“Wainwright Delivery at your service.” He grinned back at her.
“Thanks.” She took the pocketbook he was holding out to her. “Come on in.”
“Love to. Say, you can smile after all. I thought maybe your dimples were atrophied or something.”
“Oh, I can smile. Sit down. Can I get you a drink?”
“If you’ll have one with me.”
“Sure. Scotch all right? It’ll have to be. It’s all I’ve got.”
“Scotch is fine. Neat.”
“That's the only way.” Ruby poured the liquor into two tumblers and then handed one of them to him. “Cheers.”
“A long life and a merry one.” He took a healthy gulp. “And can you buy that?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” Ruby replied truthfully.
“Oh Lord, don’t tell me you’re still contemplating taking the gaspipe.”
“Well, no. Not at the moment. But--”
“But?”
“Never mind.” Ruby shook her head. “I don’t want to bore you.”
“I won’t be bored. It’s Bill of the ungrammatical billet doux, isn’t it?”
Ruby nodded. She didn’t trust herself to speak. The mere mention of Bill’s name had started the tears welling up inside her again.
“Want to tell me about it?”
“No.” And immediately Ruby found herself pouring it all out to him. She didn’t know why. She’d meant the negative answer. But suddenly she had to talk to someone, and A1 had such a sympathetic and understanding look.
He listened patiently. And when she broke down, he took her in his arms and comforted her. Somehow, then, he was kissing her and Ruby found herself kissing back. It felt so warm and safe in Al’s arms. It felt so good to be wanted!
At first it was only that. But slowly his caresses became more than comforting. They became erotic, then insistent. And Ruby found herself responding to them.
“Don’t hurt me,” she said as he fondled her plump breasts.
“Am I being too rough? I’m sorry.”
“No. I don’t mean that. I mean don’t hurt me. Don’t lie to me. Don’t say anything you don’t mean.”
“I won’t,” he assured her as he pulled her panties down her trembling thighs.
“Do you really like me?” she asked in a pleading voice as his lips skip-kissed her rounded belly.
“Sure I do.”
“And do you want me? I mean, not just any girl, but me! Me! Because I’m me!” She was shaking violently now as he knelt in front of her and his tongue caressed the inner surface of her thighs.
“Only you, Ruby. Only you.”
His mouth moved higher and her buttocks bounced as a wave of desire seized her body. “Don’t say it if you don’t mean it,” she pleaded. “I’ll go to bed with you if you want. But don’t say things you don’t mean.”
“I mean it. l’m in love with you, Ruby.” His voice was muffled in his own ears as her thighs clenched around his ears.
“Then take me, my darling. Take me!”
“I will. But first this. I love this. I love the way you’re reacting. First this, and then together.” His lips fastened over her flesh and his tongue dipped deep.
“Oh! Yes! Ah! Yes-yes-yes! Now! Now-now-now!”
The door opened. It was closed with a slight click. The sound made Al glance up. His jaw dropped open. It stayed that way.
“Oh! Don’t stop! Please don’t stop! Why are you stopping?”
“We’ve got company.” Al found his voice.
“Sorry.” Llona was standing with her back to the door as she spoke. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I must have gotten into the wrong room.”
“It’s all right.” Al licked his lips as he surveyed her nude body. “No trouble at all.”
“It is not all right!” Ruby had whirled around. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”
“I told you. I must have gotten into the wrong room.”
“Well, you can get right out again!”
“Now wait a minute, Ruby,” Al said. “Don’t be unkind. You can’t throw the lady out into the cold cruel world without any clothes.”
“The hell I can’t!”
“Now Ruby, don’t be inhospitable. You’ve got a guest, even if she is somewhat unexpected. Why not ask the lady if she’d like a drink.”
“I’d love one.” Llona smiled at him.
“But we were right in the middle—” Ruby started to protest.
“So we were. So we were,” Al said placatingly. “And we’ll get back to it, too. But first let’s give the lady a drink. Then maybe she’d like to join our little party.”
“What!” There was shock and hurt in Ruby’s voice.
“Thank you.” Llona accepted the glass of scotch Al handed her. “I don’t know if I’d mind joining your little party at all. But the lady seems to have some objections.”
“She just hasn’t thought it through. That’s all,” Al assured Llona. “When she does, she’ll see what fun the three of us could have.”
“You louse!” Ruby said. “You’re just like all the rest. Men!”
“Don’t knock ’em, honey. They’re the only other sex we’ve got,” Llona reminded her.
“You don’t care about me. You just wanted to dip your wick. That was all!”
“Well, what’s wrong with that?” A1 wanted to know. “Don’t say you weren’t enjoying it. And threesies can be even more fun than twosies.”
“I wouldn’t know about that!” Ruby told him.
“Well, don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it.” *
“Ooohh! You're disgusting! You and every other man! And to think I was going to kill myself over a man! How dumb can a girl get? No-man is worth dying for!”
“You can say that again, honey,” Llona told her.
“Don’t you worry! I don’t want to kill myself any more. I'm not going to die for a man. I’m going to live for myself. And woe to any man who crosses my path, ‘cause I’m going to be hell on them!”
“Okay. Start with me,” Al said. “The three of us can have a real swingin’ little party.”
“You two just go right ahead,” Ruby told him. “Don’t mind me. Hell, this is only my room. But don’t let that stop you. Just go ahead and forget I’m here.” She crossed over to the open window and stood there with her back to them. She leaned her hands on the low sill and felt her anger mount.
“Come on, honey.” Al walked toward Llona. “If we start, she’1l get excited after a while and join in. She’ll get off her high horse. You’ll see.”
“I will no—” Ruby started to wheel around angrily. The movement was too fast. The carpet slid out from under her feet. She went hurtling out the window, her scream trailing up as she fell.
Her body didn’t hit anybody. Only the pavement. Ruby died the moment she hit.
Chapter Ten
LLONA was stunned, as was Al. They rushed to the window and looked down at what was left of Ruby. Llona turned quickly away. Al followed her into the center of the room.
“I don’t understand,” he said, dazed. “She said she didn’t want to kill herself. She said she decided to live.”
“It was an accident,” Llona told him. “She didn’t mean to do it. Were you- Were you very close to her?” she asked after a pause.
“I just met her today. I pulled her out of the lake. I saved her from drowning.”
“It looks like you could have saved yourself the trouble.”
“I guess so. Well, what now?”
“What do you mean?” Llona asked.
“I don’t know. I guess I better call the management or something,” A1 said. He started for the telephone.
“Well, you go right ahead. But I’m getting out of here before you do.”
“But where are you going? I mean, without any clothes or anything.” A1 thought about that a moment. “It sure has been a crazy night,” he said, lifting the phone from the cradle. . -