The Angel in the Corner - Monica Dickens [84]
‘I’ll hate it without you,’ Virginia said.
‘Don’t go then.’
‘You know I must. I’ve told you. Everyone has to go. But they will all have somebody. Most of the unmarried girls are taking boy-friends. Who will I dance with?’
‘Derek?’
‘Derek can’t dance.’ Virginia jumped off his knee. ‘All right, I’ll dance with Derek. All evening. And probably kiss him behind a pillar. Now will you come?’
‘No. But I’ll wait outside and shoot Derek.’
Virginia put on the topless white dress to go to the party. ‘Take that off,’ Joe said. ‘You’re not wearing that.’
‘Why not? It’s the only decent dress I’ve got.’
‘It’s my dress. You only wear it for me.’ He began to pull at the zip fastener, swearing because the bodice was so tight that the fastener would not slide easily.
‘Stop that, Joe.’ Virginia pushed his hand away and pulled the fastener up. ‘I’m going to wear this. I haven’t anything else. If you had agreed to come with me, you would have seen me in it. You’ve spoiled my evening by not coming. You’re not going to make it worse by letting me go there looking like a tramp.’
‘That’s a good word to use,’ he said, ‘even if you didn’t mean it that way. You will look like a tramp, tarting round there trying to pick up any man who’ll take a good look down your front.’
He had been drinking most of the afternoon. He did not like Virginia going alone to the party. In the morning, he had begun to wish that he had agreed to go. But it was too late now. He could not go without the right clothes. Damn them, they had to make it a dress-up party just to make a fool out of him. He went to a public-house for his lunch, and came home with a bottle of whisky. He had drunk half of it. He would put himself to sleep with the other half, and be snoring when Virginia came home flushed and girlish and eager for romance.
He would not go out to get a taxi for Virginia, so she had to go upstairs to use Mollie’s telephone. That would give poor old Paul a thrill, but what would Mollie think of her going out without Joe, and looking like that? She would be certain to look out of the window when the taxi came, and would see Virginia go off alone.
When Virginia left, Joe could not help going to the window to stare up at her as she crossed the pavement. She had some kind of glittering thing in her hair, holding back the heavy wave that liked to flop over her forehead. She looked like girls he had seen in films and magazine pictures, and never dreamed of having for his own. He tortured himself with the sight of her long legs as she raised her skirt to step into the taxi, and then he went back to the whisky bottle.
He was not drunk when Mollie came down, but he was in a state of suspended animation, dreaming muddled thoughts. Mollie tapped on the door and poked her head round it.
‘All alone?’ she asked, feigning surprise. ‘Where’s the better half?’
‘Gone to a party,’ Joe said. ‘I wasn’t invited.’
‘Isn’t that a shame? She shouldn’t have gone without you. I’m sure I would never go anywhere they didn’t think Paul was good enough to come with me. Did I disturb you, Jo-Jo? I just felt like popping down for a visit, but since Virgie –’
‘Come in, anyway,’ Joe said. ‘Have a drink.’
‘You know I don’t.’
‘I know you do when no one’s looking.’ He poured a drink for her, and tipped the last of the bottle into his own glass.
Mollie glanced round at the chairs and then sat down on the bed. ‘You don’t mind?’ She put her head on one side and crossed her bony legs. ‘In my opinion, this is the only comfortable piece of furniture in the room. I’ve always meant to get new chairs, but is it worth it, with tenants the way they are? Excuse me, Jo-Jo. I didn’t mean you.’ Joe did not like the way she smiled at him.
‘Happy days.’ Mollie raised her glass, and swallowed half of the whisky and water in a surprisingly short time for a woman who did not drink. ‘It