Come Out Tonight Read online

  “Pretty much.”

  “Did you see Duane at all?”

  “Yeah. I saw him.”

  “Saw him do what? If he didn’t walk off with the guy you told me about, where did he go?”

  “I’m not so sure you want to know,” Toby said.

  “Believe me, I want to know.”

  “It’s pretty bad. It’s another reason why I lied and wanted to take you for a drive—to get you away from it. I guess…I sort of wanted to protect you.”

  “Protect me from what?”

  Toby shook his head.

  “Tell me.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure. Come on, I want to know what happened.”

  “When he came out of the Speed-D-Mart, he ran into this woman. He called her Grace.”

  “Grace?”

  “Do you know her?”

  Sherry shook her head.

  “Duane knew her real well. First they kissed, right there in front of the store. Then they went over to his van and got in. But the van didn’t leave. And they didn’t come out. Grace was still in there with him when you came along. That’s why I made up the story about the queer guy. I mean, I wanted to save you from finding him that way.”

  She gazed at Toby, stunned.

  “I’m sorry I lied,” he said. “The thing is, I thought the truth would hurt you.”

  “My God,” she muttered.

  Duane goes to the Speed-D-Mart for condoms, then has to try them out on this Grace woman? So he’s in the back of his van, having a merry old time with her while I’m worried sick about him, searching high and low, half-figuring he’s dead or something.

  What sort of bastard…?

  Hang on, she told herself. Maybe it didn’t happen. All I’ve got is Toby’s say-so, and he lies.

  Would Duane do something like that? she wondered.

  Might. Who knows what a guy’ll do, you wave a hot babe in front of him?

  “Are you all right?” Toby asked, sounding very timid.

  She shook her head.

  “I didn’t want to tell you,” he said.

  “I…It’s all right. It’s something I…I’m glad you told me.”

  Gotta find out if it’s true, that’s the thing.

  “I don’t want to say anything bad about your boyfriend,” Toby said, “but he must be a real jerk. You know what I mean?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  If he did it…

  “To do that to you. I mean, he was so lucky to have you, and then to treat you that way…” Toby shook his head. “Not just a jerk, but nuts.”

  “I’m just glad I found out now. Before things went any further with him.”

  “Yeah. I’m really sorry.”

  “Not your fault. But I wish you’d told me the truth in the first place.”

  I could’ve taken a look in the van right then and there, she thought.

  “I couldn’t,” Toby said. “Huh-uh. ‘Oh, yeah, I saw him, all right. He’s over there in his van doing it with some other gal.’” Toby shook his head. “No way. I couldn’t tell you that. I like you too much. I couldn’t stand the idea of hurting you like that. And, like I said, I got this idea about the two of us driving around to look for him. I thought you were so terrific when you were subbing for Mr. Chambers, and this’d be my big chance to spend a little time with you…I know it was wrong to lie…But also, I figured by the time we’d get done searching around, maybe Duane would be finished with this other gal. So then you might never have to find out what a horrible cheating creep he really is. That’s also one of the reasons why I wanted us to stop and have a snack—so he’d have more time to get done screwing around in his van. So maybe you wouldn’t catch him at it. But then when it came time to turn around, I got to thinking what if they’re still doing it? I couldn’t just take you back to the Speed-D-Mart and have you find them in the van like that. So…now you know. I guess I can take you back, now, if you want.”

  She nodded. “Might as well.”

  “To the van?”

  “Yeah. Please. If it’s still there.”

  “What’ll you do?”

  “Find him, for starters. Then I’ll listen to what he has to say for himself. Maybe it wasn’t what it looked like.”

  And maybe it didn’t happen at all, she reminded herself. Grace might be no more real than the guy Duane supposedly walked away with.

  “What do you think it was?” Toby asked.

  “I don’t know. But I want to reserve my judgment till I’ve talked to him. It’s just…hard to believe he could do anything that rotten.”

  “I’m pretty sure he did, though. I mean, you should’ve seen how he kissed her. Their mouths were open. And she was sort of squirming against him, and he had a hand on her rear end. He was, you know, rubbing her butt while he kissed her.”

  Thanks for telling me that, Sherry thought. It gave her a heavy, sick feeling.

  “She was wearing this really short skirt,” Toby went on. “And nothing under it.”

  “What?”

  “No panties.”

  “How do you know that?” Sherry asked.

  Why is he telling me these things?

  “The wind kept blowing her skirt up,” he said.

  “Wonderful,” she muttered.

  “I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up, that’s all. I know it wasn’t just some innocent thing. They went in the van to…finish what they’d started.”

  “If that’s really what happened.”

  He raised his right hand. “I swear to God.”

  “Well, I’ll have to make up my own mind about it—see what Duane says.”

  “He’ll probably just lie to you.”

  “Let him try. He’ll have a tough time getting away with it. Anyway, I’m about ready to go. How about you?”

  “I guess so.”

  Instead of starting his car, however, he continued to stare at her.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “You sure you wanta go back to the van?”

  “Pretty sure.”

  “What if he’s still in there with Grace?”

  The thought of it made her feel sick inside. “Meet the competition,” she muttered. “Not that there’ll be any competition. If Duane’s got a woman with him…” She shook her head. “That’ll be the last he ever sees of me.”

  “Won’t it hurt an awful lot?”

  “It already hurts an awful lot.”

  “Why don’t you not go back to the van? You know? Just forget about it. I’ll take you home, instead.”

  “Home? You mean back to Duane’s place?”

  “You don’t want to go there, do you?”

  If Duane’s not back yet, she thought, I can pretend I never went out looking for him. Say I fell asleep, find out what he has to say about his disappearance.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

  “It’d be an awful idea. You don’t wanta go to his place, not after what he’s done.”

  “So you think I should just go back to my place and…what, wait for him to get in touch with me?”

  “My place,” Toby said.

  “Your place?”

  “Sure. That way, Duane won’t know where you went. Neat, huh? He disappeared on you, so now you disappear on him. Make him do the worrying.”

  With a grim laugh, Sherry shook her head. “Not sure he’d worry too much, not if he’s spent the past hour or two screwing someone in the back of his van. Probably be glad I’m gone.”

  “How about it, though? We’ve got a really nice guest room. It’ll be fun. Anyway, you shouldn’t really be by yourself on a night like this. Things are kind of crazy. The wind…” He shook his head. “The power’s already out in some places. You wouldn’t want to be all alone in your apartment and have the lights go out, would you?”

  “Oh, I think I could survive that.”

  “And the fires…”

  “They’re all pretty fa
r away.”

  “But you never know. What if all of a sudden you needed to evacuate?”

  “Guess I’d evacuate.”

  “How could you with your car in for repairs?”

  “Oh, I’d manage somehow,” Sherry said.

  When did I tell him about my car trouble? she wondered.

  In the silence, she heard the wind howling and hissing outside the car.

  “Anyway,” she said, “west LA doesn’t have brush fires. Everything’s paved. But if I did have to get away, I’m sure I could talk someone into giving me a ride.”

  “So, you don’t want to spend the night at my house?”

  “It’s nice of you to invite me, Toby. Maybe I can see your house some other time.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “For now, I guess I just want to go back to the Speed-D-Mart and see about Duane’s van.”

  “You sure that’s what you want?”

  “I think so.”

  “Okay.” He reached for the ignition and put his hand on the key, but didn’t turn it. Looking at Sherry, he said, “I bet you’re wondering how come I knew your car was in the repair shop.”

  “I must’ve mentioned it.”

  “No, you didn’t.”

  “Then I guess I do wonder.”

  “I know because I followed you there.”

  “Huh?”

  She felt a sudden squirm of apprehension.

  “I’ve been following you everywhere.”

  “What’re you—?”

  His arm swung out and the back of his fist crashed against Sherry’s brow. The impact jolted her head backward. As it bounced off the headrest, Toby clutched the nape of her neck. He jerked her toward him, dragging her out from under the chest harness.

  The lap belt was too loose to keep her up.

  She fell sideways, landing with her shoulder on the driver’s seat and her head on Toby’s lap.

  He pressed her head down with his left hand.

  Then he let go of her neck, leaned toward the passenger seat, raised his arm high and brought his fist down like a hammer. It sledged Sherry in the side, pounding deep into the soft area below her ribcage and above her hip.

  Pain erupted through her body. Her breath exploded out.

  Chapter Ten

  As his left hand kept Sherry’s head pressed against his lap, his right clutched the side of her blouse and yanked it out of her skirt. Then he slid his hand under her blouse. It felt cold as ice.

  Though stunned by the blows, Sherry clamped her right arm against her side to block his way.

  “Get your arm outa there,” Toby said.

  She didn’t move it.

  “Okay.”

  As his right hand gently patted her bare flank, his left ripped the earring from her pierced lobe.

  With a squeak of pain, Sherry flinched and grabbed her torn ear.

  Her arm no longer barred Toby’s way.

  As his hand glided up her side, goosebumps swarmed over her skin.

  She brought her arm down fast. Just as it trapped his forearm against the side of her ribcage, his cold hand cupped her breast.

  He moaned.

  Sherry felt movement under the side of her face. Movement under the fabric of Toby’s shorts.

  A blunt hardness rose out of his soft lap. It pushed against her cheek as if trying to raise her head, then tilted away. She felt the solid length of it from her jaw to her temple.

  Squirming, Toby drifted his hand over her breast as lightly as a breeze. She felt her skin crawling, her hard nipple tingling and aching.

  He fingered her nipple, gave it a gentle squeeze.

  Then suddenly he clutched her breast, kneading it and squirming and making sounds that were almost sobs as the stiffness under Sherry’s face jumped and throbbed. She tried to raise her head, but Toby shoved it down tight against the jerking front of his shorts. He thrust up against her. In his frenzy, he squeezed her breast so hard that she cried out.

  And it ended.

  He let out a long, trembling sigh. His left hand stopped shoving her head. His right hand relaxed its grip on her breast. He settled down in the seat and panted for air.

  Under her face, Sherry felt moist warmth spreading across the fabric of his shorts.

  She felt a trickle down the side of her neck and figured it must be blood from her ear lobe.

  She didn’t move. She said nothing.

  Toby slowly calmed down. After a while, he whispered, “Wow.” Then he took his hand out from under Sherry’s blouse and drew the blouse down to her hip. “You’re so great,” he said.

  Thanks a heap, you sick fuck.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  “Did I hurt you?”

  What do you think?

  “A little,” she said.

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” His left hand, still resting on Sherry’s head, began to caress the side of her face. “The last thing I wanta do is hurt you.”

  Could’ve fooled me.

  “I guess I got carried away,” he said.

  “It’s all right,” Sherry told him. “I understand.”

  I understand plenty.

  “Do you hate me?” he asked.

  “No, I don’t hate you,” she said softly. “You just got…too excited, that’s all.”

  “That’s for sure.”

  “It could happen to anyone.”

  “You’re just so beautiful and…I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind.” As he caressed her face, his other hand gently rubbed her upper arm. “I’ve been thinking about you night and day…dreaming about what it might be like to…to be with you.”

  “Can I sit up now?” she asked.

  “I like you like this.”

  “Okay.” She stayed down. The front of his shorts now felt sticky under her face.

  “We’ve gotta figure out what to do,” Toby said.

  “Whatever you want is okay with me.”

  He caressed her cheek. “You’re so wonderful.”

  “What do you want to do?”

  “Take you to bed.”

  Big surprise.

  Though the idea of it disgusted her, she said, “I’d like that, too.”

  “Really?” he asked.

  “Sure. I think it’d be wonderful.”

  He gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “The question is, where?”

  “How about my apartment?” Sherry asked.

  “Nah, I don’t think so. You’re too friendly with everyone over there. If they saw me show up with you, they’d figure something was wrong.”

  “Not necessarily. I can say you’re my kid brother or something.”

  “No good. Anyway, I can’t have anybody seeing me.”

  “What about your place?” Sherry asked.

  “No way.”

  “I thought you wanted to take me there.”

  “Huh? Oh, yeah. That was just talk. I can’t take you there.”

  Let it go, she warned herself.

  “Then how about a motel?” she asked.

  “How am I gonna check in at a motel without somebody seeing me?”

  “I could check us in.”

  “By yourself?”

  “Sure. It’d be easy.”

  “Yeah, and easy to tell on me.”

  “Why would I tell on you?”

  “Why wouldn’t you?”

  “I wouldn’t. I like you, Toby. I like you a lot.”

  “Sure you do.”

  Don’t push it.

  “I won’t tell on you,” she said. “You pick the motel. I’ll get us a room…I have credit cards. We’ll go up and spend the night together. How would that be?”

  “It’d be great. Only thing is, you’d tell the desk clerk you’re a prisoner and I’d be up to my asshole in cops.”

  “I wouldn’t tell.”

  “Yes, you would. I know you, Sherry. I know exactly what you’d do.”

  I doubt it.

  But he was right in this case; left alone with a desk clerk,
she would either blurt out the truth or call the police herself.

  Phones aren’t working.

  Maybe they are by now, she thought.

  “There’s Duane’s place,” Toby said.

  “What about it?”

  “He has a bed, doesn’t he?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Nobody knows anybody in that building,” Toby explained. “We could just walk in. Even if we got seen, nobody’d be suspicious of us. They’d just think we live there.”

  “They might get suspicious when they hear us kicking open Duane’s door.”

  “Haven’t you got a key?” Toby asked.

  “No.”

  “That’s okay. I can get us in.”

  “Okay. Duane’s place sounds great to me.”

  “Good.” Toby gave her arm a pat, then took his right hand away and started the engine. He pushed the gear selection lever to reverse. “I guess you can sit up now,” he told her. His other hand went away, and the car started to roll backward.

  Sherry pushed herself up, gritting her teeth but making no sounds. On her way up, the chest harness rubbed across her sore right breast. She pulled the strap away.

  “Leave that alone,” Toby warned, swinging on to the street.

  She eased the strap down against the middle of her chest. “It was hurting me,” she said.

  “Just keep your hands away from your seat belt.”

  “Fine.”

  He stopped the car, shifted to drive, then stepped on the gas. Ahead of them, the traffic signal at Venice Boulevard was red.

  The pavement just in front of Toby’s car was dark with the shadows of windblown tree limbs.

  He hasn’t got the headlights on.

  She resisted an urge to tell him.

  No headlights is reason enough for cops to stop us.

  Like that’s gonna happen, Sherry thought.

  It might, she told herself. This time of night, there’re plenty of cops around and not much traffic. A car without headlights might actually get noticed.

  Toby flicked on his signal for a right turn.

  In front of the car, an amber glow lit the darkness, went off, came on, went off…

  Toby put on his headlights.

  Terrific.

  Just before he reached the intersection, the traffic signal changed to green. He glanced to the left, then pulled out and made his right turn.

  Venice Boulevard was bright with streetlights.

  And nearly deserted.