wrong with you? And why were you and Dominique so late for lunch?’
I was going to have to lie. I answered Guy speaking to my feet.
‘She realized I had a bit of a hangover, so she decided to give me some neat vodka. I took it. It worked for a little bit, but I feel even worse now.’
‘Stupid sod. I thought you said you’d never drink again?’
‘I won’t,’ I said, looking him in the eye for the first time. ‘Believe me, not for a long time. Now I’ve got to hit the sack.’
Guy left me to curl up in a little ball of my own misery.
I couldn’t hide in bed for ever, so I emerged at supper-time. Wine and beer were on offer on the terrace, but I didn’t take anything. Neither did Ingrid, nor Owen, who had appeared after a whole day spent on his portable computer. Guy and Tony were drinking more beer, Guy with determination.
‘How are you feeling?’ I asked Mel, who was holding an almost empty glass of wine.
She glanced up at me, as though surprised by the sympathy in my voice. ‘A bit shaky,’ she said.
‘Me too.’
‘Cheer up, Mel,’ said Guy, putting his arm round her and refilling her glass. ‘This place isn’t so bad, is it?’
‘Oh, no,’ she said, summoning a smile. ‘No, it’s lovely.’
‘We’ll go over to Monte again tomorrow. Check out a casino.’
‘Sounds great,’ said Mel, unenthusiastically.
I drifted away from them, leaving Guy working hard. Iwandered over to the marble railings and stared down at the sea far below. As I watched closely, I realized that it was so far below that the sound of the waves breaking on the rocks was out of synch with the rhythm of the waves themselves. A long way down.
A voice spoke beside me. ‘This is awful, isn’t it?’
It was Ingrid.
‘Mel looks bad,’ I said. ‘Has she spoken to you about it?’
‘A little.’
‘How did it happen?’ I’d seen Mel laughing at Tony’s jokes all evening, but I had never suspected anything would come of it.
‘Everyone was drifting off to bed. Dominique had already gone. Apparently Tony started talking to Mel about the Romans and the watchtower. He took her over to look at it in the moonlight. Then he kissed her. Then …’
I shuddered.
‘Why did she do it? He’s in his forties, for God’s sake!’
‘He’s a charming man. He may be in his forties, but he’s sexy, and he knows it. Men like that have a pull for some women. Mel’s a romantic and Tony had engineered the most romantic of situations. He’s a pro. She’s an amateur. She never really stood a chance.’
‘But it wasn’t rape or anything?’
‘No. Mel was willing. At least at the time.’
‘Do you think she regrets it?’ Throughout the day I had seen no sign of Mel showing any interest in her lover of the night before.
‘Oh, yes. She definitely regrets it.’
‘What’s she going to do?’
‘Brave it out, I think. What else can she do?’
‘Go home?’
‘Maybe.’
‘She doesn’t look too happy now.’
‘Neither do you,’ said Ingrid.
I didn’t answer.
‘Hey, what are you two doing here? Won’t you come and join us?’ It was Dominique, now dressed in tight white jeans and black top under a white jacket. She smiled broadly. ‘Come on, David. Come talk to me.’
‘I think I’ll stay here for a bit, thanks. It’s a beautiful spot.’
‘As you like,’ Dominique replied, touching her lip with her tongue.
‘What was that?’ said Ingrid, watching Dominique swing her hips back to the terrace.
‘Don’t ask,’ I said. ‘Please.’
Ingrid gave me a look. ‘Curiouser and curiouser.’
The evening was flat. I avoided talking to anyone much, especially Dominique. No one was having a good time and Tony still looked angry. At about ten the gathering broke up, and I went back to the guest cottage with Guy, who was still bemused by everyone’s lack of sparkle.
I lay in bed for a long time in a kind of crazed semiconsciousness. Images of Dominique naked spun around my brain in a tumult of
I was going to have to lie. I answered Guy speaking to my feet.
‘She realized I had a bit of a hangover, so she decided to give me some neat vodka. I took it. It worked for a little bit, but I feel even worse now.’
‘Stupid sod. I thought you said you’d never drink again?’
‘I won’t,’ I said, looking him in the eye for the first time. ‘Believe me, not for a long time. Now I’ve got to hit the sack.’
Guy left me to curl up in a little ball of my own misery.
I couldn’t hide in bed for ever, so I emerged at supper-time. Wine and beer were on offer on the terrace, but I didn’t take anything. Neither did Ingrid, nor Owen, who had appeared after a whole day spent on his portable computer. Guy and Tony were drinking more beer, Guy with determination.
‘How are you feeling?’ I asked Mel, who was holding an almost empty glass of wine.
She glanced up at me, as though surprised by the sympathy in my voice. ‘A bit shaky,’ she said.
‘Me too.’
‘Cheer up, Mel,’ said Guy, putting his arm round her and refilling her glass. ‘This place isn’t so bad, is it?’
‘Oh, no,’ she said, summoning a smile. ‘No, it’s lovely.’
‘We’ll go over to Monte again tomorrow. Check out a casino.’
‘Sounds great,’ said Mel, unenthusiastically.
I drifted away from them, leaving Guy working hard. Iwandered over to the marble railings and stared down at the sea far below. As I watched closely, I realized that it was so far below that the sound of the waves breaking on the rocks was out of synch with the rhythm of the waves themselves. A long way down.
A voice spoke beside me. ‘This is awful, isn’t it?’
It was Ingrid.
‘Mel looks bad,’ I said. ‘Has she spoken to you about it?’
‘A little.’
‘How did it happen?’ I’d seen Mel laughing at Tony’s jokes all evening, but I had never suspected anything would come of it.
‘Everyone was drifting off to bed. Dominique had already gone. Apparently Tony started talking to Mel about the Romans and the watchtower. He took her over to look at it in the moonlight. Then he kissed her. Then …’
I shuddered.
‘Why did she do it? He’s in his forties, for God’s sake!’
‘He’s a charming man. He may be in his forties, but he’s sexy, and he knows it. Men like that have a pull for some women. Mel’s a romantic and Tony had engineered the most romantic of situations. He’s a pro. She’s an amateur. She never really stood a chance.’
‘But it wasn’t rape or anything?’
‘No. Mel was willing. At least at the time.’
‘Do you think she regrets it?’ Throughout the day I had seen no sign of Mel showing any interest in her lover of the night before.
‘Oh, yes. She definitely regrets it.’
‘What’s she going to do?’
‘Brave it out, I think. What else can she do?’
‘Go home?’
‘Maybe.’
‘She doesn’t look too happy now.’
‘Neither do you,’ said Ingrid.
I didn’t answer.
‘Hey, what are you two doing here? Won’t you come and join us?’ It was Dominique, now dressed in tight white jeans and black top under a white jacket. She smiled broadly. ‘Come on, David. Come talk to me.’
‘I think I’ll stay here for a bit, thanks. It’s a beautiful spot.’
‘As you like,’ Dominique replied, touching her lip with her tongue.
‘What was that?’ said Ingrid, watching Dominique swing her hips back to the terrace.
‘Don’t ask,’ I said. ‘Please.’
Ingrid gave me a look. ‘Curiouser and curiouser.’
The evening was flat. I avoided talking to anyone much, especially Dominique. No one was having a good time and Tony still looked angry. At about ten the gathering broke up, and I went back to the guest cottage with Guy, who was still bemused by everyone’s lack of sparkle.
I lay in bed for a long time in a kind of crazed semiconsciousness. Images of Dominique naked spun around my brain in a tumult of
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