I saw his look of
disapproval, and for the first time since he had begun to work
for me, he irritated me.
I pushed open the office door and stood aside.
“I’m afraid it isn’t much.”
She passed me, her arm brushing against my sleeve,
and I caught the faint fragrance of her perfume.
“What does it matter so long as the work gets done?”
“I guess that’s right.”
She put a five pound note, two pound notes and a ten
shilling note on the desk.
“I’ll pay for the cleaning when I want the car cleaned.”
“That’s all right.”
I went around to the other side of the desk.
“Sit down, won’t you?”
She sat on the rickety straight-backed chair and crossed her legs, a little carelessly. From where I sat I could see a knee and a small triangle of white thigh where the skirt had rucked up. My mouth was as dry as a handful of dust.
I got out my receipt book and wrote out a receipt. I had
trouble to write clearly. The words looked as if they had been written by an old man of ninety.
As I looked up to give her the receipt I saw she was
watching me. I had an idea she knew she had me going, but
her eyes were expressionless as she smiled.
“I’ll bring the car over sometime tomorrow. I don’t use it much.” She paused and then asked, “How’s business, Harry?”
I gave her a wry grin.
“Pretty good today: pretty near a record. Two pounds in
petrol, ten bob for fixing a brake lining, and seven pounds ten for garage hire. The money’s rolling in.”
She gave me a long look out of her Chinky eyes, closed
the bag and stood up.
“If you can’t make money one way . . .”
“I know: you can make it another. I heard you the first
time. Not so easy as it sounds. Maybe you’ve got some ideas
you can pass on to me.”
She moved over to me. I was standing now, away from
the desk. Her perfume was as sexy as her shape.
“Do you want ideas?”
“I’d consider them. I’m not proud.”
She reached up and removed an imaginary speck of Buff
from my lapel. There was an unmistakable invitation in the
black, sparkling eyes. I found I was clenching my Sets behind
my back to stop from grabbing her.
“Then I must think about it. I might have an idea for you.”
“Harry!”
Ann’s voice floated down the stairs.
She stepped back as if some invisible force had come
between us and had shoved us vi0lently apart.
“Are you there, Hurry?”
A little unsteadily I went to the door and opened it.
“Could you come up a moment?”
“I’m coming.”
“Is that your wife?” Her voice was pitched low, and she
moved close to me again.
“Yes, I’ve got to go up.”
We were speaking like conspirators.
“I’ll be in tomorrow with the car. Good-bye, Harry.”
“Good-bye.”
She dipped past me and walked quickly down the length
of the garage. I noticed her hips rolled a little as she walked. If I hadn’t been in such a fluster I would have known she was
deliberately rolling them for my benefit. I went up the stairs two at the time.
Ann was struggling with the screw-cap on a bottle of fruit.
“I just can’t move it.”
“Give it to me.”
I twisted the cap. It didn’t move at first, then when I tried again, it shifted.
“I hope I didn’t disturb you, Harry.”
I looked sharply at her.
She was wearing an old sweater and a pair of blue
slacks that had been washed so often they had shrunk away
from her ankles and were now much too tight across her seat.
A lock of brown hair fell over one eye, and she had a smudge
of dirt on her chin. A half an hour ago I would have thought
she looked cute, but now my eyes were still dazzled by the
smart blue linen dress and the shape beneath it.
“For the love of Mike, Ann, can’t you smarten yourself up
a little? Those p@nts make your b0ttom look twice its size, and
that old sweater is fit only for the dustbin.”
I saw the look of startled surprise lump into her eyes,
then she laughed.
“Sorry, darling. I know I look a fright, but I’ve been turning
out. I’ll get changed.” She put her arms round my neck. “I
didn’t mean to look a slut. It’s just that I’ve been terribly busy.”
I felt suddenly ashamed of myself for talking to her like
this and blood rushed into my face.
Click 6 below to continue reading
