‘Feels a lot better,’ he admitted. He straightened up and sighed. Helen returned his drink. He polished it off. ‘A little embarrassing, though, I guess.’
‘Don’t worry about it,’ Cora said. ‘Nothing shows.’
‘Still,’ Finley said, ‘he’s the only one here without his clothes on. That would be embarrassing. I bet Rick would feel a whole lot less embarrassed if he weren’t the only one. ’ She set aside her drink and began to unbutton her red flannel shirt.
Rick gaped at her.
‘Finley,’ Abilene murmured. ‘Jeez.’
Finley gave her a quick smile. She pulled off her shirt. ‘You don’t mind, do you, Rick?’
His head shook slightly from side to side. The towel across his lap was suddenly rising like a tent, and he crossed his legs in an effort to conceal the growing bulge.
‘Am I the only one doing this?’ Finley asked as she pulled off one of her sneakers. ‘Come on, gang. Get with the program.’
‘It is awfully hot in here,’ Helen said. Her crimson face disappeared inside her sweatshirt. A moment later, the sweatshirt was off.
Abilene couldn’t believe it. Timid Helen, always so self-conscious because of her weight.
At least she’s wearing a bra, Abilene thought. It’ll probably stay on, too.
Rick glanced at Helen. She gave him a sheepish smile. His return smile looked a bit forced. He turned to Abilene as if to see what she might be taking off.
Abilene just shook her head.
Finley was working on her shoes and socks. He checked Cora. She sat on the swivel chair, arms folded across her chest. ‘Not me,’ she said. ‘I’m married.’
He looked ashamed. Accused. ‘I didn’t mean you should,’ he said, a note of pleading in his voice. ‘This is all… strange.’
Vivian, not saying a word, got up and stepped past the others and walked away toward the rear of the camper.
That’s what I should do, Abilene thought. Walk away. All this is just too weird.
But she couldn’t move. She sat there, a little breathless, heart pounding hard, ashamed but fascinated and excited.
God, I hope Harris never finds out about this.
I’m not doing anything, she told herself. And I won’t. I won’t.
Finley slipped her jeans down her legs. She kicked her feet free, then leaned back, naked, and patted her thighs. ‘Don’t you feel a lot better?’ she asked Rick, ‘now that you’re not the only one?’
His head bobbed. He squirmed on his seat. He darted his eyes this way and that, either hoping for others to join the party or trying not to stare at her.
‘You look nervous,’ Finley said. ‘Why don’t you have another drink?’
Before he could respond, Helen took his glass. He watched while she went to the table and made his drink and brought it back to him. ‘Thanks,’ he murmured. His hand shook badly. He took a sip as Helen sat down beside him. ‘I… I really should get going.’
‘Don’t you like it here?’ Finley asked.
‘I don’t know. Nothing like this… it’s like I’m dreaming, or something.’
‘A good dream, I hope.’ Finley slid her hands slowly up her thighs and over her hips and up her belly. She cupped the undersides of her breasts. Her thumbs stroked her nipples. She spread her knees wide apart.
Groaning, Rick writhed and looked away.
‘Stop teasing him,’ Cora said.
‘Who’s teasing?’ Finley asked. She stood up, stepped through the pile of discarded clothing, and stopped in front of Rick. He gazed at her. He was gasping for air, blinking.
Finley took the plastic glass from his hand. She gave it to Helen. He made only a feeble attempt to hold on to the towel when she plucked it away. Before he could cover himself with his hands, she took him by the wrists.
She drew him forward, guided him down to his knees, placed his hands on her breasts, then gripped his shoulders as she slowly squatted and impaled herself.
My God, Abilene thought. Oh, my God.
It seemed unreal, impossible. It seemed inevitable.
Right here in front of us all.
Except Vivian.
Sank right down on it. Planted it into her. Abilene could almost feel the thick hardness inside herself, slick and thrusting.
It was over very fast, but it wasn’t over. They started squirming together in the narrow aisle, kissing and squeezing and groping.
I could be next, Abilene thought.
No. No no no.
There’s Harris. It wouldn’t be worth the guilt.
Besides, Helen obviously intended to be next. She’d already unleashed her breasts. They were swaying wildly as she struggled to get out of her pants and underwear.
Soon, Rick was sandwiched between Helen and Finley.
‘Join the fun,’ Finley gasped.
Cora, looking dazed, got up from her swivel chair and stared down at the writhing bodies. ‘I need some fresh air,’ she said. She turned away and went out the front door.
‘Come on, Hickok. You’re not married yet.’
Rick pushed into Helen. She let out a shaky whimper.
‘More the merrier,’ Rick gasped, and plunged deeper into Helen.
Abilene could feel it.
She wanted it.
She realized she was squirming and her hand was inside her blouse, kneading her breast.
Nobody’ll ever know but us.
She stood above the thrashing bodies and unbuttoned her blouse and took it off and strained her arms up behind her back to release the catches of her bra and the wrongness of it all struck her with numbing force.
Rick was a kid. A big kid and they’d lured him into their camper and given him booze and seduced him. He never knew what hit him.
He doesn’t seem to be complaining, she told herself.
But that didn’t make it any better.
And even if Harris never found out, she would know. She would have to live with the guilt.
Abilene put on her blouse and hurried down the aisle to the rear of the camper.
Vivian was there, lying on a cushioned bench with her knees up, hands folded on her belly.
‘You’re missing out on the orgy,’ Abilene said, and sat down across from her. ‘You got out of there just in time.’
‘Avoiding temptation.’
‘He’s a good-looking guy.’
‘I noticed. Christ. Are they all at him?’
‘Finley and Helen. Cora went outside.’
‘I guess I can’t blame Helen much. I mean, she doesn’t have much luck with guys. Finley, though. Sometimes I wonder about her.’
‘She can get a little nuts.’
There was a knock on the back door. Abilene got up and opened it. Cora climbed aboard.
They sat down.
‘How come you didn’t join the party?’ she asked Abilene.
‘Not my style.’
‘You looked like you were getting awfully homy.’
‘Yeah, well. Guess it was contagious.’
‘I’ll say. Shit. Helen sure caught it. I thought she’d fallen in love with that Frank guy. How can you be in love and drop your pants for a stranger?’
How, indeed? Abilene thought. I came damn close, myself.
‘Just lost control,’ she muttered.
‘If this sort of stuff’s gonna start happening, I’m not so sure we should keep on having our little adventures. Hell, maybe we oughta just go home.’
‘This is the first time things’ve really gotten out of hand,’ Vivian told her.
‘It’s once too often.’
‘We could’ve stopped it,’ Abilene said.
‘But we didn’t. That’s what worries me. We all went along with it. We let it happen. ’
‘I don’t think we should call it quits and go home, though,’ Abilene said. ‘Let’s just keep a tighter reign on things from now on.’
‘Keep Finley away from men,’ Vivian added.
‘Though, actually,’ Abilene said, and hesitate
d. From the front of the camper, she heard grunts and quiet laughter. ‘I know we really abused the kid…’
‘Raped him is more like it,’ Cora said.
‘But, honestly, I think he’s having the time of his life.’
‘He’ll be back first thing in the morning,’ Finley said when the others returned to the front of the camper. She seemed chipper as she stepped into her jeans. ‘I think he was disappointed you three woosed out. But tomorrow’s another day.’
Helen, her naked body draped by the towel, was sprawled on one of the cushions, gazing at the ceiling. She looked grim. ‘We shouldn’t have done it,’ she muttered.
‘Oh, lighten up. It was a blast. The guy thought he’d died and gone to heaven.’
The next morning, Rick didn’t show up.
‘Probably hung over,’ Finley said. ‘I’ll go find him.’
‘Don’t,’ Cora said. ‘Just leave him alone.’
Finley flapped a hand at her, then headed off into the fog and vanished.
The others caught up with her.
‘You’re not going after him alone,’ Vivian said.
‘And you’re not going to touch him,’ Abilene added.
‘Gimme a break.’
They wandered up the dirt road.
They found tire marks where his pick-up truck had been. They found a mat of drying vomit. But the pick-up was gone.
They didn’t quit and go home.
After the fog lifted that morning, they went to the shore. Abilene stood on the beach, watching while Cora experimented with her surfboard. Vivian sunbathed in her new bikini. Helen, stretched out beside Vivian, read a new William M. Carney paperback. Finley wandered off down the beach by herself. She climbed an outcropping that jutted into the ocean, and sat down on its summit. And stayed there.
Finally, Abilene climbed the rocks and stood beside her. ‘Mind some company?’ she asked.
‘Pull up a chair.’
She sat down. A crashing wave hurled up spray that showered the outcropping just below them.
‘It’s neat here,’ Abilene said.
Finley looked at her. The usual mischief was missing from her eyes. ‘Am I a real jerk?’ she asked.
‘Most of the time.’
‘You know what I mean.’
‘Yeah.’
‘I just couldn’t help it. You know? The minute I saw Rick, all I could think about was getting him to fuck me. Nothing else mattered. Just something about the guy. Now everybody’s pissed at me.’
‘I think we’re pissed at ourselves, too. Especially Helen.’
‘Shit, she wanted him as bad as I did.’
‘I have a feeling we all wanted him.’
‘Well, it’s not gonna happen again. No more guys for me. Not on this trip anyway.’
‘Not worth the guilt?’
The old, normal gleam appeared in Finley’s eyes. ‘You’ve gotta be kidding me. It was worth the guilt and then some. It was tremendous. But if I tried something like that again, you guys would probably trounce me.’
Abilene smiled. ‘Probably.’
‘I just don’t wanta get myself trounced. Especially not by my best friends.’
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Finley, shoulder deep in the small pool, glanced from Jim to Cora. ‘If we get enough booze into our friend here, we won’t have to worry about him running off. We might even be able to untie him for a while.’
‘Get him stumble-down drunk, you mean?’ Cora asked. ‘Exactly. Anaesthetize him.’
‘Forget it,’ Cora said. ‘I know what you’re thinking. It isn’t gonna happen.’
Finley’s face darkened. ‘What isn’t gonna happen?’
‘You know damn well.’
‘Oh, real nice. Real nice. Helen’s fuckin’ dead and you think I’ve got the hots for our friendly local hillbilly? For all we know, he’s the bastard that did it.’
‘It weren’t me,’ Jim muttered.
‘Sure, sure.’
‘I just wanta help ya.’
‘And he won’t be much help to us if we get him bombed,’ Vivian pointed out.
‘Why not? We’re just gonna use him for bait. He doesn’t have to be sober for that. Doesn’t even have to be alive.’
Jim raised his head slightly. He looked at Finley as if she’d just told him there wouldn’t be a Christmas this year.
‘That kind of talk isn’t necessary,’ Abilene said. ‘Jeez, Fin.’
‘We’re not going to do anything to you,’ Vivian assured Jim.
He tried to smile, but it was a miserable attempt. ‘She might,’ he said.
‘Dum tootin’,’ Finley said. ‘You just never know about the crazy Fin-man. Loses her head, she does. Maybe she’ll try to fuck you. Maybe she’ll kill you for kicks. You just never know.’ She bared her teeth like a lunatic grinning or ready to bite. ‘Neither do they. They all know I’m mad. No tellin’ what I might do.’
‘Cut it out,’ Abilene told her. ‘It’s not funny.’
‘Of course not,’ Finley said. ‘Madness is serious business. Deadly serious,’ she blurted. And bolted from her seat and charged through the water and reached up for Jim, yelling, ignoring the shouts of her friends.
Jim’s mouth fell open. His eyes bulged. He tried to drop away from her, but she sprang up in front of him and grabbed the rope at his chest and tugged. With a gasp, he jerked forward and plunged off the ledge. Finley disappeared beneath him as water exploded.
Abilene flung herself into the pool. Currents from the thrashing bodies buffeted her legs. Ducking below the surface, she saw Finley and Jim tumbling in a froth of bubbles. Finley, on top, shoved the kid toward the bottom by his rope suspender and the waistband of his cut-offs. He could do nothing but kick and squirm and shake his head. There was terror in his eyes.
Abilene grabbed Finley by the hair and pulled, dragging her head up.
Finley blew a spray of water from her lips. She blinked at Abilene. Her shirt had lost buttons in the struggle with Batty, and now it hung off her left shoulder, exposing her breast.
‘Let him up!’ Abilene snapped.
‘Join the fun, Hickok.’
Abilene slapped her hard across the face.
An arm darted up, flinging water, and Finley’s fist hammered Abilene’s cheek. The blow snapped her head sideways. She staggered backward a step and started to fall. Finley lunged at her. She cringed, expecting another punch, but Finley grabbed the front of her blouse with both hands and a rough yank stopped her fall.
‘You okay?’ Finley gasped.
Behind her, Vivian jumped into the pool.
‘You hit me,’ Abilene said.
‘You hit me.’
‘Knock it off,’ Cora snapped. ‘For Godsake. Give Vivian a hand.’
They both looked at Vivian. Who’d refused to let the pool water touch her since hearing Helen’s story about the headless body. But who’d jumped in to help Jim and was now completely submerged.
As they waded toward her, she broke the surface. She pulled Jim up by the same rope Finley had used to haul him off his perch. His emerged face first. Water spewed from his mouth.
Vivian scowled at Finley. ‘Just stay there. Haven’t you done enough?’
Finley didn’t come back with a crack. All she did was lift her shirt back onto her shoulder.
Vivian helped Jim to his feet. He stood in front of her, gasping and coughing. She put her arms around him. She drew him against her and patted his back. ‘It’s all right,’ she soothed him. ‘You’ll be all right.’ Still embracing him, she looked over her shoulder at Abilene. ‘Come over here and untie his hands.’
‘Hey!’ Finley blurted. ‘Fuck that!’
Abilene ignored her. She made her way through the water and stepped behind Jim. She fingered the rope around his wrists and began to pluck at the knot.
‘Don’t do it,’ Finley warned.
‘Go ahead,’ Cora said.
‘Are you nuts! ’
‘I’m not gonna leave h
im tied up,’ Abilene said, ‘so you can jump him every time you get the urge.’
The knot loosened. Jim worked his hands free and Abilene lifted the twisted rope out of the water.
He put his arms around Vivian.
‘Isn’t that sweet,’ Finley muttered.
Abilene tossed the rope out of the pool. She stepped backward and sank down onto the submerged shelf. She fingered her face, wincing as she touched the knot of swelling at her cheekbone.
Finley didn’t do this to me, she realized. It had been Batty’s work with the skull.
But Finley had struck her in the same place.
It felt hot and sore.
I hit her first, she told herself. I had it coming.
As she gently rubbed the sore lump, it occurred to her that Finley, though right-handed, had punched her with the left. Just a matter of convenience? she wondered. Or had Finley swung with the left to spare her a stronger punch?
If she was taking it easy on me, why’d she use a fist?
Finley sat down beside Abilene. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I’ll live.’
They both watched Vivian and Jim. They were still embracing. Jim was breathing hard, but no longer coughing.
‘Sorry I slugged you,’ Finley said.
‘I hit you first. I’m sorry, too. But what were you doing, trying to drown him?’
Finley didn’t answer for a while. Then she muttered, ‘I don’t know.’
Then Vivian eased Jim away from her. He didn’t resist. She guided him to the side of the pool, and he lowered himself onto the shelf. Vivian sat next to him.
Meeting Finley’s eyes, she shook her head.
‘Okay, I was a bad little girl,’ Finley said. ‘So crucify me.’
‘Just leave him alone from now on,’ Vivian said.
‘We’ve got enough to worry about,’ Cora added, ‘without having to keep an eye on you.’
‘Yeah. Right.’ Finley climbed out of the pool. Without another word or a look back, she started striding away toward the corner of the lodge. Her sneakers made squelching sounds.
Or yellow foot, Abilene thought, and felt a rush of sadness.
‘Where are you going?’ she called.
‘That’s my business.’
‘Come on back. Jeez.’
Finley kept walking.
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