Chapter 7: What'll I Do?
"What about those two over there?" Ethel said.
Marjorie Ambrose followed her friend's glance. They were sitting in a speakeasy on West 49th Street and for the past few minutes Ethel had been teasing Marjorie about picking up some men to make the dull hot afternoon more interesting. Marjorie thought it was just teasing, but she wasn't sure.
Now Marjorie glanced briefly at the two young men at the bar and then she looked at Ethel again. "You're not serious."
Ethel chuckled. "You're wrong, darling. I mean it."
"Ethel, I've got a husband."
"And so do I. We both have husbands and we've both been married long enough to be bored. Don't tell me you haven't cheated on Stanley before."
"I haven't and that's the truth."
"But I bet you want to."
Marjorie felt uncomfortable. Yes, she did want to. Sex with Stanley was so boring these days. When she could get it at all. He was always so busy with his friends, he never had much time for her. The idea of going to bed with some stranger was exciting, but she wasn't sure she had the nerve to go through with it.
"Ethel, I just can't."
"Oh, yes you can. One of those romeos is walking over here now and we're going to invite them to sit down with us."
So there it was. Marjorie remained passive. The young man who came over to them now was maybe twenty three or twenty four and he stood there smiling down at them with amusement in his eyes.
"My friend and I would like to join you."
Ethel smiled up at him. "What's your name, honey?"
"I'm Bob and my friend's Fred."
"If you promise to behave yourself, you can sit with us."
And so it began. In a few moments the two young romeos were sitting with them, Bob on one side of the table beside Ethel and his friend Fred next to Marjorie. They began talking, and before long Marjorie relaxed and told herself maybe she deserved it. Having the attention of the man beside her was pleasant and even thrilling. Yes, thrilling. It was thrilling just to pretend that something would happen between her and Fred.
After a while Fred's arm slipped around Marjorie's shoulders. They were into the second round of drinks before she leaned against him and quivered as he kissed her neck.
"Please, don't do that."
"Why not?" Fred laughed.
"I don't know. It tickles."
"Hey, let's get out of here and go someplace else," Bob said.
"To do what?" Ethel said.
Both men laughed. "Have a party, I guess."
Ethel shook her head. "Not the four of us together."
"Well, all right, then two and two."
Ethel looked at Marjorie. "Are you okay?"
Marjorie hesitated a moment and then she nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."
Ethel giggled as she leaned against Bob's chest. Marjorie couldn't see it, but she suspected Ethel now had a hand in Bob's lap.
"All right, I'm ready," Ethel said to Bob. "Take me out of here and make me happy."
The four of them left the speakeasy together, but outside on the sidewalk the two couples broke apart and said goodby.
"Be nice to my girlfriend," Ethel said to Fred with amusement in her voice.
"Don't worry, I will," Fred said.
Marjorie quivered as Fred's hand casually dropped to stroke her buttocks through her thin summer dress. Oh God, what am I doing? she thought.
"Where are we going?" she said.
Fred shrugged. "What about my place?"
"And where's that?"