Chicago

Chapter 39

It was a wonderful night to celebrate the victory. Graham and Carol went to the movies then had dinner at the revolving restaurant on top of that famous Chicago tower. As the view through the glass windows changed, Carol clapped and exclaimed in childlike joy. She looked very elegant in an evening gown that revealed her shoulders and decolletage. She had gathered her hair on top of her head, highlighting her beautiful neck, and wore pearl earrings and a necklace. She insisted on ordering an expensive bottle of French wine, and as soon as the waiter turned to leave, Graham asked her, laughing, “Are you sure you can afford to pay for this dinner?”

“Don’t worry, my dear,” she said, adding enthusiastically, “the contract I signed this week comes only once in a lifetime. Many broadcasters have worked many years for a contract like this but couldn’t get one. I’ve made it to the top, John.”

“Congratulations,” said John as he looked at her lovingly. She tasted the wine and he suggested a toast to love and success. As usual, the wine had a quick effect on her, so her eyes glistened as she said with emotion, “Because I’ve suffered so much in my life, God wanted to make it up to me for all my previous pain.”

“Why does God single you out for special treatment while not caring about millions of wretched people?”

“Would you hold back the heretical views for tonight, at least?”

Carol looked at him with a mix of reproach and fun. They talked and laughed a lot, and when they drove back in Carol’s new car, everything promised a night of love. As soon as they got home, she paid the babysitter and hurried to look in on Mark and found him sleeping peacefully as she had left him. She extended her hand and adjusted the covers around him. Then she returned to Graham, who received her with burning passionate desire. He embraced her so hard that she felt his strong arms hurting her, so she moaned lightly, which heightened his desire, and he showered her with passionate kisses on her face and neck. She backed off lightly and said in a mellow, dreamy voice, “I’ll be back in just a second.”

He sat waiting for her on the bed. She came back from the bathroom in a little while, wearing a white robe over her naked body. She stood preening and putting on perfume in front of the mirror. John put out his pipe quickly and said in a hasty voice, hoarse with desire, “I’ll take a shower too.”

In a few minutes they were rolling in bed, naked in the soft light coming from the lamp on the bedside table. He started kissing her all over her face, hands, shoulders, and breasts. When he finally entered her, she whispered his name, which aroused him so much more that he thrust at her so hard she moaned with pleasure. She felt her whole being melting in his embrace, as if she was shedding her body and soaring high. From behind her closed eyes she caught a glimpse of colored lights shining in the dark and felt that she was close to coming. Suddenly, a vague, worrying feeling came over her. She tried to remove it from her consciousness, but her pleasure continued to seep away. John slowed down his thrusting movements little by little, and then stopped. It took her a moment to come to. She felt his big body moving away. He leaned on his knees and got off her. She extended her arms and clung to his shoulders and begged, “Stay with me.”

Hearing her own voice in the dark told her that what was happening was real. Graham withdrew more, always slowly, breathing heavily, not from pleasure this time but in agitation. He lowered his feet to the floor, sat on the edge of the bed, and turned his back to her. It took her another minute to collect herself. She got up and turned on the light and said in alarm, “What happened?”

He kept his head bowed. She moved toward him and her naked body appeared graceful and beautiful. She sat next to him and again spoke tentatively. “What’s wrong?”

Graham pushed her arm aside. He raised his head and looked at the ceiling. He opened his mouth to say something then bowed his head again. His voice came out hoarse. “Who is he?”

“Who are you talking about?” she asked as her eyes blazed with consternation. It took Graham some time to get up. She followed him and stood in front of him. He said in a louder voice, “Who did you sleep with?”

“John, are you crazy?”

He looked strange. He lit his pipe while still naked, then said with a resigned smile, “You and I are too intelligent to waste our time on accusations and denials. You’ve slept with someone. Who is he?”

“John!”

“I want to know his name.”

She fell silent until she got over the surprise then said in a pitifully fragile tone of voice, “You’ve got no right to accuse me.”

With lightning speed he slapped her on the face. She let out a loud cry. He moved away and said, “I may be old; I may be hanging on to old, worn-out ideas, but I’m not a fool. I have enough human experience not to be deceived by anyone. You’ve cheated on me, Carol. My feeling about your body doesn’t lie. I don’t understand why you’d do it. We’re not married. We don’t have to act stupidly. Why didn’t you leave me when you fell in love with somebody else?”

He was speaking in disconnected sentences while putting on his clothes and buckling his belt and placing his feet in his shoes. Once again he stood in front of her. She was still naked, her hand on her cheek. He said in a calmer voice, “I am sorry I slapped you. I’m leaving. I’ll stay in a hotel until you find another place. You’re rich now, you’ll easily find a place.”

“John!”

He ignored her and took two steps toward the door. She jumped behind him. “I didn’t cheat on you.”

“Lying won’t do you any good.”

“John,” she cried one last time and tried to embrace him, but he removed her arms forcibly. She cried, “I didn’t cheat on you. The head of the company used my body. That’s the truth. That was his condition: one time in return for the new contract. I couldn’t say no. I just couldn’t. I needed to think of my son. I assure you I haven’t betrayed you. All my feelings are with you. What I did with the man was disgusting and I almost throw up whenever I remember it. Our bodies hit each other, that was all. I didn’t betray you, John. I love you. Please stay with me.”

He had placed his hand on the doorknob. He kept looking at her as she confessed, then bowed his head forward, looking at that moment like an old, wretched man, helpless and weighed down with sorrow. As he closed the door he said, “When Mark wakes up in the morning, tell him I had to travel and that I love him very much.”