“I wouldn’t bother, baby,” Beebo said lazily.
“Why not?” Laura wouldn’t look at her.
“Number one, I hate the damn things. Number two, you don’t need one. Number three, you can’t go to work in a girdle. Period. And that’s all the clothes you’re going to get.”
“What?” Laura turned around.
Beebo had gotten off the bed and with two or three sweeping gestures she grabbed Laura’s clothes and headed for the bathroom.
“Beebo, what are you doing? What’s the matter with you? Give me those things! Beebo!” Laura tugged at her but Beebo, laughing, was too much for her. Nix burst out of the bathroom as Beebo shouldered in. She turned on the shower full force and threw the clothes over Laura’s head into the drink. And while Laura was still spluttering at her she threw Laura in, too, gently, dumping her on the clothes. Everything, everybody, was soaked.
“Beebo, you animal! You’re impossible!” Laura said furiously. She turned off the water angrily and snatched up her clothes, wringing them out into the tub. She was trembling with anger. She faced Beebo with a crimson face and threw the clothes at her.
“Take the girdle off, Bo-peep,” said Beebo with unconcern. She threw the clothes over a wooden drying rack. “It doesn’t do a thing for you.”
Outraged, Laura tried to scratch her, but Beebo pinned her back against the bathroom door and kissed her. Laura bit her and only made her laugh. With a feeling of excitement so strong it almost made her sick, Laura knew what was coming.
“No!” she exclaimed, suddenly sobbing. “No, I won’t! No!” But it was submissive, helpless. Beebo forced her to her knees. Standing spreadlegged beside her, she put her strong hands behind Laura’s neck and pressed Laura’s face into her belly. “I said I’d never stop, Bo-peep. I said never, remember?”
“Please, Beebo…” Frustration and desire were both so strong in Laura now that she was nearly out of her mind. Her weakness had got her again, and Beebo would make the most of it.
It was late afternoon before she called Marcie. She had left under such peculiar circumstances that she was afraid of what Marcie must be thinking. She didn’t want to call. Marcie was angry with her, to Laura’s surprise.
“You told me you were coming right back,” she said.
Laura was bewildered. “I meant to,” she said. “I swear, Marcie.”
“You lied to me.”
“No, I didn’t, I just didn’t know—I mean—”
“Don’t lie to me anymore, Laura. It makes me sick. I thought we were finally getting close to each other. I thought we were finally going to be friends.” She sounded upset.
“But Marcie, we are.”
“I know where you went, Laura.”
Laura went white, and Beebo, who was lounging around the kitchen making dinner, turned to watch her with a frown. “What do you mean, Marcie?” Laura said.
“I nearly lost my mind,” she said. “I would have called the police and made a fool of myself. But I called Jack first, thank God. Laura, why won’t you tell me the truth? Why won’t you just admit that I make you nervous? This isn’t the first time I’ve driven you over to Jack’s. If you don’t tell me what I’m doing wrong how can I ever do anything right?” Her voice broke. “I feel as if I’m making your life intolerable. As if you’d rather move in with Jack and live in sin than put up with me. You might as well, you spend so much time in his bed.”
“Marcie! Marcie, I don’t!” Laura was thunderstruck.
“I’ve already talked to him, so don’t deny it, Laura.”
“Marcie, honey, listen to me. I—” She looked up at Beebo and the look on Beebo’s face silenced her. “Marcie, we’ll have a long talk tonight. I’ll try to explain it to you. We can’t talk over the phone.”
There was a brief pause on Marcie’s end. Then she said, “Are you at Jack’s now?”
“I—no—I’m at the office.”
“You must have just gotten there. I’ve been trying to get you all afternoon.”
Laura got more bewildered, more tongue-tied, the more she lied. “Marcie, I can’t talk now,” she said urgently. “Please. I’ll come right home. I’ll explain.”
“All right, Laura. But I’ll tell you right now, I’m ready to move out if you want me to. I’m sick and tired of getting on your nerves and not knowing why.”
Laura shut her eyes and tried to control her voice.
“Laura? Are you still there?”
“Yes.” She cleared her throat. “I’ll see you tonight, Marcie.” She hung up and turned a pale face to Beebo.
Beebo snorted and opened the refrigerator door. “She still straight?” she asked sarcastically.
Laura was stung. “No,” she flung at her. “She’s falling in love with me.”
“Don’t kid yourself, Bo-peep.”
“I’m not kidding. And I’m not blind. She’s jealous of Jack. She thinks I spent the night with him and it’s her fault. She wants me home.”
“How sweet,” said Beebo and chucked her under the chin. Laura pushed her hand away impatiently.
“My clothes should be dry by now,” she said, getting up.
“Call Jack,” said Beebo. “Ask him what he told your roommate.”
Laura hated to do anything Beebo suggested, just because Beebo suggested it. But Beebo was right. Laura called him at the office. She got him five minutes before closing.
“I found out from Mortin—the bartender at The Cellar,” he said. “And if you pull another fast one on me, Mother, by Jesus, I’m going to let you stew in your own juice. I called you a dozen times last night. You must have been out on Cloud Nine. Marcie’s mad as hell. She thinks I’m corrupting you.”
“I know. I’m sorry,” Laura said earnestly. “Jack, what would I do without you?”
“I don’t know. But I wish to hell you did. Marcie’d like to see me behind bars.”
“Jack, isn’t that a good sign? I mean she seems almost jealous.”
“Oh, Christ,” he said, and then he laughed. “You’re really goofy for her, aren’t you?”
Laura looked up at Beebo. “Yes,” she said. “I am.”
“Well, watch it. I don’t know what to tell you. Nothing seems to register.
