see Tokyo, about one hundred and twenty miles away, so I took a train, the blue line, I think. An amazing city. All people and lights.”
“Seems to me that an American in uniform wouldn’t have any trouble attracting female companions, especially in the Philippines. I bet a lot of guys on your ship were anything but lonely,” said Gina.
“You’re half right. Guys don’t even need to be in uniform over there. A western face in civilian clothes draws all the female attention you want.”
“That must have been difficult to turn down.”
“No, not at all. I’ve never been tempted by women who are only after my money. Not only that, it’s risky. I know some guys on the ship who brought back more to their wives than a few Asian trinkets. Never seemed right to me, considering their wives were so faithful, waiting, doing all the work involved being both mommy and daddy.”
“Kevin, my feet are cold,” Gina said, stopping. “Can we go back now?” She had begun to shiver.
“My feet are cold too. Let’s go. I’ll turn the heat on as soon as we get in the car.”
The interior of the beetle may have been cramped and noisy but the heater was wonderful. In a matter of minutes they were toasty and grateful for it, and in less than an hour they were standing outside her apartment door, saying good night. She’d had fun. It only seemed right to say so.
“I had a great time tonight, Kevin. I loved walking on the beach. Thanks for everything.”
As Gina looked up into his eyes, a sense of discomfort rolled over her as suddenly as night fog spreads across a rural highway. She made a pretense of noisily searching for her key, a sure signal that the evening was over. She found it and put it in the knob. As her hand touched the cold metal, she could feel Kevin’s eyes on her, which made her want to return to the privacy of her safe little apartment more acutely. She stepped hurriedly into the dark living room, but rather than rudely shut the door without a smile, she looked back at him one more time, to say good night politely with her eyes. Kevin returned her gaze and hesitated. She saw a flicker of something there, as if he were trying to make a decision. He acted as though he would say something, his lips parting briefly, but then they closed again, and he said nothing, just held her eyes with his, silently. She had seen that look before, and fearing he would try to kiss her, she shut the door hastily and locked it.
A minute later Gina heard his noisy VW start up and then go grinding down the street. As it faded into the distance she was relieved. She’d had a stimulating evening of conversation and jokes, but she didn’t feel that way about him and never would. But most of all she was too weary of Michael problems and all the heartache they gave her to dredge up the energy to deal with Kevin problems. Better to leave things as they were, friendly and uncomplicated. Kisses were complicated.
#
For breakfast Gina sat down to dry cereal because she was out of milk. She washed it down with a cup of instant coffee. She prayed, read her Bible, showered, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and then drove to the Launderette, glad for once that so many of her tips were in coin, because it meant she wouldn’t have to search for change to wash and dry her clothes. After her laundry was folded, she labored and grunted to get the two baskets, one big and one small, into the backseat of her two-door Austin without upsetting her clean clothes. Finally she gave up and stacked them on the front passenger seat, where the larger one banged her elbow every time she shifted gears and made it impossible to see out the passenger window.
It was a beautiful October day, sunny but soft. Late-blooming oleander festooned gardens of Spanish-style homes along Homestead Road near the historic district, their red tile roofs complemented by deep green leaves and brilliant pink blossoms of the giant shrub. She drove by feathery red bottlebrush, tall
“Seems to me that an American in uniform wouldn’t have any trouble attracting female companions, especially in the Philippines. I bet a lot of guys on your ship were anything but lonely,” said Gina.
“You’re half right. Guys don’t even need to be in uniform over there. A western face in civilian clothes draws all the female attention you want.”
“That must have been difficult to turn down.”
“No, not at all. I’ve never been tempted by women who are only after my money. Not only that, it’s risky. I know some guys on the ship who brought back more to their wives than a few Asian trinkets. Never seemed right to me, considering their wives were so faithful, waiting, doing all the work involved being both mommy and daddy.”
“Kevin, my feet are cold,” Gina said, stopping. “Can we go back now?” She had begun to shiver.
“My feet are cold too. Let’s go. I’ll turn the heat on as soon as we get in the car.”
The interior of the beetle may have been cramped and noisy but the heater was wonderful. In a matter of minutes they were toasty and grateful for it, and in less than an hour they were standing outside her apartment door, saying good night. She’d had fun. It only seemed right to say so.
“I had a great time tonight, Kevin. I loved walking on the beach. Thanks for everything.”
As Gina looked up into his eyes, a sense of discomfort rolled over her as suddenly as night fog spreads across a rural highway. She made a pretense of noisily searching for her key, a sure signal that the evening was over. She found it and put it in the knob. As her hand touched the cold metal, she could feel Kevin’s eyes on her, which made her want to return to the privacy of her safe little apartment more acutely. She stepped hurriedly into the dark living room, but rather than rudely shut the door without a smile, she looked back at him one more time, to say good night politely with her eyes. Kevin returned her gaze and hesitated. She saw a flicker of something there, as if he were trying to make a decision. He acted as though he would say something, his lips parting briefly, but then they closed again, and he said nothing, just held her eyes with his, silently. She had seen that look before, and fearing he would try to kiss her, she shut the door hastily and locked it.
A minute later Gina heard his noisy VW start up and then go grinding down the street. As it faded into the distance she was relieved. She’d had a stimulating evening of conversation and jokes, but she didn’t feel that way about him and never would. But most of all she was too weary of Michael problems and all the heartache they gave her to dredge up the energy to deal with Kevin problems. Better to leave things as they were, friendly and uncomplicated. Kisses were complicated.
#
For breakfast Gina sat down to dry cereal because she was out of milk. She washed it down with a cup of instant coffee. She prayed, read her Bible, showered, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and then drove to the Launderette, glad for once that so many of her tips were in coin, because it meant she wouldn’t have to search for change to wash and dry her clothes. After her laundry was folded, she labored and grunted to get the two baskets, one big and one small, into the backseat of her two-door Austin without upsetting her clean clothes. Finally she gave up and stacked them on the front passenger seat, where the larger one banged her elbow every time she shifted gears and made it impossible to see out the passenger window.
It was a beautiful October day, sunny but soft. Late-blooming oleander festooned gardens of Spanish-style homes along Homestead Road near the historic district, their red tile roofs complemented by deep green leaves and brilliant pink blossoms of the giant shrub. She drove by feathery red bottlebrush, tall
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