Then there was Birgit, who was being monopolized by our host. She truly was a pretty thing, with her blue eyes, blonde curls, and tanned arms and legs. Terrifically sexy. And yet I couldn’t stop throwing sideward glances at Sushmita, who was kind enough to keep me close while she held the three Germans enthralled with her wit. Had she not, I’d have been sitting alone in a corner, blending into the wallpaper pattern, had there been any wallpaper to blend into.

I drank more than I wanted to. So much liquor. Where did Willy get it? Some guys at the office said there were smugglers around South Bombay who could always deliver a bottle of whatever you needed. But at a price. There were the wine shops, where the selection was pathetic, poorly stored, and you needed an alcohol permit card to buy anything anyway. And I doubted you could find anything besides the local spirits. No Red Label or Dewar’s in those places.

The first guests to go were the Norwegians. That was around 10:55, right after Sandip relieved them of their plates. The Germans drifted away one by one, but not before yucking it up with their compatriot, Birgit. I caught all three of them staring at her breasts. As if they had a chance with a beauty like her. The Russian captain seemed to have no intention of pushing off. I don’t know how he communicated with anyone, including Willy, who spoke more languages than the rest of us. Yet Arkady, as I later determined his name was, kept smiling and drinking. The guy could pack it away, I’ll say that for him. And the only sign that alcohol affected him was a slight reddening of his cheeks. Other than that, and perhaps the odor of liquor on his breath, you’d have thought he was drinking apple juice.

I had the next day off. Frank had set up a revolving duty schedule that gave everyone a free day each week. But despite having the luxury of sleeping late in the morning, I felt it was time to go. I didn’t want to wear out my welcome with Willy and Sushmita. Their get-togethers were the only entertainment I had. And more than that, I couldn’t get enough of her, of her warm skin that once or twice that evening had brushed up against mine. So I announced that maybe I would say goodnight and escort Birgit back to her hotel.

“What nonsense is this?” asked Willy, feigning offense. “It’s only one o’clock. Why would you leave us so early?”

I retook my seat, and Jagdish handed me another drink.