Part 9 (1/2)
”I don't know,” Beebo said, staring at her. ”I've come close to it, baby. I've come close...”
”If you really love me, you couldn't.”
”I really love you. But there are times when I don't think I could stop myself.” Her eyes filled suddenly with tears and she looked away, at the wall. 'Things that would hurt too much.”
”Like what?”
”Like finding out you were cheating on me.”
Laura shut her eyes and felt the sweat break out on her face. But I haven't really cheated with Tris, she told herself. We never went all the way. I don't think we ever will. ”Don't be silly,” she told Beebo. ”Who is there for me to cheat on you with? n.o.body.”
”Jack?” Laura straightened up, astonished. ”He's a man!”
”Sure he's a man. I know what he is.”
Laura took Beebo's face in her hands and said, ”I promise you I have never cheated with Jack or anybody else. I swear, Beebo. You think I have but I haven't. You just make it up.”
”Do I just make it up that I love you more than you love me?”
Laura hung her head. ”Let's shout about it after dinner,” she said.
”Okay.” Unexpectedly Beebo surrendered and Laura escaped to the kitchen with an audible sigh of relief.
They ate in near silence, Laura concentrating on her plate and Beebo concentrating on Laura. They were almost finished with the gloomy little meal when there came a ring of the doorbell and Laura, without knowing why, felt a sudden start of fear.
”Who's that?” Beebo demanded.
”I don't know.” Laura didn't even want to look at her. ”Probably Jack. Or your darling Lili.”
”Oh, Christ, I couldn't stand to see either of them right now. Lili would love to hear us quarrel.”
”Let's disappoint her, then,” Laura said and they smiled a little at each other. Laura was surprised at the strength of her relief. But when Beebo got up to ring the buzzer that opened the door below, the strange fear returned.
Far away downstairs she heard the front door open. Laura sat in uneasy silence in the kitchen, listening to the steps coming up the stairs out in the hall. She could picture Beebo leaning against the door jamb, waiting for the knock. More than once she had begged Beebo to be cautious opening that door. She had nightmares about the hoodlums that raped Beebo coming back to try it againand getting Laura too this time. But Beebo shrugged it off.
”They won't be back,” she had said.
”How do you know?”
”I know,” was the cryptic answer, and that was all Laura could get out of her.
Laura found herself staring into her milk gla.s.s and whispering a prayer: Let it be Jack. Please, dear G.o.d. I need him.
The knock came. Beebo opened the door. There was a moment of silence and then the sound of a sweet feminine voice using a very dainty English. It was Tris!
Laura froze in a. panic. For one frightened second she thought of climbing down the fire escape. And then she put her gla.s.s down with trembling hands and poised herself, tense with the near-hysterical force piling up inside her.
Suddenly Beebo said, ”Well, I'll be G.o.dd.a.m.ned. Hey, Laura! It's our little Indian buddy. From Peck and Peck. Come on in, sweetheart.”
”Thank you,” Tris said.
Laura held her breath. Beebo's friendliness would last just as long as it took her to start wondering what Tris was doing there and how she found the place. Laura could have slapped Tris. She hardly dared go in the living room and face them both.
Beebo called her. ”Get in here, baby. Make like a hostess, for G.o.d's sake. How'd you find us?” she said, her voice lowering as she turned to Tris.
”I ran into Laura at the Hobby Shop,” Tris said. ”I was looking for a gift.”
”Find one?” Beebo settled down on the couch, appraising Tris's slim smooth body with a cool and practiced eye. Laura saw the glance as she stood in the kitchen doorway. She disliked the way Tris let herself be admired.
”h.e.l.lo, Laura,” Tris said, almost shyly.
”h.e.l.lo, Tris.” Laura wanted Beebo to stop looking at that warm brown body, lightly sheathed in silk. Her eyes snapped angrily at Tris, and Tris saw it. ”Sit down,” Laura said.
”So...” Beebo mused, her eyes half-dosed and calculating. ”You discovered Laura in the Hobby Shop and got chummy, hm?”
”She told me where you live,” Tris said, turning to her with an ingratiating smile. ”It's not far from me. She said to come over sometime, so here I am. Perhaps I come at a bad time?” She looked from one to the other.
”Any time is a bad time in this little love nest,” Beebo said. She thumbed at Laura. ”We hate each other,” she explained ”We only live together so we can fight.”
”Oh.” Tris looked uncomfortable.
Beebo grinned at the two girls, pleased to have embarra.s.sed them both, her mind simmering with suspicions. Laura, stony faced, refused to say anything to Tris to put her at ease. She was furious with her for coming in the first place.
”What's your name, honey?” Beebo said to Tris. ”I've forgotten.”
”Tris Robischon.”
”Didn't you say you were Indian or something?”
”Yes.”
Beebo laughed and shook her head. ”Yeah...” she said. ”Indian.”
Tris began to squirm under her gaze. She was no longer so pleased to be looked at as she had been when she entered. Beebo stared so hard, in fact, that Tris finally said coldly, ”Perhaps you object to dark skins.”
”So what if I do?” Beebo said casually, grinning.
Tris gasped. ”Some people,” she said sharply, ”think all non-whites are inferior. Perhaps you are one of those?”
”Now what gives you a dumb idea like that?” Beebo said. ”Do I look unfriendly?”
”You stare at me as if I were not welcome.”
”I stare at you as if you were a d.a.m.n pretty girl. Which you are. You're also too sensitive, but you're welcome. I like that color.” She waved at Tris's shapely legs, crossed at the knees and poised on high-heeled shoes. ”On you it looks good.” And she grinned. There was an awkward pause and Laura saw, with great irritation, that Tris was simply returning Beebo's gaze now, bashfully but rather eagerly.
”Have some coffee, Tris?” Laura said.