chairs
against one wall, a large TV and VCR unit on a bench, and a small table with
Dannys crocodile-skin suitcase open on it. Hed left a light on in the
bathroom and there was a damp towel on the floor. A bar fridge hummed in one
corner. What would you like? he said.
He had loosened his collar and was
mopping his brow with a handkerchief. He laughed suddenly and tucked the
handkerchief away in embarrassment. Winnings taken it out of me.
Carol stepped close to him and
rested her palms on his chest. Why dont you get comfortable first? She
fingered his lapels. Why dont you take a shower and let me make the drinks. Ill
make us something long and cool and very alcoholic
What she did with her hand then was
unambiguous and the mark gleamed like a schoolboy. She stepped back, evading
him, nodded at the bathroom. But dont be long.
Im long now.
Now, now, none of that.
Theres this spot, Danny said,
contorting absurdly, in the middle of my back. I can never reach it.
Well youll just have to wait, wont
you?
She turned to the bar. It was well
stocked. She would be able to make martinis. Behind her, Danny was whistling in
the bathroom. He had left the door open. Did he seriously imagine that she
wanted to watch him?
She took two glasses and tumbled ice
cubes into them. She broke the seal on the gin bottle.
What are you making?
She judged that he was standing at
the bathroom door. She would not turn around. A surprise.
There was the sound of Dannys hands
slapping himself. The shower door rolled on its coasters. She heard the water
gush.
After thirty seconds she peeked. The
glass shower enclosure was steamed up and Danny was soaping his groin and
singing.
Swiftly she poured measures of gin
and dry vermouth into each glass, then took a tiny glass bottle from her bag.
The label read eye drops. She removed the top and filled the dropper with
fluid. Danny turned off the water. She had about a minute. She squirted the
fluid into one of the glasses, stirred the drink by poking the floating ice
cube, replaced the eye dropper, and tucked the little bottle away. Da dum,
she said triumphantly, turning to him, holding the glasses aloft.
Danny had succumbed to modesty. He
stood by the bed, pink with emotion and steam and too many carbohydrates, a
voluminous towel around his waist. Great, he said lamely.
He didnt know what was expected of
him. Come, sit here with me, Carol said. She patted the edge of the bed.
I feel at a disadvantage, said
Danny, taking the glass she offered him and sitting down.
Carol dipped a finger in her drink
and touched it to his lips. She brushed his hot cheek with the cool edge of her
glass, then slipped the base under the towel and let it rest on his thigh.
Danny sighed. He raised his own glass and drank deeply.
Youre tense, Carol said. Her
voice was soft. Her fingernails scratched gently in the hairs on his leg. Ill
give you a back rub. Would you like that?
Danny laughed abruptly and turned
onto his stomach. Youre amazing.
Carol began working her hands along
his spine toward his shoulders. There was a great deal of him, and none of it
firm. He sighed again, and once or twice rolled onto one hip to sip from his
glass. When she thought he might he losing interest she let him hear her peel
off her stockings. He gave a little groan, drank deeply, and stretched.
In ten minutes he was drowsy. In
twenty, asleep. He had been administered several millilitres of scopolamine
hydrobromide, a chemical found in motion sickness pills, and would be
unconscious for up to twenty hours. He would wake up feeling dopey and useless.
Carol went to work. She washed both
glasses and let water run in the sink while she cleaned her fingerprints off
all the surfaces shed touched. She stripped Danny of his ring and watch, and
scooped up the cufflinks, lighter and gold chains hed left on the bedside
table. She emptied his wallet. He had almost three thousand dollars in it. Not
bad, but not great.
There was
against one wall, a large TV and VCR unit on a bench, and a small table with
Dannys crocodile-skin suitcase open on it. Hed left a light on in the
bathroom and there was a damp towel on the floor. A bar fridge hummed in one
corner. What would you like? he said.
He had loosened his collar and was
mopping his brow with a handkerchief. He laughed suddenly and tucked the
handkerchief away in embarrassment. Winnings taken it out of me.
Carol stepped close to him and
rested her palms on his chest. Why dont you get comfortable first? She
fingered his lapels. Why dont you take a shower and let me make the drinks. Ill
make us something long and cool and very alcoholic
What she did with her hand then was
unambiguous and the mark gleamed like a schoolboy. She stepped back, evading
him, nodded at the bathroom. But dont be long.
Im long now.
Now, now, none of that.
Theres this spot, Danny said,
contorting absurdly, in the middle of my back. I can never reach it.
Well youll just have to wait, wont
you?
She turned to the bar. It was well
stocked. She would be able to make martinis. Behind her, Danny was whistling in
the bathroom. He had left the door open. Did he seriously imagine that she
wanted to watch him?
She took two glasses and tumbled ice
cubes into them. She broke the seal on the gin bottle.
What are you making?
She judged that he was standing at
the bathroom door. She would not turn around. A surprise.
There was the sound of Dannys hands
slapping himself. The shower door rolled on its coasters. She heard the water
gush.
After thirty seconds she peeked. The
glass shower enclosure was steamed up and Danny was soaping his groin and
singing.
Swiftly she poured measures of gin
and dry vermouth into each glass, then took a tiny glass bottle from her bag.
The label read eye drops. She removed the top and filled the dropper with
fluid. Danny turned off the water. She had about a minute. She squirted the
fluid into one of the glasses, stirred the drink by poking the floating ice
cube, replaced the eye dropper, and tucked the little bottle away. Da dum,
she said triumphantly, turning to him, holding the glasses aloft.
Danny had succumbed to modesty. He
stood by the bed, pink with emotion and steam and too many carbohydrates, a
voluminous towel around his waist. Great, he said lamely.
He didnt know what was expected of
him. Come, sit here with me, Carol said. She patted the edge of the bed.
I feel at a disadvantage, said
Danny, taking the glass she offered him and sitting down.
Carol dipped a finger in her drink
and touched it to his lips. She brushed his hot cheek with the cool edge of her
glass, then slipped the base under the towel and let it rest on his thigh.
Danny sighed. He raised his own glass and drank deeply.
Youre tense, Carol said. Her
voice was soft. Her fingernails scratched gently in the hairs on his leg. Ill
give you a back rub. Would you like that?
Danny laughed abruptly and turned
onto his stomach. Youre amazing.
Carol began working her hands along
his spine toward his shoulders. There was a great deal of him, and none of it
firm. He sighed again, and once or twice rolled onto one hip to sip from his
glass. When she thought he might he losing interest she let him hear her peel
off her stockings. He gave a little groan, drank deeply, and stretched.
In ten minutes he was drowsy. In
twenty, asleep. He had been administered several millilitres of scopolamine
hydrobromide, a chemical found in motion sickness pills, and would be
unconscious for up to twenty hours. He would wake up feeling dopey and useless.
Carol went to work. She washed both
glasses and let water run in the sink while she cleaned her fingerprints off
all the surfaces shed touched. She stripped Danny of his ring and watch, and
scooped up the cufflinks, lighter and gold chains hed left on the bedside
table. She emptied his wallet. He had almost three thousand dollars in it. Not
bad, but not great.
There was
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