Julie Taylor - The landlady's dog

Carol could only stare at her unexpected caller with open mouth, her own shamed feelings forgotten. Myriad questions began to rush to the forefront of her puzzled brain, but before she could ask the first one, Peggy said: "I'm leaving Ed. I don't know whether it's for good or not. Right now, I hardly know what I'm doing. I'm going to visit my mother in Kansas… at least for awhile… a month, maybe longer… maybe forever!"

"Peggy! My God. What's happened… or… or can't you tell me?" Carol gasped, her voice lowering to a near-whisper as she tried to search the girl's face for answers, a sudden feeling of being left very much alone in an undesirable situation welling up inside her.

"No, darling… I can't tell you… that is, it's better if you don't know!" Peggy answered. "It's something I learned only this morning, and all this time it's been going on… I just never realized it!"

"B-But you can't tell me what it is…?"

"It's better, baby, that you don't know!" the tall, dark-haired girl whispered. "But… but as soon as you can, move out of here… and get away from Westland, Carol! You don't belong here! Promise me you will?"

"Yes, yes, of course… I already intended to do that as soon as possible… but… but you're frightening me, Peg!" Carol admitted. "And… and I don't know what it is that I'm supposed to be frightened of!"

"Oh God…! I wish I could tell you, but for your own sake I can't, baby!" Peggy said, tears glazing her eyes as she moved forward to warmly clasp hold of Carol's arms. "Please forgive me… for everything, love, including last night? I should never have let it happen… for your sake… but I couldn't help myself! Just… just don't hate me, Carol! Get out of here as soon as you can… today if possible… and everything will be all right! Do you understand me, baby? Get as far away from here as you can!"

"Peggy…!" Carol choked out for lack of knowing what else to say. "Please… you can't just run off like this… I'm in a fog! I… I can't just pick up and move like that… today! What is it? My God, you've got to tell me…!"

Instead, the ravishing brunette kissed her fully on the lips, hugged her tight, then swung away to jerk open the door. "Good-bye, Carol darling… and please… don't hate me…"

"Peggy…!" Carol called after her as the other quickly walked to her own door where two heavy valises sat, picked them up and hurried toward the entrance of the building without looking back again!

Slowly, Carol closed her door, locking it. God, she wasn't about to chase after her! Her brain swam. Excerpts of the older girl's words raced pelt-mell through it, some of them making sense, others making none at all! She went to the front window in time to see a taxi-door close, and the vehicle suddenly speeding off! An unpleasant emptiness filled her lower stomach. What was it Peg had been too frightened to tell her… and what was it that could make her leave Ed White this morning, when last night it had been he needs me… I love him…?

A clammy chill shivered frighteningly upward along Carol's spine. She looked toward the building down the street where Mark Cannon lived. Somehow, there was reassurance in knowing she had a friend there… for outside of Sultan, she didn't have another in the world at that very moment!

Extremely upset, Carol backed away from the window and walked to the small kitchenette, the powerful German shepherd's ever closeness rallying her. Thank God for him! She would be lost, utterly and totally lost! Mark would understand that. Yes, more than anyone, he would appreciate her feelings! She set the coffee-pot onto the burner to re-heat, then reached up into cupboard to find what was left of the brandy she'd bought months back. She had to think… to try and decipher some meaning from Peggy's alarming statements, as well as calm herself enough to do it, and spiked coffee sounded like the remedy.

Carol lighted a rare cigarette and finished her first coffee royale, blending a second as for the fourth time she went back over the extent of their short conversation to the best of her ability. She had arrived, at some very definite conclusions. Either Peg had found Ed in bed with another one of his teenagers, or he had threatened her to the point where she didn't dare stay in the apartment with him any longer! Whichever the actual reason, it hardly mattered. The poor girl was a hundred-percent better off away from the likes of him… even though she, herself, was going to miss Peg very, very much. Oh, not from the sexual point. Last night had been one of those unbelievable single episodes that might happen in any person's life, but it was over and done with, and she wasn't about to ever let it happen again!

And Peg… the darling… saying… don't hate me… please forgive me for everything… I couldn't help myself… please, don't hate me… and then kissing her the way she had. She blamed herself for the whole affair… the beautiful angel. In all truth, she wasn't anymore to blame than this blonde vixen who had wanted it all to happen as much as Peg had… and it had been an experience Carol would never forget, thanks in part to her animal-lover beside her…!

Her spirits bolstered by the brandied coffees and the brilliant sunshine pouring through the window, Carol began to enjoy lighter feelings, no less sorrowed by Peggy's abrupt departure from the scene, but more and more stimulated by the thought of handsome Mark Cannon coming to dinner. Outside of Jonny, she couldn't remember when a man had so appealed to her… and Jonny was long gone, almost forgotten. Could something come of it…? Why not…? It could if they both wanted it to… and more and more, for her part, Carol was thinking that she did…

At six-thirty, Carol finished making her canapes. After considerable thought, she had splurged and bought two beautiful steaks, foregoing the meatloaf bit as definitely not being up to the occasion. She had fractured her budget, but somehow she'd balance it out, or maybe her alimony check might be early this month… if it came at all. Anyway, she wasn't going to think about that. They were going to have baked potatoes and tossed salad, and just to be on the safe side, she had bought a bottle of good red wine. Moreover, she'd decided to dress her best for him, choosing her black, mini taffeta affair which was backless, consequently leaving her without a brassiere. It was really the nicest thing she had left.

She wished he could see her. She looked damned alluring, if she did say so herself. The tiny ebony cameo she wore at the hollow of her throat on a matching black ribbon did remarkable things for the deep valley between her soft, white breasts, but he couldn't know that either. Carol knew that she'd gone all out for him, wearing very little actually — just sheer black bikini panties, a frilly half-slip and the short black dress itself. It was too warm for pantyhose, besides, her legs were tanned enough to give the impression of them… but of course, that too he wouldn't see. All the same, half of any battle was in the knowing you had done your own part… or should she call it "conquest"? Yes… that was exactly the way it was shaping up, whether she was ready to admit to it or not!

The excited blonde girl couldn't resist haunting the front window to see if he was coming yet. A half-dozen times she went to her bedroom to add finishing touches to her long golden hair and the little makeup she wore. And it was during one of those trips that the buzzer sounded, Sultan whimpering with wagging tail rather than offering his usual deep-throated growl…!

"Before we sit down would you like to familiarize yourself with the surroundings, Mark?" Carol asked, surprised that she could even think straight with the giddiness she immediately felt at the sight of him. God, he was such a strikingly handsome man, the slacks and sport jacket he wore fitting his tall athletic frame to perfection. Even Queenie looked as if she might have been curried for the occasion.