Chapter 7

The next day as Fred Holden had worked on the books for The Camera's Eye with Linda Sloan, he had queried her concerning Susan.

"She's all set-up for you... just like I promised..." Miss Sloan told him.

"And... she knows what she's in for... ?"

"Yes... damn it! She's a big girl!"

"How did you do it... ?"

"I just threatened to show her husband some damaging pictures..."

"Let me see them!" Fred ordered.

"That's not part of our bargain!"

"It is now! Let me see them!"

Reluctantly, Linda got the envelopes from her safe and gave it to him. "They're pictures of Susan and me... together."

"Great!" Fred removed the photos from the brown envelope and shuffled through them. "Yeah! These are great! I'll just use these myself!"

"No, you don't!" Linda flared. "How do I know you won't use them... against me!"

"Don't worry about that... as long as I get what I want!"

"Okay... you can have half of them!"

"All right!" Fred agreed. "... And just in case she balks... I'll use these to jog her memory!"

Fred gloated, "I've got it all worked out, Evelyn... and it's sure-fire to get me into the sack with that little blonde, Susan Merril--that's her name - and I've got her address... out near the University.

His wife looked at the photographs he showed her. "And you say that she's married... ?"

"Yeah, that's right, darling," Fred affirmed. "Her husband's a graduate student..."

Evelyn looked up at him with a new appreciation for his resourcefulness, glad that he was doing something that would perhaps lead him into her swinging world.

"There's only one point you've overlooked, Fred..." she suggested.

"Yeah... ? What's that... ?"

"Well... since she's married, you forgot to include me in a piece of the action... with her husband."

"You're still trying to get me into that group sex thing... aren't you... ?"

"You haven't tried it, yet..."

"And, I'm not going to!" Fred told his wife firmly.

"You're missing the time of your life..."

"Maybe... But, I'm going to make it with that sexy little blonde, all by myself!"

"Yes... she is sexy!" Evelyn agreed, looking through the photographs, again. "She must be really turned on!"

"I hope so!"

"When are you going to try to lay her, darling... ?"

"Tonight... !" Fred said with a grin. "While her husband's studying at the library."

"What's his name... ?"

"Ron, I think..."

"That's a nice name. Is he nice... too?"

"I wouldn't know, damn it!" Fred growled. "And, don't go thinking you can get next to him, either. I understand he's not taking care of his wife very well... in bed..."

"How do you know that... ?"

"Linda told me!"

"That's very interesting..."

"I told you to stop thinking about getting anything going with her husband!"

"I wouldn't think of it, darling..." Evelyn told him.

... But, she did do some thinking about it; as a matter of fact, after she had thought about it, she took some direct action. Evelyn had never gone through her husband's things before, but the situation called for a little gentle larceny. All she wanted was one of the most revealing of those photos in the envelope... along with the address for Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Merril. She found the address in his notebook, while her husband was busily shaving and showering. Getting the picture was easy, too... and she took her time in choosing exactly the right one.

Susan Merril was absolutely miserable. Gamely, she hid it from Ron, but she knew there was nothing she could do to avoid the situation. She was going to be forced into an adulteress' role, in order to save her marriage, for she was convinced that if Ron ever saw those pictures of her in lesbian embrace with her employer, Linda Sloan, he'd abandon her. Somehow, in her own mind, it was more damning than if she were being blackmailed for having made it with another man. At least Ron might be able to understand that... but for him to think that I'd become... that I'd be like Miss Sloan, too... God! I don't know what he'd think... but I know he wouldn't want to have anything to do with me... again!

In spite of her determination not to go back to The Camera's Eye, she felt she had to... until she found another job. All morning long, she spent in following up employment leads from the newspaper ads, but there were no jobs for which she could qualify... or which she felt she could perform.

So, feeling trapped, she reported for work as usual.

Miss Sloan checked her in for her regular afternoon schedule, asking laconically, "I thought you wouldn't be back... ?"

"I wish I didn't have to come back!" Susan told her coldly.

There was a great deal more Susan would have liked to tell her employer, but the cold fury in her wouldn't allow her to stay in the woman's presence any longer than she had to. "And, as soon as I find something else... I won't be back except to collect those negatives!"

"Now, what is it that's so important, Mrs. Holden... ?" Ron smiled. He was feeling both flattered and annoyed; flattered because such a lovely woman had come looking for him at the University library and annoyed because of having to waste the time to talk to her.

"Just call me Evelyn, and I'll call you Ron... okay?"

"Okay, now tell me whatever it is you've got in mind..."

"How about ordering a beer for me... ?"

"Okay... ?"

He called the waitress over and ordered two bottles of beer. They were in a little place very near the University, frequented mostly by students.

"Why don't you tell me about yourself... ?" she queried for a beginning.

"There's not much to tell. I'm just grinding away at the books, hoping to get a Doctorate one of these days..."

Their beer arrived. Ron drank healthily while Evelyn sipped at hers.

"... And, what about your wife, Susan... ?"

"Do you know her... ?" Ron questioned, taking another opportunity to let his eyes roam over her, liking her black- haired, hazel-eyed beauty and judging that she was perhaps only a year or two older than himself. Nice! Yes! He decided; she was definitely quite a woman... But, what in hell does she want... ?

"No... I don't know her, really... but I do know that she works as a Rent-a-model at The Camera's Eye Studio," Evelyn told him. "... And, I've seen some pictures of her... that were taken there..." Then, with a tiny, lewd smile, she lowered her voice and added, "Some very revealing... and obscene pictures... I should add!"

For a moment, Ron had the idea that she was a little kinky, so he asked, "Who took them... ?"

"My husband did!"

That's a relief! He grinned back at her, now, thinking he could put an end to their conversation and get back to his books. "If it bothers you... that your husband took some crotch-shots of my wife... you can stop worrying! I know all about the kind of pictures she's asked to pose for... and I'm damned grateful to her for working in a place like that, because she's helping me to get my degree!" He picked up his glass of beer and took a long, sucking drink of it. Setting the glass down he added, "I hope that puts your mind at rest. Any other problems are yours... and your husband's!" He started to get up. "Goodnight, Evelyn. I've got to get back to the library!"

"Before you leave, Ron... maybe you should hear the rest of what I have to tell you... and show you!" Evelyn suggested coolly, refusing to be dismissed.

Ron, only half out of his seat, sat down again, looked inquiringly at her and queried, "You've got something to show me... ?"

"Yes! Something I'm sure you'll be interested in!"

"What is it?"

"A photo!"

"Let me see it, then!"

"After I tell you what's happening, okay?"

"Okay! What's happening?"

"All right! Here goes! My husband, Fred, is mixed up, somehow, with that woman who runs The Camera's Eye. I don't understand what it's all about... but he has some kind of hold over her..."

"So what's that got to do with Susan?"

"Everything! He's gotten your address... and he's probably at your apartment, right now... laying your wife!"

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Ron growled. "Anyway... the models are supposed to be protected from things like that!... So, how in hell could he get our address in in the first place... ?"

"I told you! Fred's blackmailing her boss, Linda Sloan!"

"... So, even if he does have our address... and assuming he does go there, I know that Susan wouldn't have anything to do with another man!"

"Oh, but she will! When Fred gets here... she's going to let him lay her... because she's being blackmailed into it by Miss Sloan!" Evelyn repeated herself.

"That's impossible!" Ran flared, jumping to his feet. "... But, just in case there's anything to this, I'm going to go home and check out your story!"

"It's not impossible, Ron! Here! Take a look at this!" Evelyn dug the photograph from her handbag and handed it to him. "There's the reason, she'll let Fred do it... because she doesn't want you to know what's really been happening at The Camera's Eye!"

Ron's eyes filled with instant rage as he saw his wife's likeness, her face distorted with ecstatic passion, eyes closed, as her tongue licked upward cuttingly along the short, hardened length of another woman's clitoris. His anger was directed at himself almost as much as against Susan, for he realized that if he were taking care of her sexual needs properly there would be no need for such things to happen... But, he was angry and hurt, hurt because she had stooped to getting her satisfaction from another woman. It was a monstrous blow to his manhood.

"I'll be God damned!" Ron spat. "Where'd you get this?"

"Out of my husband's pocket!"

"... And, he's using pictures like this... to force her into letting him... ?" He stopped, unable to express himself except in vulgar terms.

"Fuck her!" Evelyn hissed in a tight, little whisper barely audible to him.

Tucking the picture hastily into his jacket pocket, he turned to leave the beer bar. "Goodnight, Mrs. Holden! I'm grateful... and much obliged to you, for letting me know!"

"Wait, Ron!" Evelyn was on her feet, also, as he turned to face her, annoyed that he was being delayed again.

"Well... ?"

"Aren't you forgetting something... ?" she asked. "Aren't you forgetting that it's my husband... who's involved... with your wife?"

"I suppose I did, for a moment!... So?" he growled.

"So, let's go together!" Evelyn Holden suggested. "We can go in my car... and get there faster than you could walking!"

Ron hesitated a moment before answering, "Okay! I guess it'd be better if we both were there..."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" she murmured. "I've wanted to catch him... at something like this, for a long time!"

"Then, let's go!" Ron was impatient. God damn! I've got to find out... for sure!

Susan Merril was almost a nervous wreck. All afternoon, she had had the apprehensive feeling that any one of the men who had posed her for pictures could have been the unknown man, who would be making love to her, forcing her into adultery... because of her one indiscretion... And, the worst of it is... that it's because of my being with a woman... instead of a man! In a way she almost wished it had been because of another man. At least... it wouldn't seem so... kinky!

Finally, her working stint dragged to a close. It had seemed to her as though eons of time had elapsed since she had reluctantly reported for work. Then, she had been irritable with Ron, snapping at him for the slightest reason, while all the time her heart ached to tell him of the mess she was in, wanting to creep into the protection of his arms and tell the outside world to go away and leave them in peace, but that was impossible, of course. How could I tell him... explain it so he'd understand... ? God... there isn't anything I can do! It would just have to happen! She resigned herself to it.

At about eight fifteen the telephone rang.

"H-Hello... ?" Susan said tentatively into the mouthpiece, her dread leaden in her.

"Susan... ? Susan Merril... ?" A voice she almost recognized murmured in her ear.

"Yes... ?"

"You should be expecting me. Linda Sloan is a mutual friend of ours..."

"It's you... the man, who..."

"Yes! I'll be at your place in five minutes. Is your husband gone?"

"Y-Yes... He's at the library... studying..."

"Good! You might as well get ready for me!" Fred Holden told her. "I want you to be wearing just a dressing gown... so we won't have to waste any time!"

"God... Mr... whatever your name is... isn't there any other way... I can..."

"No way, Baby!... And, you can call me Fred... okay?"

"All right..." She was glad, somehow, she could now attach a name to this unknown man.

"I'll be there in five minutes!"

The phone went dead and she replaced it in its cradle numbly, staring at the instrument as if it were a deadly snake. Oh, My God! It's really going to happen! Going into her bedroom, then, she took off all of her clothing and slipped into her wispy, see- through nightgown, pulling a frilly peignoir over it. As she caught sight of her lovely body in the mirror she was revulsed by its very beauty; its curvaceous lines and full-breasted lusciousness were the curse that had brought about all her present troubles, and she wished fervently at that moment that some good fairy would turn her into an old hag, so very ugly that the man, who would arrive momentarily, wouldn't want to touch her... But, of course, Susan wasn't living a fairy-tale. This was reality, and the reality was frightening.