“It’s really very easy once you get the hang of it,” she chuckled to him nastily. “Nothing to it at all. Now come over here and let me give you a big French kiss. After where my tongue has just been, I want to keep the same taste in my mouth.”
Sid walked toward his wife like a man in a trance. There was no color in his face and his shoulders were drooped lower than Sue had ever seen before. He appeared to be completely whipped. And then, when Sue was convinced that he was a beaten man – he struck. Sue didn’t see the punch coming until it was too late for her to react. It was a backhand blow, delivered, with all the strength in Sid’s body. The knuckles cracked against the side of Sue’s head and dropped her to the floor like a shot. If it had hit her in the jaw, it would have snapped it like a matchstick. As it was, the flesh on her forehead opened up from the force of the blow and sent blood splattering all over the bed and the carpet.
Sid reached down, picked her up under the arms and steadying her for a moment, delivered a right hand uppercut to her stomach that doubled her over like a rag doll. Sue was still in this position when Sid’s knee came up, catching her right on the tip of the chin. Her body hurtled backward and a moment later she had mercifully passed out cold. Sid pulled the limp body into the bathroom, pushed her under the shower, and turned on the cold faucet. The shock of the water revived her, and in an instant she had pulled herself out of the shower stall, dripping with water and blood.
“Miserable rotten slut,” said Sid, drawing his fist back again. “A fucking dyke, that’s what you are. My wife a dyke. I can’t believe it.”
“Well, you’d better believe it,” she said, through lips that were beginning to swell and discolor. “You’d better believe it, because that’s the, only way I’m going to go from now on and for the rest of my life.”
“Why didn’t you tell me it was this way,” he said, beginning to soften at the sight of her mutilated face. “I could have gotten psychiatric help for you.”
“And just what makes you think I wanted any,” she replied, taking the upper hand. “I tried it with another woman, liked it… got Trudy involved, and now we’re both hooked, She once said that she would stay with Lou even though she liked having her sex with me… but after what happened today, I think she’s going to go all the way, too. Now why don’t you just get the hell out of here so I can clean myself up, pack and get out.”
“Then you’re leaving today? This is it? Good-bye?”
“You bet your ass it is. Tell people whatever the hell you want about why we split up, I don’t give a damn. All I want is to be away from you and that big greasy cock of yours. Now leave me alone, dammit, leave me alone!”
The shock had begun to wear off and the pain was starting to creep over Sue’s head and body. She knew that she had to keep moving before she stiffened up, so she got down her suitcase, packed it as quickly as she could, and dragged it out to her car. Sid stood by helplessly. He tried to speak to her several times, but nothing seemed to come out. It was just all too incredible for him to bear. His marriage was over and his wife was a lesbian. Incredible! Sid went to the bar and poured himself a triple. He was going to need it to dull the pain of what he had seen and what he was going to have to live with for the rest of his life.
With her body trembling violently, Sue drove straight for Trudy’s home. There was no way that she could check into a motel looking like this. Besides, she needed medication and help.
Trudy nearly fainted at the sight standing in her doorway. She screamed, began crying hysterically, and led Sue into the bathroom to begin making repairs.
“This is what a man can do to you,” Sue kept saying over and over as Trudy applied cold compresses. “Isn’t that beautiful?”
“I wonder if Lou would do that to me?” Trudy replied. “I wonder if he would?”
“Why wait to find out?” answered Sue. “Leave the bastard a note and let’s get away together. We can go up to the cabin for a few days until I’m feeling better. And then we can let the lawyers arrange everything for us. We’ll take all we can get from those bastards – and then we’ll go away together. Far away.
What do you say?”
Trudy thought it over for less than a minute, then reached for her suitcase.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Word of the double divorce spread through the factory like a prairie fire. The suits were uncontested and therefore the facts were never fully aired in public. This lack of official information proved to be a source of great delight to the gossipmongers in the factory. Now they could fully utilize their powers of imagination to speculate on the reasons for the divorces – and this they did with great enthusiasm.
Lou and Sid, mindful of the rumors that flowed around them, went on about their work as energetically as they possibly could. They busied themselves in as many committees and projects that time would allow, as if to defeat their problems by the sheer force of work. This plan proved somewhat successful, because six months after their separations, both men were able to walk through the entire factory without suffering any of the usual smirks or clandestine whispers from the other employees.
The two men had actually become much closer because of their mutual problems.
They had dinner together nearly every night of the week and though each took a separate bachelor apartment, they both lived in the same building. One night at dinner, Lou brought up the subject that had been in the back of each man’s mind for some time.
“I’m getting sick and tired of living like a damn monk,” he snorted. “What do you say we get out and swing a little? The world isn’t going to come to an end if somebody sees us out on dates. Right?”
“You’re right,” replied Sid. “I’ve been thinking about it for some time myself.
When would you like to begin?”
“Hell, what about tonight? I-hear there’s a bar in that bowling alley near the plant that really has a lot of action at night.”
“You think a couple of old farts like us could do any good in there?” Sid answered.
“There’s only one way to tell,” replied Lou. “Let’s go and see for ourselves.”
They left Sid’s car at the restaurant’s parking lot and took Lou’s car to the bowling alley. It was about eight-thirty when they pulled into the lot and made their way into the building. There was the usual flurry of activity on the alleys and they both stopped to watch the bowlers for a few moments before heading toward the bar which was dimly lit and only partially filled as they made their way to a table.
“Looks like a false alarm,” said Lou disappointedly.
“Don’t give up yet,” replied Sid, becoming his old aggressive self once again.
“It’s still early.”
The waitress was a cute blonde in her early twenties. Her blouse was well packed and her miniskirt showed a tantalizing pair of legs. Both men began to squirm with anticipation. It was a great feeling to have once again.
“We’re kind of new around here,” said Lou. “How’s the action in this room?”
“What do you mean?” asked the girl.
“You know,” said Sid. “Are there any fun people In here, or just a bunch of characters slopping down the booze?”
“We get a little bit of everything in here,” the girl replied, showing a smile that revealed two very large dimples. “But I must say that most of the action gets started around ten or so. That’s when the leagues are finished rolling for the night. The people come in for a little belt or two and then the fun begins.
Why don’t you stick around?”
“We’re going to do just that,” answered Lou. “You can bet on it.”
The men nursed their drinks along for another hour or so and sat there waiting like a pair of spiders in a web. Then, just as the girl had said, the people began trickling into the bar by the threes and fours. The laughter was loud and the spirits were jovial. It was a pleasant sound to them both. Their quest was unescorted females, and, as luck would have it, a party of four young women entered, had a quick drink, and separated. Two left and the other two remained for a second drink.