she is the fuckin’ Duchess of Alba! No. She is the Barefoot Contessa! So I tear off my clothes and lie down with her. And there she is. Ava, warm, in the flesh, looking into my eyes with those green ones I KNOW. My dick disappeared. It went to Tijuana, my balls took off for Ohio. And this Countess, this Goddess, she did everything possible. It was hopeless. I was dying of shame. I apologized and oh fuck like an IDIOT I said, ‘Gee, I’m sorry. It’s that I’ve been madly in love with you ever since I was a little kid!’ She’s the one who hit me in the lip. Then Tony shows up and really starts beating the shit out of me. Just then the damn cook comes in, turns on the light and says, ‘Dinner is served.’ I gave the cook some money and asked her to go find me a taxi, put my pants on and ran outside. The cook came back with a cab. I got in, then Ava got in after me. Tony was running down the street behind us, but she wouldn’t let the guy stop. Ava Gardner. I could shoot myself.”
Tony ran lightly down the steps and up to the bar.
“She forgives me, she loves me. She is sleeping now.”
“Shall we go back for dinner?” Sam grinned. Tony was offended. Then after a while he said he was, in fact, dying of hunger. Memo had been awake, taking everything in. He said he was hungry too, they should go in the kitchen and fix breakfast.
Victor arrived alone, sat at a far table in the now dim light. Raúl took him hot chocolate and pan dulces. Victor never drank or took drugs. Hernán believed he must be very rich by now. Raúl told Victor that Luis was still upstairs. “I’ll wait,” he said.
Memo came out of the kitchen just as a few people came in for after-dinner drinks. Tony went over to wait for Luis with Victor. Tony had chocolate too and Hernán sent him over some aspirins. Tony didn’t mention the evening to Victor, just talked about his new boat.
Sam came to the bar and ordered a Kahlua with brandy. He held his head between his hands. Hernán handed him the drink and said, “You need aspirin, too.”
Luis came downstairs, carrying one of the woman’s shopping bags. The three friends spoke in whispers, laughing like teenaged boys. They left, loped effortlessly past the open windows of the bar, their laughter trailing back with the sound of the waves, easy and innocent.
“What was that clicking sound. Maracas?”
“Teeth. Luis took the woman’s false teeth.”
Hernán picked up Sam’s empty glass, carefully wiped the circle where it had been.
“It’s time for me to go home. Want some ice for that lip?”
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
