remembered. He could sense tension and see the traces of it in their faces. Their cheer seemed forced and, what was more distressing to him, he sensed the cool, withering breath of estrangement.
“What the hell is this ‘Do Not Touc’ routine?” Temp asked.
“He wouldn’t say a word about the lovely flowers, of course,” Vicky said. “He would only complain about the wine. He’s a greedy, impossible type.”
“Do not touch until I get here,” Hugh said. “And I am here.” He took the bottle out and showed them the label. “Champagne, of course.”
“What a gloriously low habit!” Vicky cried. “Champagne at this time of the day.”
“It’s a very low town, doll,” Hugh said, twisting the wire off and working at the cork. It clicked off the ceiling and into a low chair by the windows.
They touched glasses. “Old friends, old times and old places,” Temp said. And they drank and smiled and moved over to the grouping of low blonde chairs, and Temp toldHugh the news of the Bahamas since he had been gone—from the Jack Paar invasion at Christmastime, to all the vast new resort projects and the continuing incredible increases in the cost of land in the developments on New Providence. When the champagne was gone, Vicky stood and said, “Aircraft erode me horribly, chums. I look a dreary old bag for days, so it’s me for a steaming tub and a champagne nap. Will one of you gentlemen please knock me up when it’s time to get festive?”
“Love those limey expressions,” Temp said fondly. “We’ll awaken you.”
She looked with mock disdain at their grinning faces. “You both have dreadfully dirty minds, dears.” She winked at them and went into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
“Marvelous girl,” Temp said.
“Best of the breed.”
“Can you chat for a while, or should you be running around managing things, Hugh?”
“This place is in practically full operation twenty-four hours a day. I live right on the premises. They know where I am, Temp, and somebody will yell if there’s a jam they can’t handle, so I’m working right now. But I can’t talk with an empty glass. Bourbon?”
“Ingenious idea.”
Hugh phoned down for a bottle and setups and went back to his chair.
“Hell of a big operation you’ve got here,” Temp said.
“Service staff of four hundred and sixteen, as of right now, not counting casino personnel, or the entertainers, of course. And it was such a loose operation, Temp, it’s taken me this long to begin to feel I’m getting on top of it. It’s been a brute of a job, but they’re paying me damn well—so well, in fact, that I may be around to see you for that construction loan a lot sooner than I thought.”
“That’s fine, Hugh. That’s great!” Temp said, but it was strangely forced. Hugh felt a small new worry, one he had not anticipated.
“What’s the matter, Temp?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all. Just that it’s a damn good thing you’re not looking for that money right now.”
The waiter knocked. Hugh let him in. Temp Shannard made a very uncharacteristic half-hearted attempt to get the service check. In past days it had been almost impossible to pay for anything when Temp was in the party. This was an additional clue that made Hugh increasingly uneasy.
As he was fixing the highballs he said, “I could be knocking on your door in about two years, Temp, the way it’s going. You’ll have it then, won’t you?”
“Of course, dear boy! Of course. ”
“You remember the way we laid it all out that night with Alec Whitney. I put up Peppercorn Cay free and clear, plus thirty thousand. You and Alec each come in with sixty thousand, forty of which will be a loan, and twenty will be for fifteen per cent of the limited partnership.” He handed Temple his drink.
“Don’t look so worried about it, Hugh. I’ll be flying like a big bird again by the time you come for the money.”
“What’s happened, Temp? Are you in
“What the hell is this ‘Do Not Touc’ routine?” Temp asked.
“He wouldn’t say a word about the lovely flowers, of course,” Vicky said. “He would only complain about the wine. He’s a greedy, impossible type.”
“Do not touch until I get here,” Hugh said. “And I am here.” He took the bottle out and showed them the label. “Champagne, of course.”
“What a gloriously low habit!” Vicky cried. “Champagne at this time of the day.”
“It’s a very low town, doll,” Hugh said, twisting the wire off and working at the cork. It clicked off the ceiling and into a low chair by the windows.
They touched glasses. “Old friends, old times and old places,” Temp said. And they drank and smiled and moved over to the grouping of low blonde chairs, and Temp toldHugh the news of the Bahamas since he had been gone—from the Jack Paar invasion at Christmastime, to all the vast new resort projects and the continuing incredible increases in the cost of land in the developments on New Providence. When the champagne was gone, Vicky stood and said, “Aircraft erode me horribly, chums. I look a dreary old bag for days, so it’s me for a steaming tub and a champagne nap. Will one of you gentlemen please knock me up when it’s time to get festive?”
“Love those limey expressions,” Temp said fondly. “We’ll awaken you.”
She looked with mock disdain at their grinning faces. “You both have dreadfully dirty minds, dears.” She winked at them and went into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
“Marvelous girl,” Temp said.
“Best of the breed.”
“Can you chat for a while, or should you be running around managing things, Hugh?”
“This place is in practically full operation twenty-four hours a day. I live right on the premises. They know where I am, Temp, and somebody will yell if there’s a jam they can’t handle, so I’m working right now. But I can’t talk with an empty glass. Bourbon?”
“Ingenious idea.”
Hugh phoned down for a bottle and setups and went back to his chair.
“Hell of a big operation you’ve got here,” Temp said.
“Service staff of four hundred and sixteen, as of right now, not counting casino personnel, or the entertainers, of course. And it was such a loose operation, Temp, it’s taken me this long to begin to feel I’m getting on top of it. It’s been a brute of a job, but they’re paying me damn well—so well, in fact, that I may be around to see you for that construction loan a lot sooner than I thought.”
“That’s fine, Hugh. That’s great!” Temp said, but it was strangely forced. Hugh felt a small new worry, one he had not anticipated.
“What’s the matter, Temp?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all. Just that it’s a damn good thing you’re not looking for that money right now.”
The waiter knocked. Hugh let him in. Temp Shannard made a very uncharacteristic half-hearted attempt to get the service check. In past days it had been almost impossible to pay for anything when Temp was in the party. This was an additional clue that made Hugh increasingly uneasy.
As he was fixing the highballs he said, “I could be knocking on your door in about two years, Temp, the way it’s going. You’ll have it then, won’t you?”
“Of course, dear boy! Of course. ”
“You remember the way we laid it all out that night with Alec Whitney. I put up Peppercorn Cay free and clear, plus thirty thousand. You and Alec each come in with sixty thousand, forty of which will be a loan, and twenty will be for fifteen per cent of the limited partnership.” He handed Temple his drink.
“Don’t look so worried about it, Hugh. I’ll be flying like a big bird again by the time you come for the money.”
“What’s happened, Temp? Are you in
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