Soghra was in lust. His arrivalat the table to take their orders didn’t seem to faze Helen, who continuedtalking.
A table full of women was usuallythe only time Soghra went out of his way to provide service. They all knew andplayed him well. They were also careful to make sure there were always atleast two of them – being alone with him was just too uncomfortable.
McReidy could see why Giacomoliked Lorraine. She was young, pretty and very feminine – something a lot ofthe girls seemed to lose when on duty, but made up for after. Her dark eyescould be full of mystery and a touch of genuine cheek. And she knew her wayaround engineering as well as any man there – and better than some.
Lorraine didn’t seem to be herusual self. She was on edge. She shook her head, as though trying to clearit, then suddenly cut off Lynn, who was mentioning the latest male she thoughtof as interesting.
“I don’t know why you’rebothering,” Lorraine snapped. “They’re all as bad as each other. You can’ttrust any of them.”
“I think you’ve gone a bitoverboard,” Kat stepped in.
“Really? Like you and Rodgersare perfect. I bet he’s still seeing Wanda.”
Kat’s bottom jaw trembled and shestruggled not to say something she would regret.
“That’s hardly fair,” McReidy putin.
“Especially since you’ve gotGiacomo.” Helen was never lost for words.
“Him?” Lorraine shriekedincredulously. “You can have him if you like…!”
That was definitely not the same Lorraine of a few weeks ago, McReidy noted.
“He’s probably one of the worst,” Lorraine continued. “He’s arrogant, demanding, chauvinistic… Isn’t he?” The question was directed at McReidy. “You work with him. Don’t you agree?”
None of the adjectives fittedGiacomo and McReidy really didn’t want to get caught up in this line ofattack. “Well, I haven’t really noticed –” she began calmly, trying to easewhat was becoming a very volatile situation.
“So he is two-timing me! Ithought so!” Lorraine was furious. She had seen McReidy’s lack of agreementas confirmation of her own thoughts. “Wait till I get hold of him!”
She threw down her drink, slammedthe empty glass on the table, shoved her chair backwards and stood up.
“Lorraine, wait,” McReidy began.
Lorraine’s glare cut through herand she decided to stay well out of it as the engineer stormed off, leaving anair of discomfort.
McReidy glanced around the bar. Soghra appeared overly interested in them: table full of women – no surprisethere. But he remained at a distance, content to observe. None of the othercrew gave them more than a second glance.
“Something’s really upset her,”Kat commented.
“Well it’s not Giacomo,” McReidyanswered. “He’s not like that.”
“Are you sure?” Lynn asked.
“I know he isn’t.”
The sociality of the evening wasgone. Kat and Lynn left. Helen wanted to go, but offered to stay and talk toMcReidy, not wanting to leave her alone. McReidy told her to go, assuring herthat she would be fine; she could handle Soghra.
McReidy sat quietly, occasionallysipping her drink and thinking. It was not right. First Kowalski, then Lorraine. It seemed the entire engineering section had suddenly become… she didn’t knowwhat.
She wasn’t aware Soghra had satdown opposite her at the table until she felt her hand in both of his. Sheripped her hand from his grasp and gave him a look that warned him not to tryanything. He heeded the warning.
“Another lemon squash?” he asked.
“No… thanks.” She shook herhead, her voice quiet.
He glanced around the bar. Itwas quiet and no one needed attending to. And since she hadn’t specificallytold him to go, he stayed.
“Something’s not right.” McReidydidn’t realise she was confiding in Soghra. It wasn’t something she would do. He just happened to be there. “I’ve never seen them at each other like thisbefore.”
Soghra didn’t answer. He simplywatched her with interest.
“Last night… when Kowalski washere.” She looked up from her glass to Soghra. “What started it?”
“Nothing I am aware of.”
McReidy frowned slightly. Whywas there always more to Soghra’s answers than the words said? Should he havebeen aware of something? Should any of them? Maybe she was becomingparanoid. Everyone was entitled to blow off steam every now and then.
Now, as McReidy thought back onthe entire incident, it confused her more.
Giacomo barely spoke all day,seeming almost to avoid her, shying away from any form of eye contact.
At the end of shift, he was thefirst one off the bridge. McReidy charged after him, catching him up in thecorridor.
“Giacomo.”
He kept going, his head down ashe ignored her.
“Giacomo.” She lunged after himand grabbed his upper arm.
He stopped and turned to faceher. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this,” he apologised.
She released his arm. As if hehad something to apologise for?
“I don’t mean to offend you, butI don’t think of you like that. No matter what she says.” The last sentencewas almost a whisper. He turned away and walked quickly down the corridor.
Although he admitted nothing, McReidyknew Lorraine was responsible for the black eye. It still didn’t change theway he felt about her. He was hurt, not angry. McReidy was the one who nowfelt guilty. Had she not defended Giacomo, she may not have been seen as ‘theother woman’ – which was apparently what had happened – although it had beenfairly obvious by Lorraine’s mood that the blame was going to be laidsomewhere.
* * *
John and Dunlop were the onlyones missing from poker that night. Kowalski was warned – threatened – to behaveor else. He seemed a lot calmer: whether his anger had passed or Red hadknocked some sense into him.
It was not the same relaxedatmosphere as usual, at least not to McReidy. The others didn’t seem tonotice. Kowalski had trouble concentrating, appearing to lose complete trackof things in the middle of a hand. He screwed his eyes shut, his hand risingto his forehead as though trying to clear his mind of something. It happened afew times, causing McReidy to wonder if there really was something wrong withhim. Dunlop had cleared him for duty so it was obvious there was nothingphysically wrong.
He spent much of his conversationwith
