She said, “Do you think I’d like Aspen?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“I’ve got a thousand dollars.”
Ted laughed. “That’s about four days’ worth in Aspen.”
This was a shock. She thought a person could live for a whole year on a thousand dollars. “Where is Aspen?”
“In the mountains in Colorado.”
“Is it healthful?”
“In some ways, I guess. In others, no.”
“I mean, does it have a healthful climate? I need a healthful climate.”
“Look, kid, the most healthful climate for you is right here. You’d better call my parents and tell them you’ll be home pretty soon. Will you do that?”
“If you want me to, Ted.”
“Listen, what I want has nothing to do with anything. It’s simple logic. You know what logic is, common sense.”
“If you’re driving alone someplace and I wanted to go to the very same place, wouldn’t it be common sense to take me along?”
“No,” he said. “No, no.”
“Why do men always say things three times? Why not two or four?”
“Okay, well make it four. No.”
“I didn’t really ask anyway. I just said, wouldn’t it be common sense?”
“Listen, you wanted me to help you find an apartment or someplace to live. I can drive you around and we’ll look for vacancy signs. And that’ll be the end of it. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes. But let’s keep walking. It’s such a neat day and you and I haven’t ever really talked before.”
“All right. We’ll walk and talk. But don’t start getting any funny ideas. You and I are going our separate ways.”
She gazed up at him wistfully. “But Aspen sounds so pretty.”
“It’s not that pretty. Besides, I may not go there. It’s the first name that occurred to me, is all. I may go to Borneo.”
“I never heard of Borneo. Does it have a healthful climate?”
“Jeez,” Ted said. “Let’s walk.”
“But does it have a healthful climate?”
“It’s a jungle infested with giant snakes and rodents.”
“Then why are you going there?”
“To get away from people who ask dumb questions.”
“I have to ask dumb questions,” she said. “I’m dumb, aren’t I?”
“Come on, come on, come on.”
She didn’t move.
“Now what’s the matter?”
“You did it again, Ted.”
“Did what?”
“Said something three times, instead of two or four.”
Ted said, “Move it, kid,” and gave her a little push. They began walking out toward the breakwater, past the Coast Guard headquarters, the marine accessories store and yacht brokers’ offices, a fish market, and finally the breakwater itself. The tide was low and a small group of children were picking up mussels off the rocks on the sea side. On the other side, between two rows of marinas, a western grebe was diving for dinner. It came up with a fish in its beak and maneuvered it around until the fish could be swallowed headfirst. The bird’s long thin neck bulged for a moment or two. Cleo didn’t like to see creatures eating other creatures, so she closed her eyes and clung to Ted’s arm to help keep her balance.
When she opened her eyes again, there was the Spindrift, sky-blue and white, with dark blue sail covers. At first she thought there was no one on deck; then she saw Manny Ocho about three quarters of the way up the mainmast, inspecting some rigging.
She called to him and waved. “Manny, it’s me, Cleo.”
He waved back. “Hey, Cleo, why you not in school?”
“I’m on vacation.”
“Pretty soon, I’m on vacation, too.”
“Where are you going?”
“Ensenada, see my wife and kids, make sure everything’s okey doke. Who’s your friend?”
“Ted.”
“Want to come aboard?”
“Oh, yes, I’d love to.”
“Better go the long way round. Too far to jump, too dirty to swim.”
They walked back to the entrance ramp of the marina, with Cleo pulling Ted by the hand to hurry him along.
“Who the hell wants to go on a boat?” he said. “I thought I was supposed to help you find an apartment.”
“That can wait. I still have the room at the motel where Roger and I were going to spend our honeymoon.”
“Has it occurred to you that I might have affairs of my own to settle?”
“Oh, Ted, you don’t really want to go to Borneo, do you? Maybe Manny might let us ride along with him to Ensenada. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
“I doubt it.”
“I bet it’s a lot nicer than Borneo,” Cleo said. “I bet it’s not infected with snakes.”
When they reached the Spindrift the gangplank was down, and they went on board as Manny Ocho slid down from the mast on a rope like a circus performer.
“I show off,” he said, examining the palms of his hands. “Hurts like hell. Cleo, you looking good, happy. This your young man?”
“She’s my aunt,” Ted said.
“Your aunt, ho, ho. A joke, no?”
“It’s no joke.”
“You’re a big boy to have such a cute little aunt. Me, I got nine, ten aunts, all old and fat and ugly.”
Cleo giggled, hiding her face against Ted’s sleeve. He didn’t seem to mind. She really was cute.
Manny showed them around the Spindrift with great pride. In a sense it belonged more to him than to Whitfield, who merely held the owner’s papers and couldn’t have taken the boat out of the harbor by himself.
The captain’s quarters occupied the entire forward cabin. It was spacious and luxuriously furnished, but its teak paneling was marred by Whitfield’s collection of pinups, some of them signed, and its thick, red wool carpeting bore the stains of too many spilled drinks. A television set that projected its picture on a large screen was turned on to a baseball game, and a crewman was sitting in the captain’s swivel chair, watching the game and sipping Coke out of a can.
Manny explained the crewman. “Mr. Whitfield, he at his place in Palm Springs, not expected for a couple more days. Maybe sooner, maybe longer. I think he looking for a new chick.”
“I wish Donny could get away from school and come down here,” Cleo said. “We could have a party. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
Manny laughed. “Aunts not supposed to like parties. And why you want Donny?”
“You need a lot of people to have a real party and I hardly know any.”
“Donny not a real people. He a pig.”
“He gives me chocolate bars and imitates Mrs. Holbrook and makes me laugh.”
Manny moved his mouth around as if he intended to spit in the ocean. Then he remembered he was below deck and he swallowed instead.
“Besides,” Cleo added, “if we were having a party and Mr. Whitfield suddenly appeared, it would be okay because Donny would be here... Don’t you think so, Ted?”
Ted didn’t even hear the question. He was busy examining the pictures on the wall with the air of a connoisseur.
“Okey doke,” Manny said, and showed her how to open the red leather case where the phone was concealed. Then he and Ted went to see the boat’s navigation room.
It took about five minutes and considerable lying to reach Donny at Holbrook Hall.
“Hey, Donny, it’s me.”
“Who’s me?”
“Cleo. Guess what. I’m on the Spindrift.”
“What are you doing there?”
“I’m with Ted. You remember Ted, who picks me up at school sometimes. He’s the one that drives the car you like, the kind your dad’s going to buy you if you ever get off probation.”
“That’ll be in about a million years,” Donny said bitterly. “Maybe more.”