sidneysheldon.astrangerinthemirror-第32节

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an　orgasm　and　then　build　again　and　peak　again；　so　that　when　they　finally　came；　it　was　an　ecstatic　explosion。　They　had　their　pleasure　and　got　dressed　and　left。　No　one　ever　stayed　long　enough　to　give　her　the　loveliest　five　minutes　in　sex；　the　quiet　holding　afterward；　the　peaceful　oasis　of　a　lover's　arms。　Providing　Jill　with　acting　parts　was　a　small　price　to　pay　for　the　pleasure　she　gave　the　casting　men；　the　assistant　directors；　the　directors　and　the　producers。　She　became　known　around　town　as　a　〃red…hot　piece　of　ass〃；　and　everyone　was　eager　for　his　share。　And　Jill　gave　it。　Each　time　she　did；　there　was　that　much　less　self…respect　and　love　in　her；　and　that　much　more　hatred　and　bitterness。　She　did　not　know　how；　or　when；　but　she　knew　that　one　day　this　town　would　pay　for　what　it　had　done　to　her。　
　During　the　next　five　years；　Jill　appeared　in　dozens　of　movies　and　television　shows　and　mercials。　She　was　the　secretary　who　said；　〃Good　morning；　Mr。　Stevens〃；　and　the　baby…sitter　who　said；　〃Don't　worry　now；　you　two　have　a　good　evening。　I'll　put　the　children　to　bed〃；　and　the　elevator　operator　who　announced；　〃Sixth　floor　next〃；　and　the　girl　in　the　ski　outfit　who　confided；　〃All　my　girlfriends　use　Dainties〃。　But　nothing　ever　happened。　She　was　a　nameless　face　in　the　crowd。　She　was　in　the　Business；　and　yet　she　was　not；　and　she　could　not　bear　the　thought　of　spending　the　rest　of　her　life　like　this。　
　In　1969　Jill's　mother　died　and　Jill　drove　to　Odessa　for　the　funeral。　It　was　late　afternoon　and　there　were　fewer　than　a　dozen　people　at　the　service；　none　of　them　the　women　her　mother　had　worked　for　all　those　years。　Some　of　the　churchgoers　were　there；　the　doom…saying　revivalists。　Jill　remembered　how　terrified　she　had　been　at　those　meetings。　But　her　mother　had　found　some　sort　of　solace　in　them；　the　exorcising　of　whatever　demons　had　tormented　her。　A　familiar　voice　said　quietly；　
　〃Hello；　Josephine。〃　
　She　turned　and　he　was　standing'at　her　side　and　she　looked　into　his　eyes　and　it　was　as　though　they　had　never　been　apart；　as　though　they　still　belonged　to　each　other。　The　years　had　stamped　a　maturity　on　his　face；　added　a　sprinkling　of　gray　to　his　sideburns。　But　he　had　not　changed；　he　was　still　David；　her　David。　Yet　they　were　strangers。　He　was　saying；　
　〃I'm　very　sorry　about　your　mother。〃　
　And　she　heard　herself　replying；　〃Thank　you；　David。〃　
　As　though　they　were　reciting　lines　from　a　play。　
　〃I　have　to　talk　to　you。　Can　you　meet　me　tonight？〃　There　was　an　urgent　pleading　in　his　voice。　She　thought　of　the　last　time　they　had　been　together　and　of　the　hunger　in　him　then　and　the　promise　and　the　dreams。　She　said；　
　〃All　right；　David。〃　
　〃The　lake？　Do　you　have　a　car？〃　She　nodded。　
　〃I'll　meet　you　there　in　an　hour。〃　
　Cissy　was　standing　in　front　of　a　mirror；　naked；　getting　ready　to　dress　for　a　dinner　party　when　David　arrived　home。　He　walked　into　her　bedroom　and　stood　there　watching　her。　He　could　judge　his　wife　with　plete　dispassion；　for　he　felt　no　emotion　whatsoever　toward　her。　She　was　beautiful。　Cissy　had　taken　care　of　her　body；　keeping　it　in　shape　with　diet　and　exercise。　It　was　her　primary　asset　and　David　had　reason　to　believe　that　she　was　liberal　in　sharing　it　with　others；　her　golf　coach；　her　ski　teacher；　her　flight　instructor。　But　David　could　not　blame　her。　It　had　been　a　long　time　since　he　had　gone　to　bed　with　Cissy。　In　the　beginning；　he　had　really　believed　that　she　would　give　him　a　divorce　when　Mama　Kenyon　died。　But　David's　mother　was　still　alive　and　flourishing。　David　had　no　way　of　knowing　whether　he　had　been　tricked　or　whether　a　miracle　had　taken　place。　A　year　after　their　marriage；　David　had　said　to　Cissy；　
　〃I　think　it's　time　we　talked　about　that　divorce。〃　
　Cissy　had　said；　〃What　divorce？〃　And　when　she　saw　the　astonished；　look　on　his　face　she　laughed。　〃I　like　being　Mrs。　David　Kenyon；　darling。　Did　you　really　think　I　was　going　to　give　you　up　for　that　little　Polish　whore？〃　
　He　had　slapped　her。　The　following　day　he　had　gone　to　see　his　attorney。　When　David　was　finished　talking；　the　attorney　said；　
　〃I　can　get　you　the　divorce。　But　if　Cissy　is　set　on　hanging　on　to　you；　David；　it's　going　to　be　bloody　expensive。〃　
　〃Get　it。〃　
　When　Cissy　had　been　served　the　divorce　papers；　she　had　locked　herself　in　David's　bathroom　and　had　swallowed　an　overdose　of　sleeping　pills。　It　had　taken　David　and　two　servants　to　smash　the　heavy　door。　Cissy　had　hovered　on　the　brink　of　death　for　two　days。　David　had　visited　her　in　the　private　hospital　where　she　had　been　taken。　
　〃I'm　sorry；　David；〃　she　had　said。　〃I　don't　want　to　live　without　you。　It's　as　simple　as　that。〃　
　The　following　morning；　he　had　dropped　the　divorce　suit。　
　That　had　been　almost　ten　years　ago；　and　David's　marriage　had　bee　an　uneasy　truce。　He　had　pletely　taken　over　the　Kenyon　empire　and　he　devoted　all　of　his　energies　to　running　it。　He　found　physical　solace　in　the　strings　of　girls　he　kept　in　the　various　cities　around　the　world　to　which　his　business　carried　him。　But　he　had　never　forgotten　Josephine。　David　had　no　idea　how　she　felt　about　him。　He　wanted　to　know；　and　yet　he　was　afraid　to　find　out。　She　had　every　reason　to　hate　him。　When　he　had　heard　the　news　about　Josephine's　mother；　David　had　gone　to　the　funeral　parlor　just　to　look　at　Josephine。　The　moment　he　saw　her；　he　knew　that　nothing　had　changed。　Not　for　him。　The　years　had　been　swept　away　in　an　instant；　and　he　was　as　much　in　love　with　her　as　ever。　I　have　to　talk　to　you。。。　meet　me　tonight。　All　right；　David。。。。　The　lake。　
　Cissy　turned　around　as　she　saw　David　watching　her　in　the　pier　glass。　
　〃You'd　better　hurry　and　change；　David。　We'll　be　late。〃　
　〃I'm　going　to　meet　Josephine。　If　she'll　have　me；　I'm　going　to　marry　her。　I　think　it's　time　this　farce　ended；　don't　you？〃　
　She　stood　there；　staring　at　David；　her　naked　image　reflected　in　the　mirror。　〃Let　me　get　dressed；〃　she　said。　
　David　nodded　and　left　the　room。　He　walked　into　the　large　drawing　room；　pacing　up　and　down；　preparing　for　the　confrontation。　Surely　after　all　these　years　Cissy　would　not　want　to　hang　onto　a　marriage　that　was　a　hollow　shell。　He　would　give　her　anything　she　　He　heard　the　sound　of　Cissy's　car　starting　and　then　the　scream　of　tires　as　it　careened　down　the　driveway。　David　raced　to　the　front　door　and　looked　out。　Cissy's　Maserati　was　racing　toward　the　highway。　Quickly；　David　got　into　his　car；　started　the　engine　and　gunned　down　the　driveway　after　Cissy。　As　he　reached　the　highway；　her　car　was　just　disappearing　in　the　distance。　He　stepped　down　hard　on　the　accelerator。　The　Maserari　was　a　faster　car　than　David's　Rolls。　He　pressed　down　harder　on　the　gas　pedal：　70　。。。　80。。。　90。　Her　car　was　no　longer　in　sight。　Noo。。。　no　。。。　still　no　sign　of　her。　He　reached　the　top　of　a　small　rise；　and　there　he　saw　the　car；　like　a　distant　toy；　careening　around　a　curve。　The　torque　was　pulling　the　car　to　one　side；　the　tires　fighting　to　hold　their　traction　on　the　road。　The　Maserati　swayed　back　and　forth；　yawing　across　the　highway。　Then　it　leveled　off　and　made　it　the　curve。　And　suddenly　the　car　hit　left　shoulder　of　the　road　and　shot　into　the　air　like　a　catapult　and　rolled　over　and　across　the　fields。　David　pulled　Cissy's　unconscious　body　out　of　the　car　moments　before　the　ruptured　gas　tank　exploded。　It　was　six　o'clock　the　next　morning　before　the　chief　surgeon　came　out　of　the　operating　room　and　said　to　David；　〃She's　going　to　live。〃　
　Jill　arrived　at　the　lake　just　before　sunset。　She　drove　to　the　edge　of　the　water。　Turning　off　the　motor；　she　gave　herself　up　to　the　sounds　of　the　wind　and　the　air。　I　don't　know　when　I've　ever　been　so　happy；　she　thought。　And　then　she　corrected　herself。　Yes；　I　do。　Here。　With　David。　And　she　remembered　how　his　body　had　felt　on　hers　and　she　grew　faint　with　wanting。　Whatever　had　spoiled　their　happiness　was　over。　She　had　felt　it　the　moment　she　had　seen　David。　He　was　still　in　love　with　her。　She　knew　it。　She　watched　the　blood…red　sun　slowly　drown；　in　the　distant　water；　and　darkness　fell。　She　wished　that　David　would　hurry。　An　hour　passed；　then　two；　and　the　air　became　chilled。　She　sat　in　the　car；　still　and　quiet。　She　watched　the　huge　dead…white　moon　float　into　the　sky。　She　listened　to　the　night　sounds　all　around　her　and　she　said　to　herself；　David　is　ing。　Jill　sat　there　all　night　and；　in　the　morning；　when　the　sun　began　to　stain　the　horizon；　she　started　the　car　and　drove　home　to　Hollywood。　
　24　
　Jill　sat　in　front　of　her　dressing　table　and　studied　her　face　in　the　mirror。　She　saw　a　barely　perceptible　wrinkle　at　the　corner　of　her　eye　and　frowned。　It's　unfair；　she　thought。　A　man　can　pletely　let　himself　go。　He　can　have　gray　hair；　a　potbelly　and　a　face　like　a　road　map；　and　no　one　thinks　anything　of　it。　But　let　a　woman　get　one　tiny　wrinkle。。。　She　began　to　apply　her　makeup。　Bob　Schiffer；　Hollywood's　top　makeup　artist；　had　taught　her　some　of　his　techniques。　Jill　put　on　a　pan…stick　base　instead　of　the　powder　base　that　she　had　once　used。　Powder　dried　the　skin；　while　the　pan…stick　kept　it　moist。　Next；　she　concentrated　on　her　eyes；　the　makeup　under　her　lower　lids　three　or　four　shades　lighter　than　her　other　makeup；　so　that　the　shadows　were　softened。　She　rubbed　in　a　small　amount　of　eye　shadow　to　give　her　eyes　more　color；　then　carefully　applied　false　eyelashes　over　her　own　lashes；　tilting　them　at　the　outer　edg