it and it's done.
I thought you'd like to have someone pleasant and attractive for me to have as
a friend to go around with while you're working."
"I
do if you want someone.
"I
didn't want someone. I just ran into someone that I liked and thought you would
like and it would be pleasant for her to be here for a little while."
"But
who is she?"
"I
haven't examined her papers. You interrogate her if you need to."
"Well,
she's decorative at least. But whose girl is she?"
"Don't
be rough. She's nobody's."
"Tell
me straight."
"All
right. She's in love with us both unless I'm crazy.
"You're
not crazy.
"Not
yet maybe."
"So
what's the drill?"
"I
wouldn't know," Catherine said.
"I
wouldn't either."
"It's
sort of strange and fun."
"I
wouldn't know," David said. "Do you want to go to swim? We missed it
yesterday."
"Let's
swim. Should we ask her? It would only be polite."
'We'd
have to wear suits."
"It
wouldn't matter with this wind. It's no day to be on the sand to tan."
"I
hate to wear suits with you."
"Me
too. But maybe tomorrow the wind will be over."
Then
on the Estérel road with David driving the big old Isotta, feeling and
condemning the too sudden brakes and finding how badly the motor needed to be
worked over, the three of them sat together and Catherine said, "There are
two or three different coves where we swim without suits when we're alone.
That's the only way to get really dark." "It's not a good day to
tan," David said. "It's too windy." "We can swim though
without suits if you like," Catherine said to the girl. "If David
doesn't mind. It might be fun." "I'd love to," the girl said. "Do
you mind?" she asked David.
In
the evening David made martinis and the girl said, "Is everything always
as wonderful as it has been today?" "It's been a pleasant day,"
David said. Catherine had not yet come out from their room and he and the girl
were sitting in front of the small bar M. Aurol had installed the previous
winter in the corner of the big Provencal room. 'When I drink I want to say
things I should never say," the girl said. "Then don't say
them." "Then what's the use of drinking?" "It isn't these.
You've only had one." "Were you embarrassed when we swam?"
"No. Should I have been?" "No," she said. "I loved to
see you. "That's good," he said. "How's the martini?"
"It's very strong but I like it. Did you and Catherine never swim before
like that with anyone?" "No. Why should we?" "I'll get really
brown." "I'm sure you will." 'Would you rather I was not so
deeply brown?" "You're a nice color. Get that color all over if you
like." "I thought perhaps you'd like one of your girls lighter than
the other."
"You're
not my girl." "I am," she said. "I told you before."
"You don't blush anymore. "I got over it when we went bathing. I hope
I won't now for a long time. That's why I said everything—to get over it.
That's why I told you." "You look nice in that cashmere sweater,"
David said. "Catherine said we'd both wear them. You don't dislike me
because I told you?" "I forget what you told me. "That I love
you. "Don't talk rot." "Don't you believe it happens to people
like that? The way it happened to me about you two?" "You don't fall
in love with two people at once. "You don't know," she said.
"It's rot," he said. "It's just a way of talking." "It
isn't at all. It's true." "You just think it is. It's nonsense."
"All right," she said. "It's nonsense. But I'm here."
"Yes. You're here," he said. He was watching Catherine as she crossed
the room, smiling and happy. "Hello swimmers," she said. "Oh
what a shame. I didn't get to see Marita have her first martini."
"This is still it," the girl said. "How did it affect her,
David?" "Made her talk rot." "We'll start with a fresh one.
Weren't you good to resuscitate this bar. It's such a sort of tentative bar.
We'll get a mirror for it. A bar's no good without a mirror." "We can
get one
I thought you'd like to have someone pleasant and attractive for me to have as
a friend to go around with while you're working."
"I
do if you want someone.
"I
didn't want someone. I just ran into someone that I liked and thought you would
like and it would be pleasant for her to be here for a little while."
"But
who is she?"
"I
haven't examined her papers. You interrogate her if you need to."
"Well,
she's decorative at least. But whose girl is she?"
"Don't
be rough. She's nobody's."
"Tell
me straight."
"All
right. She's in love with us both unless I'm crazy.
"You're
not crazy.
"Not
yet maybe."
"So
what's the drill?"
"I
wouldn't know," Catherine said.
"I
wouldn't either."
"It's
sort of strange and fun."
"I
wouldn't know," David said. "Do you want to go to swim? We missed it
yesterday."
"Let's
swim. Should we ask her? It would only be polite."
'We'd
have to wear suits."
"It
wouldn't matter with this wind. It's no day to be on the sand to tan."
"I
hate to wear suits with you."
"Me
too. But maybe tomorrow the wind will be over."
Then
on the Estérel road with David driving the big old Isotta, feeling and
condemning the too sudden brakes and finding how badly the motor needed to be
worked over, the three of them sat together and Catherine said, "There are
two or three different coves where we swim without suits when we're alone.
That's the only way to get really dark." "It's not a good day to
tan," David said. "It's too windy." "We can swim though
without suits if you like," Catherine said to the girl. "If David
doesn't mind. It might be fun." "I'd love to," the girl said. "Do
you mind?" she asked David.
In
the evening David made martinis and the girl said, "Is everything always
as wonderful as it has been today?" "It's been a pleasant day,"
David said. Catherine had not yet come out from their room and he and the girl
were sitting in front of the small bar M. Aurol had installed the previous
winter in the corner of the big Provencal room. 'When I drink I want to say
things I should never say," the girl said. "Then don't say
them." "Then what's the use of drinking?" "It isn't these.
You've only had one." "Were you embarrassed when we swam?"
"No. Should I have been?" "No," she said. "I loved to
see you. "That's good," he said. "How's the martini?"
"It's very strong but I like it. Did you and Catherine never swim before
like that with anyone?" "No. Why should we?" "I'll get really
brown." "I'm sure you will." 'Would you rather I was not so
deeply brown?" "You're a nice color. Get that color all over if you
like." "I thought perhaps you'd like one of your girls lighter than
the other."
"You're
not my girl." "I am," she said. "I told you before."
"You don't blush anymore. "I got over it when we went bathing. I hope
I won't now for a long time. That's why I said everything—to get over it.
That's why I told you." "You look nice in that cashmere sweater,"
David said. "Catherine said we'd both wear them. You don't dislike me
because I told you?" "I forget what you told me. "That I love
you. "Don't talk rot." "Don't you believe it happens to people
like that? The way it happened to me about you two?" "You don't fall
in love with two people at once. "You don't know," she said.
"It's rot," he said. "It's just a way of talking." "It
isn't at all. It's true." "You just think it is. It's nonsense."
"All right," she said. "It's nonsense. But I'm here."
"Yes. You're here," he said. He was watching Catherine as she crossed
the room, smiling and happy. "Hello swimmers," she said. "Oh
what a shame. I didn't get to see Marita have her first martini."
"This is still it," the girl said. "How did it affect her,
David?" "Made her talk rot." "We'll start with a fresh one.
Weren't you good to resuscitate this bar. It's such a sort of tentative bar.
We'll get a mirror for it. A bar's no good without a mirror." "We can
get one
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