"No," Ike said firmly. "But you can bring her along."
Kim sighed unhappily. "Okay. we'll be there." She hung up and turned to Sue. "You can come. But it's just a party, so there will a lot of people there. I hope. Nothing can happen at a party with a lot of people around. I'm glad I didn't just tell him to screw himself. This might not be so bad after all."
Sue nodded. "I've got to go get a new dress. These are rich people, I'll bet you anything they're loaded, and we want to look good. Don't we, Kimmy-loo?"
Kim thought of the thousand dollars in her purse. "Yes, I suppose so. You really think it will be fun?"
"With all that money around, free booze, and at the Silver Towers, it should be something to tell your grandchildren about."
Kim smiled lightheartedly, and put her arms around Sue.
"Then let's go get a new dress."
Sue squealed with glee and went into the bedroom for her shoes. She was rummaging through her purse when she came out, then held up her credit card with a smile. "Always got this in a pinch."
Kim said, "What am I going to tell Curt? I never go out at night."
"Tell him you're with me. My brother had a motorcycle accident and you had to go with me to the hospital to give me moral support."
"But I've never lied to Curt," Kim protested.
Sue looked at her and shook her head. "Then call up the boss and tell him you're not going. Better he see that video than you lie to him."
"All right, smart-ass," Kim said, giving Sue a soft punch in
the shoulder. "Let's go."
They took a cab downtown and spent the day shopping, laughing and trying on all the beautiful things Kim had never been able to buy before. She bought a lavender silk dress with spaghetti straps. The hem came above her knees. And she bought pastel pink stockings and garter belt and panties. Her new patent leather shoes matched the dress. She splurged and got herself some costume jewelry, earrings, necklace, bracelet, and a ring. Sue got herself a black mini-dress outfit and at about four o'clock they stopped for coffee.
"It's nice having money, isn't it, sweetie?" Sue said, lighting a cigarette. "How'd you like to be doing this every day? How'd you like a new sports car?"
Kim smiled sheepishly. "I've never had so much fun. Did you see that guy who was watching you at the last place? He was really nice."
Sue nodded. "He was watching you, Kimmy-loo. No girl has a chance beside you."
"Oh, Sue, you know that isn't true."
"It is true, and that's why I said it. You put movie stars to shame, and then you've got that innocent quality."
Kim shook her head sadly. "I wish I were ugly."
"If you were, you wouldn't have Curt. Just make the most of what you've got. Millions of girls would love to be able to attract men the way you do, to be able to get fucked whenever they want by whoever they want. Enjoy it."
"How can I? I'm married."
"We've been through all that before. What good does it do to talk about it?"
"I guess you're right. Do you like my new dress?"
"You look lovely in it. But anything you put on is a come-down to what you are naked. That's why they want you that way."
"Do you think I could get a car?"
"If old Ike keeps giving you money like that."
"How about a Porsche?"
"Whatever. Remember, you've got to explain it all to Curt.
If you can find a good excuse for being able to buy one. How is Curt, by the way?"
"Wonderful, since it looks as though he's getting a promotion. Last night he was fantastic. And I-I sucked his cock. I've never done that before."
"How was it?"
"Different," Kim confided. "But fun. I didn't think I could enjoy doing something like that. I read about it in the magazine, you know that one about how to make love."
"I've got a whole collection of them."
"He got real turned on, and I did too. Then I asked him to do it to me. Asked him to to fuck me." Kim covered her mouth and giggled. "Oh, I'm getting so bad."
Sue reached over and squeezed Kim's hand. "Kimmy-loo, you've got a long way to go to be bad."
They chatted for another half-hour about friends and family and then called a cab to take them to the Silver Towers.
Chapter 6
The elevator stopped on the eighth floor and Sue and Kim walked down to the end of the hall where they found Eight-One-Two. It had a double-door entry and there was a faint sound of disco dance music coming through the door. Sue rang the doorbell.
It was a minute before a small, cute redhead in her early twenties answered. She smiled, "You must be Kim," she said, looking the picturesque blond up and down. "And you?"
"I'm Kim's friend Sue," the other girl said, stepping forward into the apartment.
It was huge and luxurious. In the corner was a bar and a man in bartender's uniform was making drinks.
"I'm Sally," the redhead said. "And that's Sophia over there." Sophia was a fetching girl, taller than Kim with long legs exposed beneath a leopardskin mini-dress. She had long, glistening jet-black hair and big, black eyes.
Kim and Sue crossed to the bar and stood there waiting for the bartender to make them drinks. Kim, who knew only about screwdrivers, ordered one of those while Sue ordered an international stinger.
"So that's Bernard," Sue said, looking across the room where three black men talked, seemingly locking in important conversation. "Who are the others?"
Kim squirmed uncomfortably, seeing Bernard Khumalo and remembering how she had last seen him, and she felt a distinct loss of privacy at his being there. The other black men with him were unknown to her, but she decided they too must be African, perhaps his associates from Zimbabwe or Angola, places she hoped she would never, ever be. There were other men present as well, men in suits and ties, men of middle age with grey or thinning hair, and paunches, some of them with cigars, and diamond rings on their little fingers. Some of them were handsome, some had once been handsome, and others had never been handsome. Kim noticed with dreadful embarrassment that Henry Manson was among them, and Manson had also noticed that she was present. He raised his cocktail to her and smiled, his thick, soggy cigar in that same hand. Kim counted all in all fourteen men between about forty-five and sixty years of age. And every single one of the exuded the confidence that comes with power and wealth.
Sally answered the door again and three more girls came in, all young and attractive. One of them had breasts even larger than Kim's. Sue and Kim sat on one of the several expensive couches and began to talk.
"That Bernard whatever-his-name-is is utterly beautiful. I'd like to get next to him."
"I'll let you," Kim said. "I can't take anymore of him."
"You took all he had to give," Sue remarked under her breath and then turned to the man who had loomed over them.
"So good to see you here, Kim," Ike said. "And who is this lovely lady?"
"Sue, my friend. Sue, this is Ike Harvey."
Sue was gracious and friendly, in spite of what she knew Ike
was doing to Kim. She chatted in banalities with Ike while Kim watched, feeling very much at the mercy of this evil man. After all the nonsense, Ike gave them some parting advice before walking away to his guests.
"This is a party for Bernard and the people involved in our deal with him. Drink, dance, and have a good time, girls. Just remember, don't say no."