that?"
"Yes.” It meant no.
"Who's Charlie Ayers anyway? Just a guy.” Charlie was causing the trouble, of course. Not Mitch. “No more foolishness. Okay?” Beth talked to Laura as if she were a little child.
Laura nodded at her. The image of Charlie interfered with her every good intention, spoiled her every smile.
"Laura...” Beth's voice was very soft. “We'll be together tonight. We'll be together."
Laura looked full at her suddenly and momentarily forgot her rival till Beth gave her a little shake. “Come on, we've got to get back. They'll think we fell in."
And Laura followed her willingly then, as if a great weight had been lifted from her.
The evening went quickly after that, and everybody drank too much, except for Mitch, who was talking himself into a crush on Beth.
Beth had to stop Laura from a fifth Martini. “God, Charlie, what are you trying to do? Pickle her? She's not used to it,” she said.
Charlie grinned and shrugged. “Give the lady what she wants,” he said. His interest in Beth grew franker as his inhibitions grew fewer, but it didn't seem to matter. He couldn't stop himself. He began to get quiet and deliberate. When he got drunk he slowed down perceptibly, but there was nothing unmanageable or mean in him. He was quite pleasantly absorbed in pondering the enigma of Beth Cullison.
Now and then he would lean forward lightly on the table and study her as if she were a map. Beth gazed straight back at him in an effort to make him look away, but it was rather more like indicating the way to him; he wasn't in the least abashed. Beth was somehow half afraid that he would read in her eyes something of her concern for Laura; that he would see on her lips the illegal kisses, the extraordinary passion that the girl had inspired in her.
Charlie tried to ignore Beth out of regard for Mitch and Laura, but the other two simply didn't interest him. He asked Beth to dance with him again before the evening was over. The floor was small and packed. He guided her away from Mitch and Laura so they couldn't see, and he spent the dance pretty much in one place, holding her hard against him and talking to her. She had to look up at him to catch the words, and she tried to protest.
"Charlie, we have to get back,” she said. And, “You're holding me too tight."
But he only shook his head and kept her there. He had never been so attracted to a girl. It just couldn't have happened any other way. He pulled her out of the crowd and into the shadow of the heavy drapes by the bandstand and gave her just time to say, ‘No—’ before he kissed her.
When he released her she said, “Charlie, please, for God's sake—"
"I know,” he said and gave her his handkerchief. “Don't talk about it. I know."
"No, you don't,” she said, wiping off the smeared lipstick. “You couldn't. Let's get back.” But she didn't want to.
It was a while before she could look at Laura again; the whole evening was different, irrevocably changed. It wasn't Laura she wanted that night, but it was Laura she would have.
CHAPTER NINE
MITCH WAS MAD. It happened very rarely, but Charlie had muscled in on his date. He walked stiffly into their apartment. Charlie sighed and followed him in.
"Okay, Mitch, I'm sorry. So we both like the girl. We both want the girl. Okay, so we both call her."
"But that's just the point. You act as if you own every woman you look at, damn it. You—"
"I act like it but I don't."
"You make them think—"
"Oh, Mitch, for God's sake, that's a lot of crap. That's a lot of damn crap. You go around with your nose out of joint because you think I'm better equipped to seduce women than you are."
"Well, let's face it."
"Oh, let's face it, hell. Do you think a girl like Beth would fall for a face? For a lot of crap? Well, do you?"
"Any girl could be fooled."
"Well, would you like to know how well I fooled your precious date? I danced with her, remember? Do you know what I said to her?"
"No."
"I told
"Yes.” It meant no.
"Who's Charlie Ayers anyway? Just a guy.” Charlie was causing the trouble, of course. Not Mitch. “No more foolishness. Okay?” Beth talked to Laura as if she were a little child.
Laura nodded at her. The image of Charlie interfered with her every good intention, spoiled her every smile.
"Laura...” Beth's voice was very soft. “We'll be together tonight. We'll be together."
Laura looked full at her suddenly and momentarily forgot her rival till Beth gave her a little shake. “Come on, we've got to get back. They'll think we fell in."
And Laura followed her willingly then, as if a great weight had been lifted from her.
The evening went quickly after that, and everybody drank too much, except for Mitch, who was talking himself into a crush on Beth.
Beth had to stop Laura from a fifth Martini. “God, Charlie, what are you trying to do? Pickle her? She's not used to it,” she said.
Charlie grinned and shrugged. “Give the lady what she wants,” he said. His interest in Beth grew franker as his inhibitions grew fewer, but it didn't seem to matter. He couldn't stop himself. He began to get quiet and deliberate. When he got drunk he slowed down perceptibly, but there was nothing unmanageable or mean in him. He was quite pleasantly absorbed in pondering the enigma of Beth Cullison.
Now and then he would lean forward lightly on the table and study her as if she were a map. Beth gazed straight back at him in an effort to make him look away, but it was rather more like indicating the way to him; he wasn't in the least abashed. Beth was somehow half afraid that he would read in her eyes something of her concern for Laura; that he would see on her lips the illegal kisses, the extraordinary passion that the girl had inspired in her.
Charlie tried to ignore Beth out of regard for Mitch and Laura, but the other two simply didn't interest him. He asked Beth to dance with him again before the evening was over. The floor was small and packed. He guided her away from Mitch and Laura so they couldn't see, and he spent the dance pretty much in one place, holding her hard against him and talking to her. She had to look up at him to catch the words, and she tried to protest.
"Charlie, we have to get back,” she said. And, “You're holding me too tight."
But he only shook his head and kept her there. He had never been so attracted to a girl. It just couldn't have happened any other way. He pulled her out of the crowd and into the shadow of the heavy drapes by the bandstand and gave her just time to say, ‘No—’ before he kissed her.
When he released her she said, “Charlie, please, for God's sake—"
"I know,” he said and gave her his handkerchief. “Don't talk about it. I know."
"No, you don't,” she said, wiping off the smeared lipstick. “You couldn't. Let's get back.” But she didn't want to.
It was a while before she could look at Laura again; the whole evening was different, irrevocably changed. It wasn't Laura she wanted that night, but it was Laura she would have.
CHAPTER NINE
MITCH WAS MAD. It happened very rarely, but Charlie had muscled in on his date. He walked stiffly into their apartment. Charlie sighed and followed him in.
"Okay, Mitch, I'm sorry. So we both like the girl. We both want the girl. Okay, so we both call her."
"But that's just the point. You act as if you own every woman you look at, damn it. You—"
"I act like it but I don't."
"You make them think—"
"Oh, Mitch, for God's sake, that's a lot of crap. That's a lot of damn crap. You go around with your nose out of joint because you think I'm better equipped to seduce women than you are."
"Well, let's face it."
"Oh, let's face it, hell. Do you think a girl like Beth would fall for a face? For a lot of crap? Well, do you?"
"Any girl could be fooled."
"Well, would you like to know how well I fooled your precious date? I danced with her, remember? Do you know what I said to her?"
"No."
"I told
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