J. Watson: Sally_s rape cure

"Let's go down by the river and park, huh, Sally," Bill Stokes suggested. Sally Ryant sighed. It made no difference to her where they parked as long as he got his foolishness over with in time for her to make the dance early. Long ago she had decided that parking was simply an ego trip for the boys. They could go back and tell their friends that they parked with this girl or that girl, and then they would lie about how far they had gotten.

Sally had no intention of letting anybody get very far with her. A few kisses that she felt it was her duty to give, and then on to the dance. It wasn't fear that made Sally contemptuous about sex. Sally didn't give a damn about what people thought about her or her morals.

The truth was that Sally just wasn't interested in sex. She found the groping and panting distasteful and she only put up with it because she wanted to date Bill.

Bill was one of the more handsome boys in school and it made Sally feel good to be seen with him.

It was getting near seven when Bill parked the car in a little grove of trees down by the river. Sally was impatient to get the kisses over with. She wanted to make her grand entrance to the dance.

Immediately Bill pulled her into his arms.

Why did boys have to be like this? Sally asked herself. She knew that boys considered her sexy and she didn't really mind being thought of that way. She was a pretty, brown-haired girl with a full, lush body. She knew her bright blue eyes and her innocent expression made boys and men look at her with more than casual interest.

But why couldn't boys just be satisfied with looking? Why did they have to get so groping?

Now Bill kissed her hard and tried to push his tongue between her lips. Sally quickly drew her head back and gave him a look of disgust.

"You know I don't like that," Sally said. "Come on, Sally," Bill said, "loosen up a bit."

"Loosen up," Sally repeated his expression. "I bet you'd like that. You'd like for me to loosen up a bit. Well, I'm not that kind of girl."

Sally slipped over to her side of the car and gave Bill a look of anger. Her looks of anger were calculated to bring even the strongest boy to his knees. Bill was no exception.

"Awww, Sally," he said. "You know I didn't mean anything."

"You know I'm not like those other girls you date," Sally said.

"I know," he said.

"Then why are you always trying to paw me?"

"Gee, Sally," he said. "All I wanted was a few kisses."

"Liar," Sally said. "I know what you want. I know what all you boys want. Well you're not going to get it from me."

She stormed out of the car and walked down to the river, still pretending anger. She was not angry enough to step into any mud or anything that might stain her pretty white shoes. She was still thinking about her entrance to the dance.

She knew, with a smug satisfaction, that it would only be a minute before Bill would come after her. He would beg and plead with her to get back into the car and finally Sally would be persuaded. Sally might have been young, but she already knew how to wrap a man around her finger.

She heard footsteps behind her and she prepared herself for the look she was going to give Bill. She turned around and her look changed into one of surprise.

"Hello," a man said.

It wasn't Bill but a tall, dark man. He was a man who looked in his forties with dark curling hair and bulging muscles. He wore a pair of tight faded jeans and a cotton shirt that was open halfway down the front. She could see more black curly hairs on his chest. He also wore a big cowboy hat and scuffed cowboy boots.

She saw immediately that he was a man used to hard work. There was nothing soft about him. His huge hands were scarred and rough-looking. He had the stubble of two days growth of beard on his face.

"You're not Bill," Sally said stupidly.

"No," the man smiled. "I'm not."

"Who are you?"

"The name is Duke," he said. "And I must say that you're about the prettiest filly I've laid eyes on in a long while."

"But I was expecting Bill," she said. "He's up there in the car."

"You must mean the fellow I saw driving away," Duke said. "He looked awful mad."

Sally was stunned. Bill couldn't have left her. Not Bill. She knew him too well. She knew how he would act when she got mad at him. He wasn't supposed to leave.

Then she realized that he might have found courage enough to leave but he would certainly be back. He wouldn't be able to just drive away. He wouldn't dare leave her out here for very long.

"I wonder what you could have done to make that fellow so mad," Duke said. "Did he try to get fresh or something?"

"None of your business," Sally said.

She was used to using her icy tone of voice on a boy. Usually the boy would just crumple up under that tone and allow her to have her way with anything she wanted. But Duke was no boy and he didn't tremble. He only smiled at her.

She tried to push her way past him and his strong fingers clamped around her wrist.

"Now I'm trying to be civil," Duke said. "Maybe I can help you."

"I doubt it," Sally said.

Sally tried to sound brave but she was growing afraid for the first time in her life. She could handle boys easily enough but this man was something else. She'd heard stories about young girls and men who found them alone. She felt a little weak in the knees.

"I'm just going to walk up to the highway," Sally said. "I'm sure to see someone I know who'll give me a ride."

"That sure is a long walk to the highway," Duke said. "You're sure to get them white shoes and the pretty yellow dress all covered with dirt. Why don't you let me drive you up there. My car is parked just over there."

Sally could feel her heart hammering fast. She didn't want to go to his car. She didn't want to go anywhere with him. She could feel his dirty eyes creeping down the front of her gown and wished she'd picked out a formal that was not quite so low-cut in front.

She tried to pull his wrist from his hand but he held her easily.

"Now don't be in such a hurry," Duke said. "Just relax. You act like you're scared of me. Why, I wouldn't hurt you. I'll just give you a lift up to the road."

"Please," Sally said, "let me go."

She had not said please to anyone since she was ten years old, but she was really getting scared. His strong, masculine odor was making her uneasy. This was not a boy that she could order around. This was a man who would have his own way. She wanted to get away from him.

"Now you're coming with me," he said. "I'll take you up to the highway."

She saw that there was not much use in trying to get away from him. Maybe if she acted like she was relaxing he would just give her a lift to the highway and that was all. Maybe that was all he really did have in mind.

"Okay," she said. "Just up to the highway."

He released her. She followed him up the bank to his car. She had expected his car to be something old and junky but it wasn't. He had a plush new Cadillac parked in a grove of trees not far from where Bill had parked earlier. He opened the door for her and allowed his hand to brush against her shoulder suggestively. She decided to say nothing about it for fear of making him angry.

The seats were soft and cushiony and the front seat had plenty of room. It was a welcome change from Bill's cramped car.

Duke got in but he made no move to start the car. He simply sat and stared at her.

"You sure are a pretty girl," he said.

"We should start for the road," Sally said.

"Well," Duke shrugged his shoulders, "we'll get there sooner or later."