Peter Jensen - The blackmailed wife

Julia had invited her out for coffee the second day she was on the job and they had hit it off immediately, even though she was six or seven years older than Ann.

Julia was a little different in many respects and Ann recognized this, but at least, she was someone she could talk to and unburden her frustrations on. She hadn't seen much of Julia after office hours but had gone out with her several times in the evening for a quiet drink when she had been overly persistent. Ann had much rather go home and read a good book or compose her nightly letter to Dave which usually took up four or five pages. This alone took two or three hours.

She hoped he had the time to read them – though she sometimes wondered. His answers would ignore some of the most important points – and he hadn't been writing much lately, in fact, his last letter was over a month ago. This was beginning to hurt Ann and she sometimes had difficulty in sleeping at night – wondering if he still cared as much for her. Her concern gradually turned to frustration and then to anger with him for neglecting her this way.

Perhaps, as Julia had suggested, she had just let him take her too much for granted – perhaps she should go out once in awhile and let off some steam – maybe it would teach him a lesson…

Ann was not quite so certain that Julia was the devoted wife she made herself appear to be. Her husband was a Commander who was making a good income but this didn't seem to be able to satisfy the expensive tastes that Julia had.

Her apartment alone must have taken his entire salary per month, even without the minks, the sports car, and club memberships.

Ann wondered about these things but never really discussed them. Julia had mentioned once that her husband had inherited some money so this could be the answer. Ann couldn't quite put her finger on it but she knew that Julia wasn't worrying the way Ann herself did.

She also felt that Julia might be just a little jealous of her. She had caused quite a stir in the store when she had first gone to work and had taken away much of the attention that Julia was receiving from the male employees herself. She knew this hurt Julia as she throve on attention and was quite a beautiful girl.

Her figure was almost as perfect as Ann's and her face was a chiseled perfection that would have been the delight of a Greek sculptor. Her hair was a silky jet black and always in the latest hair-do.

Ann wondered sometimes how she found so much time to have it done when working as the owner's secretary. But somehow she did, and this was perhaps the thing that Ann admired most – her efficiency and self-reliance.

Julia didn't seem to worry about Bob, her husband, as much as Ann did about Dave – and, seldom mentioned him. She took things as they came to her and she didn't appear to suffer as much as Ann or the other wives did.

Ann suspected that there was something between Julia and Max Schroeder, her boss. He was notorious for the parties he gave at his palatial estate and Julia often attended these. But Ann had nothing concrete, no reason to think Julia was going to bed with her boss.

Julia tried to get Ann to attend some of these parties, saying it would relieve her boredom and she owed it to herself not to be so tense and worried all the time. She also had tried to get Ann to go to Tijuana for the weekend with her several times but Ann had always managed to find some excuse – in reality, she had no interest in these things and for entertainment would have preferred a quiet movie. She had never really liked to drink, except for one or two Daiquiris before dinner when Dave was home.

She had the feeling that Mr. Schroeder was interested in her and that might have been the reason Ann was hired. Many of the other Navy wives had tried to find jobs but said it was impossible. They had almost succeeded in convincing Ann not even to try.

She had gone to the Schroeder store and been interviewed by the woman personnel manager who had informed her that there were no job openings at present and probably would not be in the near future but would keep her application on file. Mr. Schroeder had walked in during the interview and Ann could see him take more than casual notice of her. Nothing was said at that time but several days later she received a call to come to work – and at a very good salary.

Since that time she had caught the boss watching her several times – she could detect in his looks more than just an appreciation of her beauty – it was an outright lewd appraisal. He had made many invitations but Ann had always coldly refused.

She shuddered just thinking about him and could not understand how Julia could stand to be close to him. He was short, bald, had a huge stomach and was always perspiring, even in the air-conditioned store, he always chewed a large, fat cigar between his heavy lips. He was absolutely repulsive to Ann. It was inconceivable to her that Julia was receiving money to live the way she did by going to bed with him.

This was one reason Ann had always refused the invitations to go to parties at Schroeder's estate. But Ann still trusted Julia implicitly and felt it was none of her business what Julia did.

She was so understanding and nice to talk with, that Ann couldn't help feeling Julia had a real interest in her welfare, that the invitation were really a good-natured attempt to get her out of the shell of self-pity into which she had withdrawn. For this, Ann was grateful to her and had often explained that she didn't really need gay parties to keep her mind from Dave's absence, that her books and letters from him would keep up her spirits until he returned.

Julia had seemed to accept this explanation after a while, and did not bother her with further invitations, except for the occasional drinks they had together after work.

This time it was different, there had been a contest at the store for the best slogan to use during the spring sale. Every employee had been required to submit one. She had not thought much of hers, which she had turned in at the last minute, but somehow she and Julia had tied for first place and had each won a prize of an expense paid weekend to the bullfights in Tijuana.

She hadn't really wanted to go, but under the circumstances, it was difficult to find an excuse not to – besides, she felt she needed it now. Dave had been gone for six months and was flying missions over Hanoi and Ann was almost going out of her mind with worry.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Julia's voice, "Mexico coming up, border's right ahead."

"Wonderful, I can't wait!" Ann replied. She had been down only once before, with Dave before he left, and the girls had made reservations at the same hotel.

"Pull your skirt down," Julia suggested laughingly. "If the Mexican border guards see a knee they'll keep us here an hour checking everything in the car just so they can look."

Ann did as she was told and they passed through the customs station with just the usual quick questions, though she did notice the admiring look one of the young border guards cast in their direction. Looks of this kind she didn't mind. In fact, she appreciated them.

The scenery across the border changed immediately. It had shocked her the first time she had seen it and it still did. The clean, neat buildings and houses of California changed to the decrepit and decaying buildings of old Mexico. Even those built within the last six months seemed to have a sense of shoddiness about them. They always looked the same way from the time they were built until they collapsed or were torn down.

The same smell was there too, that of burning meat in the streets from the vendors who cooked their hot tacos on the corners. Noise was everywhere – horns were blowing and people were screaming at each other for no apparent reason. Children were selling everything imaginable on the sidewalks, and running up to the car to thrust chewing gum, cashew nuts, and souvenirs right in their faces.