speech about leaving Quiggville for the first time in her life, even though she would always keep her home here, "mah fam'ly place," as she put it. She had to lean on her brother and her husband to keep from falling as she swayed gracefully back and forth and rambled on, liquor spilling from her glass to splash over her expensive dress.

"She's plastered!" Sally whispered to Ray, shocked. He grinned at her.

"Darling, she's usually plastered, from what I hear."

What a shame, Sally thought, such a beautiful woman and so well kept up. She has to be past forty, but her figure is still great... is it being married to that horrible man that makes her drink? When she finally ran out of words, Lauralee sat down abruptly--not in her own chair, but on her husband's lap. She flung her arms around him and kissed him in a passionate way that drew whistles from the onlookers and made Sally feel uncomfortable. Later Lauralee was circulating among the tables, kissing all the men and the women too and promising to write to everyone from Florida. When it was Ray's turn she rumpled his black hair and kissed him full on the lips in a provocative way that Sally excused only because of Lauralee's obvious condition. But when Ray asked her to dance... it was the last number... she found her own condition was not much better and was grateful to lean against her husband's tall form and let him pilot her over the dance floor. Suddenly she heard a well-remembered husky voice and found that Ray was disentangling her arms from his neck. John Blodgett had cut in on them!

All the liquor she had consumed was racing through her blood, and Sally could not for the life of her remember... ah, yes, he wanted to ask her something. She let herself be pressed against his bulky frame, her stomach rubbing his, breasts mashed against his hard rib cage. His fingers played at the slit in the back of her dress where it was open nearly to the waist. He did not seem so repulsive now, he was quiet and not saying those awful things which had upset her before. His big hands were almost gentle... she must keep her wits, this was very important... very important to Ray. Darling Ray was so happy tonight, she must help him get the store so that they could go on living here and he would always be happy just as he was now!

"Sally," Blodgett's voice was calm, insistent, "I'll be at your place Monday. I'm damned if I could wait another day. I'll see that Ray has to go to Knoxville... don't worry about a thing, baby... nobody will know. Monday afternoon."

"I can't," she shook her head, her words slurring slightly, "I can't do it to Ray!"

"You're doing it for him, remember? I told you, I'll ask you one more time. This is it--shall I come on Monday?"

"Oh, God," the poor girl's head was spinning. What to say? What to do? She must help Ray. "Yes," she breathed, "c-come on Monday." Her head slumped forward wearily on his shoulder, eyes nearly closed. Her long brown hair, escaping from the careful hair styling of this afternoon, tumbled down her back. Over the brown curls, Blodgett saw his brother-in-law dancing toward him. The eyes of the two men met for an instant and Blodgett winked broadly.

Sally did not remember the ride home at all, or being undressed and put to bed by her husband. The next thing, she remembered, in fact, was waking on Sunday afternoon with a truly ghastly hangover. Ray seemed to think it was funny, but he took tender care of his wife, bringing her coffee, and ice to put on her throbbing head. That evening, when she had recovered sufficiently to sit in the living room, he teased her about getting high.