"No." In truth she was too miserable to know what she was going to do. She had no idea what to do. Divorce? Separation? What? How could she ever go to bed with him again? A flush spread over her face as she looked at Leo and heard again the words "too many hang-ups". He had to say that! He had to put her down! He made love to her with contempt in his heart! Inexperienced! Now his vulgar suggestions and rough ways made sense! He would consort with whores and then have the nerve to put her down as "too hung-up"!
A great female rage swept over her and she gritted her teeth as she thought and felt how much she would like to get even with him. Her eyes narrowed as she thought: All right, Mr. Robert Hunnicutt, we'll see who's not hot!
Yes! Her grin was savage as she looked at the older rugged face of Leo who was watching her so carefully, gauging her mood. "What can we do?" she asked, her eyes wild and livid.
They leaned close together, fellow conspirators, their heads almost touching as Leo's voice dropped even lower and became more confidential. "Okay. Lot's of things we could do. Plenty of time to do some of them. But, more than anything, what do you want to do?" He paused then answered his own question. "Get even, right?"
"Yes!" Carol said, feeling a thirst and lust for revenge course through her body. More than a divorce, more than any kind of settlement, more than watching him squirm, in court, more than demanding and getting a large alimony, she wanted to humiliate him or confront him in some way and hurt him back the way he had hurt, her by betraying her with another woman! More than having sex, he downgraded her by saying she was "in effect, not a normal woman".
"Okay," Leo went on, "Here's one way we can get even. Catch them together. Right now, tonight. Right here."
Carol's eyes widened and a kind of fear and thrill ran through her: "What do you mean?"
"Well…" Leo paused and looked at her before grinning. His grin broadened and he finally sat back in his seat, saying, "Naw, it would be too much for you."
"What?" Carol again felt that fear-thrill run through her body and make her nerve ends tingle alive.
Leo waved a hand. "Naw, you couldn't do it."
"Do what?" Carol persisted, hers female curiosity up to the boiling point.
He leaned forward again. "My wife asked me to get lost while she shows Bob our romper room." He sat back as if he had told her something important.
She thought he was implying something by his tone but didn't catch it. "And you agreed?"
He spread his hands. "Yes, I thought perhaps we could catch them."
Her head tilted to one side as she asked, "What's in the romper room?"
"Movies. My wife likes movies."
"What kind of movies?" she asked, suspicious, feeling anger and the great raging desire for revenge welling up in her again.
"Pornographic. And that's why I don't think you could take it. They're hard core stuff and I don't think you could take it because it's rough and you can't help but seeing it. I mean the room's dark and the walls are the movies. My idea was that we could slip in and catch them in the act. Just think of it, really getting the goods on them! Catch them in the act and shame them." He sighed and shook his head. "But I don't think you could do it. You're not up to it."
His comment seemed to sting as much, if not more than Bob saying she was "not hot". What did people think she was? Did they think they could treat her any old way? She looked at Leo with her eyes smoky and half closed. The fools! She knew what she was doing when she worked on the job and wiggled when she walked. She knew what they were thinking! Did they think she was blind and stupid? It was written all over their faces! Did Leo think she was some stupid child to be manipulated, to be put-down?
She put her hands on her hips and her heart beat wildly as she heard her voice say, "I want to do that. Catch him in the act. I want to see his face."
Leo wearily shook his head, a masterful actor, reeling Carol in slowly. "No. Naw. It's a great idea but you'd never make it. You'd never be able to cope with one of those movies. Sorry I brought it up."
"I'm going to go and you'll take me!" She was defiant.
"No."
"Don't talk down to me! First you tell me about Bob then you come up with a plan then you back out. Listen, I took what was on that tape, I'll take what's in that room. Let me be the judge. Don't treat me like some little girl."
He looked up at her and laughed. "You got spunk."
"Darn right I do. I can take those pictures. In fact," and she felt a wild smile trying to form itself on her lips, "I've always wanted to see one."
Leo clapped his hands together and got up, walking to the bar with his back to Carol, a look of wild ironic amusement on his face. She had been easier than he thought. "All right," he said over his shoulder, "Remember you insisted on it." He swung behind the bar and poured Scotch over crushed ice, saying, "And I insist on a good stiff drink before we go. Now look, she's probably running a quick show for him so, if the room is dark, we just dart in and sit down quick. All four walls are movies and it's difficult to see anyone else in the room. Give your eyes a few minutes to adjust. If you move fast, they'll probably think we're other guests."
"Guest?" Carol was puzzled.
"People come from all over to see those movies. Mona won't mind if someone else is present while she makes love to Bob. In fact, she prefers it."
"P… p… prefers?" Carol stammered, suddenly lewd and abandoned visions dancing through her confused mind.
Thrusting her drink at her, he went to the door of the cabana and opened it, looking out. "Not so many people. Guess they're drifting downstairs. We'd better get in there before it gets too rough." He glanced at his watch, downed a generous portion of his drink and indicated by gesture that Carol had better do the same thing.
Carol's head was swimming and her ego reeling from under the shock of what she had learned in the last half hour. In her mind's eye, she could see Mona and Bob disappearing into the house with Mona's dark face looking up at his in a lewd intimate grin. Bob was half-drunk already from all that he had drunk on the road and a fresh drink was in his hand. She herself was feeling the effects of the drinks Bob insisted she have with him and now she gulped at the straight whiskey and felt it sear its way into her stomach.
In the next, two minutes, things happened too fast for her to think. In exactly one hundred and sixty seconds, she found that she had finished her drink and stood with her heart pounding from fear and excitement – she was going to see something forbidden, dirty films, and she was going for a moral reason, to confront her husband with his lying and immoral conduct – and stood watching her boss, Leo McKern pour them two fast, stiff drinks and catching her breath, she drank the glass dry. All, two drinks, in exactly two minutes.
Now there seemed to be no time to lose and Leo had her by the hand leading – practically dragging – her around the pool and into the house and down endless halls until they came to a flight of dimly lit, carpeted stairs. He led her down swiftly and she lost her footing in the dark and fell forward with Leo expertly catching her, in his strong big hands. His hands cupped under her breasts and she felt them squeeze the firmly rounded mounds under her bra and she felt them swell and her nipples grow taut with a guilty kind of excitement.
"Are you all right?" he whispered.
She caught her breath and nodded, backing off but he still held her firmly under the breasts. She was still off balance and they thrust out so and bunched together, making a cleavage that was round and deep and fleshy.
In a whisper, he explained. "I'll peek in first. Then, if it's all right, well slip in. It's important we get in fast and sit down. Understand?"
Carol caught her breath again and nodded. She was feeling so giddy and so… what? Wild? Insane? She didn't know. She didn't know what to believe she was trusting a man she had every right not to trust. Yet, he seemed so direct and honest.