The Firm

her large breasts and a long, brightly colored skirt with a slit to the waist that exposed almost everything when she sat and crossed her legs. No shoes.

'Nothing, really,' Mitch said.

She was young, with a childish smile that revealed perfect teeth. 'Where are you from?' she asked.

'The States.'

She smiled and chuckled. 'Of course you are. Where in the States?' It was the soft, gentle, precise, confident English of the Caribbean.

' Memphis.'

'A lot of people come here from Memphis. A lot of divers.'

'Do you live here?' he asked.

'Yes. All my life. My mother is a native. My father is from England. He's gone now, back to where he came from.'

'Would you like a drink?' he asked.

'Yes. Rum and soda.'

He stood at the bar and waited for the drinks. A dull, nervous something throbbed in his stomach. He could slide into the darkness, disappear into the crowd and find his way to the safety of the condo. He could lock the door and read a book on international tax havens. Pretty boring. Plus, Avery was there by now with his hot little number. The girl was harmless, the rum and Red Stripe told him. They would have a couple of drinks and say good night.

He returned with the drinks and sat across from the girl, as far away as possible. They were alone on the patio.

'Are you a diver?' she asked.

'No. Believe it or not, I'm here on business. I'm a lawyer, and I have meetings with some bankers in the morning.'

'How long will you be here?'

'Couple of days.' He was polite, but short. The less he said, the safer he would be. She recrossed her legs and smiled innocently. He felt weak.

'How old are you?' he asked.

'I'm twenty, and my name is Eilene. I'm old enough.'

'I'm Mitch.' His stomach flipped and he felt lightheaded. He sipped rapidly on his beer. He glanced at his watch.

She watched with that same seductive smile. 'You're very handsome.'

This was unraveling in a hurry. Keep cool, he told himself, just keep cool.

'Thank you.'

'Are you an athlete?'

'Sort of. Why do you ask?'

'You look like an athlete. You're very muscular and firm.' It was the way she emphasized 'firm' that made his stomach flip again. He admired her body and tried to think of some compliment that would not be suggestive. Forget it.

'Where do you work?' he asked, aiming for less sensual areas.

'I'm a clerk in a jewelry store in town.'

'Where do you live?'

'In Georgetown. Where are you staying?'

'A condo next door.' He nodded in the direction, and she looked to her left. She wanted to see the condo, he could tell. She sipped on her drink.

'Why aren't you at the party?' she asked.

'I'm not much on parties.'

'Do you like the beach?'

'It's beautiful.'

'It's prettier in the moonlight.' That smile, again.

He could say nothing to this.

'There's a better bar about a mile down the beach,' she said. 'Let's go for a walk.'

'I don't know, I should get back. I've got some work to do before morning.'

She laughed and stood. 'No one goes in this early in the Caymans. Come on. I owe you a drink.'

'No. I'd better not.'

She grabbed his hand, and he followed her off the patio onto the beach. They walked in silence until the Palms was out of sight and the music was growing dimmer. The moon was overhead and brighter now, and the beach was deserted. She unsnapped something and removed her skirt, leaving nothing but a string around her waist and a string running between her legs. She rolled up the skirt and placed it around his neck. She took his hand.

Something said run. Throw the beer bottle in the ocean. Throw the skirt in the sand. And run like hell. Run to the condo. Lock the door. Lock the windows. Run. Run. Run.

And something said to relax. It's harmless fun. Have a few more drinks. If something happens, enjoy it. No one will ever know, Memphis is a thousand miles away. Avery won't know. And what about Avery? What could he say? Everybody does it. It had happened once before when he was in college, before he was married but after he was engaged. He had blamed it on too much beer, and had survived with no major scars. Time took care of it. Abby would never know.

Run. Run. Run.

They walked for a mile and there was no bar in sight. The beach was darker. A cloud conveniently hid the moon. They had seen no one since Rumheads. She pulled his hand toward two plastic beach chairs next to the water. 'Let's rest,' she said. He finished his beer.

'You're not saying much,' she said.

'What would you like for me to say?'

'Do you think I'm beautiful?'

'You are very beautiful. And you have a beautiful body.'

She sat on the edge of her chair and splashed her feet in the water. 'Let's go for a swim.'

'I, uh, I'm not really in the mood.'

'Come on, Mitch. I love the water.'

'Go ahead. I'll watch.'

She knelt beside him in the sand and faced him, niches away. In slow motion, she reached behind her neck. She unhooked her bikini top, and it fell off, very slowly. Her breasts, much larger now, lay on his left forearm. She handed it to him. 'Hold this for me.' It was soft and white and weighed less than a millionth of an ounce. He was paralyzed and the breathing, heavy and labored only seconds ago, had now ceased altogether.

She walked slowly into the water. The white string covered nothing from the rear. Her long, dark, beautiful hair hung to her waist. She waded knee deep, then turned to the beach.

'Come on, Mitch. The water feels great.'

She flashed a brilliant smile and he could see it. He rubbed the bikini top and knew this would be his last chance to run. But he was dizzy and weak. Running would require more strength than he could possibly muster. He wanted to just sit and maybe she would go away. Maybe she would drown. Maybe the tide would suddenly materialize and sweep her out to sea.

'Come on, Mitch.'

He removed his shirt and waded into the water. She watched him with a smile, and when he reached her, she took his hand and led him to deeper water. She locked her hands around his neck, and they kissed. He found the strings. They kissed again.

She stopped abruptly and, without speaking, started for the beach. He watched her. She sat on the sand, between the two chairs, and removed the rest of her bikini. He ducked under the water and held his breath for an