Savages

43

Home home.

Welcome home.

Ben walks into the big living room and instantly starts checking it out, doing a mental inventory to see what vodka-and-speed-propelled damage Chon has done.

But the place looks good.

Pristine.

“You brought a cleaner in,” Ben says.

“One of Paqu’s anal retentives,” O says.

“It looks nice,” Ben says. “Thanks.”

Paqu’s house cleaners generally go in one of two directions—have nervous breakdowns and quit, hopefully stealing something of value on their way out the door; or are obsessive-compulsives who are totally into meeting her impossible standards. O brought one of the latter types in to sterilize Ben’s crib.

Now they sit on the sofa and smoke up. Look out at the ocean. Look out at the ocean. Look out at the ocean …

Chon says he’s going for a training swim.

That means a long swim, couple of miles at least, plus the walk back. He leaves the room, comes back with his trunks on, and says, “Later.”

They watch him walk out onto the beach and jump into the water.

No toe-dipping for Chon.