This was what she had been dreading, and Lynn didn't even have to listen to know how Ed was going to respond to the second invitation.
"She'll be just fine, George. Don't you worry about a thing," Ed almost shouted with joy.
"I've got nothing to worry about, son," McHenry said pointedly, in a low tone so that Lynn would not hear. Then, he looked back to where she was sitting and fuming on the couch and waved his hand in a friendly farewell. "Goodnight, my dear, and thank you for your company."
"Good-night, Mr. McHenry," Lynn bitterly replied, barely managing a weak smile to accompany her farewell. She had never expected Ed to act so cruel and selfish and now she had no idea of how to tell him what had really happened. She watched him cheerfully say good-bye to McHenry, then wearily rose from the couch as her husband closed the door behind his boss. The only way to explain things was to just tell him exactly what had happened, she finally decided, and she might as well get it over with right now, so that Ed would have an opportunity to figure out a way to withdraw gracefully from the date he had made with McHenry.
"Listen, darling, you just wouldn't believe what -"
"Oh, Christ, honey, I'm too tired to listen to your complaints now," Ed angrily interrupted her. "You put me through all kinds of hell just calming you down enough to go out tonight – then I've got to try to keep the martinis from getting to my brain at a really important business dinner and then I come home to this! Do you realize that for a few minutes there, I had lost the promotion! I don't know what made him change his mind, but it certainly didn't help to have you sulking on the couch like a spoiled little girl. Why don't you grow up!"
His harsh words brought tears to her eyes, but Lynn struggled to keep back the sobs until she could explain. "Ed, you don't understand! That man -"
"Oh, the man made a pass at you, I suppose," he sarcastically broke in. "Lynn, we knew he was going to do that before you left, but we'd already decided that you could gracefully say no without injuring anybody's pride. Honey, those things happen in real life! This isn't a fairy tale it's business! My career!"
Oh, but we didn't know about the obscene "floor show" and the people taking their clothes off and making love in front of everyone else, she thought to herself. Lynn knew Ed was too furious to pay attention to anything she had to say, but she had to tell him now!
Swallowing her resentment, she quietly asked, "Ed, would you please give me a chance to tell you what happened at the Executive Club?"
"Good God, that's the last thing I want to hear now!" he growled. "Look, the fact is, you made a mess of things tonight. That's all I need to know. You'd just better pull yourself together, though, enough to do things right on Saturday night. Because if this promotion passes me by, I might not get another chance!" With that, he whirled away from his stricken wife and stamped off into the rear of the house.
"Ed!" she cried mournfully after him, but the sound was lost in the loud slam of the bathroom door.
Stunned by the force of his anger, Lynn collapsed tearfully on the couch again. Of course, she had known he would be upset by what had happened tonight, but she had never imagined that he would take McHenry's side over his own wife's protests. Though she tried to excuse Ed in her mind by thinking about how nervous he was about the vice-presidency, she couldn't help but get angrier and angrier. His career, his career – that was all he talked about anymore, all he seemed to live for. What about his marriage, or didn't that count these days?
The pretty blonde noticed that the hem of her dress had pulled up to the tops of her legs when she had sat down and she automatically made a movement to pull it back over her shapely thighs. Then, as she looked down at the low-cut neckline of the provocatively-styled dress Ed had bought for her to wear tonight, her tears began to dry and her bright blue eyes sparkled with renewed resentment. Suddenly, she realized that Ed was as much to blame as McHenry for trapping her in that horrible situation this evening!
After all, she reasoned inwardly, it had been Ed who had bought her this alluring dress because he knew very well that McHenry's interest in her was more than strictly business. In fact, Ed had admitted it tonight, saying that they had already discussed the possibility of Lynn having to fend off a "pass." Well, she would just let her disbelieving husband see what kind of pass she had had to deal with, she abruptly decided with a smile of bitter amusement on her lips. If Ed didn't want to hear about what had happened to her tonight, how she had made such a "mess" of things, he would just have to find out for himself.
In fact, she was already looking forward to watching Ed react to Marian McHenry's shameless lewdness and the floor show that McHenry had said was even "better" on weekends. What was "better" than four black men raping a helpless girl, especially to a mind like his, Lynn didn't even want to try to imagine, but whatever it was, the tiny blonde was certain it would shock her husband back into realizing that what was best for his career was not always perfect for their marriage.
And, then, maybe, she would be married to a husband again – and not Amalgamated Industries.
CHAPTER 4
The lights were beginning to fade out in the huge salon of the Executive Club and once again Lynn craned her neck around, searching the room for some sign of Ed, her husband, and George McHenry's wife, Marian. It had been almost fifteen minutes since the beautiful redhead had risen from where they were seated on one of the long couches and announced that she wanted to take "our prospective member" on a quick tour of the Executive Club. Distrustful of the gorgeous woman's motives toward her husband, Lynn had been about to ask if she could come as well, but a withering glance from Ed had stifled her request.
Now, as the floor show was about to begin, the lovely young blonde was unable to ignore the worry that was gnawing at her mind. She already knew that McHenry's wife had no scruples whatsoever when it came to sex and, though the copper-haired beauty had behaved almost primly since she had been introduced to Lynn and Ed here tonight at the club, Lynn had no doubts that Marian thought it was good sport to get her hands on other women's husbands, especially if they were as handsome as dark-haired Ed. Besides, even though Lynn and Ed had not talked much since their row earlier in the week over her date with McHenry, the young wife knew that Ed was desperately worried about that promotion and, after he had so unfairly turned on her that night, Lynn was no longer certain to what lengths he would go to get that vice-presidency.
"Penny for your thoughts, my dear?" George smiled at the lush-bodied young blonde beside him.
"Oh, they're not really that interesting, Mr. McHenry," Lynn said ruefully. "I'm sorry, I just got lost for a moment… were you saying anything?" Strangely, after Ed had been sullen and forbidding for the last few days, Lynn was finding herself enjoying his boss's company tonight. It was such a welcome change to be with a man who was simply considerate and friendly that she found herself warming to McHenry, even though she knew that his eyes wandered secretly over the curves of her body every time she looked away from him.
"No, nothing more interesting than your thoughts, I imagine," he replied. "By the way, my dear, could I possibly convince you to call me `George'? I'm sure that Ed and Marian have gotten down to first names by now."
I'm sure they have, Lynn thought dryly, but nevertheless smiled up at her husband's superior. "All right… George," she murmured graciously, feeling a little closer to the man as she said his name. "George, what happened to Marian and Ed? They're going to miss the show if they don't hurry." After all, she remembered, the main reason she had wanted to come tonight was so that Ed could see the scandalous floor show they presented to the members. If he didn't appear soon, he would never understand what had made her so upset the other night!