Anonymous - The altar of VVenus - The Making of a Victorian Rake

" Very well, Vernon. That' s what I wanted to know. I' ll do it. But the next time you arrange it, don' t go out. It isn' t necessary and besides, I' m afraid of him. If you want me to let him do it with me, you must stay in the room."

" But Eedy! That wouldn' t be decent!" he exclaimed in surprise. " He wouldn' t hurt you! What would he think if I was sticking around?"

" You leave that to me, Vernon. You' ll have to be here, or I won' t let him touch me."

" Well," he agreed, doubtfully, " we' ll fix it some way."

The following day when I returned from the store I found that Vernon had prepared supper, something which was generally left for me to do and I guessed the significance of this unusual attention. But my plans were complete, and I was ready to go ahead with them.

" Seen Mr. Tucker today, Vernon?"

He nodded his head affirmatively, without looking at me.

" Everything fixed for tonight?"

" Why: ah: I guess George will be in, after dinner."

" All right, Vernon, dearest. As soon as we finish dinner you can go out and get some wine. Get plenty. And while you' re gone I' ll bathe and put on my prettiest things."

" You don' t need to dress up especially for George," he said, with a shade of resentment in his voice at my cheerfulness.

" You want me to look nice, don' t you?" I asked.

" Yes:" he answered eyeing me doubtfully, " but he' s getting enough as it is, without extra trimmings!"

" Well, you get the wine, and leave the rest to me."

It was evident that my unexpected enthusiasm had somewhat dampened his spirits. He had supposed that my submission to this man would be in the nature of a sacrifice to necessity, and in his egotism had taken it for granted that to me it would be only a disagreeable incident. Rejoicing inwardly at his discomfiture, I looked forward with bitter pleasure to what was yet in store for him.

When he had gone I hurriedly packed a suitcase with my belongings, leaving out only such articles of apparel and toilet as would be needed that night, and pushed the suitcase our of sight, under the bed. Then I bathed, and dressed myself in the prettiest garments of my modest wardrobe. I arranged my hair, powered my face, and touched up my lips. My whole being seemed to have undergone a complete physical and mental evolution, and as I gazed into the face which looked back at me from the mirror, I was amazed at the transformation. I felt as though a heavy and long sustained load had suddenly been lifted from my shoulders and with its going the depressions, disappointments, deceptions for the past year had gone, too. I felt as a prisoner must feel upon release, after weary months of confinement. A wave of exhilaration passed over me.

Vernon returned, placed the liquor in the kitchen and stood watching me moodily. The daintiness and coquetry of my dress was plainly irritating to him. Though I was acceding to his own suggestion to prostitute myself for his benefit, it hurt his vanity to see me making what appeared to be an excessively elaborate preparation for the event.

" I' ve half a mind to tell that guy there' s nothing doing," he growled, finally.

" Oh, that would be foolish now, Vernon. You' ve already promised him and besides, you' ve got to have somebody help you get a start."

The sarcasm passed over his head, and he agreed:

" Yes, I guess you' re right, Eedy."

Mr. Tucker appeared promptly at nine o' clock, and even had my husband not confessed it, I would have guessed from the expectant look on the man' s face that he had some reason to anticipate a change in my attitude toward him. His eyes fairly devoured me as they traveled up over my legs, skirt, breasts and face.

" Sit down, George, and make yourself comfortable!" I exclaimed merrily.

" How' s the little girl tonight?" he asked, as I took his hat.

" Oh, fine George! Just in the right humor for a good time!"

The first step in carrying out the program I had formulated was to see that Mr. Tucker was provided with a generous, and continuous supply of liquor. Calling to Vernon to bring in some wine, I seated myself in a chair directly in front of the man, and immodestly crossed my legs in such a way that my rather short skirt ws drawn up over my knees. I knew that some bit of naked leg above my hose must be visible to him, and as I had expected his glance immediately flashed downward and he stared as though mesmerized by the sight.

Joking, laughing hilariously at the slightest pretext, I sipped my own wine. Frequently, I refilled my glass but always it was empty, thus I was not in reality consuming any great quantity and the artifice passed unobserved by Mr. Tucker, whose thoughts were evidently more occupied with my legs than with what I was drinking.

Vernon, sitting across the room from us, looked on in silence, his face reflecting surprise at my unusual conviviality. I perceived that he also was glancing surreptitiously at my legs and I knew that the careless posture had attracted his attention as well as Mr. Tucker' s. The difference was that while Mr. Tucker was enjoying the sight, he was not.

I tilted my chair backward against the wall, a movement which contributed to the elevation of my skirts. Mr. Tucker was probably able to see half up my thigh. The effect upon him was instantaneous. He hastily poured himself a glass of wine, and beneath the cloth of his trouser leg an elongated swelling began to make itself apparent.

Vernon arose from his chair, came toward me, placed his hand on my shoulder and pinching it significantly, said:

" Eedy, you' re drinking an awful lot. Better not take any more!"

" Let the little girl enjoy herself, Vernie! The wine isn' t going to hurt her!" interposed Mr. Tucker, a shade resentfully.

My plan was unfolding with admirable precision. I had counted on my husband' s inherent egotism being awakened by my actions toward Mr. Tucker, and I knew that in such a state of mind he would not be very likely to enter into the festive spirit of the occasion, and would in his sullenness refrain from drinking. I wanted him to keep a clear head in order to appreciate to the fullest his situation. On the other hand I intended to excite Mr. Tucker and encourage him to drink until he lost all control of himself, and under these conditions surrender my body to him in my husband' s presence. I knew that to accomplish this I would have to inflame the man to the point of beastliness. Unless I could do this, he would naturally expect to consummate the act in privacy.

He was no almost drunk while Vernon had taken but a single glass, and I by means of deft manipulation of bottles and glasses had avoided drinking much more, though I pretended to be half tipsy.

" Come on, old dear," I called to Vernon, " put a record on the gramophone; Georgie and I want to dance!"

With reluctance, still eyeing me reproachfully, he obeyed. Seizing Mr. Tucker by the arm I pulled him from his chair. He was unsteady on his feet, but our gyrations served the purpose of enabling me to rub my leg against the place where something hard and stiff under the cloth of his trousers was throbbing and pushing.

We sat down, flushed and panting, and I poured him another drink.

" Vernon, you don' t care if I sit on Georgie' s lap, do you?" I pleaded coaxingly. " He' s a good old scout and i have to love him a little bit too, you know!"

" Go ahead if you want to!" he replied gruffly. There was an angry glint in his eye and I felt a thrill of satisfaction. His punishment had begun.

I seated myself on Mr. Tucker' s knee, and placed an arm around his neck.

" Vernon, you don' t care if I give Georgie a teeny kiss, do you?"

His eyes shot fire.

" Give him a dozen, if you want to!"

I pressed my mouth to Mr. Tucker' s, and inserted my tongue between his lips. I felt his body tense, and knew that every carnal instinct in the man was aroused. I touched my tongue to his, moaned, sighed, shivered, and took on as though I was in a state of passionate excitation. He placed a hand greedily over one of my breasts and I felt the fingers of the other squeezing and pinching the flesh of my thigh.