I Was Jack Mortimer (Pushkin Collection) by Alexander Lernet-Holenia Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alexander Lernet-Holenia
slightly spoilt by too much make-up, and platinum-blonde hair. Overall she gave the impression of being too spick and span, which irritated him as might the perfectly groomed hands of a manicurist in a salon.
Too much of a good thing, he thought. A pretty doll.
They both looked at him.
“You don’t know what to do?” he asked.
“No,” the blonde said, but very casually, as though she couldn’t care less whether he believed her or not. He could see they weren’t streetwalkers. Probably some office girls who were just enjoying themselves.
He leant over and took the coin that the blonde was holding.
The touch of her hand sent a shock up his arm.
The turmoil of the last few hours had made him react much more strongly to everything. The light, too, dazzled him, the music was deafening, the behaviour of the girls affected him more than he cared to admit, and the blonde, whom he’d probably have disregarded otherwise, suddenly embarrassed him.
He threw her a glance and let the money drop in the machine. The tray turned and dispensed a sandwich.
“Thank you,” the blonde said, and took it from the machine.
The girls might have expected him to start up a conversation , but he said nothing. The blonde brought the sandwich to her mouth and took a bite. As she opened her lips, he saw her gleaming teeth.
“Are you going to stay?” the brunette asked at last.
“Here?”
“Yes. There’ll be dancing now.”
“Really?”
As they spoke, and while the radio continued to blare, a dance band consisting of four men stepped onto the stage. In the middle, between the tables, there was a free space, obviously the dance floor.
“Do you dance?” Sponer asked.
“Yes. And you?”
“Not very well,” he said.
“We must have a go,” she said. “Let’s sit down at a table.”
“I haven’t got time,” he mumbled.
“This won’t take long.”
He thought for a moment, then straightened up and said something like, “All right then.”
The brunette smiled, and she and the blonde, who kept on eating as she listened, headed for one of the tables, followed by Sponer. They sat down, and the girls placed their handbags and gloves on the table. Then, while the brunette was taking off her coat and Sponer got up to help her, a waiter approached to take their orders.
The brunette, hanging her coat over the back of her chair, ordered a devilled egg.
The radio fell silent and the band struck up.
The blonde put the rest of her sandwich in her mouth, wiped her hands on her handkerchief and also took off her coat. The waiter asked for her order.
“What was that you were drinking?” she asked Sponer.
“Sherry,” he said.
“I’ll have one, too,” she said to the waiter.
“And for you, sir?” the waiter asked.
“Same again,” Sponer said, and sat down.
Some couples had already begun to dance.
“Aren’t you going to take your coat off?” the brunette asked.
“No, the fact is,” he mumbled, “I can’t… I must be going soon.” He pulled a packet of cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to the girls. The brunette declined, but the blonde helped herself, and while he was giving her a light, a young man, obviously a clerk or the like, approachedher and asked her for a dance. She put the cigarette down and got up.
Sponer lit his, and the blonde and her partner walked onto the dance floor and began to dance.
“Pity you don’t want to dance,” the brunette said.
“Well,” Sponer said, but just then the waiter appeared with their orders. The girl asked for some bread, which was passed to her, and she began to eat. Sponer looked across to the blonde. He concluded she was the prettiest one there. He took a sip from the glass. The music stopped, but started up again after the dancers had clapped a few times.
While he kept looking at the dancers, Sponer suddenly again had a feeling of total unreality, this time not about what had happened, but what was actually happening. It struck him as totally
Too much of a good thing, he thought. A pretty doll.
They both looked at him.
“You don’t know what to do?” he asked.
“No,” the blonde said, but very casually, as though she couldn’t care less whether he believed her or not. He could see they weren’t streetwalkers. Probably some office girls who were just enjoying themselves.
He leant over and took the coin that the blonde was holding.
The touch of her hand sent a shock up his arm.
The turmoil of the last few hours had made him react much more strongly to everything. The light, too, dazzled him, the music was deafening, the behaviour of the girls affected him more than he cared to admit, and the blonde, whom he’d probably have disregarded otherwise, suddenly embarrassed him.
He threw her a glance and let the money drop in the machine. The tray turned and dispensed a sandwich.
“Thank you,” the blonde said, and took it from the machine.
The girls might have expected him to start up a conversation , but he said nothing. The blonde brought the sandwich to her mouth and took a bite. As she opened her lips, he saw her gleaming teeth.
“Are you going to stay?” the brunette asked at last.
“Here?”
“Yes. There’ll be dancing now.”
“Really?”
As they spoke, and while the radio continued to blare, a dance band consisting of four men stepped onto the stage. In the middle, between the tables, there was a free space, obviously the dance floor.
“Do you dance?” Sponer asked.
“Yes. And you?”
“Not very well,” he said.
“We must have a go,” she said. “Let’s sit down at a table.”
“I haven’t got time,” he mumbled.
“This won’t take long.”
He thought for a moment, then straightened up and said something like, “All right then.”
The brunette smiled, and she and the blonde, who kept on eating as she listened, headed for one of the tables, followed by Sponer. They sat down, and the girls placed their handbags and gloves on the table. Then, while the brunette was taking off her coat and Sponer got up to help her, a waiter approached to take their orders.
The brunette, hanging her coat over the back of her chair, ordered a devilled egg.
The radio fell silent and the band struck up.
The blonde put the rest of her sandwich in her mouth, wiped her hands on her handkerchief and also took off her coat. The waiter asked for her order.
“What was that you were drinking?” she asked Sponer.
“Sherry,” he said.
“I’ll have one, too,” she said to the waiter.
“And for you, sir?” the waiter asked.
“Same again,” Sponer said, and sat down.
Some couples had already begun to dance.
“Aren’t you going to take your coat off?” the brunette asked.
“No, the fact is,” he mumbled, “I can’t… I must be going soon.” He pulled a packet of cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to the girls. The brunette declined, but the blonde helped herself, and while he was giving her a light, a young man, obviously a clerk or the like, approachedher and asked her for a dance. She put the cigarette down and got up.
Sponer lit his, and the blonde and her partner walked onto the dance floor and began to dance.
“Pity you don’t want to dance,” the brunette said.
“Well,” Sponer said, but just then the waiter appeared with their orders. The girl asked for some bread, which was passed to her, and she began to eat. Sponer looked across to the blonde. He concluded she was the prettiest one there. He took a sip from the glass. The music stopped, but started up again after the dancers had clapped a few times.
While he kept looking at the dancers, Sponer suddenly again had a feeling of total unreality, this time not about what had happened, but what was actually happening. It struck him as totally