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Authors: Ayelet Waldman
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reminded Jack uncomfortably of Ilona’s lipstick. She staggeredalong on a pair of high-heel sandals at least a size too big, as if she’d borrowed them from an older sister or even her mother, a little girl playing dress-up as a cheap whore.
When they saw each other, the two men stopped, each taking careful inventory of the other’s date, drawing all the likeliest conclusions.
“So,” Hoyle said. “Looks like we got a couple of out-and-out fraternizers here, eh, Wiseman? Couple of flagrant violators of the rules.”
Hoyle was right; by the book, a dinner date with an of-age DP was the same as raping an Austrian child.
“Looks that way,” Jack said.
“Good thing there’s a loophole.”
“Is there?”
“Yes, brother, there is.” He gestured for Jack to lean closer and whispered loudly so that the girls would easily be able to hear. Jack smelled booze on his breath. “Technically, now, it ain’t fraternizing, if you don’t talk while you fuck ’em.”
Ilona gasped.
“You can go to hell, Hoyle,” Jack said, grabbing Ilona’s hand and pulling her around the other couple and down the street.
“Pig,” he said once they’d left the other two behind. “Ilona, I’m so sorry.”
Ilona said, “You are always so sorry, Jack. This also is not your fault.”
“I know. I just …”
“You don’t want me to feel like a Chocolate Girl?”
“No! Of course not.”
“But why not? Some of those girls, they support their whole families with gifts from their GIs. You know the price of American cigarettes on the black market? So high! And that meat you give me in the can?”
“Spam?”
She laughed. “Spam. Ridiculous. We eat for three days from what I get for this Spam of yours. You gave me a beautiful meal tonight, Jack. And lovely company. And we will do this again, yes? Not just because I want another meal but because you like me, right?”
“Yes. I like you.”
“Okay. I like you, too. You may kiss me if you want.”
He stopped and turned to face her. She was tiny; her head would fit snugly beneath his chin. He bent over as she lifted her face, and he brushed his mouth against hers. The lipstick had all but rubbed away, and her lips felt hot, chapped. When she didn’t resist, he flicked his tongue betweenthem. Though she didn’t return the kiss, she allowed it, and he moved closer, pressing her body against his. His cock got hard and to spare her its importunements he kept his hips shifted back and to the side. He was not like Hoyle, he told himself. This was different. Finally she put her hands on his chest and pushed him gently away.
“Okay,” she said. “Enough.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing!”
He started to apologize for that, too, but caught himself just in time.
“I like you very much, Ilona. Not only because you’re beautiful, but—”
“Shh,” she said, squeezing his arm. “You don’t know, Jack. I am not good for you.”
“Of course you are!”
She seemed to consider saying more but thought the better of it. They walked for a while in silence. Finally, she spoke. “It is a beautiful night, and we had a lovely meal. And a sweet kiss. That’s enough, don’t you think? For now.”
For now, he thought as he walked back to his billet. For now.
• 5 •
IN THE HARDT FOREST , Jack had taken a 7.92 × 57 mm Mauser round to the shoulder, a clean shot through the deltoid that missed bone and arteries and left two neat holes. The wound had obliged him to spend only three days away from his unit and on his return had given him little pain or trouble, through bad weather and hard fighting. He had remained on equable terms with the holes in his shoulder, in fact, until now. Captain Rigsdale had turned responsibility for the Werfen train over to the Property Control Branch of the Reparations, Deliveries, and Restitution Division and, with it, Jack himself. Though he’d protested, petitioning to be returned to his unit, the army had decided to leave Jack
When they saw each other, the two men stopped, each taking careful inventory of the other’s date, drawing all the likeliest conclusions.
“So,” Hoyle said. “Looks like we got a couple of out-and-out fraternizers here, eh, Wiseman? Couple of flagrant violators of the rules.”
Hoyle was right; by the book, a dinner date with an of-age DP was the same as raping an Austrian child.
“Looks that way,” Jack said.
“Good thing there’s a loophole.”
“Is there?”
“Yes, brother, there is.” He gestured for Jack to lean closer and whispered loudly so that the girls would easily be able to hear. Jack smelled booze on his breath. “Technically, now, it ain’t fraternizing, if you don’t talk while you fuck ’em.”
Ilona gasped.
“You can go to hell, Hoyle,” Jack said, grabbing Ilona’s hand and pulling her around the other couple and down the street.
“Pig,” he said once they’d left the other two behind. “Ilona, I’m so sorry.”
Ilona said, “You are always so sorry, Jack. This also is not your fault.”
“I know. I just …”
“You don’t want me to feel like a Chocolate Girl?”
“No! Of course not.”
“But why not? Some of those girls, they support their whole families with gifts from their GIs. You know the price of American cigarettes on the black market? So high! And that meat you give me in the can?”
“Spam?”
She laughed. “Spam. Ridiculous. We eat for three days from what I get for this Spam of yours. You gave me a beautiful meal tonight, Jack. And lovely company. And we will do this again, yes? Not just because I want another meal but because you like me, right?”
“Yes. I like you.”
“Okay. I like you, too. You may kiss me if you want.”
He stopped and turned to face her. She was tiny; her head would fit snugly beneath his chin. He bent over as she lifted her face, and he brushed his mouth against hers. The lipstick had all but rubbed away, and her lips felt hot, chapped. When she didn’t resist, he flicked his tongue betweenthem. Though she didn’t return the kiss, she allowed it, and he moved closer, pressing her body against his. His cock got hard and to spare her its importunements he kept his hips shifted back and to the side. He was not like Hoyle, he told himself. This was different. Finally she put her hands on his chest and pushed him gently away.
“Okay,” she said. “Enough.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing!”
He started to apologize for that, too, but caught himself just in time.
“I like you very much, Ilona. Not only because you’re beautiful, but—”
“Shh,” she said, squeezing his arm. “You don’t know, Jack. I am not good for you.”
“Of course you are!”
She seemed to consider saying more but thought the better of it. They walked for a while in silence. Finally, she spoke. “It is a beautiful night, and we had a lovely meal. And a sweet kiss. That’s enough, don’t you think? For now.”
For now, he thought as he walked back to his billet. For now.
• 5 •
IN THE HARDT FOREST , Jack had taken a 7.92 × 57 mm Mauser round to the shoulder, a clean shot through the deltoid that missed bone and arteries and left two neat holes. The wound had obliged him to spend only three days away from his unit and on his return had given him little pain or trouble, through bad weather and hard fighting. He had remained on equable terms with the holes in his shoulder, in fact, until now. Captain Rigsdale had turned responsibility for the Werfen train over to the Property Control Branch of the Reparations, Deliveries, and Restitution Division and, with it, Jack himself. Though he’d protested, petitioning to be returned to his unit, the army had decided to leave Jack
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