“We’ll see, “he said and quickly changed the subject. “Where is your husband? Do I know him?”
“I don’t think so. He s from Pittsburgh. A surgeon. He’s got an emergency operation at Governor‘s Hospital. I’m hoping he‘ll get here before the party’s over.”
“From the look of things, this brawl will still be going on next Tuesday.”
“Look, we’re all going to the French Casino on 50th and catch the midnight show of the Folies-Bergere,” she said. “Why don’t you come with us? It’s supposed to be very risque.”
“Not when you’ve seen the real thing.”
“That’s very snobbish.”
“I didn’t mean it to be, “he said casually. “I just meant the French version is a lot bawdier.”
“Well, come with us anyhow.”
“Marilyn.
“Or how about Sunday brunch? We’re all going out to the Merry Go Round. It’s on the Island, Atlantic Beach. Has a revolving bar, hobby horses, these fluffy, crazy-looking jungle animals. It’s right on the ocean with an outside dance floor She did a little shimmy.
“Marilyn.
“Or how about coming up to the Westport theater to see Ruth Gordon in The Country Wife? She’s supposed to be quite the screwball in it, you know. We ‘re planning. .
“Marilyn!”
She stopped suddenly. “Yes?” she said innocently.
“The lady’s married.”
“She dying inside, Francis,” she answered seriously.
“I can ‘t do he started to say and caught himself I can’t do anything about it. It’s not my problem. Familiar phrases from the past. Embarrassing phrases he had sworn never to use again.
‘It’s obviously a bad time for both of us,” is all he said.
“Will you think about it?”
The ultimate out—think about it. One could take forever thinking about it.
“Sure. I’ll think about it.”
“Good. C ‘mon, dance with me.”
“I don’t know how to do that newfangled stuff”
“It’s called jitterbugging and it c easy.” She led him out on the enormous dance floor, shimmering in her spangled dress.
Later he had stood near the bridge of the big ship, looking down at the party. He saw Vanessa come aboard, watched her move majestically through the crowd. She was in a short, black cocktail dress, startling in its simplicity, with a clutch of diamonds at her throat. He realized as he watched her how much time had changed her—from a lively sprite to royalty. She moved with sublime grace, an exquisite creature who exuded stately nonchalance as f she were in some superior caste created for her alone. Confident, imperious, sublime, there was also about her a hint of wanton naivete. Easily the most interesting and imposing person at the party, Keegan thought. And probably the most dangerous. What a pair she and Marilyn must make. He didn’t even notice old Turkey Thorn-
Then suddenly she turned as if by some primal instinct and looked straight up at him. They stared at each other for a full minute while the crowd seemed to part and move around her. Her expression changed very subtly, became more intense, then someone rushed up to her and there were giddy greetings and hugs and squeals of delight. He left the party.
I’ll think about it, he had said. That was three years ago.
………anyway, Marilyn talks too much,” Vanessa was saying.
“She talked like a best friend talks. She was concerned about you.”
“I know, I didn’t mean that. Fact is, she talked me into coming over here. I didn’t have the courage to do it on my own.”
“Courage?” he asked quizzically.
She turned her face away from him. Her voice was almost a whisper. “Oh, God, Kee, don’t you know why I really came?”
She still did not face him.
“I came because I threw my husband out a year ago. I came because I’m twenty-four years old and I’m lonely and because I’ve been thinking about you for five years and I’ve wanted to sleep with you for all five of them. I’ve never stopped wanting to sleep with you. And if that makes me a hussy or
“Hey, hold on,” Keegan said softly. Then he chuckled. “What the hell, you always did get right to the point.”
“Just hold me, will you, Frankie Kee?” she said. “Or let me hold you.”
“Hell, I’m no good to you,” he said, and it had the tone of a warning.
She shook her head and turned her back to him, looking out toward the river.
