She laughed and moved closer. He sat up more. He did feel like a schoolboy, but she knew enough to wait a moment. “Don’t think,” she said. He nodded. Her hand touched the back of his neck. She smiled and then lowered her eyes to watch his mouth as long as she could. Her lips were thinner and firmer than Karen’s. She would not let him put his tongue in her mouth, but then she forced open his mouth. She stopped and leaned back. “That’s a little idiosyncrasy.”

“I enjoyed it, but you said not to think.”

“I like your mouth.” She put her lips against his lips, just pressed them there. “Toothpaste. Pajamas every night. Are you a square, Joe?”

“You tell me.”

“I slept in the nude until I got married.” She kissed his chin. “Then I put clothes on.”

“You like to talk?”

“This time. I just want to go and go.” He kissed her neck. The odor of her skin was milky and dark, a secret. He opened the top button of the robe and tried to slip it off her shoulder, but it was bound up underneath her. “I can’t reach you,” he said.

He smoothed her hair back from her forehead. She looked like a different woman. She watched his eyes as he undid the next button and this time succeeded in getting her robe open. She smiled and hugged him. He ran his hand up the back of her thighs. She kissed him twice. “You don’t waste any time, do you?”

“I had to get at that.”

“And?”

He pinched her lightly. “Nice. Very, very nice.”

“There are things you can’t do now.”

“I know.”

“Did you want to do them?”

“Yes.”

They were kissing when the telephone rang. She broke away. “That bastard.”

“You think it’s him? Let it go.”

“No, I can’t. It might be important.” She was up, pulling her robe together. The telephone rang the fourth time. “All right, damn it!” It was a range of her voice he had not heard before, two octaves up. He put his head back against the pillow. The ringing stopped. He could not hear her voice.

She returned “It’s your wife. You’d better take it downstairs. I’ll hold the line open for you.”

The light in the hall went on, but she was already gone. He was sitting up, catching his breath. It was weird; his heart was beating harder than ever. In the hall he looked back to the other bedroom. Norma was holding the telephone, waiting. She did not see him. He went down the carpeted stairs barefoot. His pajamas were twisted around. He adjusted his pants and then picked up the receiver.

“Hello?”

“All right, Joe?”

“Yes, thank you.” There was a click. “Karen?”

“Yes, it’s me. Hello.”

“What is it, Karen?”

“You called me twice today, remember?”