The Look of Love (24 page)

Chrissy smiled
wryly, still shaking her head. “You forget, Adam, I’m only
nineteen. I don’t care what other girls my age might do, and I
don’t know about the other women you’ve been out with, but if you
win, and you have your evil way with me in your bedroom upstairs,
then you will be my first. I think that’s enough, don’t you?”

Her words had a
sobering effect on Adam. He immediately stopped laughing and became
calmer. He nodded sombrely. “As you say, more than enough.” He
paused a moment and sat forward, leaning towards her. “You must
forgive me, Chrissy, but you are right. I forget your young age.
But you are wise and intelligent beyond your years, and I maybe
forgiven for being so forgetful. If you wish, as it is your first
time, we can call off the wager right now, as equals. What do you
say?”

He looked very
serious and sincere. But Chrissy had already picked up her list
again.

“Somalia.”

Adam tried
again. “We could always play for the fun of it, with no forfeit or
penalty?”

“Somalia?”
Chrissy repeated, tapping her list with her pencil.

The smile
returned to Adam’s lips. “You are magnificent; it will be a shame
to beat you.”

Chrissy lowered
her list. “Do I win, or are you going to give me an answer?” she
said impatiently.

“Shilling.”

“Drat!” Chrissy
drew another line through her list.

“Malawi.”

“Kwacha.”

Another
crossing out.

“Paraguay.”

“The
guarani.”

And
another.

“Sod!”

Adam smiled at
her distress. “Take heart, Chrissy! These are far better than I
have been asked for quite a while!”

“Shut up!
Bangladesh.”

“Excellent! The
taka!”

“Git!” Another
scribble. “Malaysia.”

“Ah! The
ringgit! I know it well!”

“I’m going to
ring your neck in a minute! Laos!”

“The kip! I
make that thirty-eight!”

Chrissy struck
through the two countries, scribbling away furiously. “I hate you!
Burma!”

“The kyat!”

“Bastard!” she
cried, and scribbled so furiously that the lead in her pencil
snapped.

Adam
immediately produced a pen from his pocket and held it out to her.
“Do you wish to use my pen?”

Chrissy threw
her stub of a pencil at him. Adam raised his hand to fend it off,
and the pencil bounced off his hand and landed in his coffee with a
plop.

Chrissy and
Adam both leaned forward and looked into the cup, staring at the
pencil bobbing about.

Adam looked up
at Chrissy. “Will you get it or shall I?”

Chrissy also
looked up. “It’s your coffee.”

“It’s your
pencil.”

Chrissy sighed
and picked the pencil out with her fingers. She dried her fingers
and the pencil on a napkin that was on the tray with the coffee
pot.

“I’m sorry,”
she said. “I’ll get you another cup.” She stood up, stuffing her
list and pencil in her pocket. “Where’s the kitchen?”

“Nonsense!”
Adam said, also standing up. He put away his pen. “I’ll give
Charles a buzz. It’s what he’s paid for.”

“I don’t pay
him. Anyway, you haven’t shown me the kitchen yet.”

Adam tipped his
head in acceptance. “As you wish. This way.”

The kitchen was
big and square with lots of modern units fitted against the walls.
Everything was white and stainless steel. Charles had already
stuffed the dish-washer, and it was humming quietly to itself.
There was a large table in the centre of the room. On it was a vase
with some flowers in it, a newspaper, and a portable
television.

Chrissy gazed
around. “Where do you keep your crockery?”

Adam indicated
a wall-cupboard over a work-top. “Over here.”

They walked
over to the cupboard. Adam leaned against the work top and watched
Chrissy as she reached up to open the cupboard. Her jumper rode up
as she stretched, revealing her stomach and navel above her jeans.
Adam couldn’t help staring.

Cups similar to
the ones they were using were on the top shelf. Chrissy had to
stretch higher to reach one. Adam was just admiring the way the
muscles on her stomach tensed as she stretched up for the cup, when
her jumper rode even higher, and the bruising to her ribs came into
view. They were quite vicious, and Adam was instantly concerned,
and quickly reached up to take the cup for her.

“Here, let me,”
he said quickly, his guilt at standing idly by and watching her
causing him to blush a little.

Chrissy seemed
annoyed. “I could have reached it!” she snapped.

“I know, but I
worried about your ribs.”

“Oh, they’re
alright,” she said, slipping a hand under her jumper to rub her
side. A suspicious look crossed her face as she felt the height of
her jumper, and she quickly pulled it back into place and snatched
the cup from him.

“Voyeur!” she
accused him. “I bet you had these cupboards mounted so high on
purpose!”

She began to
walk quickly back to the lounge without waiting for an answer. Adam
hurried after her.

“I did not!” he
protested. “And the sight of your bruises genuinely worried me. Are
you sure you should have removed the bandages so early?”

“Yes! I’m fine!
Don’t worry about me!”

They were in
the hall outside the lounge when Adam grabbed her by the arm and
spun her round.

“But I do worry
about you!” he said. “I worry like hell!”

Chrissy was
startled by his emotion. She didn’t reply, and she didn’t push him
off either. She just stared into his eyes. Adam stared back. He was
suddenly aware of how close they were; that they were nose to nose,
and he didn’t want to let this chance slip by, so he kissed her.
Chrissy responded and they quickly embraced, their arms wrapped
around one another. The kiss was long and passionate, and Chrissy
was pushed back against the wall. She dropped the cup and it
bounced on the carpet.

When it was
over Chrissy was even more startled. “That’ll cost you a country,”
she said breathlessly.

“It was worth a
continent,” Adam replied.

“I dropped your
cup.”

“We’ll get
another one.”

“You better let
me go, then.”

Adam hesitated,
then released his hold on her and stepped back. Chrissy stepped
away from the wall, rearranging her jumper and brushing back her
hair.

“Right, then,”
she said and walked slowly back to the kitchen.

Adam picked up
the fallen cup and followed her. Chrissy kept looking back at him
as she walked along, as if checking that he was still following
her. When she got back to the cupboard with the crockery in it, she
stopped next to it and waited. Adam put the other cup in the sink
and came over to her. She stared at him expectantly. Adam reached
up to open the cupboard and retrieved another cup. He handed it to
her and she took it.

“How long will
you be staying?” he asked.

She poked him
in the chest. “Only long enough to beat you!”

Adam smiled. “I
admire your confidence. You only have eleven chances left.”

“Twelve!”
Chrissy corrected him. “A country for a kiss! Remember?”

“Then make it
thirteen,” Adam replied, and he leaned forward and kissed her
again. As before, Chrissy didn’t resist.

It looked like
another long kiss was going to develop. But as Chrissy was pushed
back against the work-top, Adam suddenly felt her body stiffen. He
immediately released her.

“Did that
hurt?” he asked in concern, holding her shoulders. Chrissy looked
uncomfortable as she rubbed her side. “It did, actually.”

“Are you
alright now?”

“I think so.”
She nodded. “Yes.”

Adam spoke to
her sternly. “When you get home this evening, you get your mother
to replace those bandages, do you hear me?”

She nodded
again. “Alright, Adam.”

“You
promise?”

“Yes!” Her
response sounded a little irritated.

Adam relented.
“That’s alright, then. Come on.” He took her hand and led her back
to the lounge.

When she was
safely sat down, he removed his half empty coffee cup and replaced
it with the clean one she handed to him.

“I’ll be
mother,” he said. He filled his cup then paused, coffee pot in
hand. “Do you want a top up?”

She nodded.
“Yes, please.”

He filled her
cup, and then topped up both cups with cream. As he sat down,
Chrissy pulled out her list again.

As soon as he
saw it, Adam said, “We don’t have to continue with this. I meant
what I said before.”

“Did you offer
the same chance to any of those other women?”

“No,” Adam
admitted.

“So why am I
different?”

Adam looked
thoughtful. He also looked unsure of what he was going to say. “I
like you, Chrissy,” he started hesitantly. “I like your company,
and I enjoy our conversations. I don’t want to lose you, and I fear
that the end of our game will place a rift between us.”

Chrissy leaned
forward and picked up her coffee. “Being a bit presumptuous aren’t
you?”

“You have seen
the computer in my office. The currencies of every country in the
world pass before my eyes every day. I was unfair to enter this
game with you, and your admission earlier has only reinforced that
belief. We should stop.”

Chrissy stared
at him. She knew somehow that he meant every word. But they had
gone too far. “If we stop,” she said. “You will go on believing
that you were going to win. And I will always believe that I was
going to win. It will always be a point of dispute between us. We
have to finish this, Adam, one way or the other.”

“And if the
outcome does cause the rift I describe?”

Chrissy took a
drink from her coffee. “You’ll forgive me. You have been beaten
before, remember?”

“But will you
forgive me?”

He looked so
serious that Chrissy couldn’t help baiting him.

“No!” she said.
“I’ll hate you forever!” When she saw his sad expression she
quickly smiled and added, “I’ll get over it.”

Adam sighed and
said, “You are most cruel.” He picked up his coffee and took a
drink.

Chrissy waited
for him to put his cup down, then she asked, “Have you still got
that pen?”

Adam smiled. He
removed his pen and handed it to her.

She took the
pen and smiled back at him. “I’m going to beat you,” she told
him.

“We shall
see.”

“Thirteen left.
Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

Chrissy glanced
at her list. “Botswana.”

“The pula.”

“Ghana.”

“Cedi.” Adam’s
smile grew broader. “My kisses are already paid for, my dear.
Eleven.”

Chrissy crossed
the two countries off her list. “Arrogant sod!” she exclaimed.
“Tonga!”

“Pa’anga.
Ten!”

Chrissy was
amazed. “You bugger! How did you know that?”

“I told you, I
know them all.”

She pointed at
him with the pen. “I’m going to get you! Haiti!”

“Gourde!
Nine!”

They grew more
excited with each country. Chrissy sat forward as she scribbled
away on her list. “Mauritania!”

“Ouguiya!
Eight!”

“Sod you!”
Scribble. “Panama!”

“Balboa! Seven!
You’re going to lose, Chrissy!”

“I hate you!
Mongolian People’s Republic!”

Adam’s eye’s
widened. He suddenly looked perplexed.

Chrissy sensed
victory. “Come on, Adam! Come on!”

“I’m thinking!”
Adam said desperately.

“You don’t
know, do you? I win!”

“Wait a
minute!”

Chrissy stood
up. “I win! I win!”

“Tugrik! It’s
the tugrik!” Adam blurted out. He was on the edge of his seat.

Chrissy smacked
her thighs. “Bastard!” she cried in dismay. “I was sure that was
going to get you!”

Adam smiled
conceitedly. “You are good, but not good enough. Six!”

Chrissy struck
the country off her list. She remained standing.

“Smug git! I
hate you! Thailand!”

“The baht!
Five!”

“Bugger!”
Chrissy stamped her foot. She scribbled furiously. “You’re not
going to beat me! You’re not! Papua New Guinea!”

“The kina!
Four!”

Chrissy
screamed and stamped her foot again. “Swaziland!”

“Lilangeni!
Still not good enough. Three!”

Chrissy jumped
up and down. “Equatorial Guinea!”

“The franc!
Two!”

Chrissy froze;
her mouth and eyes wide open.

There was
sudden silence. Adam’s face went white. He stood up.

“Guinea is the
franc,” he said without emotion. “Not Equatorial Guinea.”

Chrissy’s voice
was a whisper. “You got it wrong.”

“I answered too
quickly.”

“I’ve won,”
Chrissy breathed.

He nodded
slowly.

Chrissy
screamed. She jumped up and down and screamed and screamed and
screamed. She threw her list and Adam’s pen into the air and ran
out of the room.

“Charles!
Charles! I beat him! I beat him!” she shouted as she ran to the
foot of the stairs. “I’ve won! I’ve won! Come down, quick!” she
screamed, jumping up and down.

Adam was
devastated. He clenched his fists and squashed them into his
temples, his eyes shut tight. “Equatorial Guinea! Equatorial
Guinea!” he kept repeating as he began pacing around the room. He
shook his head in despair. “It’s not there! It’s not there!”

Adam opened his
eyes and quickly ran to retrieve the list Chrissy had discarded. He
snatched it off the floor and stared at it. Then he scrunched it up
in his hand, a tortured look on his face.

“The ekpwele!”
he exclaimed through clenched teeth. “The damned ekpwele!”

Chrissy ran
back into the lounge. She was ecstatic, but as soon as she saw
Adam’s face, her enthusiasm faded. He looked so sad. The smile left
her lips and she grew calm. She walked slowly up to him.