“I hope you know I love you,” David said.
“Why wouldn’t I know that?” his father said.
Maybe because I’m not sure myself, David thought.
The British girl was sitting in the lobby when he came back from dinner that night. She was reading a paperback book, sitting in one of the brocaded chairs that faced the registration desk. Her hair was loose again. A small sprig of flowers was fastened to the right side of her head, tiny blue flowers against the blond hair. She glanced up as he passed her.
“Hello again,” she said.
“Hello there.”
She closed the book. He hesitated a moment, and then took the chair opposite hers.
“How are you?” he asked.
“Fine, thanks. And you?”
“Fine.”
He reached into his pocket, found his cigarettes and offered her one.
“No, thank you, I don’t smoke,” she said.
He thumbed his lighter into flame and suddenly remembered one of his father’s puns. Smiling, he lit the cigarette and realized the girl was watching him.
“Yes?” she said.
“I was just thinking of something funny,” he said.
“Share it with me, won’t you?”
“I’m not sure you’d appreciate it.”
“Give it a try.”
“Well, when I was a boy, my father would allow me to snip off the end of his cigar for him — he had one of those little cigar cutters, you know — and then he’d put the cigar in his mouth and hand me his lighter, and while I lit the cigar for him, he’s say, ‘And now for the lighter side of the news.’
The girl smiled.
“I warned you,” he said.
They were silent for a moment.
“Are you here on vacation?” he asked.
“Heavens, no,” she said. “Oh, do forgive me. Are you?”
“No,” he said.
“Are you here on business then?” she asked.
“No.”
“Or would you rather not say? You’re not one of those horrid drug dealers, are you?”
“No, no,” he said, and smiled. “My father’s in the hospital here.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said.
“Well, he’ll be okay.”
“I’m sure.”
There was another silence.
“Are you here on business?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, and pulled a face. “Unfortunately.”
“What sort of work do you do?”
“I’m a travel rep.”
“What does a travel rep do?”
“Just at the moment, I’m preparing the way for a thundering herd that should arrive next Friday. Arranging all the nightclub tours, and the expeditions to safari parks, and the boat rides, and the excursions, and so forth.” She shrugged. “Sunniworld’s five-hundred-pound, all-inclusive wonderful week of fun and adventure in Miami Beach, Florida.”
“Sounds interesting,” he said.
“It’s really rather tedious,” she said. “I shouldn’t even be here, actually, except that we were obliged to sack our on-the-spot rep. I’m filling in, so to speak. Just when I was about to leave on holiday myself.”
“That’s a pity,” David said.
“Really,” she said. “Miami Beach rather than Marbella.” She smiled. “Have you ever been to Spain?”
“Never.”
“It’s lovely. And cheap as dirt. Well, perhaps not so much so now, with the pound in such bad straits again. Of course, the pound doesn’t matter all that much to you, does it?”
“Not really.”
“My name is Hillary Watkins, by the way,” she said, and extended her hand. The fingernails were long and painted a very bright red. He took her hand.
“David Weber,” he said.
“Pleasure to meet you.” She paused. “What do you do?” she asked. “When you’re not in Miami, that is.”
“I’m a lawyer.”
“Ah? Where?”
“New York.”
“I adore that city,” she said.
“I prefer London.”
“Do you really? You’re not serious! Are you from New York originally?”
“Born and raised there. Lived there all my life.”
“Perhaps it’s paled for you then.”
“Perhaps.”
They both fell silent again. She looked at her watch.
“I think I’ll have a drink before I turn in,” David said. “Would you care to join me?”
“Thank you, no, I have to get an early start tomorrow.”
She picked up her paperback.
They both stood up.
“Any good?” he asked.
“The book? A bit raunchy,” she said, and smiled. “Well, good night,” she said, “it was nice talking to you.”
“Good night, Hillary.”
“David,” she said, and extended her hand.
They shook hands.
“Good night,” she said again.
He watched her as she walked to the elevators. Before the doors closed on her, she smiled again and waved at him.
He had three drinks in the disco bar, and then went back up to the lobby and rang for the elevator. He felt a bit woozy. Hell with it, he thought. The elevator arrived, and he got into it and pressed the button for the fifteenth floor. The elevator always stopped on the twelfth floor. There was never anyone waiting there when the doors opened. They were doing renovations on the twelfth floor. The workmen probably had the elevator fixed somehow so it would stop there automatically. It stopped there now. The doors closed again. He pressed the button for fifteen again. The fifteenth-floor corridor was empty. He walked down to his room, unlocked the door, took off his shirt, and threw it onto the chair near the window. He would have to call Molly. He had put off calling her again today, but he knew she’d be waiting. And probably angry that he hadn’t called sooner. Sighing, he dialed eight for long distance and then direct-dialed the number in New York. He looked at his watch. It was almost nine-thirty. She picked up the phone on the third ring.
“Hello?”
“Molly, it’s me.”
“Is everything all right?” she said at once.
“Yes, fine.”
“How’d the operation...?”
“They didn’t do it today.”
“Why not?”
He explained the problems to her. He told her they would be operating shortly after noon tomorrow. She listened without saying a word. Molly Regen, R.N., he thought. When he finished, she said, “Why didn’t you call me sooner?” She paused. “Have you been drinking?”
“Yes,” he said.
“I wish you... have you had dinner yet?”
“Yes. You sound like Mrs. Daniels,” he said.
“Who’s Mrs. Daniels?”
“A woman at the hospital. Her husband won’t eat.”
“I want you to call me as soon as you know tomorrow. Will you promise me that?”
“I promise.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come down there?”
“What would you do down here?” he said.
“I don’t think you should be going through this alone.”
“I’m managing,” he said. Where the hell were you the last time I needed you? he thought. The last two times, he thought. “I’ll be fine,” he said, “don’t worry.”
“Well, all right, then,” she said. She sounded relieved.
There was a long pause on the line.
“Do you think he’s going to die?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said without hesitation.
“Are you in favor of this operation?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“I’m not.” she said.
“Well...”
“Why don’t they just let him die in peace?” she said.
He sighed heavily. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said.
“Please,” she said, and hung up.