Mothers and Daughters
- Автор: Хантер Эван
- Год: 1961
- Язык: английский
- Год: Simon and Schuster
- Жанр: Современная русская и зарубежная проза
Электронная книга - «Mothers and Daughters». Краткое содержание книги:
“They get better as they go along,” he said.
“He still wants me for the part, David.”
“Huh? What part?”
“The girl trouble-shooter.”
“Really?” David said. “That’s great, Gillian. Why didn’t you tell me before?”
Another rocket went into the sky. It burst in a flash of red, exploded, another flash of yellow, another explosion. “Ahhhhh!” and “Ahhhhh!” the crowd went.
“Because he’s shooting the series in Bimini.”
“Bimini,” David repeated blankly.
Silver fishes filled the sky, darting aimlessly against the black wheel of night.
“Yes.”
“Well...” David paused. A white-hot flare went off over the Sound, illuminating his face. It fell suddenly, and his features were in shadow again. She tried to see his eyes. “Well, are you going to take it?”
“Bimini is a long way off, David.”
He nodded.
“Should I take it, David?”
“That’s up to you.”
“No, not entirely.”
“Is it a good part?”
“It’s an excellent part.”
“Who’s filming it?”
“Revue. That’s MCA, David. It’s going to be a big series. Nothing like it has ever been done on television. I couldn’t ask for a better showcase.”
“Well, it’s up to you, Gilly. Wow, look at that one!”
The triple explosion rocked the night, red and yellow and blue trailing to earth in a dissipating stream of sparks.
“David, it’s not up to me,” she said sharply.
“What’s the matter?”
“I want to talk about this.”
“We are talking about it.”
“Not here. Not with all these people.”
“What’s the matter?”
“I don’t feel like discussing something as personal as this in front of a thousand people watching fireworks.”
“What’s so personal about a television series? It seems to me—”
“David!” she said sharply, and he looked into her face and saw the anger there, and nodded, and took her hand, and led her through the crowd. The amusement park was almost deserted. Everyone was down by the waterfront, watching the fireworks. The music of the merry-go-round filled the night, and behind it, like a syncopated counterpoint, the intermittent sound of the explosions and the deep sighs of the crowd.
“Do you want to go?” he asked.
“Yes. I want to go.”
“Then there’s nothing to—”
“But I also want to stay.”
David smiled. “Did you ever get the feeling that you wanted to go, and still have—”
“I don’t think it’s funny, David.”
“What do you want me to say, Gillian?”
“Are you going to keep this job with Curt?”
“I think so. Yes.”
“You’re happy with it?”
“Yes, I am. I like television. I like what I’m doing.”
“You’re earning two hundred dollars a week, David.”
“I know I am.”
“Do I have to ask you?”
“Ask me what?”
Gillian sighed.
“David,” she said, “I’ve been waiting for something like this for a long, long time. I’ve turned down a lot of offers in the past two years because I didn’t want to be away from you. I thought... I thought you needed me. So I stayed. But this is important, David. This one could just possibly lead to something. I want to be an actress, David. You know that’s what I want. And if there’s even a small chance of—”
“Then take it,” David said.
“No, let me finish. Please.” She hesitated. “I want to be an actress more than almost anything else in the world. I’ve wanted to be an actress for as long as I can remember. There’s only one thing I want more than that, David.”
“What?”
“You.”
“You’ve got me.”
“No, David. I haven’t got you.”
“Look, Gilly...”
“You’ve got me. But I’m not sure the reverse is true.”
“You know I love you.”
“Yes, I know that.”
“So...”
“David, will you marry me?”
There was a deep silence. They walked beneath the arching branches of the trees. The calliope music was behind them now. A few lovers exchanged kisses on the benches lining the walk. A skyrocket exploded over the water, its sound muffled and distant.
“Is that what you want?” he asked.
“Yes. It’s what I want.”
“You’re not... you know... it’s not that you’re...”
“No. You don’t have to marry me, David.”
“I see.”
“But, David, I’m not staying in New York unless we do get married.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s the way I want it.”
“Doesn’t what I want count at all?”
“David, you’ve had everything you wanted.”
“I thought you loved me, Gillian.”
“Oh, David, you don’t know how much!”
“Then what’s this offended-virgin routine? I thought—”
“I’m not offended, and God knows I’m not virginal, but—”
“Are you throwing that up to me now?”
“No, David,” she said softly.
“All right, now let’s take it easy, Gillian, before we both say things we’ll be sorry for, okay? Please.” He paused. “I know this Bahamas thing is important. I can understand that. And I can see how it puts a certain amount of pressure on... on... but, well, what’s the sense of rushing into anything?”
“Rushing, David?”
“I’m just getting started,” he said plaintively. “I could lose this job tomorrow, Gillian.”
“I don’t think so.”
“What do you know about it, Gillian, really? There are a hundred guys waiting to knife me in the back.”
“David, the job is yours for as long as you want it. Sam Martin went to bat for you, and the job is yours. You’re not going to lose it. If you didn’t lose it when that shaving cream—”
“All right, maybe I won’t. But maybe I want something better. Did that ever occur to you?”
“Yes, it’s occurred to me. I don’t expect you to keep this job for the rest of your life.”
“Okay, then how can I get married right now?”
“Why can’t you?”
“When I’ll be changing jobs?”
“Changing jobs? What are you talking about, David? What’s one thing got to do with the other?”
“You just said you expected me to change jobs, didn’t you?”
“There are married men who... David, I’m trying not to get angry.”
“There’s nothing to get angry about.”
“Damn it, there’s a lot to get angry about! What do you want from me? What do you want me to be, David? Your mother, your girl, your whore? What?”
“I didn’t know it was so trying for you, Gillian, I thought—”
“It isn’t trying! It’s only exasperating! I want to know what’s ahead for us.”
“Why? Do you think I’m going to lead you into—”
“I’m a good actress, David.”
“I know.”
“I’m a damn good actress.”
“I know. What’s—”
“I almost forgot that, David. I almost forgot how good I was.”
“If you want to act—”
“I want to be your wife!”
“You sound like my wife already,” David answered sharply.
“Is this how it ends?”
“Nothing’s ending.”
“In fire and smoke?”
“Oh, cut it, Gillian. You’re making a big dramatic scene out of—”
“Will you marry me?”
“I thought the man was supposed to ask.”
“Yes, the man is supposed to ask,” Gillian said.