S.O.S. (26 page)

‘You aim to?'

Her whole body in that chair was squirming around, side to side – shoulders hunched forward, fingers now not just all around the rim of that glass but darting down into it, too (and when they'd done with tinkling the ice, weren't they up to her lips, each of them in turn? And did she suck them, one by one? Well
did
she? You tell me).

Right then, thought David. Right right right. Christ. Didn't expect this. This little lot I surely did not expect.
Whatever was or was not going to happen during this so-damn-crazy Trip of a Lifetime, I can honestly place my hand across my heart and swear to all you good people out there that this one, this thing, did not so much as cross my mind. Admittedly my mind has been more or less out of commission and practically concussed since way before I even so much as stepped aboard – but still … but still: this is, I assure you, a turn-up for the book. And look – how long am I actually going to be on this ship? Hm? Not long – few days. Now this is good and this is bad – but on the whole it's good, yes it's good, it's good this, yes – and I'll tell you why:
One
, there's no time at all for the leisured seduction (and OK, OK – I'm aware, of course I am, that I do not find myself cast here solely or even partially in the role of, uh –
seducer
, yes OK, all right … but this is for the time being, if you'll allow me, the way I choose to paint it) … and
Two
, even if the whole thing proves to be an out-and-out disaster (or even, God help me, if I am totally misreading this whole situation – and it is, is it, a situation of sorts we have here? Maybe just a bit of one?) well then very soon we're all of us
elsewhere
, aren't we? Won't ever have to think of it or speak of it or see each other again. I can't tell you how much that one thought warms me (if only life were always like that). Right, then. Right right right.

‘Tell me, um – Suki. Lovely name, by the way … it's so …'

‘Sexy? You think it's sexy? Stacy, yeh? She thought it was sexy.'

‘Stacy? Who's, um – ?'

‘You were out of it. You wouldn't recall. Go on, David.'

‘Hm? Oh yeh – yeh, what I was going to ask you … and you might, when I, um – ask you, revise your opinion about my
politeness
 – '

‘Hey – wait up! My name – you were gonna say something – ?'

‘Oh yes. Yes – your name. I think it's … it's really very, er –
nice
.'

Suki beheld him.

‘
Nice
? It's
nice
? Nice is, like – it?'

‘Well
more
than nice, obviously,' hurried on David (oh Christ leave your fucking
name
out of it for just two seconds, can't you? Your name is fine, it's fine – it's not your bloody name I need to talk about).

‘That's the trouble with you English. You're all so –
understated
? If it's, like –
more
than nice, then say it, why don't ya? Just
say
it. What is it? Sexy? Is it sexy?'

‘It's …
yes
, Suki, it's sexy. Very.'

And Suki nodded. ‘Neat. That's all you had to do. Now – what you wanna ask?'

‘I want to ask … that is to say …'

‘Jeez, David –!'

‘OK. All right. Suki – do you have a cabin of your own?'

‘Sure. I'm a big girl now. What – you don't?'

‘No I, uh – don't, I'm afraid.'

‘Married, right?'

David nodded. He nodded long and hard.

‘Right,' he said.

‘I kinda figured. So what – you wanna come see it? My cabin?'

David more or less goggled at her.

‘Yes …' he breathed.

‘Number one-oh-one-oh. A quarter after seven – that good for you? We can have like a cocktail before dinner?'

Still goggling, oh Christ yes (and I think my mouth's open too, now).

‘That would be … lovely.'

The startled faun would surely have appeared a model of composure if contrasted then with the convulsive nature of David's reaction as the very cold voice of someone else entirely sliced quite invasively into this blood-hot dream, fallen from heaven (and I've just gone and given my shin
one hell of a crack on the underside of this table, I don't mind telling you).

‘Hi,' said Stacy, briefly. ‘Sorry. Bit late. Let's go, Suki – yes?'

‘Hi babe!' called out Suki – apparently (what is it with women?) both thrilled and delighted by this bloody intrusion. ‘What – you don't want to get a drink? This here is David.'

Stacy nodded. ‘Yes I, uh – remember. No, Suki – let's go, yes?'

And David's anguished look to Suki bellowed out as loudly as silence can:
No
 – don't go. Stay. What's she want to go for?
Stay
, Suki, God damn you. Who is this kid anyway? (And why do you call her ‘babe'?).

‘Kay,' said Suki, brightly. ‘See you, David.'

And bugger me if the two of them weren't practically out of sight before I could even put my mind to standing up (my leg is bloody killing me). So I just sat there. Tell you, if good old Dwight hadn't soon hove into view, I would've felt not just let down, but pretty put out. Still, though – seven-fifteen, hey? Seven-fifteen. Cabin number … oh Christ –
what
was it? What
was
it?

‘Hi there, Dave. How you hanging?'

‘Good to see you, Dwight. Feeling a little tender …?'

‘Too tough to be tender, boy. What made me think I'd find you here, huh?'

‘Ha ha – yeah. What'll you have? Bourbon, yeah? Listen, Dwight – I've just
got
to tell you – uh, shall we go to the bar? Or are you happy here? OK here? Fine. Hey listen – you will not
believe
what has happened to me. There's this
girl
, right?'

And Dwight's eyes were already twinkling.

‘You got my whole attention, boy. But hey listen – afore you start up, I gotta say this. I am very aware, Dave, that last evening you picked up the whole of the tab. No – let me finish, here. Now I just wanna say that any liquor we may be putting into us on this day, well – that's all down to me,
Dave. OK? Unnerstan? Good. That's great. Now – let's get us in a cuppla beauts, and then you start up. And make it
hot
, Dave – make it
hot
. You hear me?'

And so David did just that – cranked it up to boiling point. Because look – Dwight was one of the good guys, the real guys, and Jesus, there don't appear to be all that many of us left. So Dwight and me, we pulled at our man-sized drinks and I told him all about this fabulous
girl
.

‘And she's …' Dwight was pursing his lips ‘ …
young
, you're telling me? Real young?'

‘Young as young, Dwight, Jesus – I wish you could've seen her.'

‘You and me both, boy. And you say you're seeing her
tonight
? I raise my glass to you, sir. That's mighty quick work. Sure envy ya, I don't mind saying. Every day I'm with Charlene I'm thinking what I'm needing, pining for, is one pink slice of lamb – you know what I'm saying? Shame there ain't two of 'em.'

And then this Stacy came into David's mind. And then she went right out again. Nah. He knew nothing at all about her, but the look she had given him had been, oh God – more than enough. Whatever game we might be getting up, here, there's no way that Stacy is a player.

‘Well look …' said David (and he came in close) ‘ … I mean – all goes well, there's no reason why, maybe … in a day or two …'

Dwight was rapt.

‘You mean – what, are you saying … this piece of ass might be willing to play ball? Like – play the field?'

‘Seemed the type to me. What's to lose? I'll put in a word, shall I? When I'm – you know:
done
.'

‘Oh sure, sure – unnerstood, Dave – yeah sure, gotcha. Well I reckon that's mighty neighbourly of you, friend.'

And David beamed. This is all going really terribly well. I've got not just this cracking little bird lined up, but also a very good mate to tell all about it. And yes – I mean it: when I've had my fill, as it were – well why not? Hey? Dwight's a buddy – and what are buddies for if not to share with, after all? So yes, like Dwight says – it's only neighbourly. All I'm doing is the decent thing.

Number one-oh-one-oh:
that
was it. That
was
it.

*

‘Jeez!' laughed Suki, as Stacy hustled her along. ‘Are
you
ever in a hurry! What am I – under
house
arrest?' And then more softly – eyes still bright, though with lowered lids and cast sideways to maybe catch a flash in Stacy's own (evasive, at the moment, and jumpy). ‘You, like … on
fire
?'

Stacy heard the words and sensed the way Suki was maybe looking – and then she snortingly smirked, at the same time reducing her pace – which yes, she had only just realized, was ridiculous: I mean God – what am I? On
fire
…?

‘Sorry,' she breathed. ‘It's just that place. Had enough of it. And that man. Why were you talking to him?'

And Suki stopped dead. They were hard by the photo shop, now – screens were littered with shiny coloured shots of eager, grinning passengers, all saying cheese just the afternoon before; the wreath of flowers loomed large in all of them. Suki now thought she might open up her eyes to their very widest (make them both round and inquisitive), cock an eyebrow and let her lower jaw drop down into ironic and unspoken exclamation: the hands on her hips helped along the general tableau which by now, if all was still in synch, should be fully armed and dripping with ‘Ex
cuse
me …?!'

‘What is
this
, Stacy? Jealous?'

And Stacy was amazed to hear the words – she felt them slapping across first one cheek, then cuffing the next; certainly she was warm, now, from the heat of them. Because was I not just on the verge of demanding of myself the very
same thing? What am I
now
?
Jealous
? Can I really be? This is how it
goes
, is it? I mean – I haven't even got round to explaining to myself so much as the tiniest part of whatever all this
is
, yet – so how come I can suddenly feel in me brewing a sour green stew of unease? Simply because, what – Suki chooses to chat away idly for one or two seconds with some overweight drunk from the night before? Unease. Is that what this is, then? A faint unease, just barely stirring? No – I think the broad flat swipe of Suki's more or less delighted instinct smacked it hard and came in closer: what I am is jealous. Jesus.

‘Oh God don't be so
silly
, Suki. It's just that … hey! Suki? Are you actually
listening
to me?'

Suki had turned away and was enthusiastically scanning the racks and racks of photos.

‘I'm trying to, like – find you here, Stace.'

‘I always look awful in pictures. Come on, Suki – let's … look, all I really wanted to say was that I felt
bad
last night, OK, when – '

And now (oh sure, tell me about it!) –
now
Suki was listening to her, hell she was: she had turned, and her eyes were wider than when she had deliberately cranked them up to the limit.

‘What? What – are you, like,
saying
? You felt
bad
 – !'

But Stacy's head was shaking to and fro, repeatedly and with great determination – tightly gripped forearms, closed eyes and flatly compressed lips effectively reinforcing this big denial.

‘No no
no
 – no, Suki, no. I didn't mean I felt badly about …
that
… no. I felt so awful about just … leaving you in the corridor like that – and I was only thinking, well – my cabin's empty at the moment, right? And I just thought … well, if you'd, you know –
like
to …?'

Suki grinned. ‘My cabin's always open house. Got some vadka, if you're innerested …?'

‘No,' said Stacy, quite thoughtfully. ‘No. I'd like you to be
in –
my
space. If that doesn't sound … I don't know – how
does
that sound, actually? Suki?'

Suki grinned more broadly, leant forward and very fleetingly, whispered a kiss.

‘Sounds … just great! Oh
hey
, guys – looky here. Here you are, Stace! I found your pitcher. Alongside of …
Jennifer
, right?' Yeh, thought Suki: Jennifer. Right.

Stacy studied the snapshot (trying, and failing, to blank out Nobby and Aggie). ‘Horrible. Terrible picture. I'm all teeth and gums. Jennifer looks OK, though. She always comes out well in everything.'

Suki was thoughtful, now. ‘You – uh … you really dig her – right? Yeah? I mean I like get the feeling you're real –
close
?'

Stacy went in for a short bout of pink-faced scoffing, as she put her head on one side and made as if she was considering some novel and intriguing idea for the very first time.

‘Yes of course. I mean she's
crazy
, oh yes sure. Totally nuts. But yeh – I love her, course I do. Couldn't not. Always have.'

Suki nodded. ‘Uh-huh. And this, like – cabin idea, yeh? Like – she won't
mind
?'

What a terribly, thought Stacy quite dazedly,
odd
thing to say.

‘No. Mind? Why on earth should she? No of
course
she won't mind. Why do you think she would?' I can't offhand, thought Stacy, think of anything much that Jennifer minds; well – Nobby and Aggie, fairly obviously.

Suki shrugged. ‘Whatever's cool,' she said. And then – as she was suddenly buffeted sideways by this flurry and then whirlwind that had rushed out of nowhere and more or less right into the both of them – ‘Hey hey! Slow up, man! Easy!' And now she was holding on to the skittering and still fast-moving scatter-limbed girl – if she hadn't, they all could
have collided quite jarringly with the wall-to-wall and sunlit gurning that made up the photograph screens.