Part 49 (1/2)
”Why have you been helping him?” Matt asked impatiently. have you been helping him?” Matt asked impatiently.
”Room service!” a cheery voice announced, and there was a knock on the door.
”Just a minute,” Matt called.
He gestured for her to give him the robe again. When she did, he saw that she was wearing underpants.
”What did I do? Shame you back into maidenly modesty?” he asked.
”Don't you ever shut your mouth?” she snapped.
”Go hide in the bathroom like a good girl,” he said, stuffing his arms into the sleeves of the robe.
She went into the bathroom and closed the door, and listened while he dealt with the waiter, and to the sound of furniture moving, and metallic clanks she presumed were the plate and dish covers that come with room-service meals. But when the noise died down, he didn't come to the bathroom door. She wondered if the waiter was still there, or if there was some other reason.
Curiosity finally got the best of her. She opened the bathroom door carefully and walked quickly to the door to the sitting room.
Matt was sitting at the table, wearing the terry-cloth robe, putting an oyster on a cracker.
”Pity you don't like oysters. These are first-rate,” he said.
”I've been waiting for my robe,” she said indignantly, walking across the room to him, concealing as much of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s as she could with her arms.
”Our robe,” Matt corrected her. ”And you were standing behind the door, right, so that you could put your hand-only-through the door and s.n.a.t.c.h it from my hand so that I wouldn't get to see anything?” robe,” Matt corrected her. ”And you were standing behind the door, right, so that you could put your hand-only-through the door and s.n.a.t.c.h it from my hand so that I wouldn't get to see anything?”
”Give me the d.a.m.ned robe,” she said, tugging at the neck of it.
He got out of the chair, shrugged out of the robe, and held it out so that she could put her arms in the sleeves.
”I cannot tell a lie,” he said. ”I'm glad I did that. You wearing nothing but your underpants and a look of high indignation is truly a sight to see.”
”What are you?” she said, furious with herself for blus.h.i.+ng. ”Some kind of a pervert?”
”No. I don't think so. I'm in love. Or maybe l.u.s.t. Or both. I think 'all's fair in l.u.s.t and war' is also true.”
She shook her head and then, robe modestly belted, looked at him.
”That can't possibly be true,” she said.
”What can't?”
”Love.”
”Why not? You hear about it all the time. Love at first sight, and they lived happily thereafter.”
”That's the . . . bulls.h.i.+t . . . you keep talking about. Things like that just don't happen.”
”Well, I think it happened to me. With my luck, it probably won't be reciprocal, but I'm willing to settle for half a loaf.”
She looked at him with a strange look on her face. ”I'll be d.a.m.ned if I don't think you're serious.”
”I have never been more serious in my life,” Matt said.
Susan suddenly had a very strong urge to cry.
”Can I have one of your oysters?” she asked, her voice sounding strange.
”I thought you didn't like oysters?”
”I was being a b.i.t.c.h. You bring that out in me.”
He turned to the table and picked up an oyster in its sh.e.l.l and handed it to her.
She ate it from the sh.e.l.l.
”Very good,” she said.
”I told you. Shall I get you a dozen? I ate most of-”
”There won't be time,” she said.
”Why not?”
”This one's already working,” she said.
”Meaning what?” he said, and then took her meaning. ”Oh, really?”
She raised her eyes to his and nodded solemnly. He unfastened the belt on the robe and she shrugged out of it.
”You want to go out there?” Matt asked. ”Or should I try to roll that cart in here?”
”You weren't thinking of food two minutes ago.”
”That was two minutes ago.”
”Since we have only one bathrobe between us, I don't think I want to go out there. I've had enough new experiences for one night. Eating dinner in the nude will have to wait for another time.”
”In other words, roll in the tray?”
”I'm not all that hungry. Why don't you just bring in one plate, and we'll share it?” not all that hungry. Why don't you just bring in one plate, and we'll share it?”
”Okay. I'll get a plate. I'm delighted you didn't think of the other option: getting out of bed and getting dressed.”
”I wish that I could spend the rest of my life in this bed,” she said.
”Oh, really?”
”Yes, really.”