Page 322 - tender-is-the-night

fair that fell of its own weight, and by that time you were
getting afraid that you wouldn’t have anything to give to the
man you finally loved.’ He felt increasingly Victorian. ‘Af-
terwards there were half a dozen just episodic affairs, right
up to the present. Is that close?’
She laughed between amusement and tears.
‘It’s about as wrong as it could be,’ she said, to Dick’s re-
lief. ‘But some day I’m going to find somebody and love him
and love him and never let him go.’
Now his phone rang and Dick recognized Nicotera’s
voice, asking for Rosemary. He put his palm over the trans-
mitter.
‘Do you want to talk to him?’
She went to the phone and jabbered in a rapid Italian
Dick could not understand.
‘This telephoning takes time,’ he said. ‘It’s after four and
I have an engagement at five. You better go play with Signor
Nicotera.’
‘Don’t be silly.’
‘Then I think that while I’m here you ought to count him
out.’
‘It’s difficult.’ She was suddenly crying. ‘Dick, I do love
you, never anybody like you. But what have you got for
me?’
‘What has Nicotera got for anybody?’
‘That’s different.’
—Because youth called to youth.
‘He’s a spic!’ he said. He was frantic with jealousy, he
didn’t want to be hurt again.

322 Tender is the Night