Overload by Arthur Hailey Read Free Book Online Page A

cleansing tears as
    the human psyche began its bealing process-as old, Unexplainable and
    wondrous as life itself.
    Holding Ardythe, Nim became aware of a fragrant, pleasing perfume. He bad
    not no ticed it when they were close together earlier, and wondered when
    she bad put it on. Probably when she went upstairs. He switched his
    thoughts away.
    It was getting late, Nim realized. Outside it was fully dark, the only
    exterior lights from occasional passing vehicles. But the street was se-
    cluded and quiet, with traffic infrequent. Inside, the house had settled
    down, as houses do for the night, and was silent.
    Ardythe stirred in Nim's arms. She bad stopped crying and moved closer. lie
    breathed the heady perfume once more. Then, to his consternation, be
    discovered his body becoming aroused, and an increasing awareness of
    Ardythe as a woman. He tried to divert his mind with other thoughts, to
    control and negate what was happening, but without success.
    "Kiss me, Nim." She had moved so their faces were close. Their lips
    touched, gently at first, then strongly; Ardythe's mouth was seductive,
    Nvarm, demanding. As he felt sexual excitement surge in them both, he asked
    himself: Can this be happening?
    "Nim," she said softly, "turn out the lights."
    He complied, a part of him urging: Don't do it! Go! Leave now! But even
    while despising himself, he knew he wouldn't leave, and that the inner
    voice was a token protest only.
    There was plenty of room on the sofa. While be bad turned out the lights,
    Ardytbc had removed some of her clothing-, he helped her with the rest and
    swiftly shed his own. As tbev reached out, then held each other, he found
    her eager, excited and experienced. Her fingers, traveling lightly, deftly,
    sought to please him, and succeeded. He responded
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in kind. Soon, Ardythe moaned, then cried aloud, "Ob God, Nim! Don't wait
    any longer, please . . . please!"
    He had a last, vague stirring of conscience and a sudden, dismaying notion
    that Wally Jr. and Mary might return, as they had said they would, and walk
    in. Then that and all else dissolved as pleasure and passion engulfed him.
    "You're troubled, aren't you?"
    "Yes," Nim admitted. "Troubled as hell."
    It was an hour later. They had dressed and the lights were on. A few
    minutes ago Wally had phoned, announcing that he and Mary were on the way
    back and both would stay the night.
    "Don't be." Ardythe touched his arm lightly and gave a swift, shy smile.
    "You've helped me more than you know."
    Nim's instincts told him she had left something unsaid: That the
    compatibility they had just shared was discovered rarely by two people and,
    in all probability, the experience would be repeated. If so, there was now
    a dual worry: Not only had be behaved shamefully on the day of his good
    friend's death, but an additional complication had enterea his own life-one
    he didn't need.
    "I'd like to explain something," Ardythe said. "I loved Walter dearly. He
    was a sweet, kind, gentle man. We had fun together; he was always
    interesting to be with. Life without him . . . well, I can't begin to think
    about that yet. But Walter and I hadn't had sex together for a long time-it
    must be six or seven years. Walter simply couldn't manage it any more. That
    often happens to men, you know, much more than to women."
    Nim protested, "I don't want to hear .
    "Whether you do or not, you're going to. Because I don't want you leaving
    here tonight all mixed up and miserable. I'll tell you something else, Nim.
    You didn't seduce me just now; I seduced you. And I knew what was going to
    happen, what I wanted to happen, long before you did."
    He thought: The perfume. It had acted on him like an aphrodisiac. Could
    Ardytbe really have intended it that way?
    "When a woman is deprived of sex at home," Ardythe went on firmly, "she
    either manages or goes elsewhere. Well, I managed. I settled for what I
    had, which was a good man I still loved, and I didn't go elsewhere. But