Anything Goes

"Bastard. Now I'm yours," she said. "Yours to do with as you please. I've no defences left."

But that was the end. There must have been a signal because the audience applauded and the women broke away to take their bows. Abruptly sober as if he'd stepped into the fresh air, Jim escaped as quickly as he could and went to find his drink. People came up to him with congratulations.

"You lucky bastard to have such a sexy wife."

"If she were mine, I'd not let her out of bed."

"We can see who's going to be the new star of the show. Sandi's definitely the tops."

"Your wife's a good sport. I'm sure she'd like me."

He managed to return a distinguished smile and to think that there were worse things than a glass of good beer. He was lost in a dream when he found Sandi beside him. She'd put on her linen shirt but that was all she wore. Seated in a leather armchair, she crossed her legs and it barely covered her hips.

"Are you going to congratulate me?" she demanded. She uncrossed her legs exposing her sex to his gaze. Someone passing stopped to stare. She was wet, her labia red and engorged.

"It was a great performance, but I played my part too."

"You did. But I didn't mean that. Max has promised me the part of Hope Harcourt. Just a few checks on my singing to do, but I'll be fine." It was true that she was a fine singer. "Are you pleased for me?"

"Very much so. You're the star. Are you going to get dressed?"

"In a moment. I wanted to give you the news."

They were interrupted. It was First Sucker. He nodded at Jim but took Sandi's hand.

"Thanks for being good with Hyacinth," he said. "She says you're a bastard, but it gives her no end of encouragement. Now Max wants a word with Jacintha -- that's your wife's stage name. You see, it was to be Hyacinth's part before Sandi took it."

He pulled Sandi to her feet, an arm round her waist. She gave Jim a cheerful wave as they left.

Daphne's husband came up.

"I think Sandi's a beautiful woman so don't get me wrong, but I'd rather be at the tractor fair across town. I only do this for Daphne, who's stage-struck. It's her extrovert temperament -- ordinary life isn't dramatic enough for her."

"I know nothing about tractors, but I think I'd rather be at your fair too."

Jim had another beer and it seemed to him that Sandi was gone a long time. Waiting made him anxious and eventually he got up to look for her. She wasn't on the terrace and he explored the corridor which led deeper into the house. At the end of the passage he heard voices and pushed open a door. Someone inside made him stop.

"It's private. You can't come in."

Jim wondered what could be private after the earlier display for all to see. He waited until the man was distracted, then put his head round the door. In fact there was no attempt at privacy and no one even looked up. He saw Max, First Sucker and another man, thickset and broad shouldered. All three men were naked from the waist down, their cocks prominently erect, although the thickset man went lip as he stared.

Sandi crouched in front of them. She wore the seamed tights and had on her shirt, but it was open. Suddenly she stood up, leaving him no time to withdraw his head. Their eyes met but there was no message for him. He noticed semen on her tights.

Untroubled by his presence she turned to First Sucker and they kissed. Her put his arm round her waist and held her tight, pressing a hand against her sex. She rubbed against him and took hold of his penis. Then she knelt and put her lips to him. Gratified, he thrust against her, rocking her back on her heels as she took the length of his penis into her mouth.

He gripped her pony tail to hold her steady. Time stood still. There was silence apart from a rhythmic tapping as Sandi rocked back on her heels. Jim held his breath and felt he was choking, wishing he could get away. He counted in time to the sound of her heels, telling himself they must be finished before he reached fifty. Fifty went by, then eighty. On the count of a hundred Hyacinth's husband stiffened and held her even tighter against him before pushing her aside. When she stood up there was foam on her lips and she dribbled down her chin and onto her breasts.

Sandi grinned at Jim, clownish lipstick smeared across her cheek and eyeshadow smudged. She picked up a towel and wiped herself. He thought she was done and was ready to leave. But she turned away and Max took her arm.

Jim was sure he didn't want to watch but didn't move. Max pushed her forward so that she was bent over the table. Still holding her firmly, he tore her tights to expose her buttocks and sex. There were no caresses. He spread her thighs and used his fingers to stretch her labia. She winced, then relaxed as he pressed himself into her sex, working energetically, holding her down and slamming his thighs against her buttocks. They were soon gleaming with sweat and she breathed hard with occasional grunts of satisfaction.

The pain of watching soon passed and Jim was transfixed. He noticed Max's balls bulging as they compressed against Sandi. He saw her whole body flex as if Max controlled every nerve and she was a marionette. After a sustained onslaught, Max withdrew and turned her over. Now he could knead her breasts and reach forward to kiss her as he pummelled her sex. She gripped his chest and bent to meet his thrusts and cried out loud when she came. Jim counted her cries: twice, three, four times. Then Max bellowed and held himself tight inside her as he ejaculated.

The tension vanished and Jim crept away, deflated. He found his drink and a corner in the dark where he hoped to be left alone. He'd barely taken a sip to wet his parched throat when a woman came over and took his hand.

"Don't fret. I know Sandi's having a good time and I can vouch for the fact that my husband knows how to make a woman happy. He's an animal. That's what makes him such a good actor. It's all instinctive. He does exactly what his impulse tells him."

Jim smiled but had nothing to say. This must be Max's wife, a trim, pretty woman rather older than the girls her husband chose to fuck.

Sandi arrived a little shamefaced but showered and fully dressed, hair combed and the lipstick and other makeup removed. They sat together for a while.

"You want to hear about it? You're wife's triumph on the casting couch?"

"I saw it all. Nearly all."

She laughed uneasily. "I didn't mean you to see that. But I thought you might enjoy me telling you about it."

"As long as you're okay."

" A bit bruised and battered, but mostly I feel amazing. Quite like running a marathon. You must admit I did well."

"You know he'll expect that every time."

"I know. It's the price of success. Talent's not enough -- and, anyway, it's something to look forward to. Come on Jim don't be straight-laced. Admit you've enjoyed yourself too. And Max says you can be stage manager. That's quite an accolade because you don't have much experience."

"That's great. I shall enjoy that."

"That's good then. Are you going to get me a drink? I'm suddenly very thirsty."

They both laughed.

Jim was stopped by Max on their way out.

"Don't fret my boy. Droit du seigneur and all that. You're nothing in the theatre unless you can do what it takes. First rule of the stage. Always been that way, always will be. We're an emotional tribe, either falling in love or falling out of it. Now don't be late when you come to rehearsals. I'm going to keep you very busy."

Jim stood at the door while Sandi and Max said goodbye, kissing and caressing one another and breathing unquenchable love.

When it came to the first night party eight weeks later Sandi arrived on the arm of Max. She was a success, the star of the show and with Max did the round of their patrons, thanking them for their support and taking their congratulations. Looking on, Jim saw that she was now the real diva. Yes, she was acting, but the part was made for her.

Later, she found a moment to speak to her stage manager.

"Thank you for not complaining. Everybody knows I'm the designated stage whore. The bitchy ones make bets on how long I can hold the mantle. But for now they all love me. It's the way of a sexy woman to make use of her advantages. You know that so don't be cross with me."

There had been plenty of time for Jim to get used to the situation. The show required many rehearsals and Sandi came home fucked from every one. If for whatever reason Max didn't fancy her, he passed her on to someone who did. But mostly it was Max, sometimes First Sucker, who said it was his right in order to make up for Hyacinth losing the part. Occasionally Jim was told about another one of the cast who'd been lucky. Sandi liked them all. Jim decided to be proud of her success.

It turned out that he was only an assistant stage manager, but was kept busy all the same. But there was little to do once a performance was under way and he spent much of this time in the slips watching the action. Sandi was a knockout, a favourite with audiences from the first night. She was talented and looked stunning in her costume and he loved her performance. But the star-struck youths who came to the stage door at the end of the performance were given little encouragement.

"They're cute, but I'm fully committed," she told Jim.

One of his jobs was to call the actors. Daphne and Hyacinth were both in the chorus and he called them many times. Daphne was always eager and her fleshy delights he fucked almost every night of the run, using Sandi's dressing room while she was on stage. Hyacinth was more difficult. Sometimes she would, sometimes she wouldn't.

"I don't owe you anything," she said when in a bad mood. "I didn't even get the part."

But her husband did and was another of the stars, so Jim got his sprightly mermaid with her smell of the sea maybe every other night. He relished both his lovers.

Later in the run he got to know a pretty violinist from the orchestra. She was stage-struck and he showed her round the sets and encouraged her to think of acting herself. Soon they were making use of a disused green room and he was able to demonstrate to her all the moves expected of a successful diva. She was a keen learner and he needed all his wits to do her justice and keep Daphne and Hyacinth happy too.

And Sandi, despite the many demands made on her, was switched on like never before and there was sex at home more often than not. She'd learned a few pleasing tricks, so everyone was happy.

It was a short run and of course everyone knew that the good times would end. With the musical done, the orchestra's next assignment was to support an amateur choral society's production of Handel's Messiah. By making use of his inside help, Jim got the job of stage manager.

Max's company's next production: 'Waiting for Godot'!

THE END