“Yes, I understand,” she said softly, again avoiding his eyes.
“Look at me, damn it!” he said. “And, by God, you better learn quick to look at me like you like what you see!” Lisa flinched. “Now, look up and wet your lips. You’re supposed to make me hot, not sit there like a Goddamn dummy!”
Lisa made a little involuntary sound, then did as he said. Her small red mouth glistened. I wanted to pull her after me, to rush away from this place, to get Richie from the farm, and drive until we ran out of money. But we couldn’t have gone far, and Frank had the tape.
“That’s better,” he said releasing her hand. “You look thirsty. Come over here.” He patted the seat beside him. “I’ll give you a taste.” He lifted his glass. I moved out of the way. Lisa stood unsteadily, then walked around the table and slid in next to him. He put a big arm around her and pulled her close. She looked so tiny and frightened. “Good,” he said smiling, “this is the way it’s going to be, just you and me, babe.” He laughed so loud several people at the bar looked at us. He drank from his glass and, careful to turn it so that she would have to drink from the same place, he held it to her lips. He watched her closely. “Billy, your wife’s got some hot little mouth,” he said, and pulled her closer to him. With his left hand, he tilted her chin so she had to look up at him. She tried to turn her head away, but he forced her to hold still. Slowly, he pressed his mouth over hers and parted her lips with his tongue. She squeezed her eyes shut.
I wanted to kill him. The couple at the bar near us continued to stare. “Not bad,” Frank said, sitting back again, but still holding her. “The little lady’s not exactly turned on, but she’s got what they call potential.” He winked at me. “She’s nervous. She’ll learn. Right baby?” He pressed her shoulder, then his big hand slid under her coat. “You gonna try real hard?”
Tears were in the corners of her eyes. She couldn’t speak. She nodded her head. He held his glass for her and she sipped. “Well, Billy boy, what do you think? Do we make a good looking couple or don’t we?” He drained his glass and handed it to me. “While Lisa goes to the john and freshens her lipstick you can get me another. Lisa started to rise. “Wait a minute, baby.” He held her there. “Did you wear something sexy like I told you?”
“Yes,” she said quietly.
“Well, I sure can’t see through this goddamn coat so take it off and check it before you come back. And what about stockings? You wearing them damn things that come up over your ass?” She nodded her head. “Well take them off in there. I can tell you ain’t got on a bra so that’s Okay.” He fished in his pocket for a cigarette. “You smoke?” he asked her.
“No.”
“Well one of your little duties is to light me. Put it in your pretty mouth and light it, then put it in mine.” She took the cigarette. Her hand shook as she held the lighter to it. Careful not to inhale, she lit it and handed it to him. He shook his head. She placed it between his thick lips. “That’s the idea,” he said. “Now, come back in here looking hot. Know what I mean? Hot for old Frankie.” He released her and she rose holding onto the table. “That’s it, baby,” Frank said. “Billy’s buying.”
The bar was crowded now. I had to wait a long time for Frank’s drink. As I carried it back to the table, Lisa appeared. Several men at the bar turned to watch her pass. She had checked her coat. The tight turquoise dress she wore revealed her shoulders and back ending a “V” just at her waist. In the dark, they might not have seen that her legs were bare. Her spike heels left little imprints in the thick red carpet.
Although her shoulders and back were exposed, the front of her dress was cut high against her neck. I saw the anger in Frank’s face as she approached, but when he noticed the open back and realized how accessible it made her breasts he smiled. She had made-up her eyes so that there was no sign she’d been crying. Her perfectly formed lips were bright red and her cheeks were flushed. Her jet-black hair was cut short with bangs across her forehead, and it curled under at the nape of her neck. She moved with the natural grace of a dancer. Her classic beauty always caught me by surprise, but never more sharply than now.
This time Frank stood to let her into the rounded corner of the booth. He then sat next to her, his huge bulk trapping her and partially hiding her from the curious drinkers at the bar. Suddenly the bar boy appeared beside our table. Lisa looked up, startled. It was Richie’s friend, Carl. He stood there grinning at us. Frank nodded at him, smiling. “Hey kid,” he said, “how’s it going?”
Carl wiped his hands on his dirty apron, “Good Mr. Racene, real good.” He continued to grin foolishly while staring at Lisa. It was clear that he had helped Frank set Richie up.
“Well, things are working out pretty good here,” Frank laughed. “Good for all of us.” He put his arm around Lisa’s bare shoulder. “You know this lady?” His thick fingertips slid down toward the swell of her breast.
“Sure, Mr. Racene, she’s Richie’s mom. I seen her lots of times.” He was a short stocky kid, muscular and dark.
“And that’s her husband,” Frank nodded his head toward me.
“Yeah, I seen him, too.” The boy glanced my way then turned back to Frank and Lisa.
“What do you think?” Frank asked.
“Like I always been telling you, Mr. Racene, Richie’s mom is something, ya know, really something.” Lisa was looking down at the tabletop. She hadn’t acknowledged the boy’s presence.
“You better believe it,” Frank laughed. He moved his hand across Lisa’s bare back. She shuddered. Looking up at Carl and grinning, Frank slid his hand beneath her dress. Lisa bit her lip. The boy put his own hand under his apron. Frank noticed and laughed. “Looks to me like Billy’s wife is getting this young stud all worked up.” Frank leaned closer to the boy and whispered, “Hey, Carl, something tells me you got the hots for Richie’s mom?”
“Yeah, Mr. Racene, she’s something, she’s really something.” He licked his lips. The movement of his hand under his apron was obvious.
“Hear that?” Frank said, putting two fingers beneath Lisa’s chin and forcing her to look at the boy. “You got this poor kid all confused and excited. He’s probably wondering why you ain’t sitting there next to your husband.”
“Please...please don’t,” Lisa stammered. I started to rise, but she quickly glanced at me. Then she looked down at the table again.
“Tell him why you ain’t sitting over there with your husband.” Frank demanded.
“I’m with Mr. Racene because...because I...because I like him.”
“How come?” Frank winked at Carl. “Tell us how come?”
Lisa did not answer for a long while. Frank’s hand moved under her dress. “I...I like him,” she began, “because he...he’s big and he...he...excites me.” She turned her head away from both of them.
“Yeah, that’s right, Carl. I make you hot, don’t I, baby?”
“Yes,” she said.
Frank looked across at me. “Hey, Billy,” he almost shouted, “the kid’s got a thing for your wife. What do you think of that? And I owe the kid a big favor.” He turned back to Carl. “Don’t I kid?”
The boy wasn’t sure how he should answer. “Uh, I guess maybe you do, Mr. Racene.”
Frank motioned for him to come closer. “Maybe Richie’s mom here would like to help me pay it.” Carl smiled.
“No,” Lisa whispered fiercely.
Frank pretended not to hear. “Or maybe Richie’s mom will be too busy visiting her kid in jail.”
Carl leaned over speaking directly to Lisa. “Richie’s a nice kid,” he said, “but you know...he ain’t been around much and in them tough reform schools...well, you know.” Frank smiled. The boy waited.
“I’ll do what you want,” Lisa said quietly.
“Ahhhh, that’s my girl,” Frank laughed. “Look up here at our young friend and say something nice to him. Let him see that you ain’t kidding.”
Lisa raised her head. “I’ll do what I have to,” she
repeated. The boy was breathing hard. He pressed his crotch against the edge of the table.
“That’s good enough for me,” he said, grinning down at her.
“Okay, kid,” Frank said, “get back to the kitchen. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Thanks, Mr. Racene.” He turned and started to move away.
“Jesus, I can’t believe it!” he muttered, shaking his head.
Lisa stared again at the tabletop avoiding looking at me directly and not wanting to look at Frank. Although she managed to hide the outward appearance of fear, I knew she was terrified.
“Carl’s a good kid,” Frank said, sitting back and admiring Lisa. “And this is some sexy dress.” He slowly trailed his fingers across the bare skin of her shoulders. She clenched her teeth and shuddered. “I mean convenient, you know.” His hand slid down her back and under her dress. I could see the movement as he began to fondle her breast. She drew in her breath and fought to hold back the tears. I couldn’t take it. I stood, not sure of what I would do. My beer bottle was on the table. If I broke it and lunged at him...
“Sit down, Billy, unless you want her kid to get it up the ass in some crummy jail cell,” Frank’s voice was quiet and steady. Lisa looked up at me, pleading with her eyes. I sat down.
“You just about got five days added to the thirty she owes me. One warning is all I’m giving you and now you’ve had it.” He leaned toward Lisa and whispered in her ear. Her face reddened, but she nodded.
She looked across at me. “I like what he’s doing, Billy,” her soft voice trembled. “I like him to feel me.” She glanced at Frank, then back at me. “I want him to do it.”
Frank laughed and whispered to her again. Lisa closed her eyes for a moment, then looking at me, “He’s making me excited,” she added, and once more looked down at the table.
“Ah!” Frank shouted, “that’s the way, baby. You learn fast. Now, what you got to do is figure out what I want you to say and then say it, you know, without any help from me. You got to keep asking yourself all the time, ‘What does Frank want to hear? What does Frank want me to do?’Then, either say it or do it. Understand?”
“Yes,” she said.
I could see that under her dress he was pinching her nipple. I knew how sensitive she was there, how quickly her nipples stiffened. Now, here in this public place, Frank had discovered it too.
“I got a name, baby,” Frank said.
“Yes, Mr. Racene.”
“It’s Frank,” he corrected. “Next time I ask you something I want you to think of a nice word to go along with my name, you know, something affectionate. His other hand disappeared under the table. She flinched as he touched her leg. “Open,” Frank said.
Lisa looked at him, “I...I...I don’t...”
“Spread,” Frank demanded. She gasped as his hand moved up between her bare legs. “Billy,” he was grinning broadly, “tomorrow I want you to take her to one of those waxing places, you know, get her waxed, and whatever they leave, I want you to shave off. Right? Nice and smooth.” With his other hand, he squeezed her nipple again. I could see the color rising to her cheeks and her breathing came faster. I knew that under the table he was masturbating her. “You want to do that for Frankie, baby?” he asked. She nodded. “C’mon, damnit, remember what I told you, and act like you mean it!” He pulled her to him roughly, his right hand still between her legs.
She looked up at him fearfully. “Yes, Mr...I mean, yes Frank, I’d like that,” she said. Her face was scarlet with shame.
“Tell me and Billy exactly what you’d like and think of something nice to go along with my name.”
“Yes, Frank...uh...Frank honey, I...I’d like to be the way you want me.”
“How’s that?”
“Shaved.”
“Where?”
“Down there,” she said in a small tight voice, “down there between my legs.”
“Good, now tell Billy boy, again, how you feel. You know, how I’m making you feel.”
She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Then she looked across at me. “I’m excited,” she said. “What he’s doing...I mean what Frank is doing makes me excited.”
“What happens down there when Frankie does what he’s doing?”
“It gets...it gets...wet.”
“You want me to show Billy how wet you are?”
She swallowed hard. “Yes.” He shook his head. “I...I mean yes, Frank honey, show him.”
Frank put his hand on the table. His index finger and his middle finger glistened with her wetness. Frank laughed so loud people at the bar turned again to look. He then held his glass to her lips. She drank.
“Good, “ Frank said. “Let’s keep it going.” He put his glass on the table, but kept his hand around it. He looked at Lisa and then down at his hand on the glass. “Remember what I told you about saying and doing what you think I want you to say and do,” he said. “Now, baby, what do you want from old Frankie?” Lisa waited, then took his hand from the glass and placed it under the table between her spread legs.
“Yeah, that’s right, baby, you got the idea. You want more?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Again,” Frank said.
“Yes, please, honey.” She bit her lip and turned her head away.
“Look at me,” Frank said. She turned back. “You know I fixed it so your kid could get jail time, don’t you?”
Lisa clenched her fists and I saw a flash of anger in her eyes. For a moment I thought she might strike him. “Yes...yes...I know.” She turned away again and lowered her eyes.
He pulled her around so that she was half facing him. He smiled down at her and licked his lips. His hand under her dress moved to her other breast. “You got such a sweet mouth,” Frank said. “Even knowing what I done to your kid, you’re gonna give old Frankie what he wants, ain’t you?”
She thought for a moment, “Yes,” she said, then lifted her face toward his. She kept her lips pressed tightly together. There was a quick movement under her dress as he twisted her nipple. She parted her lips. The kiss lasted a long time. Her eyes were closed. I could see her hips moving against the pressure of his hand. When he released her, she half fell back against the seat. “Jesus,” he said. “I think it’s time.” He withdrew his hand from under her dress and waited for her to respond.
“Time?” She seemed confused.
“Yeah, time for me and you to go. What do you think?”
“Go?”
“Yeah, damnit, go!” He was quick to anger.
“Yes,” she hesitated. “I mean, yes honey, we should go.” She put her hands in her lap again and stared at them.
Frank looked at her and his face hardened. “I think you need a little lesson, because you still don’t seem enthused. Know what I mean?”
Lisa tried, but failed to smile. “I’m sorry...it’s just that I...I...” She looked down at her hands again.
“Your pussy wet?”
“Yes.” She lifted her head. “Yes, honey, it’s wet.”
“Who made you wet?”
“You did.” He waited. “I...I...mean you did, honey.”
“We’re going to my apartment and when we get there what do you want me to do to you?’ Lisa started to turn away from him, but he quickly pulled her close. “Look at me,” he demanded.
“I...I...I want you to...to...” she stammered.
“Say it.”
“To do it to me.”
“No.” Frank tilted her head up so that it was inches from his own. “Say the word, the ‘F’ word and say it nice cause during the next four weeks you’re going to say it a lot.”
Lisa had never in her life uttered even the mildest of profanities. To use such language was, for her, a sacrilege. On the streets or in the movies she would blush when obscenities were spoken. She sat there silent.
“You got a kid, remember. And he’s in deep shit. And I went to a lot of trouble to put him there. So, goddamn you, say it! Tell me what
you want.”
“I want...I want you to...to...to...to fuck me.”
“Not good enough,” Frank said harshly. “You can do better.”
“Frank, honey, I...I… want you to...to fuck me,” she said in a small voice. He waited. “Please,” she added.
“Yeah,” he leaned back grinning. She trembled as he trailed the thick fingers of his right hand up and down her bare arm. “You know, little Lisa, there’s an upside to this whole thing, I mean there’s something good gonna come out of me putting your kid in harm’s way. Guess what it is.”
“I...I...don’t know,” she said. “There couldn’t be anything good, not for me, not for Richie, not for Billy.”
“Later tonight old Frank is gonna shove his big fat prick up inside your hot cunt, and you’re gonna like that. Believe me, babe, you’re gonna like it a lot. That’s what’s good.” He clamped his hand over hers and tightened it, causing her to wince. “So thank your new man for what he did. Tell him you want his prick. Tell him you want it inside you and you want it bad.”
Lisa shook her head, “No,” she whispered, “no...I can’t.”
Frank nodded and began to stand up. “Then this fuckin party’s over, and your kid’s party is soon going to start.”
Quickly, she reached out and grabbed his arm. “Please,” she said, “I...I’m sorry.” He sat down and turned to face her. She put her hand on his, “Thank you, honey, for what you did. If you hadn’t done that to...to Richie...then...then we wouldn’t be here like this.” He made as if he intended to get up again. She held his arm with both hands this time, “I...I...want it. I mean, I want your...your,” she hesitated, unable to say the word.
Frank glared at her, “You ain’t in fuckin Sunday school. When you’re with me, you’re my woman. You damn well better say what I want to hear and do what I want you to do.”
Lisa glanced across at me. There were tears in her eyes. She looked down at her hands, which were now folded on the tabletop. “I...I...want your...your...prick.” she said softly, the color rising to her cheeks. “I want it bad.”
The Lisa Series Page 2