and be gone, Johnny, carefully easing Nevada’s arm from his chest, moved to the bed’s edge, swung his long legs over, and stood up. His eyes never leaving the sleeping woman, he circled the big bed and began collecting his discarded clothes and hurried into the other room.
He was dressed and peeling off some bills to leave her, when she spoke his name. Johnny jumped as though he had been shot and turned to face her. She stood in the open doorway, a sheet wrapped around her, a puzzled expression on her face. He laid the bills on the table. “Why didn’t you wake me, Johnny?”
“I … there was no need.…” He shrugged wide shoulders.
“You’re leaving?” She lifted a hand to push the sleeptumbled hair from her face.
“Yes, Nevada, I am.”
Barefoot, she padded into the room, holding the sheet together with one hand, shaking her head as if to clear it. “But why? I thought … Johnny, don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me. I—I love you.” She reached him, touched his forearm.
Johnny drew a deep breath. “No, Nevada, you don’t love me, you think—”
“I do. I love you and I’ll always love you!”
Johnny’s big hand covered the small one now gripping his sleeve. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. In me you’ve picked a very bad prospect.”
“That’s not true, you must love me too … you … you held me and—”
“Listen to me, Nevada. I was very drunk and you’re very beautiful and I desired you. It was nothing more. Nothing. I don’t love any woman. I never have, never will.”
Bright tears stinging her eyes, Nevada, refusing to believe what she couldn’t bear hearing, anxiously reached up and gripped his lapels with both hands. Her covering satin sheet fell away and slipped to the floor.
“Oh, Jesus,” groaned Johnny. Quickly grabbing both her wrists and holding them in one hand, he bent, picked up the sheet, and whirled it around her naked body. Clutching it together atop her left breast, he looked into her tear-bright eyes and said, “I’m not like you, Nevada. I don’t know what it is like to love somebody. That part of my makeup was left out altogether.”
Nevada’s dormant pride began to surface, despite her breaking heart. She nodded bravely, blinking back her tears, and said, “I want you to go now, Johnny Roulette.” Her jaw hardened ever so slightly and she lifted her chin defiantly.
“All right, sweetheart,” said Johnny, releasing her hands. As soon as she took hold of the covering sheet, he took a step back. “You … you take care of yourself, you hear?”
Her small raised chin quivered, but she said, “I’ll do that You do the same. And, Johnny …”
“Yes, Nevada?”
Tucking the sheet’s edge in securely over her breasts, she walked to the table, picked the bills he had placed there, and held them out to him. “You’re forgetting your money.”
“It’s yours, sweetheart” He flashed her a boyish smile. “I left it there for you.”
“Why?” There was a cold, sad look in her blue eyes.
The timbre of his voice was low, kind. “Well, darlin’, for all the happiness you gave me last night.”
The tears she’d tried so hard to hold back surged and spilled over, washing down her pale cheeks. But her voice was level and firm. “I did not come to this stateroom with you for money.” She walked directly up to him, reached out grabbed the waistband of his trousers. Stuffing the bills down into his pants, she added, “Now, get out of here, you arrogant, insulting bastard.”
“Ah, honey, don’t—”
“Out!”
8
Nevada stood staring at the carved door long after it had quietly closed behind Johnny’s departing back. Moving not one muscle, she held her breath, waiting. Waiting for the heavy door to fly open. To see Johnny standing there, grinning at her, his arms open wide, apologizing, telling her he couldn’t live without her.
A loud knock on the door made her heart race with happiness. She flew across the room, laughing and
He was dressed and peeling off some bills to leave her, when she spoke his name. Johnny jumped as though he had been shot and turned to face her. She stood in the open doorway, a sheet wrapped around her, a puzzled expression on her face. He laid the bills on the table. “Why didn’t you wake me, Johnny?”
“I … there was no need.…” He shrugged wide shoulders.
“You’re leaving?” She lifted a hand to push the sleeptumbled hair from her face.
“Yes, Nevada, I am.”
Barefoot, she padded into the room, holding the sheet together with one hand, shaking her head as if to clear it. “But why? I thought … Johnny, don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me. I—I love you.” She reached him, touched his forearm.
Johnny drew a deep breath. “No, Nevada, you don’t love me, you think—”
“I do. I love you and I’ll always love you!”
Johnny’s big hand covered the small one now gripping his sleeve. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. In me you’ve picked a very bad prospect.”
“That’s not true, you must love me too … you … you held me and—”
“Listen to me, Nevada. I was very drunk and you’re very beautiful and I desired you. It was nothing more. Nothing. I don’t love any woman. I never have, never will.”
Bright tears stinging her eyes, Nevada, refusing to believe what she couldn’t bear hearing, anxiously reached up and gripped his lapels with both hands. Her covering satin sheet fell away and slipped to the floor.
“Oh, Jesus,” groaned Johnny. Quickly grabbing both her wrists and holding them in one hand, he bent, picked up the sheet, and whirled it around her naked body. Clutching it together atop her left breast, he looked into her tear-bright eyes and said, “I’m not like you, Nevada. I don’t know what it is like to love somebody. That part of my makeup was left out altogether.”
Nevada’s dormant pride began to surface, despite her breaking heart. She nodded bravely, blinking back her tears, and said, “I want you to go now, Johnny Roulette.” Her jaw hardened ever so slightly and she lifted her chin defiantly.
“All right, sweetheart,” said Johnny, releasing her hands. As soon as she took hold of the covering sheet, he took a step back. “You … you take care of yourself, you hear?”
Her small raised chin quivered, but she said, “I’ll do that You do the same. And, Johnny …”
“Yes, Nevada?”
Tucking the sheet’s edge in securely over her breasts, she walked to the table, picked the bills he had placed there, and held them out to him. “You’re forgetting your money.”
“It’s yours, sweetheart” He flashed her a boyish smile. “I left it there for you.”
“Why?” There was a cold, sad look in her blue eyes.
The timbre of his voice was low, kind. “Well, darlin’, for all the happiness you gave me last night.”
The tears she’d tried so hard to hold back surged and spilled over, washing down her pale cheeks. But her voice was level and firm. “I did not come to this stateroom with you for money.” She walked directly up to him, reached out grabbed the waistband of his trousers. Stuffing the bills down into his pants, she added, “Now, get out of here, you arrogant, insulting bastard.”
“Ah, honey, don’t—”
“Out!”
8
Nevada stood staring at the carved door long after it had quietly closed behind Johnny’s departing back. Moving not one muscle, she held her breath, waiting. Waiting for the heavy door to fly open. To see Johnny standing there, grinning at her, his arms open wide, apologizing, telling her he couldn’t live without her.
A loud knock on the door made her heart race with happiness. She flew across the room, laughing and
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