From Here to Eternity_ The Restored Edit - Jones, James [139]
Prew said nothing.
He found Lorene still sitting in the same place, looking just as serenely confident, and he felt relieved a little. But now there was a new soldier he had not seen before sitting beside her talking to her, a constant stream of talking to her, that she was listening to serenely, but attentively, and he stopped undecided in the doorway, letting the other two go on in ahead because he felt again the thickness in his throat that all but choked him and now also a new feeling of weak laxness in the backs of his thighs.
He knew he should ask her right away at once before it was too late. But he was very worried suddenly for fear he had already waited too long to ask. And it was suddenly of the greatest importance that he get her instead of another one. It was so important he was afraid to ask and he was very awkward and he could not begin.
Jesus Christ, he raged at himself. Whats wrong with you. She’s nothing but a common whore, or at best an uncommon whore, so why should you be awkward. Who cares if this one doesnt like you. Ask Maureen, she likes you. Whats wrong with you, he thought, is you have not had one for so long you are ripe sucker bait for any cunning little cute little snatch that comes along. Thats whats wrong with you, so for god sake quit being awkward. Go and ask Maureen.
“You engaged, Lorene?” he asked her awkwardly.
His voice made the talkative soldier stop talking and look up and grin.
At least something can make him stop talking, Prew thought.
“No, Prew,” Lorene smiled serenely. “Just talking.” She got up. She smiled down at the talkative soldier and Prew thought he had never seen such a smugly talkative soldier.
“I mean for all night,” he said thickly. “Engaged for all night.”
“You want to stay all night?” Lorene said. “I thought you meant engaged for right now.”
“I meant engaged for all night,” he said flatly. “Are you?”
“Not yet, Prew.”
“Well you are now,” he said, looking at the talkative soldier.
“Its a date,” Lorene smiled. “But it is twenty minutes yet. Theres no need for you to hurry. Sit down and relax a while.” She patted the seat on the other side of her like a serenely reassuring mother, smiling at him with her long-lipped mouth set into the thin child’s face.
“We were talking about surfboarding,” she explained, as he dropped into the chair. “Bill is stationed at DeRussey and is quite an expert at it. He describes it thrillingly.”
The talkative soldier stopped grinning. He smiled briefly. “You know anything about surfing?” he asked Prew, leaning forward around Lorene.
“No,” Prew said, leaning forward around Lorene. “Not a goddam thing.”
“Well,” the talkative soldier said, smiling at Lorene. “You guys from Schofield, being stationed inland like you are, dont get much chance at it I guess.”
“No,” Prew said. “But we got mountains. You know anything about mountain climbing?”
“A little bit,” the talkative soldier said, smiling at Lorene again. “Are you a mountain climber?”
“No,” Prew said. “I dont know anything about mountain climbing. Do you know anything about flying an airplane?”
The talkative soldier smiled briefly. “I’ve had a few lessons,” he said. “Out at John Rodgers.”
“Well I cant fly either,” Prew said. “What do you know about deep sea diving?”
Lorene, who was sitting facing the talkative soldier, turned clear around to serenely frown at him severely.
The talkative soldier frowned at him too, this time, before he smiled briefly.
“No,” the talkative soldier said. “I’ve never done that. Is it fun?” He leaned back in his chair and returned to his private conversation with Lorene who listened to it with the same serene attentiveness.
Prew leaned back in his own chair, letting him have the floor undisputed, and bit off a hangnail on his thumb, waiting for him to run down, but he did not run down, he took the floor and kept it, with a constant stream of talking that showed no prospects of running down.
“Hey,” Prew said finally, leaning forward again around Lorene. “Why dont you take her to bed, Bill? Aint that what you come