Bad Day at Black Rock

"Jill's a real tiger."

"Just can't. Oh, shit. My momma raised me wrong."

Mike started to laugh. The he said, "Well, at least I'm gonna dance with her. And Sam, too."

Mike walked up to Annie and took her onto the floor for a jitterbug. Annie looked at Nick, who waved her on.

The crowd was thinning out. Jill was dancing with Vick. Samantha walked up to Nick and simply took him onto the floor, as the DJ transitioned to a slow song. Nick held her close.

Sam whispered into his ear. "I believe the time is right for us. Mike has Annie. He'll get her hot. And Jill will try out Vick."

This was the ultimate test of his rigidity. Moral rigidity, too. He was passing one test, but failing miserably on the other.

The entire party was like a bunch of teenagers playing spin the fuck.

The slow song stopped, and Nick and Sam started dancing to a medium fast one. Sam was a really good dancer. She slithered around Nick. Nick slid down her body and back up again. She returned the favor. The two of them were lost in each other.

Meanwhile, Mike had Annie hot, as predicted. He'd been restrained at first, recalling the last party. But Annie was revved up, and Nick had waved her onto the floor with Mike. Jill and Vick were not as wrapped up. Jill was more interested in the other two couples. Vick was okay, but Jill wondered about Sam and Nick. It was like a lewd morality play.

She knew that Annie would go upstairs with Mike if Nick went with Sam. She wasn't sure what would happen. And she wasn't sure what she would do if they paired off. She thought she might join Mike and Annie first. Maybe Sam and Nick later. Vick was out.

Then, at the pre-determined time, DJ Mick took a break. He hated to do it, because he was interested in the events on the dance court. But - union rules and all. "Back in ten." He called softly. He went for a beer. Union rules.

There were only the six of them left, plus staff. They all went over to a table between the pool and the dance floor. There were some sideways looks. No chatter. Lots of tension.

Jill said, "I was thinking which pair of you I'd join first."

That statement was like a bomb dropped onto the table.

Annie was holding Mike's hand. Nick and Sam were on a double-wide seat, with her legs over his lap. Jill was sitting on Vick, but it was like he was simply her chair. He was feeling left out. Accurately.

Annie looked at Nick. And she saw that Sam had him if she wanted him. And, at exactly that point, Annie decided that Nick was the only man for her, and that she didn't want to share.

She got up and dropped Mike's hand. She swayed slowly over to Nick and leaned over to kiss him. Nick kissed her back. Sam was still on his lap. She heard it when Annie whispered to Nick.

"Time to go home, lover. Enough excitement to keep us going until the next time."

Sam rose from Nick. Nick groaned. But Annie pulled him up, snaked her arm around his waist. She looked around and said, "I'm taking this man home. Where he belongs." Nick picked up his keys on the way out. He was in a trance-like state. Annie drove.

When they got home, Annie led him directly to bed and stripped him of his meager clothing. She covered him with her body and claimed him. The coupling was slow and sensual. Nick wasn't thinking of Sam. He was only right there. With his wife.

Everybody is weak sometimes. Then we depend on others to keep things straight. And we're lucky if we have someone to do that.

The end.