The Case of the Lady in Apartment 308 (9 page)

They called to people and they waved at others, and he found some people to sit among.

Marcia fit right in. She was younger than all of the women. And there were a good number of kids scattered throughout the bunch. Ed was especially aware of how many kids were there. They were the offspring of his friends.

Had he married when they had, he could have a pool of stretching out teenagers sitting with him. And Ed wondered what sort of father he’d have made.

That sounded as if he planned never to marry. Never to have kids. Maybe not. But the youth of the woman he was with was a clue to the lack of availability of an older woman.

Availability? Over there was Phyllis. She’d been divorced twice. There was Glenna. She’d had a couple
of husbands. He could probably get someone his age who’d already experienced marriage and rejected it.

Did he
want
to be married? Probably not. If he’d wanted such a life, he could have had any number of women…along the time he was employed.

He looked at Marcia. She was too young for him. But he looked at the married men and the men who were no longer married but who had brought the kids along today, and he saw the interest in their eyes as they regarded Marcia.

Ed wouldn’t tell any of those tomcats this was his last date with her because he was giving up on her. He could give her that much protection.

He noted how amused she was over a man’s raucous hollering at the enemy team.

One really irritating thing about discarding a woman is that she can become so attractive in the time a man has chosen to part from her. Marcia was a real irritation. She was so funny and so charming and so involved in the game! She yelled at the opposing team. She’d make a good Cubs fan.

They had hot dogs almost right away, and Ed had a beer. Marcia took out her thermos from her shoulder bag sitting between her feet. She drank lemonade.

With all the hoopla, there was a lot of hilarity and chaffing. The game was going to the Chiefs and that made the crowd even more sassy.

And during all that time, Ed had sneakily collected beer cans from in back of them and along the way. When Marcia and a bunch of the kids went for more
hot dogs, Ed had asked the guys in front of them to give him a couple of cans. Something different from what he already had.

Ed had an impressive collection just by the fifth inning. When he acted drunk, she’d be convinced.

The mid-seventh inning stretch allowed them to sing The Song and to stretch and wave at the cameras and laugh. It was as they sat down that Marcia noticed all the beer cans under Ed’s feet. She was amazed!

She was also sobered. She didn’t say anything to Ed, but she did look at him in order to judge his conduct.

By then he’d had two beers. But he didn’t mention the gathering of the other empty cans. He smiled at her. He smiled a nearly closed eyes, happy smile. And his head wobbled just a tad.

Marcia told Ed, “I drive home.”

With some careful skill, he took the car keys from his pocket and put them deliberately into her hand.

She said, “No more beer.”

He nodded and his head wasn’t entirely sure how far to go with it. He was so careful.

The game went into extra innings. The field lights came on as the dusk deepened. It was a switch leader game with both teams catching up to keep the score even.

And with the game over, the Chiefs’ fans hollering in celebration, Marcia asked two unencumbered male friends of Ed’s if they’d help her get Ed to the car.

They laughed and said, “Sure.” And then they punched Ed’s shoulder and slapped him on the back.
They weren’t fooled for a minute. They’d donated a can or two to the pile under Ed’s feet.

As the two very amused friends walked on either side of a slightly unsteady Ed to get through the pack of people, Ed said, “Sssuuupper,” quite seriously. The “su” had apparently been a problem to get past.

The men jocularly offered to Marcia, “We’ll go along with you and get him into bed for you.”

Ed said, “I can do that for—my
self!”

And the two slapped Ed on his shoulders and retorted, “I’ll just bet you can.”

As they finally got to the car, Marcia asked the two, “Can you get him into the front seat and buckle his belt? No. Maybe he ought to be in the back seat.”

Ed objected.

The two helpers thought that was hilarious.

Marcia told Ed slowly and distinctly, “I can’t have you wobbling around when I’m driving. And you might throw up. If you feel that way, here’s my hat.”

That hunched the two friends over with laughter. And they did, indeed, put Ed into the back seat. They buckled him into the seat belt and closed the door. Then they told Marcia, “We’ll follow you.”

Ed said, “No!” quite clearly.

Marcia told the laughing two, “Never mind. I can handle it now. Thank you.”

“You sure?” They pushed.

She went to the driver’s side, and across the top of the car, she promised them, “No problem.”

She got into the driver’s seat and buckled her belt, adjusting it to her lesser body.

Ordinarily Ed hated having his seat, mirror and seat belt fooled with by another person. That time, he didn’t object. He sat quietly until she started the car. He said, “Sssuuupper.”

Marcia replied, “Yes.”

“Mc—Don-nalds.”

“Right.”

And he went to sleep. He snored quietly, a nice bubbly snore. She drove alone in the barely invaded silence. She skipped McDonald’s and drove them to the compound.

Marcia had figured that Rudolf would be there if she couldn’t move Ed. She drove between the cement posts that held the open gates. She parked in front of Ed’s door.

He was home.

He sat feigning sleep.

She took the keys from the ignition. She exited, went around and opened the car door. Ed was very relaxed. She shook him a little and said, “Ed?”

He opened clear eyes and smiled at her.

She was surprised his eyes were so clear and that was the cause of her first suspicion. But she followed along with what was more than likely a farce. She told him, “We’re at your place. Can you get out by yourself?”

He considered it carefully, then he said a slurring, “Sure.”

Marcia stepped back.

He did a perfect imitation of a controlled drunk. He didn’t stagger; he appeared to control his steps. It was brilliant. She had to admire it. She stood back and watched. She was no longer fooled. He was doing it all deliberately.

She thought: Why would he do that? Yeah. Maybe.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Can you make it into your place?”

His regard measured the distance to his door. “I can do it.”

T
here is just something about a skilled man that is intriguing. Marcia was curious to see how Ed would conduct himself. That he was pretending to be carefully in control was now obvious. She should have been suspicious of the very number of empty beer cans. He’d overdone it.

But he
had
maintained a perfect facade of a practiced drunk. Instead of being sloppily out of control, he was carefully pretending to be a drunk who was in control of himself.

He was quite clever at it. That indicated that she was in danger. It was a challenge. She took his arm and led him to his door.

She asked, “Do you have the key?”

Slurring the words just a mite, he replied, “It’s in my pant pocket.”

Mmm-hmmm. She considered him. He wanted her to fish around for a key that was probably in his hip pocket. She fooled him. She patted the pocket at the top of his leg. It held change.

She reached to pat the other pocket. He stumbled and caught her to him to steady himself.

They were face-to-face. He was looking into her eyes with a clear, steady look of evaluation. He was figuring out just how to go about seducing her.

Oddly, she broke his grasp with ease and no seeming effort. She patted the top of his other thigh and said, “This pocket.”

With a quick dip, she brought out the house keys without touching against his body.

How’d she do that?

She’d put the key into the door and opened it. She said, “Good night.”

He asked, “Is this my place?” He squinted and looked around.

She became amused. “Yes.”

“Turn on the light.”

She did hesitate. But then she went into his apartment and remembered where a lamp was. She turned it on, then looked to see where he was.

He was right behind her. How had he moved so quickly? Well, it was his place and he was only pretending to be incapacitated.

What would he do next? It was an interesting but not very difficult question. How would he make the approach?

His words slurred. “You’re very nice.”

She didn’t laugh. She did smile a tad, but she didn’t guffaw. She asked, “Can you get into bed by yourself? Or do you prefer the couch?”

“Which do you prefer?” He was soberly curious.

And she replied, “I have a fairly good bed at my place.”

He looked around as if to assimilate where he actually was and asked in some disappointment, “Aren’t we staying here?”

“You are. This is your place.”

“Stay with me.”

She chuckled in her throat. “No. Not when you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“I would know.”

“I’ll bet you would.”

“Help me.”

With some irony, she inquired, “Are you too full of beer?”

And he regarded her quite seriously. “I’m not drunk.”

She pretended to scoff. “Of course not.”

“I had two beers the entire afternoon. I’m stonecold sober.”

She chewed on her lip to stop her laugh but her eyes danced and she said, “Yeah.”

“I really am.” His voice was gentle.

“I know.” She reached up and mussed his hair as she started out his door. But she found herself plastered to him, and his mouth came down on hers with such a burning hunger.

She hadn’t expected her body’s reaction. She was shocked by the thrill that rampaged through her nervous
system and whirled around intensely in a very private area.

But the worst part of it was that her brain was scrambled. She was gasping and making strange little hungry noises. She was!

How shockingly primitive.

Gutturally, he begged, “Love me.”

She was incapable of replying. She became aware of that just as her voice said logically, “If I did, you wouldn’t even remember we’d made love.”

“I’d treasure the loving forever.” He was leaving Peoria and soon. He couldn’t pretend that he’d be there with her. He was limiting it to one encounter.

She caught that. He would “treasure” making love with her. This man who was a part-time rent collector. She wasn’t put off. She’d been curious forever. Since Joe D had told her at eight that she’d like it.

Maybe now was the time. He was a sneaky man. That kind of man sneaked away after a time. He’d leave town.

His family was there.

“Love me. I ache for you. You’re driving me crazy. I need you.”

She scoffed, “You wouldn’t pull a farce with me.”

“I just wanted you to come home with me. I couldn’t think of any other excuse but that I needed you. And, Marcia, I hurt for you.”

“A long dry spell?”

“Don’t be sassy. I’ve waited all this time for you to know me and see me as a good man. I’ve been careful.
I don’t have any of the diseases, and I have protection for you. Scouts’ honor.”

“So you were a Boy Scout?”

“Dad kept us boys busy.”

“That was nice.”

Ed explained, “He’d managed to work in a bunch of kids. There are five of us.”

“I don’t want any children. I’m not the maternal type.”

“I’ve told you I’ll take good care of you.”

“You say that now. How do I know what you’re capable of doing?”

And he assured her, “I’m very careful and I’ve never had any complaints.”

“If I lie down with you in your bed and allow you the liberty of my body, what do I get out of this?”

“You—charge?”

She went scarlet. “No!”

“You’ve been with other guys.” That was the questioning statement, as if he’d said what was true and wasn’t inquiring.

“I have brothers beside my dad. They are all big and very sure I have good care…and no hanky-panky.”

With the skill of his age, he assured her, “I’d make love to you. I don’t just fool around for my own satisfaction.”

“How many women have you…had?”

“Two.”

“How old were you?”

“Sixteen. She was twenty and it was her idea.”

Marcia gasped, “You were—seduced?”

“I was shocked.”

She grinned at him. “Didn’t you fight her off?”

“She really took me by surprise. I thought it was just Show and Tell. But she was very…aggressive!”

Marcia laughed. It was a wonderful, soft sound. “Were you offended?”

“It was really something. With her, it was just right.”

“She was wicked.” Marcia was sure.

He shook his head in his long-ago amazement. “She was heaven, while it lasted.”

“She found another…source?”

He put out a helpless hand and admitted, “Yeah. An old guy who was even older than she.”

“How rude of her.”

He nodded emphatically. “My thoughts exactly.”

“So you’re practiced. Are you…skilled?”

“I’m slow and careful. You’ll love it. It’s what you were made to do. You’ll realize that right away.”

“My mother doesn’t think the way you do.”

“She’s a woman. Men understand such things. They’re right. You need to let me show you what it’s like…” He’d almost added,
while I’m still around to teach you!
He couldn’t tell her he was leaving Peoria very soon. The information might cool her.

“So you’re leaving Peoria?”

He was startled! Had he spoken aloud? Was he becoming senile at thirty-seven? His lips parted in shock.

“If you
are
leaving, I could sample you. And you wouldn’t be around as a constant reminder that I’d let you.”

He relaxed considerably. She was going to give in. He said, “As a matter of fact, I’m going to California.”

“How soon?”

“As soon as I settle things up here.”

She considered him. She reached up and rumpled his hair with one hand. Then she cocked her head sassily and told him, “Well, why not?”

She shocked him. He swallowed rather awkwardly and gasped. He did not choke, which was rather astonishing. He asked, “Now?”

She could hear the excited tremble in his voice. She said, “Why not?” Then she asked quickly, “You do have condoms?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Are they a—recent purchase?”

“Why do you ask that?” He looked at her with some curiosity.

“If you’re after me, it must be some time since you found a willing woman. That could be a while back.”

“Why do you think I’ve had a long, dry spell?”

She shrugged marvelously and replied, “You’re—after me.” And she waited for what he would reply.

“I saw you in that empty room that Elinor had abandoned, and I figured at first you were just like her. Then when I got to know you, I wanted you for you and not for what you might be.”

“You used-Elinor?”

“Oh, for Pete’s sake, no!” And he looked indignant.

“Well, I am glad about that. We’ll do it. How do we begin?”

“You kiss me.”

She considered. “That sounds rather rash. Why don’t you kiss me? I’ll decide then.”

“Do you mean you’d let me kiss you, a really serious kiss, and
then
you’ll tell me if I can go on?”

“Yeah.” She watched him with some interest.

“What about those guys that are helping you paint? You been with any of them?”

“Nope. You’ll be my first.”

“How’d you keep them away?” He frowned a little as he watched her.

“They aren’t interested in me, at all.”

“How do you know?”

“Believe me, they are married to women they like. They aren’t interested in me in that way.”

“They glare at me.”

She licked her grin. “Does that scare you?”

“Not enough.” His voice then clacked as he licked his own lips and told her seriously, “It’s you that scares me. Kiss me. Kiss me like you want me.”

“I suggested you kiss me first and let me decide if I want to, uh, let you.”

He was earnest as he told her, “You will. You’ll be all over me in your wild lust.”

She laughed softly.

He cautioned her, “That kind of laugh gets a woman in a whole lot of trouble.”

“Why?” Her smile stayed and she looked up at him in a very smug manner.

“Because it lights up a man.”

“Electricity or coal oil?”

“Be careful.” His tone chided her. “You have to know you’re testing me.”

“Why?”

“I’m still in control of myself. Don’t flirt that way unless you mean it.”

She laughed with such humor.

“How’d you learn to laugh that way?”

“What way?” But her eyes teased him.

“Are you seeing how far you can go with me? Or are you that naive?”

“Yeah.”

“Which one?” His eyes were intense and his breathing was harsh.

“Both.”

It was interesting to Marcia that he didn’t tussle with her right away. Instead he took her carefully into his arms and against him. He was breathing audibly and the sound of it was harsh.

But the interesting thing was, he was giving her time to change her mind. Marcia figured he must be very practiced to do that so well.

She didn’t push him away, so he kissed her. It was long, wet and very serious. His tongue touched her lips in a slow flick. It was sensual.

Her sex was intensely interested. Her own breathing was rather erratic as she kissed him back.

His body was so hard against hers. He was strong. His arms were just like the romance novels said. His really were bands of steel. And she’d always snorted over the idea of such a thing. The writers had been right.

Having read enough of the books, Marcia waited for him to press against her stomach. Slowly, gathering her closer, his kiss harder, he did that.

His sex was so hard that her brain was a little shocked. However, her body reacted in a scandalously salacious manner.

Her body chose to rub against him, and Ed groaned almost harshly. He lifted his mouth from her swollen one; and he looked at her as if he’d only just found her and was surprised.

He asked, “How many men have you ruined?”

“None…so far.”

“I shudder to think what you’ll do to me.”

And she had the audacity to reply, “Yeah.” But she smiled!

Then she closed her eyes and wiggled herself against him as she made throaty sounds. It was erotic.

It was for Ed, too. And he tried to get his brain cells together and organized but they responded to his command with, “Aw, what the hell! Go ahead!”

He was so peaked that he scooped her up just like one of the romances and he carried her effortlessly into his bedroom.

She looked around. “Not the rug in the living room?”

“This is better.”

And she asked, “What’s the difference?”

“Your back won’t be abraded, and the bedsprings will help you bounce me.”

“Why…bounce?”

“I’ll explain as I go along.”

“Do I take off my clothes?”

Hoarsely he said a very serious, “Yes.” Then he added, “I’ll help.”

But he was quickly shedding his own clothing. She watched in some astonishment. Men wear more clothing than women. He apparently knew exactly what to take off first, and how to get rid of the rest. He did it very, very quickly.

He was naked.

While Marcia had seen naked pictures of men, she had never seen a real one without some sort of groin covering. Not a live one. She wasn’t sure where to look. But she did.

Ed assured her, “It’s friendly.”

She observed seriously, “It turns up.”

And he said very quickly, “It’ll be okay.”

“I didn’t know they turned up.”

He responded to any alarm. “It’ll fit.”

“How fascinating!” She then asked, “Is that why rhino’s horns are cut off?”

“I don’t know.”

He was undressing her. He unbuttoned every little button on her shirt. His hands trembled.

She said, “I can do that faster.”

“I’m showing that I have control and I’m not ripping the buttons off.”

She looked up at his face. “Is that why you’re so slow?”

He looked into her eyes. “You want this faster?”

“No.”

He asked, “Do you want me?”

She didn’t reply verbally, she just nodded quite seriously.

His breathing was erratic so he had to lick his lips and swallow rather loudly. He told her, “You’re going to get me.”

So she stood there. But she did notice his sex was eager. Then she put her hand on it to control it, and Ed gasped and panted.

“What’s the matter?”

“Honey, I’m really triggered. I’m trying to control it. I’m reciting the multiplication tables.”