'Good. The girl and her husband have never been initiated into the club and as this is their first time, we thought you might like to take part in the ceremony,' she said. Darleen always talked to Monroe as if he were a child because it always gave her a feeling of superiority. He understood everything that she said, and though she didn't realize it would not have been so lenient with her condescending tone of voice if she had not been a friend of Peter's.
She continued adding spice to her words. 'You can have the girl in bed. She's young and very, very beautiful, but too innocent. You could teach her so many things.'
'And we'll all be watching to make certain you do it right,' Peter smiled. Monroe, too, was smiling at the prospect, but he wasn't sure if he should be used like that, to have people watch him. Most of the parties upstairs had involved people watching other people in bed, but he had never been a part of it, except for a few fleeting glances at the bedroom acrobats. Peter's reassuring voice, though, told him it would be all right. Monroe knew that his boss had done the same thing more than once, so he felt, perhaps it would be a privilege.
'Settled, then,' Peter said. 'As long as Monroe agrees, there can be no harm. I'll walk you to the door, Darleen, Deborah, you go ahead and finish upstairs. We'll have a big crowd tonight, though not as big as the one we should plan for next Wednesday,' he grinned. 'Monroe will help you get everything arranged.'
CHAPTER SEVEN
Janet hesitantly opened the front door to her house and her heart jumped to her throat. Martin was standing outside. He had raised his hand to knock again and she stared at the upraised fist in a sudden terror. 'Hey, don't be frightened,' he said jokingly. 'You scared me as much as I did you.'
The girl drew in a deep breath and stepped aside. She knew it would do no good to try to keep him out. Until Greg's embezzlement was covered up she would have to remain his servant. It was the first time she had heard from him in five days and had hoped that he would have decided not to do anything. Perhaps he has changed his mind, was all she could think of since that night, though, she knew it was not true. That would just not be like Martin at all and was just too much to pray for.
'Shall we start with coffee again,' he said with a cocky grin, his words a directive more than a question.
'I don't have the time, Martin. I have to pick Greg up at the office,' she lied, trying to stall him off as best she could.
'Now, Janet. I'm picking Greg up in two hours. Should we go in the same car, or did you want to split him?' he laughed. He had told her husband that he would drive him home in order to make sure that he would be safe and alone with Janet.
'Alright,' she said walking dejectedly to the kitchen to heat the coffee. He followed her down the hallway silently and she wished he would speak. What can he want? she thought. The only good that had come from her night with Martin, was that now she and her husband were fighting for something together. But they had no weapons, and did not really know what they were fighting. Martin had not made anything clear. It was up to him to set the battleline. They would be on the defensive, until then, no matter what.
And… Janet knew, though she would not admit it to herself, that she still had horrible mixed emotions about her night with Martin. As she pulled a cup and saucer from the cupboard she could not remove the image of Martin's demands on her body that had given her so much pleasure not many nights before.
'I'm not drinking alone,' he said, interrupting her thoughts.
Without protesting she drew another mug from the shelf and turned to face him. He sat at the breakfast nook smoking an extra long cigarette, watching her through a smoke ring he had just blown. He took his time to speak.
'Haven't you anything to say?' he asked. 'You didn't think that I would evaporate, did you? It's one trick I haven't learned yet, but I'm working on it.' Martin was pleased with what he said. He considered himself something of a wit, but Janet considered him something much less.
'Of course not,' she said, trying to cover her emotions. 'But, I thought perhaps you had changed your mind. Really Martin, if you would think about it…'
'Oh I've been thinking about it,' he said. 'But I've only been making plans, not destroying them.' He looked behind her. 'The coffee is ready.'
She turned to the counter and unplugged the pot, pouring them both a cup. Don't let him put anything in it, she prayed to herself silently. His nude body was still lurking in her mind, urging her to do the things he had forced her to do before. She could not deny that he had made her feel like Greg never could, but she could not remove the guilt that inked her conscience.
'What kind of plans do you mean,' she said hoping to discover what he really wanted. If she had something definite to tell Greg, then maybe they would have something to fight with. Her own curiosity was aroused, also. A man with his imagination could come up with anything. If it was only sex he was thinking of, then she would be in for something more than their first encounter and Janet wondered silently to herself if she had the strength of will to go through all that shame and humiliation again.
'Plans for all of us,' he said taking a sip of the hot black drink. He didn't need to put anything into the cups. He wanted to have her again this afternoon, but he knew by her nervous fidgeting that he wouldn't need the potion this time.
'When I bring Greg home I'll tell him my plan also. By the way, you haven't told him about the other night, have you?'
'No,' she lied. 'How could I?'
'Good. He doesn't need to know yet.' His reply puzzled her. 'You won't have to tell him that I was here this afternoon either.'
'Martin, I can't…'
'Of course, you can. We have the time. Take your coat off while I tell you what is going to happen.'
Janet had forgotten that she still wore the light coat. She was going for a drive when he had arrived. She took it off and laid it on the chair.
'You, Greg, Darleen and I,' he said, 'will be taking a little trip together this weekend.'
She was again surprised. 'I don't think I could stand it,' she said, her eyes opening in shock. 'I just couldn't be together with Darleen and Greg, knowing that we had done what we did…'
'And will do again,' he interrupted. 'You look warm. Take off your blouse.'
Janet was shocked. She looked toward the open kitchen window and back at him. He always succeeded in catching her off guard. The thought of stripping in the kitchen confused her mind and when Martin told her to close the window and draw the drapes, she obeyed almost mechanically and stood silent. He glared at her and continued to speak, while she started slowly to unbutton her blouse.
'There's nothing to worry about,' he said. 'The four of us will have a very cozy time in the beachhouse. Darleen has told you about our retreat, hasn't she?' The girl nodded and fumbled with the third button.
His eyes burned into her brain. His smile infuriated her. She wanted to smash those perfect teeth and end her torment, forever, but he continued to talk in his usual smooth way while she moved as though a slave following her master's commands. 'The four of us will get to know one another very well before the weekend's over.' For a moment she didn't understand what he meant. Then it hit her like a bolt. Greg would never stand for it! It was the first time that she realized that Martin was talking about swapping partners. She had heard of people doing much of the same thing, especially in the counties north of San Francisco. But as far as she could remember, she had never met anyone who had actually done it. Her mind recoiled in horror at what he was suggesting but her hands moved on and against her conscious will unfastened the fourth and fifth buttons of her blouse.
The kitchen air felt cool in the cleavage between her young, perfect breasts. She knew that Martin would take her again, that he was going to do it to her right in her own kitchen, in broad daylight. She and Greg had never made love during the day, except on their honeymoon, but then the drapes were drawn in a large dark hotel room. The prospect strangely excited her, but she held back, her vow not to let him touch her again flickering through her swirling brain.
He continued talking about the trip. 'Darleen has plans for Greg, too.' Then he paused, seeing the anguished
