30
"I want her again," Stanley said.
"Sorry, Stanley," Jeannine said. "Once is all you get. Mr. Garson
doesn't like reruns."
"He doesn't have to watch again, for Christ sake."
"Forget it, Stanley. The cookie jar is closed. Be thankful for what you
got."
"Goddammit, Jeannine, that girl was the greatest lay I ever had!"
"Somehow I don't think that's saying too much, Stanley."
"Oh, cut it out, willya? Listen...I just gotta have her again. I can't
stop thinking about it. And she won't even spit on me now. But if Mr. Garson
would just tell her to--"
"No way," Jeannine said. "He did that for his own amusement. He's not
interested in yours."
"Well, if you could just tell me what it is he's got on her...you know?
Then I could make her..."
"You know I can't do that, Stanley. No go away, okay? You're boring me."
"Wait. Listen...What if I had some, like, information. You know?
Something Garson would really like to know. I mean about her. About Deborah."
"Like what?" Jeannine asked skeptically.
"Well...suppose I did. And I told him, right? You think he'd let me have
her again? Like a reward, you know?"
"I think," Jeannine said, "you would have to tell me whatever it is, and
then if I think it merits Mr. Garson's attention, I would tell it to him, and
then he would decide whether it was worth...what you want."
"Nuts," Stanley said.
Jeannine shrugged, causing Stanley to drop his eyes to the front of her
sweater.
"That's the only way, Stanley. And what have you got to lose?"
"Well...okay. But dammit, Jeannine--"
"Just tell me, Stanley."
"Well, I--I think she's cooking something up."
"What does that mean?"
"Okay, see--see, after that time...in Garson's office..."
"The climax of your life."
"Come on. Well, after that for a little while she was sort of nice to
me...like kind of hinting that maybe we could do it again. You know?"
"Really?"
"Yeah. Only I got the feeling that she was really trying to, like, pump
me. To tell her stuff."
"What kind of stuff?"
"I don't know. Stuff she could use, somehow...maybe to get back at
Garson. And then--"
"Wait a minute. What did she think you could tell her?"
"That's what I couldn't figure. Hell, she knew lots more than I did,
right? But she kept kind of teasing around and all... and...you know how it
is..."
"Not really," Jeannine said. "Was there anything you could tell her,
Stanley?"
"Well...not anything REALLY...I mean...well...just about... you
know...Billy Scofield..."
"Billy Scofield?"
"Yeah. About you and him--and the thousand bucks." Stanley was sweating
a little.
"And him getting fired and all. I mean, it didn't seem like much. And
she...well, Christ, I thought she would..."
"How very interesting," Jeannine said. "And how did you find out,
Stanley, about Billy Scofield and me and the thousand bucks?"
"He told me. Billy. When he got fired. We were kind of friendly, you
know, and that day we went to a bar and had a few drinks, and he told me."
"I see. And swore you to secrecy, I'll bet."
"Well..."
"But of course lust is stronger than loyalty. Well, so what, Stanley?
That story is no big secret or anything. There's nothing illegal about it."
"Right! Right. But anyway, the thing is, after I told her that, she all
of a sudden wouldn't look at me any more. But I kept tabs on her--you know? I
watched her pretty close."
"I'll bet."
"Yeah. and you know what I found out?"
"No, Stanley. Are you going to tell me?"
"She went to the personnel office and asked for Billy Scofield's
address. That's what."
"You don't say," Jeannine said.
"You see? So I think she's cooking something up. With Billy. I can't
figure what, exactly, but it's something to do with Garson, for sure. Because
she hates him, see?"
"Yes. Because he made her have sex with you. Who can blame her?"
"Damn it!"
"All right, Stanley. Calm down. I'll pass your information on to Mr.
Garson. And I'll tell him what you want for it. And we'll see."
"I really want to fuck that girl again," Stanley said.
"Goodbye, Stanley," Jeannine said.
