You were in with the general quite a while, he noted.
She nodded. I had a lot of questions.
You a reporter?
What? She looked at him. Oh, no. It was justsome old family business.
He waited for her to elaborate, but she turned back to the window.
Mustve been some pretty important family business, he said.
Why do you say that?
Right after you left, he canceled all his appointments. Mine included.
You didnt get in to see him?
Never got past the secretary. And Kistners the one who asked to see me.
She frowned for a moment, obviously puzzled. Then she shrugged. Im sure I had nothing to do with it.
And Im just as sure you did, he thought in sudden irritation. Lord, why was the woman making him so antsy? She was sitting perfectly still, but he got the distinct feeling a hurricane was churning in that pretty head. Hed decided that she was pretty after all, in a no-nonsense sort of way. She was smart not to use any makeup; it would only cheapen that girl-next-door face. Hed never before had any interest in the girl-next-door type. Maybe the girl down the street or across the tracks. But this one was different. She had eyes the color of smoke, a square jaw and a little boxers nose, lightly dusted with freckles. She also had a mouth that, given the right situation, could be quite kissable.
Automatically he asked, So how long will you be in Bangkok?
Ive been here two days already. Im leaving tomorrow.
Damn, he thought.
For Saigon.
His chin snapped up in surprise. Saigon?
Or Ho Chi Minh City. Whatever they call it these days.
Now thats a coincidence, he said softly.
What is?
In two days, Im leaving for Saigon.
Are you? She glanced at the briefcase, stenciled with U.S. Army ID Lab, lying on the seat. Government affairs?
He nodded. What about you?
She looked straight ahead. Family business.
Right, he said, wondering what the hell business her family was in. You ever been to Saigon?
Once. But I was only ten years old.
Dad in the service?
Sort of. Her gaze stayed fixed on some faraway point ahead. I dont remember too much of the city. Lot of dust and heat and cars. One big traffic jam. And the beautiful women
Its changed a lot since then. Most of the cars are gone.
And the beautiful women?
He laughed. Oh, theyre still around. Along with the heat and dust. But everything else has changed. He was silent a moment. Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, If you get stuck, I might be able to show you around.
She hesitated, obviously tempted by his invitation. Come on, come on, take me up on it, he thought. Then he caught a glimpse of Puapong, grinning and winking wickedly at him in the rearview mirror.
He only hoped the woman hadnt noticed.
But Willy most certainly had seen Puapongs winks and grins and had instantly comprehended the meaning. Here we go again, she thought wearily. Now hell ask me if I want to have dinner and Ill say no I cant, and then hell say, what about a drink? and Ill break down and say yes because hes such a damnably good-looking man
Look, I happen to be free tonight, he said. Would you like to have dinner?
I cant, she said, wondering who had written this tired script and how one ever broke out of it.
Then how about a drink? He shot her a half smile and she felt herself teetering at the edge of a very high cliff. The crazy part was, he really wasnt a handsome man at all. His nose was crooked, as if, after managing to get it broken, he hadnt bothered to set it back in place. His hair was in need of a barber or at least a comb. She guessed he was somewhere in his late thirties, though the years scarcely showed except around his eyes, where deep laugh lines creased the corners. No, shed seen far better-looking men. Men who offered more than a sweaty one-night grope in a foreign hotel.
So why is this guy getting to me?
Just a drink? he offered again.
Thanks, she said. But no thanks.
To her relief, he didnt press the issue. He nodded, sat back and looked out the window. His fingers drummed the briefcase. The mindless rhythm drove her crazy. She tried to ignore him, just as he was trying to ignore her, but it was hopeless. He was too imposing a presence.
By the time they pulled up at the Oriental Hotel, she was ready to leap out of the car. She practically did.
Thanks for the ride, she said, and slammed the door shut.
Hey, wait! called the man through the open window. I never caught your
name!
Willy.
You have a last name?
She turned and started up the hotel steps. Maitland, she said over her shoulder.
See you around, Willy Maitland! the man yelled.
Not likely, she thought. But as she reached the lobby doors, she couldnt help glancing back and watching the car disappear around the corner. Thats when she realized she didnt even know the mans name.
GUY SAT ON HIS BED in the Liberty Hotel and wondered what had compelled him to check into this dump. Nostalgia, maybe. Plus cheap government rates. Hed always stayed here on his trips to Bangkok, ever since the war, and hed never seen the need for a change until now. Certainly the place held a lot of memories. Hed never forget those hot, lusty nights of 1973. Hed been a twenty-year-old private on R and R; shed been a thirty-year-old army nurse. Darlene. Yeah, that was her name. The last hed seen of her, she was a chain-smoking mother of three and about fifty pounds overweight. What a shame. The woman, like the hotel, had definitely gone downhill.