straightforward woman with all parts intact, he thought, mind and body.
And I bet her orgasms are deafening.
He realized she was talking to him.
“What happened? I mean with Lelia? If you don’t mind my asking.”
“You don’t want to know.”
She nodded. “I had a feeling that would be a bad one.”
“It was.”
“I saw you go by that night. I was sitting on my terrace. She looked…very determined about something.”
“She was determined all right.”
“She worried me. I thought at the time…”
“Goon.”
“I thought that she looked…ferocious. Honestly. That’s the word that comes to mind. Isn’t that amazing?”
“Less than you’d think. I’ll tell you about it sometime.”
“I didn’t mean to pry.”
“You’re not prying.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
She smiled. “In that case I’ll let you tell me. Sometime. Care for a swim?”
“Sure.”
They stood up. They used their sandals to weigh down their mats against the gusty breeze.
“Did you make any plans for dinner tonight?”
He had the sudden urge to lock her into something-into dinner, at least. She looked at him and smiled again.
“Of course. I’m eating with your lot, aren’t I?”
He laughed. “Absolutely.”
“Good. It’s settled then. Last one in!”
She bolted away.
God knows I’ve been wrong before, he thought. I may be wrong again. But I think this one’s healthy.
He glanced at Danny, who was looking at him, nodding.
LELIA
When she got off the boat the first one she saw was the Frenchman, big and crude-looking.
Good, she thought.
Very good.
Right after Dodgson.
BILLIE
She found herself wondering how his kiss would be.
And wondering that surprised her.
Now and then as they walked, the trail over the hill snaked through rough terrain and Dodgson would take her hand. It was meaningless, the gesture of a gentleman and nothing more. But the hand was smooth and warm and dry-soft, the way she supposed a writer’s hands ought to be. They pleased her. And that surprised her too.
Because the other man’s hands had been soft as well, she remembered them vividly, lying in the hospital bed in Spain half-unconscious at first with amoebic dysentery and then slowly awakening to the shameful terrible fact that the doctor’s hands had been on her frequently throughout her days of fever, stroking her, invading her cruelly, invading her everywhere and then one final nightmare day of full awareness, of seeing and feeling all he did to her with utter clarity, too weak to stop him.
The authorities’ response had amounted to a smug dismissal.
It had taken her a good long time even to think of a man again.
Precisely, it had taken her until now.
They stopped for a breather. It was four but the sun was still hot. There was no one about. The beach was far behind them. Away in the distance she heard the tin-can tinkle of a goat bell. That was all. Only that fine peace, that familiar Greek stillness.
The trail was bare and rocky. She looked around.
“Do you suppose there are snakes about?”
He shook his head. “I doubt it. Too late in the day. The only poisonous snake in Greece is the viper anyway. And they’re no problem if you’re careful. Sometimes you see them sunning themselves on paths like these but you’re not likely to step on one if you watch where you’re going. They’re pretty big. Why? You afraid of snakes? I thought it was cats.”
“Not me. Michelle. She says she's been staying off all the trails and rocky bits.”
He pointed to a series of low stone walls running parallel to the trail a few
And I bet her orgasms are deafening.
He realized she was talking to him.
“What happened? I mean with Lelia? If you don’t mind my asking.”
“You don’t want to know.”
She nodded. “I had a feeling that would be a bad one.”
“It was.”
“I saw you go by that night. I was sitting on my terrace. She looked…very determined about something.”
“She was determined all right.”
“She worried me. I thought at the time…”
“Goon.”
“I thought that she looked…ferocious. Honestly. That’s the word that comes to mind. Isn’t that amazing?”
“Less than you’d think. I’ll tell you about it sometime.”
“I didn’t mean to pry.”
“You’re not prying.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
She smiled. “In that case I’ll let you tell me. Sometime. Care for a swim?”
“Sure.”
They stood up. They used their sandals to weigh down their mats against the gusty breeze.
“Did you make any plans for dinner tonight?”
He had the sudden urge to lock her into something-into dinner, at least. She looked at him and smiled again.
“Of course. I’m eating with your lot, aren’t I?”
He laughed. “Absolutely.”
“Good. It’s settled then. Last one in!”
She bolted away.
God knows I’ve been wrong before, he thought. I may be wrong again. But I think this one’s healthy.
He glanced at Danny, who was looking at him, nodding.
LELIA
When she got off the boat the first one she saw was the Frenchman, big and crude-looking.
Good, she thought.
Very good.
Right after Dodgson.
BILLIE
She found herself wondering how his kiss would be.
And wondering that surprised her.
Now and then as they walked, the trail over the hill snaked through rough terrain and Dodgson would take her hand. It was meaningless, the gesture of a gentleman and nothing more. But the hand was smooth and warm and dry-soft, the way she supposed a writer’s hands ought to be. They pleased her. And that surprised her too.
Because the other man’s hands had been soft as well, she remembered them vividly, lying in the hospital bed in Spain half-unconscious at first with amoebic dysentery and then slowly awakening to the shameful terrible fact that the doctor’s hands had been on her frequently throughout her days of fever, stroking her, invading her cruelly, invading her everywhere and then one final nightmare day of full awareness, of seeing and feeling all he did to her with utter clarity, too weak to stop him.
The authorities’ response had amounted to a smug dismissal.
It had taken her a good long time even to think of a man again.
Precisely, it had taken her until now.
They stopped for a breather. It was four but the sun was still hot. There was no one about. The beach was far behind them. Away in the distance she heard the tin-can tinkle of a goat bell. That was all. Only that fine peace, that familiar Greek stillness.
The trail was bare and rocky. She looked around.
“Do you suppose there are snakes about?”
He shook his head. “I doubt it. Too late in the day. The only poisonous snake in Greece is the viper anyway. And they’re no problem if you’re careful. Sometimes you see them sunning themselves on paths like these but you’re not likely to step on one if you watch where you’re going. They’re pretty big. Why? You afraid of snakes? I thought it was cats.”
“Not me. Michelle. She says she's been staying off all the trails and rocky bits.”
He pointed to a series of low stone walls running parallel to the trail a few
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