by Rachel Torrent

“No,” Sahndra told Scottie. “I’m staying at this party that I’m allegedly co-hosting. Whadaya think this is? The high school prom?”

Scottie turned around in mid-step. He was stunned. He had no idea his wife would refuse him sexual pleasure.

“No? Is that what you said?” He laughed as if it was a joke.

Julie just stood by, watching. Don, who had come back over from wherever he’d been, took his same barstool and sat down to wait this out.

“I said no, Scottie. I’m not in the mood right now to see whatever it is you wanna show me. So take a pill and tend the bar like you promised.”

Scottie stared at her for a moment longer. He still couldn’t believe he was being turned down. He was never turned down. Then he said,” Fine. Have it your way,” and went back behind the bar.

To Don he said, “What can I getcha, bubba?” He looked up at Sahndra without smiling and sighed heavily. That look that said, “Freaking ridiculous. This is absolutely freaking ridiculous.”

Sahndra stared back at him for just a second, also without smiling, and then turned to Julie. “May I have a word with you?”

“Sure! Let’s retire to the other side.” Then Julie turned to Scottie. “I’ll watch her for you, Scottie boy. You can trust me.”

“Just get out of my sight. Both of you.” He was making a drink and didn’t look up at either of them. He was still a little stunned.

The ladies walked freely through the foyer into the bar area. Jack French was wooing some young woman. Julie envied her. She wanted to hear what he was saying softly. Earl Ray was still with Roger.

Roger.

He was who they both came over to see. And he sat there totally oblivious to the stir he was causing. He wore a dark gray dress shirt with a tiny diamond design on it, black dress pants and a black woolen jacket. And black dress shoes, of course.

“What’s with you and Scottie?” Julie asked her.

“Scottie who?” Sahndra laughed. “Just kidding, babe,” she imitated him. “He needs to wait for once in his wild life. How rude is that to leave the guests to go in the back and you-know-what?”

“Yeah. Whatever. Besides, look at what you’d be missing.”

They watched Roger. He was sitting in a tall chair at the bar drinking beer from a big mug and laughing at Earl Ray. Not looking around the room for any woman. Not trying to get any woman in bed. Just being himself. He was the most striking creature in the place. Bar none.

“Hey, Jules. Do ya suppose he’d let us both do him at the same time?”

“I don’t think he’d have a problem with that. Two other people might. But not Roger.” Julie meant their respective husbands, of course.

“Oh, yeah. While you were over here frenching Jack, I found out why Alan Matthews is acting like a junkie without a fix.”

“I wasn’t frenching Jack. Not yet. Although he felt and smelled damn good while we were dancing. Anyway, what’s up with our boy Alan?”

Still watching Roger’s every move, Sahndra spoke. “He’s sleeping with someone else.”

Julie gasped. “No way. You lie. Who is it?”

“Carli.”

“That girl in there with the Sweeneys?”

“She came over to the bar to get a glass of wine, and spilled the whole story to me. Evidently, she’d had about nine glasses of wine before she got here. She was a wreck,” Sahndra said. Jack French was not making progress with the red-head he was working on.

“Spilled what? How do you know her so well?”

“She did some publicity brochures for me last month. Remember? Anyway, she was about lit and told me that she’d seduced Alan in the storeroom of his store a few days ago. And now she can’t get him out of her head. She wants some more of that stuff. And I don’t blame her.”

Julie laughed. “You need a good ramming from Scottie, I swear. So what’s with Alan?”

“He’s got that old guilty feeling, I guess. Or he wants some more too. Ask him. He’s your buddy.”

“Good for Alan. He deserves so much better than that bitch Amy. God. What did you tell Carli to do?” Julie figured she knew exactly what Sahndra had told Carli to do.

“I told her to go for it. He let down the guard once. He’ll do it again.” Exactly.

“Cool. I’ll talk to Alan. Omigod. That awesome stud of a man Jack is coming over here. Try not to grab his private parts,” Julie said. She felt her heart begin to race as she watched him saunter over to them.

“I wish. I’d bend over that barstool for this man. Right now.”

“Yeah. I hear ya. I’d give him a second target.”

“Ladies!” Jack said with a big smile. They both could smell his cologne already.

“Hi, Jack. My turn to dance with you,” Sahndra told him.

He held out a hand to her in his most gallant, dashing manner. “Please. It would be my honor, sweetheart.”

Watching them go off to the dance floor, Julie fantasized about Jack, herself, and a barstool. She squirmed at the thought of his touch. And she felt weak in the knees when she pictured him, still dressed, getting his ultimate pleasure with her.

Sahndra was thoroughly enjoying this sexy man too. It was another slow dance, of course. And Julie watched Sahndra rub her hands all over Jack’s back and shoulders. And Jack returned the affection. He caressed her lower back and even brushed his palms over her ass a couple of times.

Then she turned around and went back into the restaurant area. Roy Dean, the birthday boy, was having a grand time in general. He had been truly surprised, not a clue. He waved to Julie and blew her a kiss. He was with Lonnie. Lonnie was good for Roy Dean. Julie didn’t see Eric anywhere around.

At the bar, Scottie was engaged in a very close-up conversation with none other than Carli. The Alan Matthews girl. Carli was attractive, and Scottie was leaning over the bar to whisper to her just as he’d done to Sahndra earlier. He dropped a cherry into her drink, seductively. Julie thought she knew his game plan. She walked over.

“What’s up, Scottie?” She looked at him inquisitively, and she knew he knew it.

“Hey, Mrs. Michaels! Wanna drink?” He didn’t blink. He was busted, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“How about a Ginger Ale, Scottie?” Then she turned to Carli. “Hi! I’m Julie.” She held out her hand.

“Gotcha covered.” Scottie reached into the fridge.

"Oh, you’re Earl Ray’s wife!” Carli had been drinking for some time. And her eyes looked a little red.

Scottie handed Julie her request over ice. “Yeah, Jules. This is Carli. She knows Earl Ray very well. She was in his store a week or so ago, and he helped her out. Tremendously, as I hear.” Scottie smiled for a second. He was really in rare mood tonight. He was devious. He had no idea what Carli had done at Alan’s store, but he still tried to be mischievous.

Julie looked from Scottie back to Carli. “Oh, really now?”

“He’s wonderful. And a big help too. You’re lucky,” Carli said to her. Slurred to her.

“Thanks. I’ll tell him you said so. Are you having a good time?”

“Oh, yes. Scottie is very charming. He’s made me smile.”

“Scottie is quite charming.” Julie looked at him and rolled her eyes.

He laughed. “So where did you lose your charge?”

“She’s not lost. She had to pee,” Julie looked at him, trying to make him believe her.

“Bullshit. I need to stretch my legs anyway. Be right back.” He was out from behind the bar before Julie could protest. So she let him go. She couldn’t control everything. He went through the foyer, out of her sight.

“Hey, what happened to the bartender?” Julie jumped at the voice behind her. It was Alan Matthews. He had walked up alone and didn’t see Carli sitting behind Julie until after he’d spoken. Carli let out a little breath when she saw him. Alan seemed to freeze.

Julie smiled. “Alan! Enjoying yourself, sweetie?” She hugged him. He was still frozen, looking at Carli. “Oh, do you know Carli?”

“Uh….yes. She’s a regular customer. Hi, Carli. How are you?”

Carli stood up. “Alan!! I was hoping you’d be here. How’s it going?”

Julie saw Alan smile and begin to thaw. How awkward he must feel, she thought. He wants it bad, but doesn’t think he should have it. Julie thought Carli could work magic on him again. So she left them with the excuse of looking for her bartender.

Scottie was leaning against the wall just inside the bar area, arms crossed. Watching Sahndra and Jack still dancing. Julie couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“Now YOU take a pill,” she whispered when she got to him. She put her hand on his arm. “She’s just having fun. It’s a party.”

“Who is that dancing with her?” He said in his low voice.

“Jack French. He’s new in town. Represents a sports shoe company.”

“Some fancy dancer.” Julie still couldn’t read him. She looked around the bar for Roger. He and Earl Ray had disappeared.

As if he’d read her mind, Scottie said, “Oh, I saw that Lococco guy. I thought he wouldn’t show.”

“He’s hasn’t been here long. Where did you see him?”

“He went out the back. With your husband.”

Sahndra and Jack had finished dancing now, and Sahndra walked over and joined them. She was out of breath.

“Whew! That wore me out!” She said. Then, “Hi, honey. Who’s minding the bar?”

“Who cares? Are you enjoying yourself?” He had a smile on his face, but he didn’t sound happy.

“Having a blast. C’mon. I need some water.” Sahndra took his hand and led him back to his post. She knew he was thrown off kilter by her being nonchalant to him all evening. It had turned her on to refuse him, not to mention how turned on she was now after being next to Jack French for twenty minutes.

Back at the restaurant bar, Sahndra found Alan still talking to Carli. Both looked much happier. Sahndra smiled. Scottie went behind the bar and got Sahndra some ice water from the fridge. She sat on a barstool and took it from him.

“Invitation’s still open,” he whispered to her and winked. Alan and Carli couldn’t hear him.

“What?” Sahndra looked into his eyes.

“Still got something to give you. When you’re ready. Back there.” He motioned towards the back with his head, never taking his eyes off her. It excited him on, she thought, to see her with Jack. Jack didn’t threaten him, but it did bring him down a notch to see his wife frolicking with a strange man.

“Well……I guess I could take a little break.” She smiled. She was giving in to him far too early, but she wanted him. She really wanted him. Smelling and feeling Jack for all that time had gotten to her private parts.

“Alan, watch the bar for me, man. Okay?” Scottie said, whimsically.

“Watch it do what?” Alan was feeling a little giddy now. Carli snickered.

“Alan, is this where you’ve been? I was getting worried.” Amy came from out of nowhere.

Alan went back to his nervous state, Sahndra thought. He stammered, and poorly introduced his wife to his lover. Amy had no clue, though. He’d never cheated before, so she didn’t expect him to have started now. She was a little miffed, though, that he’d left her alone so long.

Sahndra didn’t wait around to see the rest of the scene. Scottie was beckoning her from the hallway that led to the back of the kitchen. Where the “sick” room was. Where she could touch him like she’d not been able to do in four days. And Scottie didn’t care about the bar either.

In the room, she saw that he’d already rolled out one of the beds. He knew he’d talk me into this, Sahndra thought. He closed the door quickly behind her and grabbed her. He pulled her to him and kissed her passionately, like in the movies. She responded to him and wrapped her arms around him. His beard scratched her skin, but she didn’t notice.

Back at the party, Julie had been in the kitchen checking on the food situation. She couldn’t hear the love-making, but she knew it was going on. And that reminded her of Earl Ray. The party was beginning to wind down, so she ventured out to look for him.

He wasn’t hard to find. He was sitting at the table with Lonnie and Roy Dean. They were all laughing. So she went over and sat down on her husband’s lap. He was very surprised.

“Hey, sweetheart. Have a seat,” he said. He slung his arm around her waist and rested his hand in her lap.

Julie greeted the other two at the table and put both her arms around Earl Ray’s neck. She whispered dirty things in his ear.

He blushed and laughed out loud, with his head down. “Stop that, Julie,” he said quietly.

“Ah, now it’s my turn. And I want some of you.”

Julie couldn’t wait to get him home and feel him again. And feel his hands on her. And taste his kisses. And touch his chest. And……..

It would be a good night all around.

TO BE CONTINUED……