“Not much.” She looked at the floor, not quite forgiving him for leaving her in the lurch the night before. “You sent me home with her,” she reminded him. “I didn’t send you to bed with her. I gave her orders. I told her no monkey business. She promised to behave.” He was still smiling, curious to hear her defend herself. Laura wondered quickly whether she could get away with a lie, ashamed as she was of the truth. But she knew her hot cheeks would betray her. They always did. “She did behave, Jack.” His eyebrows went up skeptically. “She—what I mean is—it was me.” He looked at her sideways. “You mean you just sort of fell into each other’s arms?” “Well, sort of.” “By mistake? In the dark?” “I—I—” “You’re fibbing. I know Beebo. Who made who?” He opened the ice box and fished out a beer. “Do I have to say it, or are you going to tell me?” “Well, damn it, who are you?” she exclaimed. “You have no right to know anything.” “Okay. I’ll get it from Beebo. She says you raped her.” “She’s a liar! I heard her say that. Damn!” Jack laughed, opening the beer. He sniffed it. “God, what awful stuff,” he remarked. “I only drink it before noon. Cheers.” He drank, and held the can toward her. “Want some?” “At this hour?” “Your stomach doesn’t know what time it is.” “_Your_ stomach, maybe.” “Did Beebo jump you, Laura? If she did I’ll break her head.” He asked it suddenly and quietly, and she saw that he meant help and comfort to her. He had to stick a few pins in her, only to pull them out and offer first aid. It was the way he did things. “She didn’t—no,” Laura said, turning away. “Jack, don’t make me talk about it.” “You could talk to me before.” “You turned me down last night,” she said pettishly. “I had to. There was someone else last night.” “I ... oh damn it, Jack, I’m ashamed of myself. It was my fault, I made it so easy. No, that’s a lie. I did it on purpose.” A wave of tears welled through her and subsided, leaving her with her hands over her face. Jack started to speak but she silenced him with a wave of her hand. “It’s been so long, Jack. It’s been hell. I’ve been so lonely. I didn’t know a person could be that lonely and live. And then I moved in with Marcie and it was suddenly torture. All these months I’ve been here. And most of the time I’ve been dying for her. And last night—I was so tired, so mixed up and I had a couple of drinks—” “You sounded nuts on the phone.” “I felt nuts. I felt awful. She took me home, and she was very decent. She really was. She wanted to, I know that. But she didn’t. She gave me her bed and she went in the living room and slept on the couch. I thought I’d fall right to sleep. But I couldn’t. I just tossed and turned, and every time I heard her turn over I was on fire. It got too strong for me. I finally gave in. _I_ did it. It was my fault, Jack.”