Part 29 (1/2)

'Okay. We'll do something. I don't know what, buta'

'We have to.'

Bodie took a drink of beer and stood up. Pen continued to sit on the edge, right beside the steps. Turning around, he reached over the side and turned off the heat.

'Maybe we can come up with a plan,' she said, still sitting there.

Bodie waded toward the steps.

'I don't know what,' she said.

'We'll think of something.' His throat felt tight. He stared straight ahead so he wouldn't have to see where she was looking as he climbed the first step and felt the water level slide down to his thighs. The bikini trunks hugged him.

Pen stood up. Bodie, pulling the towel off his shoulders, offered it to her. 'Want to dry your legs?' he asked.

'Thanks.' She took it and bent over, her hair swaying at the sides of her face as she ran the towel down her legs. She gave it back to him. She stepped into her sandals.

'Would you hold this for me?' he asked.

She took the beer bottle. As he dried himself, she moved past him and stepped down from the platform.

Looking up at him, she said, 'We need a way to trick them out of the house.'

'Like phoning to say your father wants to see them?'

'Oh, sure. Right.' Her glance flicked downward and quickly aside. She squinted as if peering at something in the bushes. 'I don't know,' she said, and took a sip of beer.

Bodie, done with drying, wrapped the towel around his waist and climbed down the stairs.

Pen stepped backward. She followed him toward the house. 'You know,' she said, 'Melanie might not even be at Harrison 's house. She could've gone anywhere. I mean, she didn't come out and tell you where she was going?'

'No, she didn't.'

'Before we do anything else, we should drive by and see if your van's in the neighborhood.'

'I'd like to take a quick shower first.'

'Go on ahead.'

He pulled open the sliding gla.s.s door, stepped aside to let Pen pa.s.s, and entered the kitchen behind her. The seat of her white shorts was soiled a little. He let his gaze glide down the backs of her legs. 'I'll hurry,' he said.

Pen stayed in the kitchen and Bodie went upstairs. He tried not to think about the fact that he was alone in the house with her, but he could think of little else. His insides felt quivery.

Nothing's going to happen, he told himself. Don't get excited. You wouldn't dare, and she wouldn't go for it. Neither of you wants to stab Melanie in the back.

But he left the bathroom door unlocked. He peeled the swimsuit down his legs and wrung it out over the sink.

Pen's white bikini was hanging over the top runner of the shower door. It would get wet if he left it there. He pulled it down. Saw her wearing it in the hot spa. Saw her taking it off here in the bathroom. Tempted to caress the garment, he quickly draped it over a towel rod.

He showered. He imagined Pen sneaking in and sliding back the frosted door. She was naked. Mind if I join you?

Don't torment yourself, he thought. She won't.

She didn't.

When he was done, he walked down the hallway to the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Quickly, he dressed and went downstairs. He found Pen on the living room sofa, leaning back with her legs stretched out. Her purse was beside her, its strap over her shoulder. 'Ready to go?' she asked.

'I guess so.'

They went out to her car.

Bodie, in the pa.s.senger seat, watched her climb in and start the engine. She turned the car around. On San Vicente, she lowered the visor to s.h.i.+eld her eyes from the late afternoon sun. Below the visor's shadow, soft down on her cheek and over her lip shone golden in the sunlight.

She looked at him.

'Just thinking,' he said.

'Oh?'

He hadn't been thinking about anything, just admiring Pen's face. 'What if Melanie's not there?' he asked.

'I guess that would be quite a relief.'

'If she's not there, where is she?'

Pen shook her head slightly. 'More to the point, what'll we do if she is there?'

'Who knows?'

'I wish she'd just stayed in Phoenix.'

The words hurt Bodie.

'I don't mean you,' Pen said as if she knew.

'I brought her out.'

'You were just being gallant. I bet you're sorry now, though, aren't you? Got yourself right in the middle of a real mess.'

'It has its compensations.'

Pen kept her eyes on the road.

I shouldn't have said that, Bodie thought. Lord!

'Yeah,' Pen said. 'I heard Melanie compensating you last night. Thin walls.'

For a moment, Bodie didn't understand. Then he realized she had heard them in bed.