House of Temptations

by Yvonne Strickland

  She drew hard on the cigarette and exhaled a long wisp of blue smoke up into the sunshade. 'If anyone had asked me to do anything like that last year, I'd have run a bloody mile, you know that. I'll say it to you because you understand. It gave me a buzz. What I mean is, if the chance came up again I wouldn't say no. And - er, I was really scared at times. That's what worries me - what I wanted to tell you - that being scared made it exciting.'

  There's nothing wrong with that is there, sweetie? It's why people go to see horror movies or take rides on the big dipper.'

  'Don't talk to me about horror movies, Angie. At one point I thought it was the real thing.'

  Angela smiled and squeezed her hand.

  it sounds to me as though you were thrown in at the deep end. Still, here you are fresh as a daisy. Perhaps next time we have visitors you can muck in again.'

  'Quite, yes. Talking about visitors,' said Karen stubbing out the cigarette, 'do you know who's back here in a couple of days?'

  'No, I've heard nothing. Who?'

  'Carlene and Rodolfo.'

  That's great! I didn't think we'd be seeing them until the fashion show in September. Sonia must have something planned. Who knows, you might get another chance sooner than you thought!'

  'Yes,' answered Karen, i might, mightn't I?'

  Rose did not approach the chalet, she simply took a short cut and rejoined the main drive further along on its curve towards the road. She already knew where Mike was. Keeping her eyes and ears open was a habit which had long ago become second nature.

  He saw Rose leave the driveway and pause to remove her shoes. Her slim figure approached him and he leant back in the wooden seat, putting aside the magazine and moving away his discarded shirt to leave an empty space. He recalled the first time he had seen her, the night when she had been caught swimming in the pool whilst she was on the run from the police. Her hair had been long then; almost down to her waist. Now it was short and boyish but he found her no less appealing. 'What's brought you here?' He smiled.

  i was out for a walk,' she answered, folding her arms before him. i saw you down here. I wondered what you were doing.'

  i'm supposed to be painting these seats as it happens.'

  She looked down at the two wooden benches and smiled. 'But as it happens, you haven't got around to it yet.' She sat down close beside him, crossed her legs and tugged down the hem of the lurex mini-skirt. 'Well I'm not wanting to hold you up. I'll sit here for a couple of minutes and then shove off. Er, you don't happen to have a cigarette do you?'

  i've given up,' he answered, slipping his arm along the back of the seat behind her. He could smell her perfume and feel the heat of her body despite the warmth of the sun.

  She clasped her hands about her knee and though she remained gazing ahead, was aware of his eyes glancing at her breasts and legs. She smiled up at him as his hand touched her shoulder. 'Shall I be off then, as you're so busy?'

  'There's no hurry.' He smiled back. His hand moved over her shoulder and squeezed the top of her arm.

  She turned her face to him and her eyes widened. 'I think there's a creepy crawly in your hair,' she said, reaching up and stroking with her fingers above and around his ear.

  'You could be right,' he breathed, as their lips met. He pulled her around with his other arm. She uncrossed her legs and twisted about to face him, circling an arm about his neck.

  'You're a good bloke you are, Mike,' she whispered. 'I like you.'

  'You're a lovely lady, Rose,' he breathed in her ear. 'I like you too.'

  'Nobody ever called me one of them before; a lady, I mean.'

  With both arms around him, she ran her fingers about his neck and the base of his spine. He held her tightly, his lips moving from her mouth to her ear, his hand discovering its inevitable way inside her T-shirt. He felt her warm hard nipples. Rose moved her hand down over his jeans and squeezed his thigh but kept her thumb hard against the root of his penis. She felt his arousal through the coarse material. Their lips moved apart and he looked aside.

  'What's the matter?' she whispered, pulling him back.

  'Rose, we're on full view here. We can't -'

  'Never mind Mike, there's no one about.'

  Since their encounter at the chalet, he had come to appreciate that a lack of initiative was not one of Rose's faults. She began to pull on his belt and released its buckle.

  'Rose!' he hissed. 'Not here!'

  He got to his feet and helped her up. With their arms tightly about each other they walked around the group of trees to the far side. There, the grass was cool and soft, and the ground shaded from the bright sun. They kissed for a moment before he pulled up the T-shirt and eased it over her head, releasing her breasts into the warm air. Her hands at once fell to the front of his jeans, where the top button offered little resistance and the zip fastener even less. He had already kicked off his shoes when the jeans were pushed down about his knees, so their complete removal was, if a little undignified as such acts are, at least rapidly accomplished. The thin material of his cotton shorts proved no obstacle to his burgeoning erection, nor did the elasticated waist to the entry of her hand; the voltage of her cool touch as the fingers closed about him, caused a sharp intake of breath. He at once reached around her waist to find the zip fastener at the rear of the skirt, but this eluded him as she fell to her knees, dragging down the shorts as she went until they were about his ankles. He was hardly able to rid himself of them before her lips enveloped the head of his engorged penis, one hand circling the root of the shaft whilst the other held his testicles in their cool embrace. For a time, he stood with his legs a little apart and his hands on her hair, watching each ecstatic back and forth movement of her head, feeling the currents raging in his loins. He closed his eyes, not wishing anything to cause him the slightest distraction.

  'Rosie,' he groaned. 'Rosie, I'm going to ...'

  But she knew his orgasm was near and pulled back to leave him glistening and eager, like an arrow about to spring from a steel bow. She stood up quickly; smiling, she turned aside and released her skirt. Mike, aware that she had so far taken the initiative moved quickly to her and, slipping his fingers beneath the elastic of her small black briefs, lost no time in removing them from her and casting them aside. He turned her around, not to face him, but so that he held her from the rear, with his lips upon her neck and his hands cupping her breasts. The head of his penis reared and thrust hotly into the softness of her behind, pushing forward beneath her anus until it reached the moist and inviting prize of her sex. She closed her eyes and pushed herself back against him so that he partially entered her, chafing and butting between the inflamed lips with frenzied impatience. He squeezed her as in a vice, attempting to penetrate her where they stood, his pelvis moving back and forth against the yielding softness.

  Neither of them cared for anything other than their lust. She twisted about in his arms and squeezed her thighs upon the aching shaft, then they both fell upon the grass. He thrust deep into her, as she pushed up her knees and crossed her legs over his back. He raised himself up to strike more deeply and vigorously, lifting her behind clear of the grass. Both were determined to triumph in this joust of love and the world beyond their own bodies had ceased to exist. The circuits closed for them both at the same time and the currents surged through their loins. Rose let out a sobbing cry as her body shook and his groans signalled his own release.

  'I don't want to move,' she sighed, i could stay here all day.'

  'Well, I can't,' he said, leaning over and kissing her.

  'Not even for a few minutes?'

  if you want to talk,' he said, pulling on his jeans, 'come around to the other side and chat whilst I get on with my work.1

  She got up and began to pull on her own clothes, bending down to kiss him as he knelt to fix his shoes.

  'I think I'm getting a bit soft Mike, if you know what I mean.'

  'No Rosie, I don't,' he answered.

  'Well, I mean, we get on a
ll right don't we? You like me, don't you?'

  'Rosie, of course I do. I like everyone here.'

  They walked back into the sunlight and Rose began, 'No, I didn't mean it like that. I mean you . ..'

  Her words trailed off into silence. On the seat, browsing through his magazine, sat Cheryl, and on her lap, curled into a ginger ball was Pancake, the cat.

  'Ah-ha,' breathed Mike.

  'Oh, bloody hell,' groaned Rose behind him.

  Cheryl laid aside the magazine and tickled the cat behind the ear, causing him to push back his head, squeeze shut his eyes and lift up a paw.

  'Well now, Pancake,' she said glancing up without expression at Mike and Rose, then returning her attentions to the cat, look at these wicked people. What are we going to do with them?'

  The cat yawned and regarded the two with its yellow eyes for a moment before closing them once more.

  i suppose we're in trouble,' said Mike.

  'We haven't done nothing,' muttered Rose. Tell her, we haven't!'

  'Don't bother,' said Cheryl coolly, it really isn't worth it.'

  'Look,' said Mike, 'it's not doing anybody any harm, is it? There's no need to tell Sonia.'

  'Mike,' replied Cheryl with austere self control, if you want her to move in with you and she agrees, we'll put it to Sonia. Until then there are rules. And if you are going to break the rules, at least don't be stupid enough to make it this obvious!'

  'What are you going to do?' asked Rose.

  'We won't discuss that now,' replied Cheryl, lifting up and putting aside the cat, 'but just consider yourself very fortunate that Pauline is no longer with us. If she was, you wouldn't be sitting down again for a week or having your hair grow back!'

  'Well,' said Rose, pushing her arm into Mike's, 'if it's going to solve all the problem, I don't mind moving in with him. What d'you say, Mike?'

  He looked from Rose to Cheryl with an expression of amused disquiet, then back to Rose. 'Now, wait! Let's not starting making plans about anything concerning me. I don't want to rock the boat with Sonia.'

  Rose pulled her arm away and fixed her eyes on the ground. Cheryl stood up and regarded her. Mike regarded Cheryl. Only two of the girls resident at the house had so far not fallen prey to his attentions. One was Valerie and the other stood before him. He was not entirely sure about Valerie's attitude towards men. In the case of Cheryl, he had fewer doubts, though the prospect of her being able to ascertain his thoughts through his expression caused him to quickly shift his gaze to the wooden seat and the two unopened cans of paint on the grass next to it.

  'Be at my door by two fifteen,' said Cheryl, eyeing Rose.

  Rose remained silent.

  'Rose! Have you gone deaf?'

  'No, I haven't,' mumbled Rose. 'Two fifteen.'

  'Prompt!' added Cheryl. 'Now off you go!'

  Rose picked up her shoes and walked away; not towards the driveway but across the fields and directly towards the house. She did not look back.

  'Try to show a bit of responsibility will you, Mike,' said Cheryl. 'You know what a tearaway she was when she arrived here. Well, she's got a home base now and made friends with people. If she gets involved with you it's going to cause problems.'

  'Cheryl!' he protested. 'It wasn't my fault, was it? I didn't know she was going to head this way. Anyhow, I'm only human like the rest of you.'

  'Oh yes, I know that, Mike,' she said coolly. 'I know that only too well.'

  He looked into her eyes for a few seconds. She seemed to read his thoughts. 'You'd better carry on with your job, hadn't you Mike. I'm sure Sonia will be around at some point to check your handiwork.'

  'Why are you looking so serious?' asked Jackie, pausing over a glass of orange.

  'Oh, I'm in the shit again,' answered Rose.

  Tut, tut, Rosie: language,' said Jackie with more than a hint of disapproval and a brief glance about the conservatory to see if any of the half a dozen or so people about them had overheard.

  'Sorry,' answered Rose, looking down at the untouched tuna and lettuce sandwich in front of her, 'but I'm in it anyway.'

  'Want to tell me about it?'

  Rose leant forward and lowered her voice. 'It was Cheryl this morning. She caught me and Mike together.'

  'So what's wrong with being caught together,' asked Jackie, putting the straw to her lips.

  'No stupid,' hissed Rose, glancing about furtively. 'We was at it!'

  The liquid in the glass was still diminishing as Jackie's eyes blinked wide open. Suddenly her cheeks bulged and she grabbed for a serviette. At the same time she rattled the glass down upon the table and coughed uncontrollably. A quantity of orange juice spluttered from her mouth and spattered across the table before she could get the tissue up to prevent it. Everyone in the room turned around as Jackie, her face close to the table and burning red, continued to cough and convulse with uncontrollable laughter, the tears, mixing with the orange juice, streaming down her cheeks and nose. Rose watched as Valerie got up from nearby and hurried over to put an arm about Jackie's shoulders. 'Are you all right deary?' she asked, lifting Jackie upright.

  Jackie gasped, still red in the face, and tried to catch her breath.

  With some effort she managed to compose herself and stared for a moment with watery eyes at the bewildered Rose before snorting with laughter again. Jackie's laughter had become infectious and several others had begun to laugh as well.

  'You wouldn't like to share the joke, would you?' asked Valerie.

  'Don't you dare!' responded Rose.

  'No, no - it's nothing really,' said Jackie as she wiped her eyes with the damp serviette.

  i didn't think it was funny at all!' Rose glared as Valerie left them.

  'Rose,' answered Jackie, pressing her hands to the sides of her face and sniffing, 'it's the funniest thing I've heard for ages! What did Cheryl say?'

  'Not a lot,' answered Rose, 'except I have to go and see her at quarter past two. I suppose I'm in for it now.'

  That makes two of us,' said Jackie, i have to be up there dead on two.'

  'What d'you mean? Why?'

  'Well I was playing at being maid this morning and knocked that poxy old imitation Greek vase over. I know she didn't like it, otherwise I'd have been more careful, but it went all over the place and took me ages to clear up the mess.'

  'You ought to be more careful,' chided Rose.

  'Listen who's talking!' responded Jackie. 'At least I haven't been caught at it with Mike yet.'

  'No, you haven't, but it was probably more fun than breaking an old vase. What's she going to do with us?'

  'Your guess is as good as mine, Rosie. Probably keep us confined for the rest of the afternoon I suppose. But something you'd better do whilst you've still got time is to use the toilet and the bidet, unless you don't mind it being done for you!'

  'You're quite a girl, aren't you Rose?' said Cheryl.

  Rose stood before the desk with her arms by her sides, i don't see what you mean.'

  'Of course you do! You've been involved in a robbery and goodness knows what else. You were living off our supplies before we caught you and you have shown quite a lot of initiative since, including letting yourself in and out through locked doors and -'

  'Here, how did you know?' cut in Rose

  'Never mind how, Rose; I just do. Let's say you're not as careful as you ought to be - like this morning. You have to learn to be discrete. That is very important! Even Jackie manages that a lot of the time. And when she doesn't, she knows what she could be in for.'

  'So, what about this morning?"

  That must not happen again, Rose; never!"

  'But it"s not just me that"s --*'

  'No Rose, Fm sure it isn"t; life is not like that. The difference is that you were found out, you were that obvious."

  'Cheryl, look, Fm sorry; honest," said Rose quietly. 'I, er, fancy Mike a bit, that's all."

  'Rose, Fm sure he"d be very flattered to hear you say it. But be realistic, he"s
almost twice your age and you're no doubt influenced by the fact that he's the only man available here most of the time." Cheryl arose from the chair. 'Go and sit down over there," she said, indicating the green leather easy chairs and two-seater by the window. Rose stepped across the room and eased herself into one of the chairs.

  'Do you want a glass of sherry?" asked Cheryl.

  'Yes, but I thought I

  'I know what you thought Rose, but never mind for now. We have to talk.'

  She returned from the drinks cabinet holding two glasses of amontillado and sat opposite Rose. 'Now," she said, handing the glass over. 'You have been here long enough to know everyone and to understand fully what we are about. I know how upset you were over your hair and I know that should not have happened to you and Jackie. But it"s growing back nicely and you don't need to hide or wear a wig. Meanwhile you've had plenty of fun and been paid for it. And here's the point of all this, Rose; we need to decide where we go from here. You were given a similar decision once before, when we first met you; now you have it again."

  Rose did not speak, but sipped from the glass and looked intently at Cheryl.

  'You need a job, Rose. You need to be one of us: one of the girls. It means playing roles. You"ve done it before, whether you realised it or not, so Fm not suggesting anything frighteningly new. The difference will be that what you do will be more regulated and planned ahead. If you feel that is not acceptable then nobody will force you to remain with us. Do you want to say anything at this point?"

  Rose looked into the amber contents of the glass, i don't want to leave,' she said quietly, i like the people, the house and, what you said is true, I've had a lot of fun. Perhaps, if you just go on with what you were saying.'

  'All right. You and Jackie: I know you're good friends and you make a good pair. But you're quite different in important ways. You have initiative and aggression. Jackie isn't like that. 1 know she likes to show off, and you'll see that clearly enough when Carlene and Rodolfo turn up -'

  'Who?' interrupted Rose.

  'Oh, if she hasn't mentioned them to you yet, ask Jackie. As I was saying, you're different. Jackie is a born submissive. You must know that. She's a masochist. Do you know what a masochist is, Rose?'