Dick Ballz - One-On-One

Deedie opened her arms and enfolded Midge to her bosom.

"Come on, honey. Let's go up the back way," she whispered as she led Midge around to the side of the house and entered through the kitchen which was filled with the house staff and the hired caterers.

"Is anything wrong?" the chef asked as the two women quickly passed by him.

"No," Deedie answered. "Just feeling a little faint. Is there a way upstairs without going through the living room?"

"Sure. Just go through that door and up the stairs?"

Deedie nodded her thanks to the chef and steered Midge through the door and up to the second floor. They walked down the hall until they reached what Deedie knew to be a guest room and she opened the door and gently pushed Midge in and closed the door behind them.

Midge sat on the bed and her body shook as she tried to control her sobbing.

"Let it all hang out, honey," Deedie whispered, sitting down next to her. "You deserve a good cry." And Midge released her deepest feelings as her body convulsed in hysterical tears.

"Oh God!" she cried. "Why… why… why?"

Deedie put her arms around her once more and gently rocked her back and forth.

"Come on, honey," she said firmly. "I tried to tell you what this kind of life is all about. Don't think you're the only one. I've caught Ron in the same situation many times."

Midge's sobs subsided slightly. "What?" she asked incredulously.

"Several times! What did you do?"

"Nothing, Deedie answered matter-of-factly. "Absolutely nothing. How do you think Ron got where he is today? Certainly not on his talent!" she laughed. "You know as well as I do that most of the assistant art directors at the agency know more about the business than he does."

"I don't think that's true," Midge started to say.

"Don't think just because we're good friends that you have to lie to spare my feelings. Ron got where he is by being 'nice' to a lot of account's wives. And I don't mean like a boy scout. He's jumped into bed and given what they want… a good lay! That's the way it is, honey. And so, why shouldn't I have just as good a time. I've landed a few accounts myself, you know. How do you think Carter and White got the Lauder account? Mr. Lauder is very fond of me… and believe me, it was worth every minute I spent at it. I got what I wanted; Mr.

Lauder got what he wanted; and Ron got what he wanted; so everybody's happy. What's wrong with that?"

"But your marriage?" Midge asked.

"My marriage," Deedie interrupted her again, "has never been better.

Listen, you can get awfully tired of the same man after a while. The change is good for you. You learn quite a lot from some men and it only makes sex with your husband better for it. Not to mention some of the new tricks Ron's learned over the past few years. I've never had it so good! Now before you go into some tiring speech about marriage vows and fidelity, let's get back down to the party before somebody misses us … we should be so lucky!"

Midge quietly fixed her face while Deedie waited impatiently for her to finish. As soon as she was done, Deedie ushered her out the door and back down to the party which was now at its peak. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Dick Kelly was standing there drinking with another man.

"Excuse me," he said to his associate. "I'd like to have a word with someone in private." And turning around just in time to catch Midge under the arm, he steered her over to the bar to get a fresh drink.

Midge turned her head around to get Deedie's help, but Deedie just smiled and turned to find someone for herself.

"Well," Dick started, "at last we have a chance to talk. Seeing as how your husband may well be handling my account, we should get to know each other better. You know, you can tell a lot about a man by the wife he chooses. I'm sure you won't be a disappointment!"

"A scotch and soda, please," Midge asked the bartender, ignoring Dick's last statement.

"Make it two," Dick added.

"Listen," he said to Midge. "This is no place to talk, really. Why don't you have lunch with me tomorrow?"

Midge turned to face him, about to give him a piece of her mind when out of the corner of her eye, she saw Robert slipping in the terrace door and heading for a small group of men where he immediately jumped in the conversation, obviously trying to give the impression that he had been there quite a while.

The quick vignette didn't pass unnoticed by Dick either, but when Midge turned back to him, he had his glass up to his lips as if nothing had happened.

"Well?" he asked again. "About lunch?"

Midge hesitated for just a brief second.

"Why, yes… I'd love it."

Midge paused outside of the restaurant. She felt foolish, and for some reason she was trembling slightly. She glanced at her reflection in the glass of the entrance-way, and, with a sigh of resignation, entered the darkness of Trader Vic's. Exotic wood-carved statues lined the stairway leading down to the elegant restaurant. Midge descended slowly, trying to get a good grip on herself. She felt like turning around and going home. It seemed so silly. Here she was, a married woman on her way to meet a married man for lunch. Well, she thought, that's all it will be … lunch… no matter how I felt about it last night!

Midge approached the headwaiter, hoping that perhaps Dick would not yet have arrived and she could take that excuse to leave. But when she asked the dignified Oriental for Mr. Kelly, his face brightened considerably and with a smile he instructed a nearby waiter to escort Midge to the cocktail lounge where Dick sat waiting for her.

The bar was very dark, and Midge had a hard time making out the details until her eyes adjusted to the dim light. She had never been there before and in spite of her nervousness at the idea of meeting Dick, she felt the beginnings of a sense of excitement and adventure at what she was doing. Dick sat at a small table in a far corner nursing a large drink. He rose as she reached the table and with an easy gesture, briefly kissed her hand, as he had when he first met her.

Midge blushed although she tried not to and sat down. Her eyes lowered as she recovered her composure.

"Midge, how wonderful to see you. You look even more beautiful than I remembered from last night."

The words sounded familiar, and made Midge recall the days when she was single and dating. But she was surprised at how much she enjoyed hearing them. It made her feel good. She settled down in the chair, more comfortable now, as Dick ordered her a Mai Tai. He was awfully nice looking, she noticed again as she glanced across the table at him.

And he wasn't really a bad sort.

By the time she had finished her second Mai Tai, Midge felt a warm glow caused not only by the potent drinks, but by a feeling of mellowness that was sneaking up on her. It seemed as though she hadn't laughed in months, and Dick was doing everything within his power to amuse her – and he was doing a good job. Midge relaxed completely now with the comforting thought that she certainly deserved to have a pleasant afternoon once in a while. Robert hadn't even asked her what she had planned to do that day when he left for the office. He obviously didn't care, so what did it matter? And what real harm was there in feeling beautiful and desired again anyway.

They had another drink in the bar, accompanied by flaming hors d'oeuvres on a tiny charcoal stove that the waiter placed on their table, and then moved to the restaurant dining room where they were to have lunch.

When Midge stood up to move to the other room, she realized that she was not too steady on her legs. She reeled slightly, but then Dick took her arm to steady her and it was all right. She was not accustomed to drinking much, and in the last few days, she had already consumed more alcohol than she would have ordinarily taken in several months.