Paula Kaufman - The blackmailed neighbors

The house was in good order now, everything in its place, and Pam was fitting into it like a bird into its nest. Yes, it's time I backed Jack up in his efforts to give me things like this, she thought resolutely.

And it was time she did something more positive about that other matter too. Pam couldn't help blushing as she thought over her efforts to liberate herself sexually, starting more than a week before with that wild masturbation session in the bathtub. There had been other similar experiences following it, and Pam thought she was making some progress, but not enough. Though she was able to let go more when there was no one there but herself, she could still sense a blank brick wall somehow blocking her full sexual release. And what will it do for Jack if I just learn to make love to myself, anyhow? she wondered. Maybe I'd better go try to find some kind of kelp. Pam had been reading about some of the successes women like her had had with the new breed of sex therapists. She'd even read about doctors who provided male stand-ins – sex surrogates – to their women patients. I imagine Jack would think that was going a little too far, she thought almost giggling to herself. But something would have to be done, and soon. She and Jack hadn't made love since that dreadful morning almost ten days ago. Let's face it, old girl, she told herself, you're getting horny. And what about Jack? He must be the same way. If she didn't watch out, he might be forced to turn to other women!

As she bent over her rose bushes, lost in her private thoughts, Pam didn't notice a man approaching – Max Flaherty. Christ, look at that ass! he thought excitedly, staring at the way Pam's tight shorts stretched tautly over the crouching girl's well-rounded buttocks. I bet I'll have a handful of it within a half-hour! He was standing right behind Pam before she realized it. Sensing that she wasn't alone, she glanced back and saw his feet, within a yard of her.

"Oh!" she gasped, spinning around on her knees.

"Take it easy," he grinned down at her. "It's just old Max, your neighbor."

"You… you startled me," Pam said nervously. She was still crouching on the ground. Seeing Max staring intently down at her, she wondered for a moment what he was looking at, and then she remembered that she hadn't worn a bra under her halter-top that morning – the day was so warm – and he could undoubtedly see a lot more of her than she wanted him to.

Max thought the same thing as he stared hungrily down at Pam's half-naked breasts. The thin halter-top had fallen away from her body a little as she spun around, and at the moment he could see almost the whole of one large shapely breast. He wasn't sure, but thought his view extended right out to the edge on one pale-pink nipple. But the tantalizing glimpse of Pam's lush bosom was cut off as she quickly got to her feet, self-consciously pressing one hand to her breast.

What does he want here? she thought. Pam had never liked Max, and this was the first time she'd ever been alone with the big man, and she didn't like it, even if it was out there in the open.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Flaherty?" she asked, attempting to be polite.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll think of something in a few minutes," he answered.

What a fanny thing to say, Pam thought, a little on her guard. "How's your niece Anna?" she asked, looking for safe conversational subjects.

"Guess your old man hasn't had the guts to tell you, huh?"

"W-What?" Pam gasped out, trying to make sense out of Max's deliberately upsetting words.

"Oh, come on now. You don't expect me to believe you didn't know what was going on?"

"I-I… don't know what you mean," Pam stammered, wondering if this awful man's cryptic words were genuinely hinting at what they seemed to be hinting at.

"My niece… Anna! He fucked her the night of the office party!"

Pam started to speak but no sound came out for a moment. She didn't want to believe Max, but suddenly she knew why Jack had taken that shower when he came home from the party. "You… you get out of here!" she managed to gasp at Max. "Stop saying such horrible things."

"Oh, isn't that sweet," Max sneered. "The faithful wife, ready to believe in her hubby till the bitter end. Well, baby, I just came over here to give you a little advance warning before the shit hits the fan."

"What do you mean?" Pam asked, sensing the threat in Max's heavy voice.

"I mean I'm pissed off that your punk husband has been dipping it into Anna. She's my meat, and I'm gonna bust up his little game. When I get finished with him, he'll wish he'd been born a eunuch!"

"You're not going to…"

"Beat him up? Hell, no, I'm going to do a lot worse than that. I'm on my way down to see his boss and tell him what kind of a man he has working for him."

"No!" Pam cried, seizing his arm. "Y-You can't do that! It would mean his job!"

"That's just what I figure, baby. From what Anna tells me, that job is his whole life. Well, I'm going to take it away from him!"

"They'll never believe you at the office," Pam exclaimed. "I-I don't believe you myself."

"Oh, don't you, baby? Well, they'll believe me down there, because I got the whole damned thing down on film." He half-lifted a large thick envelope out of his pocket and then let it slide back down inside.

Pam's head was spinning dizzily. A few minutes before, she'd been happily tending her roses, and now her whole world was crashing down around her head. Jack? Anna? He's been unfaithful to me! the young housewife thought in agony. Almost as painful as Jack's betrayal was her disappointment in Anna. She had felt a genuine liking for the older woman, and had hoped they could become friends. That was hardly possible now. And what was that Max was saying? That he was going to ruin Jack at the office?

Pam tried to get her emotions back under control. Every wife has to face this possibility, she thought desperately. Jack had been unfaithful to her, that was bad enough, but it was something they might be able to hammer out together. But if Max carried through his threat and went to see J.B…

That would destroy Jack!

"Wait!" Pam said desperately as Max started to walk away, grinning triumphantly. "Please don't do it!"

"Not a chance, baby. I wanna get even, and these pictures are gonna do it for me."

"Wait!" she said again, thinking rapidly. "I-I'll give you a thousand dollars for those pictures." Max stopped abruptly.

"You serious?" he asked thoughtfully, turning around to stare at the distraught young blonde.

"Yes!" she said, with more determination this time. "I'll give you good money for them, if… they turn out to be what you say they are."

Max looked around carefully, as if afraid of being heard. "Well, now, little lady, maybe we might have something to talk about." He had a hard time not laughing at the look of sudden relief on Pam's innocent face. Oh, you simple little cunt! he thought to himself, but continued to play the game, looking around again as if he suspected that they were being observed. "Yeah, maybe we can do it," he growled, "but not out here."

"We'll go inside the house," Pam said quickly, and turned to lead the way, unable to see the look of sudden triumph on Max's heavy face. She opened the door, and when the big man had come in, she closed and locked it after them, having picked up some of his feigned nervousness. "All right, let me see them," she said firmly, holding out her hand.

Without a word, smiling, Max reached into his coat pocket and fished out the envelope, handing it to her. With trembling fingers, Pam opened the envelope and pulled out several glossy photographs. She gasped when she saw the first one.

It was Jack, naked! Anna knelt in front of him, her lips pressed obscenely to the tip of his rigidly erect penis!