‘Oh it does.’
The wine waiter arrived with a bottle of Sancerre in an ice bucket. He bowed to Pam who gave him a sexy smile. I wondered if she were screwing him too.
Then a sole in shrimp sauce with slices of thick lobster meat arrived.
‘You’ve certainly caught the knack of living,’ I said as I forked fish into my mouth.
‘Men!’ Pam shook her head: her large green eyes wide with wonderment. ‘What they will do for a girl like me. The trick, of course, is to give a little and take a lot. Men are either grateful or they get scared, but it still pays off.’
‘What am I supposed to be: grateful or scared?’
She chased a piece of lobster with her fork as she said, ‘Just be your exciting self.’
‘I’ll remember that.’
She shot me a quick glance.
‘It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?’
‘Sure is.’ We ate in silence for a moment or so, then I said, ‘Bernie won’t be back for a couple of days?’
‘Look, Jack, let’s forget Bernie. Let’s enjoy ourselves. Right?’
But I was uneasy. Before leaving the airport, I had had a word with Tim. Pam had said she would pick me up at 20.00 so I had had time for a shave, a shower and a drink. Tim had returned to big cabin at 19.25. He had looked in.
‘Got what you want?’ he asked. He looked dead tired, sweaty and dirty.
I felt a twinge of conscience.
‘I had a visitor. She didn’t leave me any time.’
‘You mean Pam?’
‘That’s who I mean.’
He grinned.
‘That girl! I knew she would make for you, but not this fast.’
‘I’m going out with her tonight.’
Tim eyed the drink in my hand.
‘I could use one of those.’
‘Come on in: she’s certain to be late.’
I mixed him a long Scotch and soda with plenty of ice.
‘What is she?’ I asked as I handed him the glass. ‘The local hooker?’
‘She’s Olson’s girlfriend.’
That shook me.
‘You know Bernie...?’
‘Oh, sure. He doesn’t care about her sleeping around. They have a thing for each other. The only thing they don’t do is go to bed together.’
‘For Pete’s sake! If I’d known I wouldn’t have touched her! I’m not going out with her tonight if she’s Bernie’s girl.’
Tim drank greedily, paused to wipe his mouth with the back of his band.
‘If you don’t, some other guy will. Just don’t think it’s anything but a lay Jack. She’s Bernie’s girl. She has to have it. Olson can’t give it to her, so he lets her play around. This is no secret: the staff here and I guess half Paradise City knows about it, but just don’t take her seriously.’ He finished his drink, set down his glass and moved to the door. ‘Me for a shower and T.V.’ He regarded me, then smiled. ‘Life’s damn odd, isn’t it.’
But I now had Bernie on my conscience.
‘Look, Pam,’ I said, then paused while the waiter took our plates away. ‘Tim tells me you’re Bernie’s girl. He’s my best friend. This bothers me.’
‘Oh, for God’s sake! I told you: I need it! Bernie doesn’t mind. Will you stop talking about it. I tell you: Bernie knows how I am. He doesn’t mind.’
The waiter brought a Tournedo Rossini with fronds d’artichauts and princess potatoes. He served while I thought.
‘Looks marvellous, doesn’t it?’ Pam said. ‘Mmmm! I adore eating here!’
‘He must mind,’ I said. ‘You mean he’s in love with you and you with him?’
‘Oh, shut up!’ Her voice was low and suddenly vicious. ‘Take what you get and be thankful!’
I gave up. I told myself from now on, I wouldn’t touch her. This was a hell of a situation! Bernie... the man I admired most and I had screwed his girl!
I lost my appetite. As good as the steak was, I now found it hard to eat. I looked around the restaurant while I played with the food on my plate. There was a sudden commotion with Henri flying down the aisle to the entrance. I saw a tall, massively built man, around sixty years of age, come out of the shadows and into the defused light. I have never seen such a man. By the way he walked he was obviously a queer. His fat face with its snout of a nose made me think of a disagreeable dolphin. He wore an outrageous orange wig that rested a little sideways on what was obviously a completely bald head. He had on a buttercup yellow linen suit and a frilled, purple shirt. As a show-off he was in a class of his own.
‘Look at that freak,’ I said, glad to change the conversation. ‘Who can he be?’
Pam glanced down the aisle.
‘That’s Claude Kendrick. He owns the most fashionable, the most expensive and the most profitable art gallery here.’
I watched the fat man waddle to a table, three tables from where we were sitting. Behind him came a thin, willowy man who could be any age from twenty-five to forty. His long thick hair was the colour of sable and his lean face, narrow eyes and almost lipless mouth made him look like a suspicious, vicious rat.
‘That’s Louis de Mamey who runs the gallery,’ Pam told me. She cut into her steak and ate.
The fuss Henri was making of these two told me that Henri considered them V.I.P. people. Interested, I watched them settle at their table. A Vodka martini appeared as if by magic and was placed before the fat man. His companion refused a drink. There was a brief discussion with Henri about what they would eat, then Henri, darting away, snapped his fingers at a waiter to follow him.
Claude Kendrick looked around, like a king surveying his court. He waggled his fingers at people he appeared to know, then he looked our way. His little eyes dwelt on my face for a brief moment, then they shifted to Pam. His eyebrows crawled upwards and his mouth pursed into a smile. Then he did the damnedest thing. He bowed to her and using the orange wig as you might use a hat, he lifted it high of his egg bald head, bowed again and replaced it then he shifted a little in his chair and began to talk to his companion.
Pam giggled.
‘He’s marvellous, isn’t he?’ she said. ‘He does that to all his women friends.’
‘You a friend of his?’
‘I used to model some of his special jewelry. I’ve known him for some years.’ She finished her steak. ‘Excuse me... I have an idea,’ and getting up, she went over to Kendrick’s table. Her back screened him from me and she talked to him for about three minutes, then returned to our table.
‘What was all that about?’ I asked.
‘He has the most marvellous motor cruiser. I thought it would be fun if we had a trip. He’s delighted. You know this city is a bit dull for people who always live here. Everyone likes to meet someone new. You’ll come, won’t you?’
As I hesitated, she went on, ‘He’s really fun and very important.’ The waiter came and cleared our plates. ‘You’ll like him.’
The motor cruiser had an appeal.
‘Well, okay: what have I to lose?’
I looked across at Kendrick. He smiled and nodded to me as the waiter served him smoked salmon. I nodded back to him.
We finished the meal with coffee. Kendrick and de Mamey only had the salmon and also coffee. By the time we were ready to go, they were also ready to go.
Pam pushed back her chair and led me to their table.
‘Claude... this is Jack Crane. He’s working on the runway Jack... this is Mr. Kendrick.’
‘Call me Claude, cheri.’ A hand that felt like a lump of warm dough engulfed mine. ‘So glad. Welcome to this lovely city. I do hope you will be marvellously happy here.’ He heaved himself to his feet. ‘Let’s go out into the moonlight. Louis, my pet, do take care of darling Pam. I want to get to know Jack.’ He encircled my arm and led me down the aisle. Twice he paused to raise his awful wig and bow to women who smiled at him. I was sweating with embarrassment by the time Henri bowed us into the hot night air.