any professional virgin. Well, why don't you move out then? she
challenged him.
Hey, that's a great idea! He turned his back on her and walked away up
the beach. She had not expected that, and she started to run after him,
but her pride checked her. She stopped and leaned against the rock.
He shouldn't have rushed me, she thought miserably.
I want him, I want him very much, but he will be the first since Dudu.
If he will just give me time it will be all right, but he mustn't rush
me. If he could only go at my speed, help me to do it right.
It is funny, she thought, how little I remember about Dudu now. It's
only three years, but his memory is fading so swiftly, I wonder if I
really did love him. Even his face is hazy in my mind, while I know
every detail of David's, every plane and line of it.
Perhaps I should go after him and tell him about Dudu, and ask him to be
patient and to help me a little.
Perhaps I should do that, she thought, but she did not and slowly she
walked up the beach, through the silent town to the hotel.
Hannah's bed across the room was empty. She would be with Joe, lying
with him, loving with him, I should be with David also, she thought.
Dudu was dead, and I'm alive, and I want David and I should be with him
but she undressed slowly and climbed into the bed and lay without
sleeping.
David stood in the doorway of 2001 A. D. and peered through the
weirdly flashing lights and the smog, the warm palpable emanation from a
hundred straining bodies. The B. E. A. hostesses were still at the
table, but Joe and Hannah had gone.
David made his way through the dancers. The one hostess was tall and
blonde, with high English colour and china-doll eyes. She looked up and
saw David, glanced around for Debra, made sure she was missing before
she smiled.
They danced one cut of the record without touching each other and then
David leaned close to her and placed both hands on her hips. She
strained towards him with her lips parting.
Have you got a room? he asked, and she nodded, running the tip of her
tongue lewdly around her lips.
Let's go, said David.
It was light when David got back to his own room.
He shaved and packed his ha& surprised at the strength of his residual
anger. He lugged his bag down to the proprietor's office and paid his
bill with his Diners Club card.
Debra came out of the breakfast room with Joe and Hannah. They were all
dressed for the beach with Terry robes over their bathing gear, and they
were gay and laughing, until they saw David.
Hey! Joe challenged him. Where are you going?
I've had enough of Spain, David told them. I'm taking some good advice,
and I'm moving -out, and he felt a flare of savage triumph as he saw the
quick shadow of pain in Debra's eyes. Both Joe and Hannah glanced at
her, and quickly she controlled the quiver of her lips.
She smiled then, a little too brightly and stepped forward, holding out
her hand.
