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Authors: Jonathan Carroll
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leg, tripping the other perfectly. The man flew forward, landing on his head and elbow with a thick clunk. Ettrich wasn't finished. As soon as the guy hit the floor, Ettrich bent over and punched him in the face. Only once. Ettrich was cool—he was completely in control of both the moment and his actions. He was only doing what was necessary. Nobody touched Isabelle like that. Especially now, with the baby.
"Vincent!"
Still bent over, he turned slowly and looked back at his love.
At the same time, the big man came out of his daze and erupted. "What the fuck—"
Ettrich jabbed three stiff fingers into the guy's red cheek. "Don't move. Don't think. Don't do a thing." The tone of his voice would have frightened anyone. It said I'll kill you. The man's eyes widened and he froze.
Ettrich stood up and gestured for Isabelle to come. When she caught up, he lifted her suitcase over the fallen man whose eyes were now glued to the ground. She stepped over him and the two moved quickly away.
The man on the floor rode all the way to the end of the line sitting in that position without once looking up to see if they were gone.
"Is it really your car? The home of the headless Barbie doll?" Holding the sandwich in one hand, Isabelle looked slowly around the spotless interior of his car. Then she turned to him and eyes happy for the first time, took a big bite and moaned. "Umm, it's delicious, Vin•cent. Thank you."
It was one of their rituals—whenever she came through the gate in the U.S., he handed her a pastrami sandwich slathered with coleslaw and Russian dressing fresh from any nearby delicatessen.
Isabelle never ate on a plane because she said she was wary of food that came in rectangles. When Ettrich arrived in Vienna, she had an Extrawurst Semmel waiting, the best bologna sandwich he had ever tasted.
They had been sitting in his car for fifteen minutes and he had yet to put the key in the ignition. It was bliss having her there. His world had suddenly become whole again. For the moment life was perfect. The car was redolent with the striking aroma of her co•logne—Creed's Royal Water—the same kind Ettrich used. On their first date after smelling it on him, Isabelle literally demanded to know the name so she could buy and wear it "for the rest of my life." He loved the cologne but never wore it when they were together because he wanted to associate it with her.
Still admiring his oh-so clean car, she began to eat the bulging sandwich and drink from a bottle of cream soda, another favorite. While she ate she didn't say much but that was fine. She appeared just as content to sit there as Ettrich so he didn't worry about it.
After finishing, she carefully folded the piece of shiny wax paper the sandwich had been wrapped in. "I could eat another one of those right now."
He smiled until he saw she meant it. He didn't know whether he was impressed or dismayed because that sandwich had been as big as a dachshund. "Really? You want another?"
She nodded. "I need to eat something more, Vincent. These days I have the appetite of a sumo wrestler. I could eat the moon for dinner." She patted her tummy. Because she was wearing the down jacket he hadn't been able to see much of her body. Was she bigger now? Did the baby show yet? While she ate, he sneaked peeks at her stomach but couldn't see a difference.
"How do you feel otherwise? I mean, does your back hurt or have you had morning sickness or—
"The usual suspects?" Unexpectedly, she took his hand and held it in both of hers. "Yes, a little, the big differences are my appetite, and for some reason I'm cold all the time. Thank God for this jacket which I basically live in now. But my side effects are nothing com•pared to those of other women. The first three months are supposed to be the worst and I've been very lucky. I just keep lots of candy bars in my pockets and walk around wearing this blue igloo you gave me. No big deal.
"Look, do you want to talk about this now
"Vincent!"
Still bent over, he turned slowly and looked back at his love.
At the same time, the big man came out of his daze and erupted. "What the fuck—"
Ettrich jabbed three stiff fingers into the guy's red cheek. "Don't move. Don't think. Don't do a thing." The tone of his voice would have frightened anyone. It said I'll kill you. The man's eyes widened and he froze.
Ettrich stood up and gestured for Isabelle to come. When she caught up, he lifted her suitcase over the fallen man whose eyes were now glued to the ground. She stepped over him and the two moved quickly away.
The man on the floor rode all the way to the end of the line sitting in that position without once looking up to see if they were gone.
"Is it really your car? The home of the headless Barbie doll?" Holding the sandwich in one hand, Isabelle looked slowly around the spotless interior of his car. Then she turned to him and eyes happy for the first time, took a big bite and moaned. "Umm, it's delicious, Vin•cent. Thank you."
It was one of their rituals—whenever she came through the gate in the U.S., he handed her a pastrami sandwich slathered with coleslaw and Russian dressing fresh from any nearby delicatessen.
Isabelle never ate on a plane because she said she was wary of food that came in rectangles. When Ettrich arrived in Vienna, she had an Extrawurst Semmel waiting, the best bologna sandwich he had ever tasted.
They had been sitting in his car for fifteen minutes and he had yet to put the key in the ignition. It was bliss having her there. His world had suddenly become whole again. For the moment life was perfect. The car was redolent with the striking aroma of her co•logne—Creed's Royal Water—the same kind Ettrich used. On their first date after smelling it on him, Isabelle literally demanded to know the name so she could buy and wear it "for the rest of my life." He loved the cologne but never wore it when they were together because he wanted to associate it with her.
Still admiring his oh-so clean car, she began to eat the bulging sandwich and drink from a bottle of cream soda, another favorite. While she ate she didn't say much but that was fine. She appeared just as content to sit there as Ettrich so he didn't worry about it.
After finishing, she carefully folded the piece of shiny wax paper the sandwich had been wrapped in. "I could eat another one of those right now."
He smiled until he saw she meant it. He didn't know whether he was impressed or dismayed because that sandwich had been as big as a dachshund. "Really? You want another?"
She nodded. "I need to eat something more, Vincent. These days I have the appetite of a sumo wrestler. I could eat the moon for dinner." She patted her tummy. Because she was wearing the down jacket he hadn't been able to see much of her body. Was she bigger now? Did the baby show yet? While she ate, he sneaked peeks at her stomach but couldn't see a difference.
"How do you feel otherwise? I mean, does your back hurt or have you had morning sickness or—
"The usual suspects?" Unexpectedly, she took his hand and held it in both of hers. "Yes, a little, the big differences are my appetite, and for some reason I'm cold all the time. Thank God for this jacket which I basically live in now. But my side effects are nothing com•pared to those of other women. The first three months are supposed to be the worst and I've been very lucky. I just keep lots of candy bars in my pockets and walk around wearing this blue igloo you gave me. No big deal.
"Look, do you want to talk about this now
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