Ashley. “If they are having a passionate love affair, they will be much more inclined to get through their work quickly, living for the evenings or for the weekends. I don’t think we need let them see Taylor’s body, after all.”
4: Lovers
Janey felt a quickening sense of excitement as they walked from the grounds towards her apartment block. Hers consisted of two rooms with a little kitchen recess, maintained by the organisation’s staff; whenever she cooked herself a meal here instead of going to the restaurant for the senior employees, the Jamaican maid did the washing up next morning. In some ways it was a luxurious or at least self-indulgent life. Now and again she threw a cocktail party up here, with everyone from the laboratory as well as a few friends, or rather acquaintances. These might be from the offices, people she had met at the restaurant or at the weekly Project Party, open to everyone of a certain rank. It reminded her of the big Captain’s Party on board an ocean liner: everyone from the laboratories was welcome and most made friends.
But this was the first time she had brought a man up with her.
She had never felt anything but tentative liking for Philip, he had always been formal, so intent on his work, so aloof. He had been here when she had come and his first year must nearly be up. She wondered what made him so anxious to escape when he had only a few months to go. She had occasionally wondered whether he looked on her as a woman or simply as a physicist, a creature with two arms and two legs mostly covered by a shapeless white smock, and a head sticking out from the top. Now, his hand was at her waist, prompting rather than pushing.
She opened the door, and dropped her keys, she was so nervous. He picked them up, held the door open, and gave a faintly mocking bow. She went into the big living room which had a wide window fronting lawns and flowerbeds. She stood looking out, yet was acutely aware of his approach although after the click of the closing door he made hardly any sound. She knew the moment when he was behind her. She felt his arms pass between her body and her arms, and the gentle cupping of her breasts. She began to tremble. Again, he held her in such a position that she could lean her head back against his shoulder, and he held her gently and ran his lips over her cheeks, her lips, her eyes, her forehead. Then he drew back so that she was acutely aware of him.
He let her go.
“Janey,” he said. “You are a most exciting woman.”
“Philip,” she retorted, “the only woman on an island is always exciting.”
“I don’t agree with you,” replied Philip. “In the first place there are plenty of women on this island, some of them – as if you didn’t know – here just for the titillation and pleasure of men.”
She turned her head; he was very close. “I really didn’t know.”
“Then you’ve kept your eyes closed!”
“Perhaps,” she said. “In a way I always have.”
“And you want to keep them closed? To be aware of no one but yourself and your fellow workers. That’s how you’ve always seemed to me.”
“Aloof, you mean?” She was astonished.
“Yes.”
“Good gracious! It was you who was aloof!”
He laughed and moved so that he could sit on the window ledge and look at her. There was a light from the moon and from the lamps outside, enough to see her clearly, although his face was in shadow. But his head and shoulders and lean body were sharp and dark against the window. He hugged one knee.
“I regarded you as untouchable,” he told her. “Unapproachable, too. And I always knew you would be exciting if the barriers could be broken down.”
“Thank you, sir,” she managed to retort.
“I’ve never meant anything more – and I’ve never been more sure,” he said.
She simply stood there, her heart racing and her body aquiver, aware not only of him but of desire. She had not known what toll the months had taken of her, how
4: Lovers
Janey felt a quickening sense of excitement as they walked from the grounds towards her apartment block. Hers consisted of two rooms with a little kitchen recess, maintained by the organisation’s staff; whenever she cooked herself a meal here instead of going to the restaurant for the senior employees, the Jamaican maid did the washing up next morning. In some ways it was a luxurious or at least self-indulgent life. Now and again she threw a cocktail party up here, with everyone from the laboratory as well as a few friends, or rather acquaintances. These might be from the offices, people she had met at the restaurant or at the weekly Project Party, open to everyone of a certain rank. It reminded her of the big Captain’s Party on board an ocean liner: everyone from the laboratories was welcome and most made friends.
But this was the first time she had brought a man up with her.
She had never felt anything but tentative liking for Philip, he had always been formal, so intent on his work, so aloof. He had been here when she had come and his first year must nearly be up. She wondered what made him so anxious to escape when he had only a few months to go. She had occasionally wondered whether he looked on her as a woman or simply as a physicist, a creature with two arms and two legs mostly covered by a shapeless white smock, and a head sticking out from the top. Now, his hand was at her waist, prompting rather than pushing.
She opened the door, and dropped her keys, she was so nervous. He picked them up, held the door open, and gave a faintly mocking bow. She went into the big living room which had a wide window fronting lawns and flowerbeds. She stood looking out, yet was acutely aware of his approach although after the click of the closing door he made hardly any sound. She knew the moment when he was behind her. She felt his arms pass between her body and her arms, and the gentle cupping of her breasts. She began to tremble. Again, he held her in such a position that she could lean her head back against his shoulder, and he held her gently and ran his lips over her cheeks, her lips, her eyes, her forehead. Then he drew back so that she was acutely aware of him.
He let her go.
“Janey,” he said. “You are a most exciting woman.”
“Philip,” she retorted, “the only woman on an island is always exciting.”
“I don’t agree with you,” replied Philip. “In the first place there are plenty of women on this island, some of them – as if you didn’t know – here just for the titillation and pleasure of men.”
She turned her head; he was very close. “I really didn’t know.”
“Then you’ve kept your eyes closed!”
“Perhaps,” she said. “In a way I always have.”
“And you want to keep them closed? To be aware of no one but yourself and your fellow workers. That’s how you’ve always seemed to me.”
“Aloof, you mean?” She was astonished.
“Yes.”
“Good gracious! It was you who was aloof!”
He laughed and moved so that he could sit on the window ledge and look at her. There was a light from the moon and from the lamps outside, enough to see her clearly, although his face was in shadow. But his head and shoulders and lean body were sharp and dark against the window. He hugged one knee.
“I regarded you as untouchable,” he told her. “Unapproachable, too. And I always knew you would be exciting if the barriers could be broken down.”
“Thank you, sir,” she managed to retort.
“I’ve never meant anything more – and I’ve never been more sure,” he said.
She simply stood there, her heart racing and her body aquiver, aware not only of him but of desire. She had not known what toll the months had taken of her, how
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