She produced a half-bottle of sherry – too sweet – and he sat and watched television while she pottered about in the kitchen.
She prepared a delicious dinner with which they drank cheap Spanish wine. ‘I brought it back from my holiday last year,’ she said proudly.
After dinner she was obviously a little tipsy. ‘I don’t usually drink,’ she said with a giggle.
He was also slightly drunk, having consumed half the bottle of wine and most of the sherry before dinner. His attention was riveted to the television screen. The Beauty Maid commercial was on, and there was Claudia in her bath. Familiar sharp pull in his groin.
‘Oh, Mr. Cooper, our commercial.’ Miss Field sat quickly down beside him on the couch.
He felt the nearness of a leg beside him and rested his hand on her thigh. She shrieked, and before he knew it, her arms were around his neck and she was pulling his mouth toward the thin red line. They kissed, and as Claudia vanished from the screen so his desire vanished with her. But it was too late. Miss Field was already in action. All in the space of seconds, she leaped up, turned the light off, wriggled out of her cardigan, and was back beside him. ‘My dearest, I am yours,’ she said. ‘I have waited for this moment too long.’
He couldn’t believe it. The whole thing was ludicrous.
She lay back expectantly, quivering.
What should he do? She was a good secretary. He didn’t want to lose her. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings.
She was getting impatient. ‘David, my dearest, come to me. I am not afraid.’
He took a deep breath and ran his hands tentatively across her bosom. There was no bosom!
Coyly she said, ‘I know I am not well endowed, but there is fire in my loins.’
Oh, my God! he thought. What am I getting into?
Tired of waiting, she locked her hands behind his head and pulled his mouth down on hers.
This is a bloody nightmare, he thought. But as her tongue worked on his mouth so his body started to respond, and soon he was ready.
She was angular, bony, and surprisingly strong. She managed to get his pants and shorts off and then her mouth was travelling down his body and she was kissing him, and suddenly it was all over for him in a huge, shaking, furious bout of passion. He screamed, but she didn’t stop, sending him into a frenzy. A shudder enveloped her and at last she was still.
They lay in silence – his body sprawled across her at an angle. He could hardly believe what had just taken place. Placid, timid Miss Field Mouse certainly knew what she was doing.
He went and locked himself in the bathroom. His body was covered in red weals where her fingers had dug into him. She was a hot bitch!
When he returned to the room, her cardigan was back on, and she was primly clearing the dishes. She avoided looking at him as he stepped into his shorts and pants.
‘Would you like coffee before you go, Mr. Cooper?’ she said. Her voice was controlled, only a slight flush across her cheeks indicating what had just taken place.
‘Er, no, thank you, Miss Field.’ He took his cue from her. ‘I really must be on my way.’
‘I do hope we can do this again,’ she said evenly.
‘Yes.’ He hesitated. ‘Well, good-bye, then. See you at the office tomorrow.’
‘Good-bye, Mr. Cooper. See you tomorrow.’
Out in the street he heaved a big sigh. He would have to get rid of her. To have her working with him at the office every day would be a horrible reminder. Next time he would get a pretty secretary – just on the chance he should ever be thrown into an experience like this again.
He thought about Linda with wry longing. He was ready to go home.
* * *
‘Linda, darling! You look positively stunning! So slim, so young! This divorce business certainly agrees with you.’ Monica led Linda into the living room. ‘It’s an interesting crowd tonight. No married couples – Jack and I decided it would be more fun. Now let me introduce you.’
There were perhaps twelve people sitting and standing around. Linda recognized Monica’s brother, a dress designer. He was with a short, squat woman wearing a very unsuitable silk pajama suit.
‘That’s Princess Lorenz Alvaro with Rodney,’ whispered Monica. ‘Exciting, isn’t it?’
Linda had never heard of Princess Alvaro, and she didn’t see what was so exciting about it, as Rodney was gay.
She was soon chatting quietly to a doctor. A tall and pleasant man. Before they had finished one martini he had invited her to dinner the following evening, and she thought, why not? So she accepted. He was fairly attractive and seemed most taken with her. Definitely a nice man, not a David type at all.
More people arrived, and Linda found herself wedged in a corner, while the doctor told her a long involved story about a patient of his with yellow jaundice. It was rather boring. She smiled politely and wished she hadn’t accepted his dinner invitation. Doctor or not, he had a severe case of bad breath.
Idly she glanced around the room. Then she saw Jay and she straightened up, smoothed down her dress, and touched her hair. He hadn’t seen her. He was talking to Rodney and Princess Alvaro, and then he was joined by the blond girl who had been in the lobby of the Dorchester the day they had lunched. The blond looked even prettier now in a crisp white pant suit, her hair tied on top of her head with a white ribbon. Jay put his arm around her, and she smiled up at him.
Linda looked away. The doctor droned on.
Monica announced that a cold buffet was being served in the other room.
‘I am hungry,’ Linda said pointedly.
‘Good heavens,’ said the doctor, ‘I must have been boring you stiff. Let’s go and eat.’ He took her possessively by the elbow and steered her into the other room, where she bumped straight into Jay.
He balanced two plates of food which almost fell. ‘Linda!’ He sounded pleased.
‘Jay,’ she said, affecting the same tone.
‘Where have you been?’
‘In the country with the children.’
‘You look terrific.’
Did I look so terrible before? she wondered. ‘Thank you.’ She couldn’t help grinning stupidly.
They stood and smiled at each other, and then the doctor’s grip tightened and he said, ‘We’d better get our food.’
‘Oh, yes.’ Linda’s heart was beating fast.
‘See you in a minute,’ Jay said. He winked and imitated an English accent. ‘We’d better get our food!’
When Jay was out of hearing distance, the doctor said, ‘These American film types are all the same.’
‘Oh?’
‘You know – brash, vulgar, full of themselves.’
‘Do you know Jay Grossman?’ Linda asked crossly.
‘Let’s say we have a mutual friend.’
‘Who?’ she asked rudely.
‘Name no names, hear no pack drill.’
‘What?’ Suddenly she hated the doctor.
He smiled secretly. ‘As a matter of fact, it’s one of his ex-wives.’
‘Oh.’ She tried to sound disinterested.
‘A lovely woman,’ the doctor continued. ‘I believe she had a terrible time with him. She just remarried.’
‘Lori?’ Linda asked coldly.
The doctor looked surprised. ‘Yes. Lori is in London with her husband. He’s extremely wealthy.’
‘How interesting,’ she said sarcastically, and quickly helped herself to food before rushing back into the other room. The doctor followed her closely.
There was nowhere to sit.
Jay was with the blond on a sofa. ‘Linda,’ he called. ‘Sit here.’
‘Excuse me,’ she said to the doctor.
Jay stood up and she sat down. The blond glanced at her, annoyed.
‘Susan,’ Jay said, ‘I want you to meet a very good friend of mine, Linda Cooper.’
‘Hello.’ Susan’s smile was limp.
The doctor squatted on his haunches in front of them, eating from
his crowded plate hungrily. Jay drifted away to the other side of the room.
Susan suddenly got up and said to Linda, ‘Perhaps your friend would like to sit down.’ She moved across the room to join Jay, and the doctor quickly sat beside Linda. She was well and truly stuck as he obviously had no intention of leaving her side.
‘Can I drive you home later?’ he asked.
‘I’m sorry. I have my car with me.’
‘Pity.’ He shook his head. ‘Maybe I should follow to see you get home safely.’ He chuckled.
She could have screamed, he was such a bore! She didn’t even bother to reply, just jumped up. He got up too.
‘Excuse me,’ she said firmly, ‘I have to go to the ladies’ room.’
It was quiet upstairs in Monica’s bedroom. She sat at the dressing table and rearranged strands of her hair. Would Monica think her rude if she left? She didn’t really care. She looked for her jacket among the coats on the bed. What a waste buying the new black chiffon dress she was wearing.
She found her jacket, went downstairs, and slipped out quietly. She would call Monica tomorrow and explain that she had a headache and had thought it better not to bother with good-byes. Monica would probably be insulted, not invite her again, but so what? It was much more fun staying at home with the children.
Back at home she undressed slowly, wondering why on earth three hours previously she had painstakingly applied such a careful makeup and looked forward so excitedly to Monica’s dreary gathering. What had she expected? Prince Charming, not a boring doctor with bad breath.
She felt depressed. Girls like Susan set the pace now with their lithe bodies. Face up to it, Linda, she thought, you’ve had your best years. You gave them to David. You’ve got two children. You’re divorced. You have to settle for second best now.
She was lonely at night. Once, briefly, it had crossed her mind to phone Paul, but common sense had prevailed. Maybe she had made a mistake divorcing David. Maybe she should have given him another chance. But no, she was right, this was better than living a lie with David.
She fell into a troubled sleep.
An hour later the phone woke her.
‘Hello.’ Her voice was sleepy.
‘Are you trying to avoid me?’
‘What?’ Her mind was still sleep-filled.
‘I leave messages for you, you don’t return my calls. You ignore me tonight and then just run off. I want dinner with you tomorrow night, no excuses.’
‘Yes, Jay.’ Her voice was weak.
‘I’ll pick you up at eight, and no calls to say you can’t make it. I’ve phoned you three times.’
She didn’t know what to say.
‘All right, tomorrow at eight,’ he said after a short pause. ‘And wear that black dress you had on tonight, it looks great.’
Suddenly everything seemed bright again. Jay Grossman was certainly not second best.
* * *
Eventually Conrad returned. He had been gone an hour and a half, and Claudia, bored with the magazines and being kept waiting, was a little testy. She covered her irritation with a smile.
He was drunk. He grabbed hold of her, his fleshy hands feeling her body through her thin dress.
She wriggled away. This wasn’t the way she had it planned.
‘Aren’t we going upstairs?’ she asked.
His breath, a mixture of strong garlic and Scotch, enveloped her as he replied, ‘Sure – sure. Just want a little preliminary.’ He forced his hand inside the neckline of her dress, grabbing her breasts with rough fingers.
‘You’re hurting me,’ she complained, and then, ‘Hey – you’re tearing my dress.’ She pulled away from him again, furious at the torn dress, but still smiling provocatively. ‘Let’ s go upstairs, lover,’ she cooed. ‘Let’s have a great scene upstairs.’
‘Take your clothes off first – I want to take a look at the goods I’m getting,’ he said urgently.
It was obviously no use arguing with him. She’d fix him when she got him in the sack.
Slowly she peeled off sensuous folds of white jersey. Underneath she had on only a wisp of a garter belt and pale sheer stockings, her long legs emphasized by the exceptionally high heels she was wearing.
He lunged at her, falling to his knees and grabbing her around the waist. He sank his teeth into her stomach and bit hard.
She screamed with pain and kicked him away. ‘You son of a bitch!’
He laughed, hollow loud rumbles.
She rubbed her stomach, her eyes glinting dangerously, her mouth a tight smile. So he wanted to play games, huh? Well, she knew a few of her own.
‘Come on.’ He lumbered to the door. She followed him. He pushed her up the stairs ahead of him, stroking her legs, trying to feel between them.
They reached the bedroom. It was very dark; she could hardly see a thing.
‘Get on the bed,’ he commanded.
She climbed onto a large circular bed, grimly thinking things were going to be different in the morning when this big slob was sober.
He switched on the lights – bright glaring lights that hit the bed at a hard angle. She noticed a huge mirror above the bed.
He climbed on top of her, not even bothering to remove his clothes, just unfastening his trousers.
‘Open up, baby,’ he said. ‘Let’s have some action.’
He used her brutally – slamming and grinding into her, and afterwards wanting it different ways, making her do it to him at every conceivable angle.
She worked hard. This was something he had to remember. It was funny, really. When she became famous, everyone would say she was an overnight discovery. How right they would be!
At last he was finished. Her body ached from his pressures. She was bruised and worn. She lay spread-eagled on the bed, too limp to move.
He was surprisingly full of life. ‘Got a little thrill for you,’ he said. ‘Just stay where you are.’
He got off the bed and pressed a switch by the door. The mirror above the bed parted and slid easily in two, leaving a gap in the ceiling. A ring of smiling faces peered down at her from the gaping aperture.
She sat up, horrified.
‘Just a few of my friends,’ Conrad said easily. ‘These two-way mirrors are a great gimmick for making a party go with a bang!’ He guffawed. ‘Pick out who you’d like next.’
A woman’s face, grotesquely made up and old, said, ‘How about me, Conrad? Can I have a turn with her? She seems to know what it’s all about.’
A man’s voice said, ‘No, me next. Let me give her a real fucking.’
‘Oh, God!’ Claudia jumped off the bed.
‘What’s the matter?’ Conrad asked. ‘Don’t you want to be in my movie?’
She stared at him, every instinct warning her to get out.
But to leave now – what use was that? That wouldn’t get her on the silver screen.
‘All right,’ she said at last. ‘All right, I’ll stay, but this time you’d better mean it.’
‘I mean it,’ he said blandly.
Chapter Sixteen
David managed to get through the early part of the next week without trouble. Miss Field was, as usual, the perfect, quiet, unobtrusive secretary. Neither of them made any reference to the previous Sunday. Indeed, it was as if it had never happened.
David felt that maybe it had all been a bad dream, but some grim sense of foreboding warned him that it was true. The sooner he was rid of Miss Field, the better. Meanwhile, their relationship was exactly the same as before.
He decided to wait a couple of weeks, then get her transferred to another department, maybe with a raise. She wouldn’t object to that.
Mr. Taylor of the Fulla Beans account was in town. David didn’t relish the thought, but as usual he was elected to entertain him. Did these poor out-of-towners never get tired of the inevitable clip-joint nightclubs and the pathetic, blowsy hostesses? It seemed not. Once more David had to fix him up, this time with a big redhead called Dora. Dora laughed
a lot and suggested that it would be a lot of fun if Burt Taylor and David accompanied her back to her bed.
Neither of them liked the idea. Burt, because he didn’t want to share. And David, because he didn’t want to know.
She was very insistent, and when Burt Taylor, eyes bulging at the thought of the show she was offering, started to think it wasn’t such a bad idea after all, David became really fed up.
He managed to finally persuade them to go off on their own. How he hated this sort of entertaining. These nightclub scrubbers weren’t for him. He returned to his hotel room and went to bed.
The week dragged. Wednesday afternoon he phoned to speak to his children. They had just got home from school and were having tea. Ana told him Mrs. Cooper was out.
He was sure Linda wouldn’t mind if he dropped by to see them. Maybe she would let him stay for dinner. It was all a question of time with Linda. Eventually she would realize the only sensible thing was to take him back.
He told Ana he would be right over. She mumbled something in Spanish. He could hear the children’s excited squeaks in the background.
He left the office in high humour, went to Hamley’s store, and filled his arms with toys. He stopped at Swiss Cottage and bought flowers. By the time he arrived at the house, it was two hours later.
Linda answered the door tight-lipped and furious. She stood in the doorway. ‘The children are being bathed,’ she said coldly.
‘All right, I can wait.’ He offered her the flowers.
She ignored them. ‘David, we have an agreement that you only visit the children at the weekend.’
‘What difference does it make when I come? Are you going to penalize me because I want to see my kids?’
She stood back wearily. She didn’t want to be unfair as far as the children were concerned – after all, he was their father. ‘Come in, but please don’t do this again.’
‘What do you mean? Don’t visit my own children again?’
‘No, David, I mean please keep to the agreed times.’
‘You surprise me.’ He shook his head. ‘I never thought you would use Janey and Stephen as a weapon against me.’
Her eyes filled with tears at the injustice of what he was saying. ‘But I’m not. I’m just trying to do what’s best.’
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