Winter of the World (Century Trilogy 2)

‘Exciting.’

‘Right now it is.’

Woody was looking at the line where her swimsuit crossed her thighs, and thinking that no matter how little a girl was wearing, a man was always thinking about the parts of her that were hidden. He began to get an erection, and rolled on to his front to conceal it.

Joanne saw the direction of his gaze and said: ‘You like my swimsuit?’ She was always frank. It was one of the many things he found attractive about her.

He decided to be equally candid. ‘I like you, Joanne. I always did.’

She laughed. ‘Don’t beat about the bush, Woody – come right out with it!’

All around them, people were packing up. Diane said: ‘We’d better get going.’

‘We were just leaving,’ Woody said. ‘Shall we travel together?’

This was the moment for her to give him the polite brush-off. She could easily say Oh, no, thanks, you guys go on ahead. But instead she said: ‘Sure, why not?’

The girls pulled dresses over their swimsuits and threw their stuff into a couple of bags, and they all walked up the beach.

The train was crowded with trippers like them, sunburned and hungry and thirsty. Woody bought four Cokes at the station and produced them as the train pulled out. Joanne said: ‘You once bought me a Coke on a hot day in Buffalo, do you remember?’

‘On that demonstration. Of course I remember.’

‘We were just kids.’

‘Buying Cokes is a technique I use with beautiful women.’

She laughed. ‘Is it successful?’

‘It has never got me a single smooch.’

She raised her bottle in a toast. ‘Well, keep trying.’

He thought that was encouraging, so he said: ‘When we get back to the city, do you want to get a hamburger, or something, and maybe see a movie?’

This was the moment for her to say No, thanks, I’m meeting my boyfriend.

Diana said quickly: ‘I’d like that. How about you, Joanne?’

Joanne said: ‘Sure.’

No boyfriend – and a date! Woody tried to hide his elation. ‘We could see The Bride Came C.O.D.,’ he said. ‘I hear it’s pretty funny.’

Joanne said: ‘Who’s in it?’

‘James Cagney and Bette Davis.’

‘I’d like to see that.’

Diana said: ‘Me, too.’

‘That’s settled, then,’ said Woody.

Chuck said: ‘How about you, Chuck? Would you like that? Oh, sure, I’d like it swell, but nice of you to ask, big brother.’

It was not all that funny, but Diana giggled appreciatively.

Soon afterwards, Joanne fell asleep with her head on Woody’s shoulder.

Her dark hair tickled his neck, and he could feel her warm breath on his skin below the cuff of his short-sleeved shirt. He felt blissfully contented.

They parted company at Union Station, went home to change, and met up again at a Chinese restaurant downtown.

Over chow mein and beer they talked about Japan. Everyone was talking about Japan. ‘Those people have to be stopped,’ said Chuck. ‘They’re Fascists.’

‘Maybe,’ said Woody.

‘They’re militaristic and aggressive, and the way they treat the Chinese is racialist. What else do they have to do to be Fascists?’

‘I can answer that,’ said Joanne. ‘The difference is in their vision of the future. Real Fascists want to kill off all their enemies then create a radically new type of society. The Japanese are doing all the same things in defence of traditional power groups, the military caste and the emperor. For the same reason, Spain is not really Fascist: Franco is murdering people for the sake of the Catholic Church and the old aristocracy, not to create a new world.’

‘Either way, the Japs must be stopped,’ said Diana.

‘I see it differently,’ said Woody.

Joanne said: ‘Okay, Woody, how do you see it?’

She was seriously political, and would appreciate a thoughtful answer, he knew. ‘Japan is a trading nation, with no natural resources: no oil, no iron, just some forests. The only way they