B00CAXBD9C EBOK (12 page)

She was heading for the door when Jay appeared and grabbed her arm. ‘What’s the matter? You look terrible. What happened?’

She looked at him with unseeing eyes. ‘I’ve got to get out of here,’ she mumbled, pushing his arm away and making for the door.

He caught hold of her arm again firmly and steered her to the nearest bar.

‘The lady wants a large brandy, and fast,’ he said. ‘Now, tell me what happened.’ He took her hand and held it tight. ‘Tell me,’ he repeated in a softer voice.

She looked at him with eyes full of shock. ‘I suspected he played around – maybe – once in a while up in Manchester or somewhere, but this… With me right here. It’s horrible.’

The waiter brought the brandy, and she took large gulps.

‘I – I was looking for David. I wanted to warn him about that drunk tramp. Lori said he was on the terrace. I went out and he was there with her. They were necking – she had half her dress off. They were saying these things to each other…’

‘Oh, God!’ said Jay. ‘That stupid son of a bitch. Look – the girl was drunk. Maybe he was trying to get rid of her.’

Linda’s eyes were scornful. ‘With words like – “one night without having you was murder”?’

‘What do you want to do?’ asked Jay. ‘Shall I take you home?’

She shook her head. ‘What
can
I do? This is it for me. I’m finished with him. I want a divorce. I hate him.’ Her voice shook. ‘I don’t ever want to speak to him again.’

‘Look – it’s no good making decisions while you’re upset. Let me take you home. I’ll come straight back and talk to David, tell him not to go home tonight.’

She laughed bitterly. ‘Tell him not to ever come home again. Tell him to go off with his “best-ever” little slut. Tell him he can do what he wants – ’cos I don’t care anymore. I’m through.’ She took another large gulp of brandy. ‘I’m going to start crying in a minute – please get me out of here.’

They got a taxi outside the hotel. Linda was worried that either Lori or David would miss them and that maybe David would race her home, but Jay reassured her. ‘I’ll be back within an hour, and if he does miss you he’ll just be looking around. As for Lori, she won’t even know I’m gone.’

Linda sighed. ‘I’m so embarrassed, dragging you away from the party and everything. The whole situation is so awful.’

‘Don’t be embarrassed.’ He took her hand comfortingly. ‘If it’s any solace I was involved in exactly the same situation myself. In Hollywood at a real swinging party, my first wife, Jenny, vanished. I searched all over and eventually found her in bed with the host. So you see, I
do
understand.’

‘What did
you
do?’

‘I was a schmuck. I gave her another chance. Came home early one day and found her banging the delivery boy.’

They sat in silence for a while, then Jay said, ‘I suppose for some people one woman or one man is enough – but not for any of the people I know. I guess one gets what one deserves out of life. I’ve been married three times – each time to a beautiful girl with about as much thinking power as a rabbit. It must be a sickness with me – I marry stupid, dumb, beautiful broads.’

Linda hesitated. ‘I – I was unfaithful to David this week. The first time in eleven years of marriage. I’m so ashamed about it now. It was with a boy – a twenty-two-year-old boy – I don’t know why…’ She trailed off. ‘David hadn’t touched me in months. We were so far apart, he was never home. It just happened. I suppose I’m as guilty as he is.’

‘Never feel guilty. What good can that do? Sleep on things, and see how you feel in the morning. You’ve got young children – don’t make any hasty decisions.’

‘Good night, Jay – thank you for everything.’

‘Linda, I’ll call you tomorrow. Rest easy – it will be all right.’

* * *

Claudia found David in a group with Lori. She edged quietly up behind him, and pressing her body against his back, she covered his eyes with her hands and said in a Marilyn Monroe-type voice, ‘Guess who, baby!’

There was no mistaking that body. He was surprised and sharply excited. She had the most incredible effect on him: he just had to know she was there to want her. He turned slowly, eyes looking around to see if Linda was anywhere about. She wasn’t.

‘Hello, Claudia.’

‘Hello, Claudia.’ She mimicked his voice. ‘Don’t I get a better greeting than that? By the way, you can stuff your Beauty Maid campaign up your ass, cha-cha-cha!’

The group he had been standing with were all listening, including Lori.

He took Claudia firmly by the arm, bruising her flesh. ‘Let’s go and find Linda,’ he said, walking off and pulling her with him.

‘Let’s go find Linda!’ she said incredulously. ‘You’ve got to be joking!’

He marched her onto the terrace, finding a deserted dark corner. As soon as he let go of her she wound her arms around his neck and kissed him. ‘Did you miss me?’ she whispered. ‘I was going to be so mad at you, but I couldn’t.’ She giggled. ‘I’m smashed, you know.’

‘You’re a bitch, leaving me sitting in that restaurant, phoning up in the middle of the night.
You
were going to be mad? What about
me?’

She nibbled his ear, rubbing her body against him.

Her dress was held up by two thin shoulder straps. He peeled them off, pulling her dress down to her waist. She wore nothing underneath. Hungrily she guided his mouth to her breasts.

All sense of reason was gone. He was with Claudia and he had to have her. It didn’t matter that they were in a public place. That his wife was somewhere around. That anybody could appear.

It was dark. He pushed her down onto the cold concrete ground and lifted her skirt. She wore no panties, and she was giggling.

He took her quickly. It was all over in a minute.

‘Christ!’ he muttered. ‘Christ!’

She lay there still giggling, her dress bunched around her waist. He pulled her up and looked around, relieved to see that no one had come out. She was unconcerned.

‘We’ve got to go back inside separately,’ he said.

‘Screw you!’ she replied.

‘You just did.’ He straightened his tie and wiped a handkerchief around his face to remove all traces of lipstick. ‘I’ll phone you tomorrow. I’ll get away early from the office and come over. I’ve got a surprise for you.’

‘You’ve always got a surprise for me. You’re the man with the permanent hard-on!’ She laughed. ‘What a title for a television series – I can see it now – The Man with the Permanent Hard-on – starring Dick Hampton!’

He kissed her. ‘You go in first – go straight to the ladies’ room, you look a mess.’

‘Thank you, kind sir. Are you sure you’re finished with me?’

‘Go on, be a good girl. I’ll try to phone you later.’

She stuck out her tongue at him – waggling it obscenely – and then sauntered off through the French windows completely at ease.

He took a deep breath – what a girl. After a safe five minutes he followed her in. The party was still in full swing. He grabbed a drink from a passing waiter and started to look for Linda. This was becoming a dangerous habit, bumping into Claudia at parties.

He observed Lori dancing with a seedy actor. She was moving her hips in steady bumps and grinds, and smiled coolly at him. She certainly knew how to move.

He edged closer. ‘Seen Linda?’ he asked.

She looked deadpan. ‘Last I saw of her she was heading toward the terrace looking for you.’

‘The terrace?’ he said, stunned.

‘The terrace, honey.’ She swayed away from him.

He started to look for Linda seriously. He ploughed his way across the room, through groups of people laughing and chatting. A girl grabbed his arm. She was thin and pretty, and he remembered her as a friend of Claudia’s from the restaurant.

‘Hello, ducky,’ she cooed. ‘Fancy seeing you here.’

‘Hello.’ He looked around for her chinless boyfriend.

‘Oh, Jeremy’s gone to fetch me another drink.’ She didn’t leave go of his arm. ‘Super party – but I didn’t expect you to be here.’

‘Why not?’ he said patiently. She was far too thin for him to find attractive.

‘I know we’re all very modern and everything, but you struck me as the jealous type.’

‘What are you talking about?’ He shook his arm free.

‘After all – this party is being given by Conrad Lee for Claudia, and I shouldn’t have thought you would come. I mean, one shouldn’t mix business with pleasure, should one? And you’re obviously pleasure, and he’s obviously business.’ She smiled blandly. ‘Here comes Jeremy with my drink. See you again,’ and she walked off.

He stood there, furious.

Claudia hadn’t mentioned Conrad Lee or the fact that the party was for her. Bitch! Bitch! Bitch!

The quest for Linda was forgotten, and a new one for Claudia began. He wanted to get a few facts straight.

* * *

Jay arrived back at the party. He was thoughtful. It was a tricky situation telling another man he couldn’t go home to his own wife. It could easily end in a punch on the nose. He saw David across the room talking to a girl. David Cooper. An attractive man, big and dark, and the ladies all fell for him. Lori had said she thought he was probably fantastic in bed, but from talking to Linda it didn’t sound that way. Lori had a habit of thinking most men were fantastic in bed, her way of letting him know that she didn’t think
he
was.

He approached David quickly – best to get it over with fast – and told him the situation.

David was suitably flattened. He tried to deny it, but when Jay told him word for word what Linda had said, he was forced to admit it.

‘You’re an idiot,’ Jay said. ‘You’ve got a great wife. If you want to fuck around, why do it under her nose?’

‘What is she going to do?’

‘She mentioned divorce.’

‘That’s ridiculous. She’s got no proof. So I kissed a girl at a party – what does that prove? I’m going home. I’m not going to be shut out of my own house.’

Jay shrugged. ‘I can’t stop you, I can only offer advice. She’s in a state of shock. Going home tonight will only make things worse. If you wait until morning I’m sure you’ll both see things a lot clearer.’

‘I know Linda. She’s upset, but I can explain things to her.’

Jay glared at him. ‘I promised her you’d stay away tonight.’

David glared back. ‘Tough, my friend, because I’m going home now.’

They held the glare a few moments and then Jay said, ‘Good night, schmuck. Don’t forget to say good night to your girlfriend. You’ll probably find her kissing Conrad’s ass.’

When David arrived at his house and put the key in the front door, it wouldn’t open. He lit a match to make sure he was using the right key, but although it turned smoothly, the door remained tightly shut. Realization dawned. Linda had bolted it from the inside.

He went around to the back door, but that was also tightly barred. A strong, choked anger rose in him. He returned to the front and pressed his finger firmly down on the bell push. The jangly sound of the buzzer was loud and insistent. There was no response. He tried it again, this time leaving his finger there for several minutes. A light went on in the upstairs window. It was the maid’s room. He waited impatiently for her to come down and let him in, but nothing happened, and after a while her light went out again.

He was furious – Linda was obviously up and had told Ana to ignore the bell. He kicked savagely at the door but only succeeded in hurting his foot.

This is incredible, he thought. Who the fuck does she think the bloody house belongs to?

‘Listen, Linda,’ he shouted. ‘Don’t do this to me – open the door or I’m going for the police.’

The house loomed still and dark before him. He banged on the door with his fists – nothing. He leaned on the bell push again – nothing. Then, faintly, from upstairs there floated down the sound of a child crying. He stood there, undecided about what to do. He felt guilty about waking the children, but after all, it was Linda’s fault for not letting him in. He pushed the bell firmly and insistently for one final time, and to his surprise the bolts were pushed back and the door opened a few inches. He went to push it farther open but it clanged to a shuddering stop – held by the safety chain.

Linda peered out at him, white-faced and angry. ‘Go away. You make me sick.’ Her voice sounded flat and tired.

‘Come
on,
let me in. We’ll talk about it. It was nothing – I was drunk.’

‘I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want to see you. Go back to your little tramp and leave me alone.’

She slammed the door in his face.

He swore, hammered on the door, and shouted, ‘You’ll be sorry, Linda. I’ll bloody go away and I won’t come back!’

She didn’t return. Furious, he strode back to his car, got in, and started it viciously.

* * *

When David left the party, Jay phoned Linda and warned her. He then got hold of Lori who was dancing closely with a swarthy-faced ambassador, and sat her down in a corner.

‘You saw David take that broad out onto the terrace. What’s with you, big mouth? Why did you tell Linda?’

She looked uninterested. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, honey,’ she drawled. ‘Is something going on?’

‘Yeah, something’s going on.’ He shrugged disgustedly. ‘Are you really as dumb as you pretend to be?’

She looked sulky. ‘You’re so nasty to me, Jay. I don’t know why I married you.’

‘Would two mink coats, a sable, a mansion and several cars jog your memory?’

She stood up, smoothing her hands down her body, ironing imaginary wrinkles from her dress. ‘I’m going to dance again. You interrupted me before – that was a very sweet, important guy I was dancing with.’ She walked off, beautiful, cool.

Jay shook his head in despair. She was an idiot or a bitch or a clever combination of both.

The noise at the table where Conrad and his group were sitting was becoming progressively louder. Shrieks of drunken laughter, spilt drinks. Claudia climbing on the table and dancing, with the men all peering up her skirt, becoming aware of the fact that she had no panties on. Egged on with screams of drunken encouragement, she started to peel her dress off.