wary as always of any tightening of her hold upon him.
"I'll be out of here any day, now," he assured her. "I'm probably a hell of a lot more anxious than you are.
"Well…" She smiled tentatively, the dark eyes searching his face. "I'm not so sure of that."
"You'll see. Maybe we can go to La Jolla this weekend."
"Just maybe?"
"I'm practically sure of it," he said. "I'll give you a ring, hmm?"
So he had got things straightened out, for a time, at least, and after a fashion. But he had gotten nothing in return, nothing but the status quo, and unsatisfied desire squirmed in him relentlessly. Something was going to have to give, he told himself. With Moira's presence still lingering with him, with Carol so readily accessible
Carol. He wondered just what he should do about her anyway. Or whether he should do anything about her. She looked completely virginal, and if she was, that was that. She'd remain that way, as far as he was concerned. But looks could be deceptive; and sometimes, when she consented to a kiss and she clung to him for a moment, well, he wasn't so sure about her status. Was, in fact, almost positive that he had judged it wrongly.
And in that case, of course…
She came in from the kitchen, bearing two creamtopped parfait glasses. He accepted one of them, and she sat down with the other. Smiling, he watched as she dipped into it, wanting to sweep her up in his arms and give her a hearty squeeze.
"Good?" he said.
"Wonderful!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. Then, looking up at him, pinking with self-consciousness. "All the time here, I am eating! You think I am such a pig, yes?"
Roy laughed. "If they made pigs like you, I'd start raising them. How about eating mine, too?"
"But it is yours. More I could not possibly eat!"
"Sure you can," he said, swinging his legs off the bed. "Will you come into the bedroom when you're through?"
"I will come now. You want your rubdown, yes?"
"No, no," he said quickly. "There's no hurry. Finish your ice cream first."
He crossed the deeply carpeted living room and entered the bedroom. Entering the bedroom, he hesitated for a long moment, almost deciding to stop now while he could. Then, swiftly, before he could change his mind, he flung off the robe and his pajama top and stretched out on the bed.
Carol came in a minute or two later. She started to get the alcohol bottle from the bathroom, and he held out his hand to her.
"Come here, Carol. I want to ask you something."
She nodded, and sat down on the edge of the bed. He drew her closer, bringing her face down to his; and, then, as their lips met, he began to draw her prone.
Nervously her body suddenly stiffening, she tried to pull away. "Oh, no! Please, Roy. I-I-"
"It's all right. I want to ask you something, Carol. Will you tell me the truth?"
"Well"-she tried to muster a smile. "It is so important to you? Or perhaps you are teasing me again, yes?"
"It's very important to me," he said. "Are you a virgin, Carol?"
The smile washed abruptly from her face, and for a moment it was something completely blank. Then, a trace of color came back into it and her eyes fell, and almost imperceptibly she shook her head.
"No, I am not a virgin."
"You're not?" He was vaguely disappointed.
"I am not. Not by many times." Under its surface firmness, her voice shook slightly. "And now you will not like me any more."
"Not like you? Why, of course, I do. I like you more than ever!"
"B-but-" She smiled tremulously began to glow with a kind of joyous incredulity. "You really mean it? You would not tease about so important a thing?"
"What's so important about it? Now, come on, honey!"
Laughing joyously, she allowed him to pull her down against him; hugged him with laughing wonderment. Oh, my, she said. She was so happy. And then, with no real resistance, bubbling with the happiness, he had given her, "But-shouldn't we wait, Roy? You would not like me better?"
"I couldn't like you any better!" He tugged impatiently at her
"I'll be out of here any day, now," he assured her. "I'm probably a hell of a lot more anxious than you are.
"Well…" She smiled tentatively, the dark eyes searching his face. "I'm not so sure of that."
"You'll see. Maybe we can go to La Jolla this weekend."
"Just maybe?"
"I'm practically sure of it," he said. "I'll give you a ring, hmm?"
So he had got things straightened out, for a time, at least, and after a fashion. But he had gotten nothing in return, nothing but the status quo, and unsatisfied desire squirmed in him relentlessly. Something was going to have to give, he told himself. With Moira's presence still lingering with him, with Carol so readily accessible
Carol. He wondered just what he should do about her anyway. Or whether he should do anything about her. She looked completely virginal, and if she was, that was that. She'd remain that way, as far as he was concerned. But looks could be deceptive; and sometimes, when she consented to a kiss and she clung to him for a moment, well, he wasn't so sure about her status. Was, in fact, almost positive that he had judged it wrongly.
And in that case, of course…
She came in from the kitchen, bearing two creamtopped parfait glasses. He accepted one of them, and she sat down with the other. Smiling, he watched as she dipped into it, wanting to sweep her up in his arms and give her a hearty squeeze.
"Good?" he said.
"Wonderful!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. Then, looking up at him, pinking with self-consciousness. "All the time here, I am eating! You think I am such a pig, yes?"
Roy laughed. "If they made pigs like you, I'd start raising them. How about eating mine, too?"
"But it is yours. More I could not possibly eat!"
"Sure you can," he said, swinging his legs off the bed. "Will you come into the bedroom when you're through?"
"I will come now. You want your rubdown, yes?"
"No, no," he said quickly. "There's no hurry. Finish your ice cream first."
He crossed the deeply carpeted living room and entered the bedroom. Entering the bedroom, he hesitated for a long moment, almost deciding to stop now while he could. Then, swiftly, before he could change his mind, he flung off the robe and his pajama top and stretched out on the bed.
Carol came in a minute or two later. She started to get the alcohol bottle from the bathroom, and he held out his hand to her.
"Come here, Carol. I want to ask you something."
She nodded, and sat down on the edge of the bed. He drew her closer, bringing her face down to his; and, then, as their lips met, he began to draw her prone.
Nervously her body suddenly stiffening, she tried to pull away. "Oh, no! Please, Roy. I-I-"
"It's all right. I want to ask you something, Carol. Will you tell me the truth?"
"Well"-she tried to muster a smile. "It is so important to you? Or perhaps you are teasing me again, yes?"
"It's very important to me," he said. "Are you a virgin, Carol?"
The smile washed abruptly from her face, and for a moment it was something completely blank. Then, a trace of color came back into it and her eyes fell, and almost imperceptibly she shook her head.
"No, I am not a virgin."
"You're not?" He was vaguely disappointed.
"I am not. Not by many times." Under its surface firmness, her voice shook slightly. "And now you will not like me any more."
"Not like you? Why, of course, I do. I like you more than ever!"
"B-but-" She smiled tremulously began to glow with a kind of joyous incredulity. "You really mean it? You would not tease about so important a thing?"
"What's so important about it? Now, come on, honey!"
Laughing joyously, she allowed him to pull her down against him; hugged him with laughing wonderment. Oh, my, she said. She was so happy. And then, with no real resistance, bubbling with the happiness, he had given her, "But-shouldn't we wait, Roy? You would not like me better?"
"I couldn't like you any better!" He tugged impatiently at her
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