Widowsmate

a Novelette by Kellis

January, 2000

 

Chapter 5:Bare Adele

 

 

Wednesday, September 19, 1934

 

Dear Charlene,

��������� Well, dear sister, the worst has happened to me, too, and it turns out to be even worse than you said.I�ve missed two periods and had terrible morning sickness along with an awful craving for strawberries, though thank heaven that has eased up.They�re no longer in the stores!

��������� I don�t mean that.This is my second time, after all.You know what I mean, with Harry being dead so long.Now I�m in the same boat with you.Exactly the same.The man I thought did it to me turns out to have had the mumps when he was about fourteen, and can�t have done it.So who does that leave?

��������� As I said, Charlene, I�m exactly like you.I went to a party three months ago and got drunk.Really drunk, mainly to spite the guy I mentioned because I thought he wanted me to go down on him all the way, if you know what I mean.It turned out to be just a misunderstanding, but while it lasted �Well, I think all the guys at that party could be the one.And I don�t remember a single name � except for the one who couldn�t have done it.

��������� You stayed with Harry and me during your trouble.I can�t ask you to return the favor because of Johnny.What I am asking is for you to sound out the cousins.They�ve invited me and Johnny to come live with them, but I don�t know what they�ll say when my figure changes.You see them often.Will you �just mention� that I�m expecting and see what they do?Then write to me?

��������� Thank you so much, Charlene.I think the best friend anyone can have is her sister.

 

Love, Betty

 

 

No shade was pulled at either of Adele�s front windows.Smiling, Justin turned his car around and parked before her walk.Though still a bright warm day, he saw no one on the nearer porches.At one o�clock on Friday afternoon they were all presumably at work or still seated over lunch.

The door was unlocked.He opened it and slipped inside, calling, �Adele!�

�Wh-what?�He recognized her voice through the bedroom door.Inside he found her throwing off bedclothes.She rose from the bed, stark naked, eyes blinking sleepily.�Mr. Ross!But what happened to Bobby?�

She yawned and stretched toward the ceiling, bones popping in arms and legs.He said, �I�m sorry.You were expecting someone else?�

She craned her neck to look at the bedside clock.�It can�t be one o�clock!�

�I�m afraid it is,� he corrected her.�Adele, would you like me to come back another time?�

�No, no!�Her hands went to her face.She regarded him owlishly.�Please don�t go, Mr. Ross.�

�All right.�He stepped close to her and stroked her arm.�But won�t you please call me Justin?�

Immediately she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.Though morning foul, her breath was no obstacle to his tongue.Faintly he smelled semen, realizing as they parted that it emanated from her hair.

�I need to go bad,� she declared, releasing him.

�Go ahead.Would you like me to make coffee?�

She turned away to the bathroom, answering over her shoulder, �Better let me do it.I�m famished and need a sandwich, too.Why don�t you put on my husband�s robe � it�s on the bedpost � and meet me in the kitchen?�

�Okay.�He reversed a chair and removed his clothing to its back while hearing the toilet flush.Shortly the clatter of utensils emanated from the kitchen.The husband�s robe was invested with a strong and obviously fresh odor of tobacco.He was sure it had been out of sight on his two previous visits.What happened to Bobby, indeed?

In the kitchen he found her standing before the sink making a sandwich, still unabashedly naked.She looked up as the floor creaked under his weight.�Want one, too?�

�No thanks, I just finished lunch.�

�Oh.I guess it is that time, isn�t it.�

He went to her, pulled her against him and bent to kiss the top of her shoulder.Her hair definitely smelled of semen.His hands cupped her breasts.She backed her buttocks against him deliberately.�Missed me a little?� she wondered.

Before he could answer, she sniffed.�Whew!That robe really stinks.�

�Bobby�s a smoker, is he?�

�You didn�t know?Yes, you did.You told me about it.�

I told you?Just who is this �Oh.�

He could see her cheek round in a smile.�You said he was William Smith.�

�He told you different, did he?�

�Last night.He has a huge gold bracelet with the monogram, R D.�

�He was here last night?�

�All night long, I thought.�She smiled again.�He just wouldn�t let me alone!We finally went to sleep, must have been in the early morning.I don�t know when he left.Oh!Excuse me!�

She whirled out of his arms and dashed into the bedroom to emerge wreathed in smiles, holding up a twenty dollar bill.�Look what he left on the dresser!Just like Monday.�

�Ten quickies,� he noted with a grin.

She laid the bill on the table and returned to her sandwich makings.�Not ten.I don�t think even four.But he surely tried!�

�How did you get it in your hair?�

Hands flew to her head, fingers running through her golden locks.�He did, didn�t he!Oh, well, it washes right out.�Her eyes twinkled at Justin.�I�ll bet I�m about as rank as that robe.Let me eat and I�ll take a quick bath.�

He shook his head.�Not on my account.I like a woman who smells � busy.�

�Busy!�She laughed.�That�s a cute way to put it.�

�It�s sexy.�

She felt of the coffee pot, commanding, �Hurry up and perk!�She took a bite of her sandwich and said around it, �Won�t you sit down, Mr. Ross?�

He grimaced.�Do you call Bobby �Mr. Dillon� to his face?�

�No,� she said with a slight smile.�He�s not my manager.�

�Your manager!What are you talking about, Adele?�

�You know:the man who gets the customers for a whore.�

He took a breath.�Adele, there�s a special word for such a man:pimp.It�s not a nice word.�

��Pimp,�� she repeated experimentally.�What�s wrong with it?�

�I don�t want to be called that.�

�You weren�t.You�re my manager.�

He sighed.�I was going to play with your tits, but maybe I will sit down.�

He pulled out a chair and dropped into it.She poured herself a cup from the now bubbling pot and turned to face him, leaning back with an elbow on the sink drain.He saw that her thick pubic hair, only slightly darker than the pale blond head, was matted in spots.

�But you are my manager,� she pointed out.

He inhaled.�If that�s so, tell me this:are you taking any precautions with your customers?�

�Precautions?Against disease?�

�I was thinking mainly against pregnancy.Didn�t you say it was your husband who was sterile?�

She dropped her eyes.�I tend to forget.�

He gestured.�Then you know what�s bound to happen.�

You came in me!�

�Didn�t I tell you?I had the mumps when I was fourteen.�

�Oh.�

�But I don�t know another man who did.I thought you liked to douche.�

�When I can remember it.�

�The only real alternative is to make them wear condoms, but a � working girl can�t depend on that.�

�I�ll try to remember it.But if I get caught ��She shrugged.

�What you need to do is get married.�

�Oh?Have you seen any prospects?�

He sighed.�No.�

She poked the last quarter of her sandwich into her mouth and said something unintelligible around it.He recognized a grin despite the distorted mouth and waited until she swallowed.�What was that?�

She swallowed again.�A joke.I asked you to marry me.�

�Marry you, Adele?If I thought you were enjoying harlotry so much just for the money, I might take you seriously.�

She raised her chin.�I said it was a joke.�She regarded him thoughtfully.�You�re right:I like men.Lots of them.�

�You learned that in the last week or two?�

�No.I learned that when I was very young.What I learned in the last week or two is how approachable men are.I always thought someone else had to make the arrangements.Now except for Bobby I�ve been making them myself.It�s easy.�

��Easy,�� he repeated with a sigh.�It�s also very dangerous, Adele.It�s playing with a hot fire.�

�Because they might tell on me?Tell who?�

�You can�t be that innocent!Prostitution is illegal, you know.�

�My men would tell the cops?�

�No.But their wives or girl friends could, or your neighbors if anything wild happens.�

�Wild?�

�Some will report you even if they only see many strange men coming to your house.�

Her eyes narrowed.�When I was just married, living in an apartment house, my neighbors wanted me to sign a paper that the woman down the hall was a whore.They said she was corrupting their children.�

�That�s what I�m talking about.�

�What it means is, I can�t have a lot of men here.�

�Right.One a night, maybe.In the winter, when nobody�s on the porches, maybe a few more.�

�That�s when I want two.�

�Two!What do you mean?�

�Two at once.�

�Adele!You don�t actually mean ��

She grinned as she interrupted him.�But I do!My husband was 25 years older than I.He liked men and women.Sometimes he would bring men home with him.I fucked another man in front of him many times, at the same time with him almost as many.I even fucked three men at once, the last time in this house just before he died.�

�Wait a minute!Didn�t you tell me you never fucked any man but your husband?�

She frowned.�I never said that.�One of her eyebrows rose.�We were talking about my husband limiting my male acquaintances.I said I never fucked one apart from him.He was always fucking me, too, or at least watching and feeling.�

�Feeling?�

�He liked to feel them going in.�

�And you liked it?�

She took her time, eyes level with his, before admitting, �Yes, I did.�

�Your husband made you do it?�

�Well, he didn�t have to twist my arm.�

�God!�He shook his head.�This went on for years, I take it.How did you avoid pregnancy.�

�I told you he was sterile.The jism in my twat was always his, or he made sure I douched.�

�I see.�

She licked her lips.�It could be the same � with you.�

�I don�t think so.Where did your husband find the men?�

�He belonged to several clubs.He found men of the same kind.�

�Unfortunately for your plan, I don�t know any men like that.�

She smiled.�Bobby is one.�

�How do you know?�

�I talked about it with him.As you said, he likes to talk, especially about sex.He said he�s starved for talk about that!He thinks he�s an adrogyne, too.That�s the word my husband used to describe his habits.�

�He thinks so!�

�He�s a funny case, if you believe him, and I do.In the last twelve years he�s fucked nobody but a French maid who threatened to blackmail him.Until me.�

�What happened to the maid?�

�A detective paid her off and threatened to beat her.�

�I see why he told you about it.The damned fool should�ve left his bracelet at home.�

�I guess I shouldn�t be talking about him.�

�Why not � to your manager?How did he happen to come back?�

She drained her coffee cup before answering.�Monday night we sat and talked.You were right:he was terribly nervous.When a man was nervous, my husband used to make me take off my clothes in front of him.It worked Monday night, too.Bobby perked right up.I went down on him and he lasted about five seconds.He said he was very grateful and I guess he was, twenty dollars� worth on the dresser, but he left right away.I sat and thought about his money having to represent gratitude, since he left with nothing else to show for it.�

�Didn�t he say he�d be back?�

�Not a word.But he had my phone number and called me yesterday afternoon, wanting to visit and spend the night.Of course I agreed.I called you to make sure it was all right, but the girl said you were out of the building.I decided not to leave a message.�

�What happened last night?�

�A lot of talk and a lot of fucking.I went down on him, he went down on me, and then we fucked, I think for hours.�Her hand dropped to her pubes and gouged herself.�I�m sore.He�s got a long cock.�

�Long?�

�Long enough to pound my womb.That drives me nuts but leaves me sore.�Suddenly she laughed.�You know how I am when I�m coming.You should�ve seen his eyes when I cut loose.�

Justin joined in her chuckle.She put down her coffee cup, came to him and sat on the edge of the table beside him, leaning forward with her arm on his shoulder.Her eyes sparkled.�It�s fun telling you about it.�

�For me, too.Did he say anything about seeing you again?�

�Yes.I want to talk to you about that.�

�What did he propose?�

�He wants me to go to a party with him tomorrow night.�

�Saturday night.What kind of party?�

�That new kind you hear about in the newspapers since liquor was legalized.�

�A cocktail party?�

�Yes.At the house of a friend of his.There�ll be dancing and drinking and they�ll serve canap�s and hors d�oeuvres.He wants me to talk to them about my marriage.�

�He wants what?�

�About my husband�s idea of fun, actually.�

�You mean this androgyne idea?�

�Exactly.�

�Ha!Adele, did you ever see or read Shaw�s Pygmalion?�

�I don�t think so.�

�You ought to read it before you debate the advantage of multiple simultaneous sex partners at a cocktail party!�

She laughed gently and kissed his forehead.�Thanks for worrying about me.�

He shook his head.�Wait a minute.I�m amazed you ever heard of canap�s and hors d�oeuvres!�

�Why?They�re just appetizers.My husband threw a lot of parties before the crash.I served sweet appetizers when we couldn�t get booze and cheesy ones when we could.He talked about androgyny a lot and I listened.I think it�ll be rather fun to spout his ideas on those unsuspecting party-goers.Bobby is tickled.He says it should feel to me about like it does to a man when he squirts a woman�s face full.�

�He said what?Talk about an exaggeration �I suppose he squirted yours.�

�Into my hair, even!He admits loving to see it on me.And that�s odd.My husband wanted it to go down my throat.What�s your preference?�

�I guess I agree with your husband.The idea is to put it into the woman, after all! �So did you accept the invitation?�

�Well, I thought at first I didn�t have anything to wear.Then I remembered a party gown my husband bought me, d�collet�e almost to the nipples.I tried it on for Bobby.Guess I didn�t gain as much weight as I thought.Or maybe it�s the way it�s cut.He loved it.It�s a long gown, so it�s still stylish.My boobs haven�t sagged too much, so I can wear it without a bra so long as nothing makes my nipples hard.But he did agree that I'm allowed panties.I told him otherwise I�d probably stain the furniture, especially if he fucks me in the car on the way.�

�So you did accept?�

�Yes.He�s coming for me at eight tomorrow night.�

He studied her a moment.�You�re looking forward to it, aren�t you?�

She smiled.�It�ll be exciting.I�ve had no social life at all since my husband died, and now �Suddenly life is very interesting.Thanks to you.�She leaned close and licked his lips apart with her tongue.His hands sought her breasts.

After a bit he separated them and, pushing his chair back, got to his feet.He threw the husband�s robe across the table, then stepped around her leg, his knees parting hers.As he had noted before, a dining table was just the right height.She spread her legs so far apart that her hips creaked, and he slipped easily into her.

Both her arms rested on his shoulders.She grinned lazily at him.�Just like the carpenter.�

He paused.�Oh, I forgot:you said you were sore.�

�This way is good.You can�t get deep enough to hurt, but I can lean forward a little� � which she did � �and you rub just where it feels the best.�

She was able to impart a slight rolling motion when he resumed thrusting.He murmured, �It�s perverse of me, I know, but I like to � put in after another man, if he�s an acquaintance.�He chuckled self-consciously.�It�s as if I�m throwing him out, taking his woman!�

�My husband liked that, too.What I like best is two at once.�

�In the same place?Wouldn�t that be too much?�

�Ooo, that feels good, Mr. Ross!No, not in the same �Ooo!Go faster, you bastard.Faster!�Her body quivered and she strained against him.�One in my cunt and one in my ass is the right way.Oh!Fuck me, you mother loving son of a bitch.Fuck!Fuck!�

The undeniable signs of passion fetched him, too.She screamed softly at the feel of his ejaculate, her whole body trembling with the intensity of her effort, and called, �Deeper!God dammit, fuck deeper!�

Gasping for breath through his laughter, he was still able to remark, �Thought you were sore!�

Arms around his neck, she sagged against him, soft breasts bumping his chest.With a sigh she proclaimed, �You�re a good poke, Mr. Ross.�

�Even though I�m a bastard and a mother loving son of a bitch?�

�I think especially because of that.�

�You seem to like the idea of incest.�

�Do I?I�m liable to say anything then.Let me down, will you?If I don�t get a shower I�ll make you stink.�

�You think I would care?�

�You ought to � for your next widow.Bobby told me you have a dozen of us.�

�Huh!Half that number would kill me.�Nevertheless he backed away from her.

She turned immediately toward the bathroom door, regarding him with a twinkle over her shoulder.�He actually believes it.�

�He has no idea.�

Justin followed her into the bathroom.She flung back the shower curtain and turned on the water.�He�s your boss at the bank, isn�t he?�

�I have about a dozen widows� mortgages in my portfolio of accounts, yes, but he only knows of three that I � support.�

She paused to adjust the temperature and asked wonderingly, �But how can widows support themselves?�

�I guess they have jobs.�He shrugged.�In fact I don�t know how they manage.I only contact the ones that are about to begin foreclosure.�

�And we�re grateful.�

He wanted to say, �At first,� but withheld that sour comment in favor of a mild, �Thank you.�

�No.Thank you!Come on in.The water�s fine.�

�You bought some coal, I gather.�

�Two tons.And the delivery man fixed the automatic stoker.�

Justin stepped in the shower and took the soap that she handed him, raising his voice above the hiss of the water.�What did that cost you?�

�Five dollars and a half.�

�So much?�

She laughed sharply.�He swore he knew no way to conceal fucking me from his wife.�

�Did he!�

�He was an old man, though:white-headed.�

�That old?Still �Did you show him these?�

�Well, the cleavage, maybe.�

�How about this fuzz?Should�ve let him smell it.�

�You think that would�ve worked?�

�It would on me.Handling him as you�re doing me would be certain.�

�The snaps on his overalls looked too hard to undo.Mmm.Speaking of hard �Let me turn around.�

She leaned forward, pushing her buttocks against him.�Put some soap on it,� she advised.

With his fist�s support he entered the tight orifice readily.This woman clearly knew how to relax the sphincter.In two or three thrusts he penetrated to the maximum.Her hand came back and caught his hip.�Hold still.�

Slowly she straightened up, forcing his organ to conform to the new geometry of her passageway.She sighed and said, �If only Bobby were here!�He tried moving experimentally and found that her position expelled him at the slightest withdrawal.She laughed, turned around again and scrubbed him gently between her two hands.�I told you to hold still.�

�Then what�s the point?�

�It works when someone�s in front, too.You just have to be synchronized.�

�Three people standing up, eh?You like that?�

�It�s possible to do four:one man lying and the other three straddling him.�

�Huh!That sounds hard to arrange.�

�It�s hard to arrange, all right, in more ways than one.This water is starting to get cold.�

�So it is.�He reached around her and turned it off.

�I need a larger heater,� she explained, pushing back the shower curtain.

Dried off and in the bed together, she crept atop him.�I am still sore,� she explained, �but you won�t be sorry,� which suggested that she would conduct further anal exercises.To his surprise she introduced him into her vagina but gripped his sides with her knees.After a few strokes she leaned forward.�You can play with my boobs.�

�Thank you.But I also like to watch them swing.�

Her motion on him, slow and deliberate, was more circular than up and down.Her eyelids were half-closed, her face expressionless.After a long while he said, �I don�t think this is doing much for you.If you�ll turn around, I�ll fix that.�

She continued without pause, as if he had not spoken.He opened his mouth to repeat his offer when she asked, �Do you mind if I go to Bobby�s party?�

�Mind?�He shook his head.�I have no right to mind.Did he say how long it would last?�

�Yes, you do;you�re my manager.My husband made me go to parties.Sometimes he made me fuck other men there.�

�Adele, no one is making you do anything now.�

�Bobby was very interested to hear about my husband�s parties.He may want me to fuck other men, too.�

�Did he tell you that?�

�No.Maybe he wouldn�t at the first party�He didn�t say how long it would be, only that he has to see his wife Sunday afternoon.�

�He told you about her, did he?�

�He talks too much, does he?�She opened her eyes and grinned at him.�� �Not like you.�

�It�s easy to see why he told you about her.�

�Isn�t it!�

�How about you?� he asked.�Did you tell him about your adventures with the plumber and the carpenter and the candlestick maker?�

�The who?�She giggled.�Can I get free candles, too?�

�Probably.I�m still amazed that your coal man turned you down.Did you tell Bobby about them?�

�No.He�s not my manager.�

Suddenly she froze.He heard it, too:a furtive knock on the door.She craned around to look at the bedside clock, then grinned back at him.�It�s the newspaper boy,� she said softly, then turning toward the front of the house, shouted, �Just a minute!�

�Get rid of him,� advised Justin.

�Oh, no!�She swung a leg over him and sprang out of bed, jiggling belly and breasts riveting his gaze.�I want you to see his big cock.�

�His what?�

She grabbed up her housecoat from the dresser and slipped her arms into it.She said, again in a low voice, �You can see most of the living room if you stand here with the door just barely open.�

With a quick yank she lowered both shades together on the two windows to the left of the bed, plunging the bedroom into gloom.She grinned at him.�But he can�t see you.�

�Adele,� he warned softly, �don�t you dare get the idea of bringing him in with us.�

�Don�t worry.He�s more afraid of you than you are of him.�

�I doubt it.That boy is poison for you � and me, too!�

Her eyes glittered.�Not poison:opportunity.Come on to the door.�

Without waiting to see if he obeyed, open housecoat flying, she slipped through the door into the living room and pulled it almost closed behind her.He heard the floor creak as she padded barefoot across the living room carpet and the squeal of the front door hinges.By that time he was out of bed, standing naked at the edge of the door, staring through the inch-wide opening.His erection had not even had time to subside.

The figure in the open front door, limned by the daylight behind him, was a heavily freckled curly-haired lad of fourteen or fifteen in Justin�s judgment, wearing a short-sleeved shirt with horizontal stripes, shapeless blue jeans and scuffed high-top shoes.A large gray cloth bag emblazoned Daily Clarion in large Old English hung from one shoulder, its contents bulging.He sang out in the androgynous voice Justin remembered from the telephone, loud enough to be overheard from the street, �It�s Friday!Time to collect, ma�am.�He was already holding the screen door open.

�Well, come in and collect,� the woman said more quietly.

He obeyed with alacrity, smiling presumably in response to a smile from her, and closed both doors hard behind him.Standing near her, he was half a head the shorter.

�I came as quick as I could,� he explained rapidly, �but I only can stay a minute.Jeremy is meeting me at the end of the street.�

�Dicky,� she cried, suddenly furious, �that�s what you said Wednesday!�

�Well, it�s true.�His eyes narrowed.�Who�s in the car?�

�Mr. Ross.He�s sleeping in the back room.�

�The one you was talking to?What if he wakes up?�

�Don�t worry.He�s drunk.Not that it matters, if you�ve got to leave straight off ��

His face contorted.�Please, Adele, I�ve been thinking about you all day, afraid to stand up in school.Can�t you do me?It won�t take a minute.�

�You promise to mow my lawn tomorrow?�

�Yeah.First thing.And I�ll do what you like again, too.�

�Well, I�m ready.�She opened her housecoat.�Pull your pants down.�

He stared up and down within the housecoat and licked his lips.The bag of newspapers thudded on the floor.The buttons in his fly took only a moment.Jeans and underpantsfell to his knees.

Adele stood more to the side as a half-turgid penis popped into view.She took it in hand, stretched it out and snorted, �This wouldn�t stop you from standing up!�

�It�s getting hard,� he protested.�Suck on it and you�ll see.�

She took another sideways step and fell to one knee.From Justin�s vantage the two were seen in profile.The penis was already longer and thicker than his own, but just before she enclosed it in her mouth the woman complained, �Not even hard yet!�

The lad gasped at her touch and clenched his fists.Shortly he leaned sideways on the door.His hands fluttered in the air, then closed on the blond head, guiding it back and forth.

She released him and raised an annoyed face.�Quit that!You�ll mess up my hair.�

He withdrew the hands as if they had fallen on a hot stove.She glanced once in Justin�s direction, a smile on her lips, while her hand slowly drew the foreskin far back over the organ, now seen as impressive indeed.

�Come on,� the lad urged.�I�m about to come.�

She mouthed it again.Her cheeks collapsed in suction.He began to grunt and pump his hips, causing her hand to grip the shaft, obviously to limit his penetration.He groaned and his body went suddenly rigid.Justin saw her larynx bob.The lad jerked back.�God!� he cried, streaking her forehead, eyelashes and cheek with white lines.After another oath he pulled completely away, his own hand milking his last upon her carpet.

He took a deep breath and glowered at her.�Damn you!� he said, low but fierce.�I told you not to suck me dry!�

She stood up, ran a finger along her cheekbone and showed it to him.�Obviously I didn�t.�

�You were going to!�

�Don�t be silly, Dicky.What makes you think I�d want to do that?�

�You like the taste.�

She laughed and cocked her head.�You mean, you like the taste, is that it?�

He snatched up his pants.�I gotta go.�

�But you�re coming back tomorrow?�

He stared at her while buttoning his fly.�I want to make you cuss.�

�No doubt you will.�

When she had closed the door behind him, she hurried immediately back to Justin and came into his arms, thrusting her face close.�He�s right,� she admitted, �I do like the taste.You try it.�

�What makes you think I�m an androgyne?�Nevertheless he licked a white blob from her eyebrow, then smacked his lips.�Hmm.I admit it�s different.�

�Very young men,� she murmured, eyes twinkling.

�What about them?�

�Their jism is thicker, stronger, less watery.Taste the bouillon?�

�Maybe a little.�

�And they have more of it, especially when they�ve been dreaming about fucking all day.I expect I�m the first to suck him off, but I�m far from his first woman.With a cock like that they�re bound to notice him.He stops in at two other houses on this street.Already, as you saw, he�s getting impatient with me.�

�How is it that you know so much about very young men?�

�The first jism I tasted came from a man older than Bobby, the second from one about like Dicky.The difference was striking.�She found her moist bath-towel and wiped her face.

He cocked an eyebrow.�Our first two meetings:that was all an act, wasn�t it?�

�An act?�

�You played yourself down, the poor naive widow, deliberately.Why?�

�I should think that�s obvious, Mr. Ross.�

�And this talk about me being your manager.�

�No act there, sir.I need a manager.Come on back to bed.I can get it up again in no time.�

�I�m sure you can!�

She flopped backwards on the bed without waiting for him, curves jiggling wildly.She spread her legs to maximum separation and parted her labia with fingers on either side, exposing the smooth nonparturient orifice in its carmine surround.She said slyly, �Dicky put his whole fist in there.Hard to believe, isn�t it?�

�Think mine would fit?�

�Only one way to find out.Bring that salve from the night stand.�

He shook his head.�You�re a bachelor�s dream, Adele.But it�s after three.I need to get back to the office for the weekend summaries.�

�Aw!A quicky first?�

�It wouldn�t be a quicky.�

She sighed, then laughed.�Don�t forget to stagger to your car.�

With a snort he began to gather his clothing.She said, �At least tell me what you think of Dicky�s equipment.�

He chuckled.�You want me to admit I�m burned up with envy?�

�Aren�t you?�

�It depends on how you think about it.A man would be proud of one like that.It�s bound to fascinate the women, but that could also be a liability.�

She sniffed.�If you believe what you hear in powder rooms, one that big scares off as many as it attracts.�

�How reassuring to us ordinary types!�

She laughed, then added pensively, �I�ve seen a lot of cocks, but I never saw one that wouldn�t do the job.�

�Now that is reassuring!�

You�re not missing anything, Mr. Ross.�She smiled lazily.�And I think between Bobby and you and the bedpost, I won�t miss very much either.�

 

��������������������������������������������������������� ****

 

�Macy said you�ve been looking for me, sir?�

�Yes.Come in, Justin, and shut the door, will you?�

When he had complied, Dillon waved him to the seat beside the desk and snubbed out a cigarette while saying, �I suppose you know I went to see Adele again Thursday night.�

�Yes, sir.�

�Did she tell you she�s accepted a social invitation with me for tomorrow night?�

�Yes, a cocktail party.�

�I trust that meets with your approval.�

Justin shrugged.�Why shouldn�t it?�

�I don�t know.But apparently your approval is required.She calls you her manager.�

Justin nodded.�I know she does.It seems to reassure her somehow.�

Dillon smiled wryly.�Just what is this fatal hold you have on women, Justin?�

�Fatal?That�s a pretty strong word.�

�I gather it�s a pretty strong hold!�

Justin shifted in his chair.�Women are very slippery creatures.I�d say any man who thinks he has much of a grip on one had better watch for an unpleasant surprise.�

�That may be, but it�s your grip on Adele that concerns me.She refuses to move without your okay.�

�Does she!�Justin cocked his head.�I gather she told you a lot about her marriage.From what she says, her husband controlled her every move.I think that�s an exaggeration at best.He may have encouraged her along certain lines, but I have reason to believe she�s a very independent agent and probably always was.I think she likes the idea of having someone else to blame in case anything goes wrong.You�ll notice she accepted your invitation before she told me about it.�

�Provisionally.You�re saying it�s all a sham?�

�Not exactly.But I suspect if she doesn�t want to comply with some request, you�ll find her needing to wait for my approval.�

�I see.Then, since she didn�t wait, you think she really wants to go to my party?�

�Oh, I know it.She�s looking forward to it.�

�That�s good.So am I�Justin, she is a most remarkable woman.�

�Yes, she is.�

�Educated and refined, but you�d never know it during sex.What a combination!I�ll admit I�m strongly taken with her.How well do you know her?�

Justin mulled his answer briefly and found defiance to be a component of his reaction.So he said, �About as well as you do, sir.�

The officer�s eyes narrowed.He took a breath.�An honest answer, I believe.All right.I intend to see a lot more of her.I�d like to be the only one who sees her, except on my authorization.�He smiled grimly.�I guess I�d like to be her �manager.�Do you know any way it could be arranged?�

�You might try telling her that.I wouldn�t stand in your path.But I have to warn you:I don�t think a legal way exists to keep her away from other men.�

Dillon stared into the distance and sighed.�That agrees with some things she told me.�His gaze settled on Justin.�Whom else does she � welcome?�

�Regularly?Only myself.I think.�

�I can tolerate you.Will you � let me know if you contemplate introducing another man regularly?�

It was Justin�s turn to sigh.�Mr. Dillon, let me restate that in fact I have essentially no control over her.It seems otherwise, I think, because so far my proposals have agreed with her desires.�

Dillon nodded.�I understand that.Nevertheless will you let me know?�

�All right.So long as you remain attentive.�

�That�s likely to be a very long time, Justin.Thank you.�He leaned back in his chair.�What does she have to say about me?�

�She likes you, says you like her, hopes to get you to do as her husband did.�Justin smiled and shook his head.�I�m not much at playing Cupid.�

The officer nodded.�I expect she�ll get whatever she wants from me.�

�Don�t they from all of us?�