‘Clean?’ she asked.
‘Very clean.’
‘I hate that junk on my face.’
‘Then why do you wear it?’
‘I don’t know,’ she said. She seemed to be thinking this over for a moment. ‘What’s your name, anyway?’
‘Phil,’ I said.
‘You don’t look like a Phil. There’s a Phil in Davistown but he’s a jerk. You look more like a... a Richard.’
‘That’s a good name,’ I said.
‘Sure it is. Phil’s okay, too. Don’t take offense.’
‘I didn’t.’
She put her hands on her hips. ‘Well, here we are, Phil. Alone at last.’
‘Blanche,’ I said, ‘you’re going to be very much alone in the next few minutes. I’m taking a blanket and going outside.’
‘You’ll get eaten up alive. We’ve got mosquitoes here that break the sound barrier.’
‘I’ll chance it.’
‘You’d be safer in here.’
‘I prefer the mosquitoes.’
‘We can work this out, you know. I’m really not that horrible.’
‘You’re very nice,’ I said.
‘But?’
‘But I’m sleepy.’
‘I’ll let you sleep. Get undressed, go ahead. I won’t bother you.’
‘Why don’t you be a good kid and get out of here? Come on, huh? Let’s cut the nonsense.’
‘I can’t, Phil,’ she said seriously.
‘Why not?’
She looked at me hard and long, the guileless penetrating stare of a very young girl. And then she shook her head slightly and the grin came back, the hard grin of a professional prostitute. ‘Do you sleep in pajamas?’ she asked, the eyebrow cocked. ‘I’ll bet you’re cute.’
‘You’re not leaving?’
‘Sorry,’ she said, impishly.
‘I suppose I could go wake up Barter and tell him there’s a big grinning woodchuck in my cabin.’
‘If I know Mike, he’ll come join us,’ Blanche said, grinning.
‘The boys back at the 23rd will never believe this,’ I said, shaking my head. I sighed, got off the bed and then took one of the blankets from where it was folded near the foot. Blanche sidled over to the door and leaned against it. I turned with the blanket in my hands.
‘Let’s don’t play games,’ I said.
‘Let’s do,’ she answered.
I took a few steps toward her. ‘Kid, I’m being very nice,’ I said. ‘If you weren’t so young, and if I weren’t so kind, I’d kick you out just the way you are and give the mosquitoes a feast. I’m being nice, you understand? I’m leaving instead. I paid for this cabin, but I’m leaving. So don’t start playing games because I’m mighty damn tired and I’m liable to snap.’
‘You look good when you get sore,’ Blanche said.
‘Get away from the door,’ I said tiredly.
‘Make me,’ she said, grinning.
I didn’t grin back. ‘Get away from the door,’ I said.
Blanche tossed her head and grinned. I reached out for her, dropping the blanket. She ducked inside my extended hand then threw herself against me and wrapped her arms around my waist, locking her fingers behind me in the small of my back.
‘It’s not so bad when you get close to it,’ she said. She lifted her face. ‘Why don’t you kiss me? My face is clean.’
‘Your mind isn’t,’ I said. I reached behind me and broke the lock of her hands. She tried to reach the door again, but I side-swiped her with my arm, and she reeled back into the cabin. I picked up the blanket and headed for the door again.
‘You’re strong,’ she said softly.
‘Good night,’ I said.
‘Wait. Phil, please. Wait.’ Her voice sounded very small. I turned to face her.
‘What is it?’
‘Don’t... don’t go yet. Please.’
‘We’ve been through this already.’
‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have... this isn’t right, what I’m doing.’
‘Damn right it isn’t.’
‘I guess... I guess I’m not so good at it. I should have... have made you want to stay.’
‘Don’t underestimate yourself,’ I said.
‘Look, Phil... I... please, I have to talk to someone. Please stay a minute.’
‘Go ahead. Talk.’
‘Just like that?’
‘How else?’
‘Do you... do you have anything to drink?’
‘No.’
‘Oh. I... I thought I could use a drink.’
‘You probably can.’
‘Do you hate me?’
‘Not particularly.’
‘A little?’
‘Not even a little. My father taught me to look for good in people. It gets difficult sometimes, but I still try.’
Blanche laughed a short, hard laugh. ‘Do you see anything good in me?’
‘I see a girl of sixteen or seventeen who’s in ‘way over her head.’
‘I’m really eighteen, Phil.’ Blanche paused. ‘Well, not really. I’ll be eighteen next month.’
‘You’re still in over your head. Why don’t you be smart about this, Blanche? Why don’t you go back to Davistown and get married and have kids and raise petunias?’
‘I don’t know if that’s what I want.’
‘Who sent you here tonight?’
‘I just came. Of my own accord.’
‘How’d you know I was in this cabin?’
‘I saw you when you went to the shower. So I came over.’
‘Why?’
‘I wanted to.’
‘Why?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Where were you when you saw me going to the shower?’
‘Cabin number three. That’s in the back.’
‘What were you doing there?’
‘I took the cabin for the night.’
‘Why?’
‘I wanted a place to sleep.’
‘What made you change your mind?’
‘About sleeping?’ Blanche shrugged. ‘I saw you, I guess.’
‘And?’
‘And you looked nice. I figured I’d spend the night with you?’
‘Free?’
‘Yes.’
‘How long have you been hooking?’
‘About a year now.’
‘Why’d you start?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘You must be doing pretty well if you can afford to be so generous with your time.’
‘I told you. I liked you. I saw you and I liked you.’
‘I could hardly see my hand in front of my face out there. But you saw me and liked me, huh?’
‘I saw you when you stepped outside. In the light.’
‘That’s an amazing feat, considering the fact that I turned out the light before I left the cabin.’
Blanche was silent.
‘Now what’s the real story?’ I asked.
‘I... I was frightened,’ she said.
‘Of what?’
‘Just the darkness, I guess, I saw you...’
‘We’re back to that again, huh?’
‘I saw you when you first pulled up, damnit!’
‘Then you know there’s a girl with me?’
Blanche hesitated. ‘Yes,’ she said at last. ‘I know there’s a girl with you.’
‘But that didn’t matter, huh?’
‘I figured she was your sister. Hell, she took a separate cabin.’
‘She’s not my sister. We’re going to be married.’
‘Anyway, I was frightened,’ Blanche said. ‘When I saw you... you looked strong. So I came over. I thought... I thought you’d be glad to see me.’ She paused. ‘Weren’t you even a little glad to see me?’
‘No,’ I said flatly.