Short Fiction · The Lover (2/2)

“My poor darling⁠—and I imagined you were enjoying yourself.”

“As if I ever think of anything but you for a single moment,” he said.

She put her finger on her lips. “Hush⁠—someone may hear. Be reasonable and remember tomorrow.”

He started, feigning astonishment. “Tomorrow? I don’t think I can manage tomorrow.”

“But you said at lunch⁠ ⁠… ?”

“Yes, I know, only when I got back I remembered there was an article that must be written.”

“Naturally your work comes first. But in the evening?”

“Yes, of course, in the evening.”

“Good night, my beloved.”

“Good night.”

He wandered down into the hall and saw the girl step into her car. He ran bareheaded down to the pavement. He arranged the rug carefully over her knees.

“I can’t tell you what it’s done to me⁠—meeting you,” he said. “I’m going back to work. I shall think of you.”

“How⁠—how wonderful,” breathed the girl.

He glanced up at the house behind him, and then bent forward intimately and took her hand.

“Listen⁠—are you doing anything tomorrow between five and seven?”

It was midnight when he let himself into his room at the hotel. After all, he had not wasted his time. He flung off his clothes and slipped into his dressing-gown. Then he prepared the room for work. Five cushions on the sofa, and on a stool beside it the gramophone and a case full of records. A box of cigarettes, matches, whisky, and a soda siphon on the floor within reach.

He lay down upon the sofa, settled the cushions behind his head, started a record, and balanced a sheet of foolscap against his knee.

The room filled with smoke and the gramophone played, but the sheet of foolscap remained white and untouched.

Suddenly the telephone rang sharply, screamingly, in his ear. With a grunt of annoyance he stretched out his hand.

A woman’s voice came across the wire, whispering, pleading.

“Is that Gerrard 10550? Is that you? Oh! forgive me, but you made me so miserable on the phone this morning. I’ll try and be patient about not seeing you⁠—but tell me, do you love me as much now as you did in September⁠ ⁠… ?”