A voice behind him said: Hi, I saw you coming.
It was Melanie! At once Richard felt less lonely.
She was completely naked apart from high heels and a pair of pink cashmere leggings which came up to her thighs. She stood on tiptoes and leaned over the bar to ask for a drink, and Richard noticed she had a tattoo of an ankh on her shoulder. The lean that she did was obviously carefully choreographed to ensure that her naked breasts thrust out over the bar while her bottom and long legs would be nicely displayed to whoever was interested, which would include most observers. Her action was not lacking in grace or charm, but Richard found it distasteful, as though he expected her to behave with more decorum when they were together.
Free love was never free, not even when you paid for it. You always felt insecure or jealous for one reason or another.
Just an orange juice please, she told the barwoman, who delivered the order in a tall glass with a black straw. She had a whole row of juice lined up just ready.
Well, Im glad to see you.
I bet you are! she replied, turning to him and reaching into his gown.
Richard stopped her. She turned away again, suddenly uninterested, and sucked at the straw.
Id like to talk to you, he said.
OK. We can talk.
About Mitchell.
We can talk about Mitchell, she said, her long lashes pointing downwards as she examined the straw carefully. Lets go somewhere more private though, she suggested, looking straight at him. It was that radiant, angelic face again. When that face made suggestions, they were rarely denied.
OK. She took his hand and led him through the arch and along a corridor. There were numbered doors on either side of the corridor, like a hotel. At length she stopped outside one of the doors and knocked. There was no reply, so she reached up to the hook adjacent to the top of the door and took the key. She pushed the unlocked door open and locked it behind them.
The room was sumptuous in a fake way. All of the elaborately carved wooden furniture was made of moulded plastic. Heavy duty, good quality plastic. But still plastic. There was a huge, fake Louis Quatorze bed with a fake crystal chandelier hanging over it like the sword of Damocles.
There was a nice little side table on one side of the bed with a nice little table lamp, all in fake walnut, and there was comfy fake sofa on the other side of the bed. The walls were covered by a material that resembled silk, and although there was no window behind, one wall had full-length curtains along its whole width. You could imagine that they would slide open at the press of a button to reveal a balcony overlooking the ocean. You could imagine many things in this room.
Why did Mitchell give you his mobile? he snapped.
Oh, this is so boring. Why cant we just have some fun, babe?
Dont call me babe. Answer the question.
She sat down and looked sulky. This wasnt getting anywhere. Richard sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at her crossly. They were having their first tiff. A fake one, of course.
Listen Melanie. Im quite happy to be a good customer of yours if you like. I have nothing better to do with my wages. But Id like to be able to trust you.
She perked up a bit. She didnt reward him with the whole radiant face act, but she definitely stopped the sulky face act.
I can tell you if you like.
Go on then.
Having promised to be a good customer, Richard wondered what hed let himself in for. He wondered how much this fakely magnificent room was costing him right now, and as for diamond necklaces and designer handbags, he had to admit he still hadnt bothered to find out what they would cost. He hadnt done his research. For all he knew, he might have already blown all the money he brought with him just by stepping into this room.
Andrew was really, really nice to me. Sometimes we really were like girlfriend and boyfriend. He just told me he was in trouble and he wanted me to have his phone for safe-keeping. So I did. I didnt expect him to kill himself the very next day.
I see.
Cant you see that he was really in love with me? She turned to him, her face suddenly distraught, tears falling from her beautiful eyes.
Richard didnt doubt it. She was lovely, she was sweet, she was an emotional roller coaster. He remembered how lonely he had felt as he tried to find her just a few moments ago.
Did you love him?
No, not really.
The sincerity of her answer convinced him she might be telling the truth pretty much the whole time.
No, I liked him a lot, and Ill really miss him, but she tailed off and started crying again, holding a tasselled cushion up to her face to catch the tears.
Richard wondered if he should go and put his arm round her to comfort her, but he couldnt do it. He would feel such a fraud, although perhaps the fake room would welcome another fake addition to its collection of fakeness.