hanger. Her light blue shift. My God, it was too thin. But she was going to wear it, because it was in her hand, because it was unzipped and she was stepping into it and zipping it up again, almost all the way up, smoothing the dress over her hips and glancing in the mirror. She was amazed. She looked fine; she even looked calm.
It was not until she was opening the door that she realized she was barefoot.
“You said you had a window was stuck?”
“Yes, come in, please.” She hesitated. “It’s in the bedroom.”
Ryan was carrying the metal toolbox. Closing the door behind him, he saw her aqua bathing suit lying open on the floor. He saw she wasn’t wearing shoes with a dress on, and had to think about that one as he followed Virginia into the bedroom. He saw her stoop quickly next to the bed to pick up something and saw the way the dress stretched tightly but softly over her behind and smoothly across her back without the little ridge that brassiere fasteners make. By the time Virginia had raised the shade, standing against the morning sunlight coming in, Ryan knew damn well she didn’t have anything on under the dress.
He put the toolbox on the floor. “Let me have a look.”
Virginia was trying to raise the window, demonstrating, proving it wouldn’t open. Ryan reached in past her. She jerked her arm out of the way, hitting her hand on the windowsill, and the bunched-up ball of white she was holding fell to the floor. Ryan looked down at her pants covering the toe of his right foot.
He looked up now at her face. Not too bad. Good skin. Greenish eyes. A nice smell-some kind of lotion. A very clean-looking broad. And a funny look in her eyes like she was really keyed up and ready, a broad who’d been here by herself almost two weeks, about twenty-seven, probably married-not the best-looking broad in the world, but she was a real living person and she had gone to a lot of trouble.
Ryan put his hands on her shoulders and began turning her away from the window. She kept staring at him with the funny look, her eyes wide open. He moved in closer, his hands sliding down her arms and then working around her waist to her back and pulling her against him; and when it felt just right, he pressed his mouth against hers and threw both of them across the bed.
At first he didn’t realize she was struggling. He thought she was thrashing around, playing it up, but then, still kissing her, pressed against her, he opened his eyes and saw her eye like a giant eye fixed on him, an all-seeing eye looking into him-and filled with terror.
No, that wasn’t it. It was a frantic look, a way-up-there look.
He nuzzled in, kissing her lightly about the mouth and cheek, giving her the old Jack Ryan Special and moving his hand over her hip and up under her arm.
Very sloftly, barely taking his mouth from hers, he said, “Close your eyes.” He kissed her cheek. Her eyes closed and opened and closed again and he kissed her eyelids, came down her nose and fooled around a little at the corner of her mouth and then on her lower lip, the old left hand working up there again under her arm, the cushion of his thumb moving in closer, yes, just starting to touch-and she jumped, she winced, opening her eyes.
Still softly, close, holding on, Ryan said, “What’s the matter?”
“I have a little sore there,” Virginia murmured. She sounded half asleep, drugged.
“A sore?”
“From my bathing suit. It rubs.”
“Aww, I’m sorry.” He eased his hand away, working it across her back, his fingers touching gently until he found the zipper of her dress. He began pulling it down and could feel her bare skin as it came open. She didn’t seem aware of what he was doing until her dress was open to her waist. His hand went in to rest on the curve of her hip and her eyes, inches away from him, snapped open.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
She didn’t speak. She didn’t move. She kept staring at him.
“Did I hurt you again?”
“Please don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
She kept looking at him.
“Just tell me why not?” Ryan whispered, gentle and patient.
Her voice was low, but very clearly she said, “Because it’s a sin.”
“What do you mean, a sin?”
“It’s a sin.”
“A sin-what are we doing?”
“You know what we’re doing,” Virginia said.
“It’s natural. I mean it’s the way we are-”
“If you’re married,” Virginia Murray said.
“We’re just fooling around.” Ryan smiled at her.
“To me it’s a sin.” Virginia hesitated before adding, in a hushed tone, “I’m a Catholic.”
“Well, that’s all right,” Ryan said. “So am I.”
“You are not.”
“I am. Honest to God.”
“Say the Apostles’ Creed.”
“Aw, come on.”
“If you’re a Catholic, you know the Apostles’ Creed.”
“O my God I’m heartily sorry-”
“That’s the Act of Contrition!”
“I believe in God, the Father Almighty,” Ryan said. “Creator of heaven and earth-come on, what is this?”
“Will you get off me, please?”
“For Christ sake, you started it.”
“Please don’t use that language.”
“You parade around without any pants on.”
Virginia pulled away from him, turning out of his arms, and put her hands over her face. Her hands muffled the words as she said, “Please leave.”
“What?”
“Leave!”
“God, you think I’m going to stay?” Ryan pushed up from the bed and straightened his pants. “I think,” Ryan said, “you ought to make up your mind, that’s all.”
“I thought you’d come back last night,” Nancy said.
Ryan was driving the Mustang. He glanced at her and brought his gaze back to the road. They had passed through Geneva Beach and were coming out on the highway south, out of tree shade into open sunlight. “I wanted to,” Ryan said, “but he was still hanging around.”
“So?”
“I mean he was watching.”
“So what if he was?”
“I didn’t want him asking any questions.”
“Are you afraid of him?”
Ryan glanced at her again. “No, I’m not afraid of him-why should I be afraid?”
“I love his house,” Nancy said. “God.”
“He likes it.”
“He’s the justice of the peace,” Nancy said. “Did you know that?”
“He told me you’re going to appear in his court.”
“I can hardly wait.”
“What’d you do it for? Run the two guys off the road.”
“Because they were asking for it, I guess.”
“You could have killed them.”
“I’ll have to decide how to handle your friend at the hearing,” Nancy said. “Should I be the sweet little girl or try to impress him?”
“I don’t know,” Ryan said. “I’ve never seen him in court. Is Ray getting you a lawyer?”
