Read Beebo Brinker Chronicles 1 - Odd Girl Out for Free Online

terrible basement into the cold air and run and run and run until it was all miles behind her.
    He kissed her again; a man's lips were claiming her own, and it was all so new, so alarming, that it took her breath from her.
    "Jim—” she said.
    He kissed her again, harder.
    "Oh, Jim, please!” and she turned her head away sharply against the wall of the booth. It was unbearable. No punishment could be worse than this. She waited, shaking, for him to reprimand her.
    Instead he stroked her leg and leaned over her and said softly, “I understand, baby. Believe me. We'll have time later."
    Laura thought she might be sick. It was no consolation to her to suddenly discover that she might be attractive to a man. She heard Emily's voice across the table with such grateful relief that she almost reached out to clutch at her.
    "Well, look here!” said Emmy. “Look who's hitting it off!” She smiled a pleased smile. Emmy was a born matchmaker.
    Jim straightened up a little and grinned at her. “Why sure,” he said. “Just took us a little while to find each other. Kinda dark down here.” He was delighted to have discovered an unexpected warm spell at the end of a chilly evening.
    They laughed, and Emily gave Laura an approving smile that made Laura weak. It was apparently not only right but expected that she should let Jim maul her. Beth! she thought with sudden desperate force. Oh, Beth, if only you were here! The thought came unbidden out of the blue.
    The two couples walked home together to the Alpha Beta house, Jim with a tight grip around Laura. She could feel his hip Done grind smooth and hard around its socket where their bodies were pressed together. She hid her cold helpless hands in her pockets and put her head down against Jim's jacket. The grating of the wool on her tender skin was a comfort to her; it was utterly disassociated from human flesh and just irritating enough to assuage her conscience.
    She murmured “Yes” and “No” to Jim when she had to and when she tried to keep him from kissing her, he took it affably as part of the game. And all the while Laura thought of Beth, so strong, so lovely, so gentle. She tried to peer through the defiant dark for the lights of Alpha Beta. But when they got there, she wasn't allowed to run upstairs to Beth.
    Jim hustled her out on the gloomy patio and emprisoned her on the love seat. He thought she owed him a fair measure of affection to recompense him for the evening's entertainment. Laura's aversion to him mounted higher with every kiss until it reached a screaming pitch inside her.
    "Gee, Laura, I thought you were gonna be cold as hell,” he said. “You're not, are you?” He chuckled at her.
    Laura looked at him wide-eyed, held so hard that she felt she could count his ribs with her own. She hated him. She wanted to spit at him, hurt him, run. But she was afraid.
    "Oh, yes,” he said. “You and I are gonna get along just fine, Laura. Just fine.” And he kissed her. “Just fine. Hey, open your mouth, honey. Hey, come on, Laura."
    Laura turned away from him and whispered, “Jim, this is our first date. I mean—please, Jim."
    "I know, baby. You're just a kid, you want to do everything right.” He tickled her neck. “Well, believe me, Laura, this is right."
    Laura's nails bit cruelly into the heels of her hands in a frenzy of revolt. Oh, God, stop! she thought.
    "Hey, Laur, how ‘bout next week?” He waited. “You busy next week?"
    She waited too long; she didn't know how to make up excuses. She turned a helpless face to him.
    "Good,” he said. “Let's make it Friday."
    "Oh, but I—"
    "I'll give you a buzz."
    The merciful closing chime sounded, and she sat up straight in a spasm of relief. Jim pulled at her arm. “Hey, Laura, they don't beat you if you kiss a boy, you know,” he said, laughing and pulling at her.
    "Jim, it's closing time, she said sharply.
    "You're just nervous, baby,” he said with a grin. He got to his feet slowly. “Okay, I