“‘That’s right, and don’t you ever forget it’, he said. ‘And from now on when anyone asks you what you do, what are you going to tell them?’
“‘I…I don’t know’, I said. His question confused me.
“‘What are you doing now?’ he asked.
“‘I’m...I’m sucking your cock’, I said.
“‘Then if anyone asks what you do, what are you going to tell them?’ he repeated.
“‘I...I’ll tell them that I...I suck Frank’s cock’, I said.
“‘Right’, he said, ‘and if they ask you what you are?’
“This time I knew what he wanted. ‘I’ll say I’m Frank’s...I’m Frank’s...cocksucker’, I said.
“‘Okay’, he said, ‘you got that right. Now, suck’.
“I kissed it, and licked, and sucked until he was ready.
“‘Now what?’ he asked.”
Lisa half turned away so that I couldn’t see her face. “Put it in me’, I said. ‘Please put it in me’.
“‘You’re still having trouble with the language’, he said. ‘The word, baby, you got to get used to saying the word’. His fingers between my legs were driving me crazy. He knew just how to do it and when to stop.
“‘Fuck me’, I said, ‘please, please, honey, fuck me’. I begged him, crawling up, kissing his bloated belly, running my tongue over the veins, licking his chest, putting my tongue in his mouth, pushing my...my clit against his cock, and finally straddling him. I leaned over so he could bite my nipples while I slid down on his thick cock, bending forward so that it would touch my clit, then my breasts were brushing against his chest. At first his cock, which is so thick, hurt me so bad I thought I might faint. But soon, it seemed I stretched to take him. His...his cock filled me up. He has this way of doing it so that when he wants to, he can keep rubbing his cock against my...my clit. Also I could feel him inside of me, this huge cock pushing in and out of me, sliding against me, stretching me inside and pushing deeper and deeper. After a little while I heard myself yelling, ‘Fuck me, fuck me! Fuck me hard!’”
She glanced at me and then at the recorder. I nodded to let her know I understood. But as she was describing this last part, her voice had changed. It wasn’t exactly passionate, but it wasn’t the same tired monotone either.
“Finally, Billy, I came. It was a great explosive orgasm that seemed to last for minutes. But he didn’t come with me. He stayed hard. He slowed down his pace, sliding his cock along the length of my pussy in long slow strokes against my clit. He reached up and pinched my nipples. They were very sensitive. He pinched them hard and it hurt, but it also felt good. His huge belly was sweaty under me.
“Gradually, I felt my clit begin to swell. Once more I bent down and kissed him, you know, French kissed him. He began to rotate his hips to keep pressure on my clit. Then suddenly he rolled me over and he was on top. His cock is so big it never came out of me. He speeded up the rhythm of his thrusts. I tried to wrap my legs around him, wanting to feel him even deeper inside me. He laid heavy on me. I couldn’t see anything or feel anything but him.
“‘You like that, baby?’ he laughed
“‘Oh, God, yes!’ I cried. ‘I like it! I like it!’I was ready to come again, rising to meet him, wanting to make him come with me. I screamed as I came and he pounded into me harder, and he was grunting, his heavy body pressing on me, his cock shooting into me as we came together.”
She switched off the recorder and lay back exhausted. I tried to put my arms around her but she shook her head. “No, please, Billy. It’s against the rules and I’m so upset and tired.”
“He won’t know.”
“Yes, he will. He’s a devil. He’ll know. Besides he’ll ask me and I can’t lie very well. He’ll see it.” She finished the glass of water and turned to me and touched my face. “I’m so sorry, Billy. I know it’s very painful for you. I never thought it would be like this. And we have a whole month of it.”
“You can’t Lisa. You can’t do it, and I can’t take it either,” I said.
“We have to, Billy. There’s nothing else we can do.” She started to nod off to sleep, then remembering something. She opened her eyes. “Billy, tomorrow morning we have to go to one of those waxing places, and then you have to shave my...my...pussy. He wants me to be completely smooth, no hair at all, just like him.” She closed her eyes again and was fast asleep.
Chapter Five
Silk
One night at the beginning of the third week, Lisa came home and went through the same ritual: glass of water in the kitchen, undressing in the bathroom, timidly sliding into our bed careful to leave space between us. I waited, expectantly, for the recorder and the complete description Frank insisted on. But she was silent. Finally, I asked, “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Billy,” she turned to me, “the man’s insane. I can’t do it. I really can’t do it.”
“You’ve thought that before and you always managed.” I could hear the anger in my voice. “I’m sorry, Lisa. I didn’t mean that they way it sounded. I guess this is wearing me down, too.” She didn’t say anything. “Tell me,” I said, “what’s the next step in Frank’s plan to destroy us?”
She waited awhile longer, then began, “There’s this man named Silk. I’ve mentioned him to you. He’s Frank’s best friend. He’s a bum and a drunk. He sometimes stays at Frank’s.” She turned away and shook her head. “He’s horrible. Skinny and filthy. His teeth are broken, and there are these scars and pockmarks on his face. He’s got raised red blotches like scabs on his body. He’s so ugly, and he smells awful, like he never bathes. There’s this strong urine smell, too. I can’t stand to be in the same room with him. He never says much, just grins.” She paused and shifted her weight in the bed, turning a bit toward me again. “Frank sometimes lets Silk watch.”
“You mean when you and Frank...”
“Yes, he sometimes watches us.”
“He doesn’t....”
“No, he just watches. At first, it was awful knowing he was there, but I’ve gotten used to it. Recently he must have done Frank a big favor and Frank...” She rolled to her side of the bed and lay there for a long time looking at the ceiling. Then she started once more. “Frank made me invite him here tomorrow afternoon. I have to...I have to do for him like I do for Frank, only here in our place.”
She was silent once more. Finally I asked, “So, what did you say?”
“What could I say?” She turned her head toward me. “Frank reminded me that this was the third week, only eleven days to go, and I hadn’t gotten any extra days added on. He also threatened to take me to Ryan’s if I objected. But, Billy, this Silk...he’s so disgusting...dirty and perverted. He has these ugly warts on his body. The way he looks at me and keeps grinning. The thought of even having him touch me...it scares me, Billy, really it does.”
“When exactly is this Silk coming here?”
“Around four tomorrow afternoon.” Frank said you ought to be here just in case. He thinks Silk may be a little bit crazy. He said Silk was to stay in the living room with me and you should put a chair in the kitchen entrance so you could keep an eye on things.”
“What if I go crazy? What if I kill the bastard?”
“You can’t, Billy. You can’t do anything. Like you said, it’s probably part of Frank’s plan to drive you and me apart. We can’t let him do that Billy.”
“No, you’re right. And in less than two weeks this nightmare will be over.”
She put her hand on my arm. “Silk has to report back to Frank everything that happens. Frank gave him the tape recorder and showed him how to use it. If you do or say anything to interfere Frank will add extra days. You have to stay in the chair unless Silk gets rough and I need you.”
“Could he get rough?”
“He has this idea in his head that I think I’m better than he is. He calls it ‘uppity’. He’s never had a woman except for the kind he paid for. He hates all women, but especially me.”
“Oh God, Lisa! What exactly are you supposed to do?”
She turned away again and faced the wall. After a long wait, she said, “Like I told you. I have to wear something that will...that will excite him...get him excited. Then let him have...let him have...what he wants.” She paused. “It will be terrible for you, Billy. I’ll have to say and do things that...you know, that Frank makes me say and do. But, Billy, it will be worse for me, much worse. I’m not sure I can. Frank can be mean and demanding, but Silk...he’s evil, you know, truly evil.”
“How old is this Silk?”
“Middle or late fifties. He’s so ugly. I’m afraid I’ll be sick. When he watches us, he has these little eyes, like pinpoints, like a snake. He almost never blinks.” She rolled over, face down and banged her fists against the pillow, “Oh God, Billy, he’s so horrible! Just the thought of him...of his filthy hands touching me...of...of...” she began to cry.
The next afternoon, I left work about three o’clock. It had been snowing for several hours and was supposed to continue until early evening. The apartment was warm and comfortable and smelled heavily of Channel. Lisa had closed the drapes. In the living room were several fresh candles, not as yet lit. On the coffee table was a new bottle of Hennessy, the ice bucket, and two glasses. The dark thought came to me that even before Frank, our place had never been so inviting, so obviously romantic.
The bathroom door was closed. I hung up my coat and sat at the kitchen table. Outside, the snow continued to fall. Perhaps it would prevent Silk from coming. Maybe we could break our agreement with Frank. Maybe these careful preparations might turn out to be for me after all. Maybe Lisa would do for me what she had promised to do for Silk.
I turned away from the window. She was standing there in the kitchen doorway. It was one of those moments when I could not believe a woman as beautiful as she could be here, could actually be my wife and love me. She had never seemed as desirable or as vulnerable. I wanted more than anything in my life to make love to her here, now, on this wintry afternoon, by candle light.
She wore a tight black skirt that buttoned down the front. The last few buttons had been left open. A wide black leather belt encircled her slim waist. Through a white transparent nylon blouse, her small breasts were clearly visible, her perfect nipples smooth and pink. On her feet were the black leather heels she’d worn at Bruno’s. Her legs were bare but glistened with a sheen of oil. Her mouth, too, glistened. I think she had been crying. She crossed over to me and put her hand on my shoulder. Her tiny nails were pointed and bright red. “Billy, I’m scared,” she said.
I patted her hand.“It will be okay. I’ll be right here.” She sat down opposite me. “Maybe he won’t come,” I said, “the roads are bad.”
“No, Frank called an hour ago. Silk is at his place. All he has to do is walk over. He should be here any minute now.”
“What else did Frank say?”
“Same as before. You must stay here in the kitchen where you can see into the living room, but you can’t say or do anything. A bad report or something bad on the tape will mean extra days for me.” She reached across the table and put her hands on mine. “Please, Billy, let’s get through this the best way we can. I’ve made up my mind to keep thinking the whole time, ‘no extra days and no Ryan’s’. You should do the same.”
“But is all this necessary? The candles, the brandy, the way you look?”
“Frank’s idea. He told me exactly how to arrange it all and what to wear.” She pulled the curtain aside to look out into the court. “The tape worries me. I’ll have to say things, Billy...things Frank expects to hear. Maybe you’ll have to talk on the tape, too.” She reached over to touch my cheek. Her hand was trembling. “You understand, don’t you?” I nodded. “And I’ll have to do everything Silk wants me to do...” I could see the tears starting from her eyes. “I hate that man, Billy. I hate him more than I hate Frank. Like I said, he’s evil and I think he hates me, too. Hates all women because he’s never in his miserable life had one.”
She wiped her tears with the hem of the curtain. “And now, this afternoon, here in our own place, he will have me. I mean he will have me completely, have me like Frank has me. He will have me like he owns me.” She took my hands, “Oh, Billy, this is going to be terrible for both of us.”
“I understand, Lisa. It will be okay. I promise.”
She looked from the window. “He’s coming,” she said, quickly letting go of the curtain. “Will you open the door? Get him settled in the living room. Then come back to the kitchen and turn on the water in the sink. When I hear it, I’ll know it’s time for me. We have to get through this, Billy. Somehow we have to get through it.” She hurried into the hall. I heard the bathroom door click shut behind her.
Silk wore an old Army coat and laced-up Army boots. A woolen cap was pulled down around his ears. He stood on the sidewalk, grinning at me, his broken teeth yellow stained, his eyes, as Lisa had said, bright black dots, unblinking. From his overcoat pocket, he pulled the familiar tape recorder and, holding up a long crooked finger, pushed the button that turned it on. “Well,” he said, still grinning.
“You’re Silk?” I said, unintentionally loud.
“Mister Silk, Billy. It’s Mister Silk.” He pushed past me, clomping up the stairs. I followed him into the living room. He brushed the snow from his cap and started to remove his coat. “Nice place you got here.” He surveyed the room, his hard eyes noticing the Hennessy. After carefully placing the tape recorder on the coffee table and checking to see that it was running, he poured himself a drink. “It will play for two hours,” he said, pointing to the recorder. “If that ain’t enough, I got another tape.” He fished it out of his pocket and handed me his damp coat. Just as Lisa had said, he smelled of sweat and urine. “The tape’s running now,” he reminded me.
He looked around. “It’s kinda dark, Billy. You oughta light some of them candles.”He quickly drained his glass and poured another. As I lit the candles, the room took on a warm, golden glow. “Pretty,” he said, easing himself into my big chair. “I like candles.” When the last one was burning, I turned to go back into the kitchen. “Wait a minute,” he said, his eyes squinting up at me, the ugly grin still spread across his face. “I ain’t heard you offer me nothin yet.”
I didn’t understand what he meant. “I mean you didn’t invite me in. You didn’t ask me to have a drink. You hardly spoke a word to me. I think you got an attitude, Billy, and it’s pissin me off.” He held up the recorder then put it back on the table. “Ya, know,” he continued, Frank sent me over here cause he said there was somethin you got here that you wanted to give me. I’d like you to tell me what it is.”