Native Affairs

“I’m perfectly sober—enough to see what was going on right under my nose,” Heath said belligerently.

Joe gripped him firmly by the arm and steered him into the hall as A

“I’m so sorry about this, Ben. My only explanation is that Heath has been under a strain, working very hard, and I think he just had one too many tonight.”

“It’s all right, Mrs. Bodine. Everybody gets a snootful now and then, there’s no harm done. Just the same I think I’d better go. I’ll say good-night now.”

A

“I’m telling you right now, boy, you’d better get hold of yourself and straighten up quickly. That little girl is going to leave you in the dust just as fast as she married you if you keep acting this way. You’re just lucky that everybody but Joanie and me was outside. You would have put on quite a performance for a whole houseful of your employees.”

Heath didn’t move.

“And first thing tomorrow morning,” Joe went on, “you get your tail over to Big Palm and apologize to that kid Ben. A few more incidents like this and you’ll get a reputation as a crazy man who can’t hold his liquor. What do you think that will do for your business, not to mention your personal life? These islands are small, word travels fast. And I don’t have to tell you that you owe your wife an apology, too.”

Heath was listening sullenly, his eyes on the floor. Joe looked up and saw A

“I’ll leave you two alone. Joanie and I will see ourselves out.”

Joe walked past A

“Don’t you want me to just run the vacuum, Mrs. Bodine?” Daniela asked.

“Never mind, there will be time enough tomorrow.”

“Mrs. Bodine,” Daniela said. “Your friend Amy left about half an hour ago. She asked me to tell you she was staying at the i

“Thank you, Daniela. You did a wonderful job and Mr. Bodine and I are very grateful for your help. Good night.”

“Good night,” Daniela said, and A

Heath was still standing in the same spot, careful not to look at her.

“The party was a great success,” A

“And what should I give you? You pla

“I assumed that it was part of my job.”

“And was flirting with Ben Rowell part of your job?”

A

“He was looking for more than that.”

“Heath, I am not going to spar with you, especially on this ludicrous subject. It’s been a long evening and I am very tired. I’m going to bed.”

“Not so fast,” he snapped, covering the distance between them in two long strides. He grabbed her arm and she was unable to take another step.

“Heath, you’re hurting me,” she said, twisting uselessly in his grasp.

“Do you think I’m blind? I saw you dancing with Ben earlier tonight. I saw the way he was holding you, talking to you. You seemed to be enjoying yourself very much.”

“He was telling me fu

“And who asked if you were hungry? Who ran to get you a plate?” Heath demanded, ignoring the logic of her last statement.

“Ben was just being polite. If it were up to you I would have starved! Has it occurred to you that just maybe he felt sorry for me? My husband ignored me all evening to conduct momentous business conversations that should have taken place in the office. At least, I thought you were ignoring me. Obviously you were keeping track of me by radar, watching my tiniest move while pretending to be absorbed in weighty discussion.” She finally yanked her arm free and stood rubbing her wrist, glaring at him.

“I was admiring your act,” he said.

“What act?”

“Your dutiful wife and hostess act. I must say that it was very entertaining.”

“I wasn’t acting, Heath. I intend to fulfill my part of our bargain completely.”

“No matter how much it hurts, huh?”

A

“You think I don’t know what’s been going through your head?” Heath said. “You’ve been feeling sorry for yourself. Poor A

“I’m not that shallow, Heath,” A

“Of course not. You’re the Ice Princess—-ideal wife, arm adornment and party pla

“I’m not going to listen to any more of this,” A

He blocked her path. “You enjoy teasing me, don’t you? Making me imagine what you might be up to with a guy like that? It’s the only way you have of getting back at me—isn’t it?—letting me picture somebody else kissing you, touching you, holding you?” His eyes were wild, his face flushed, his fists clenched.

His attack was so baseless and unfair, and A

His hand came up like lightning and A

“Go ahead and hit me, Heath. You’ve been wanting to hit me for eleven years. Maybe if you finally get it out of your system you’ll feel better.”

His hand faltered, then fell. He looked at her a long moment, then dashed headlong from the room. A

In the kitchen, Daniela had left the radio on the counter playing softly. In the new silence, the strains of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” drifted into the living room.

A

* * * *

Heath drove in circles for half an hour before deciding on his destination—an all-night bar by the railroad tracks at the edge of Hispaniola. The plastic Christmas decorations on the door and the colored lights strung along the bar did nothing to lift his spirits as he slid onto a stool and ordered a drink he didn’t really want. When it came, he pushed it back and forth without touching it, watching the trail of moisture it left on the scarred wood of the bar.

Why had he behaved that way tonight? He couldn’t seem to stop punishing A