“Our robe,” Matt corrected her. “And you were standing behind the door, right, so that you could put your hand—only—through the door and snatch it from my hand so that I wouldn’t get to see anything?”
“Give me the damned robe,” she said, tugging at the neck of it.
He got out of the chair, shrugged out of the robe, and held it out so that she could put her arms in the sleeves.
“I cannot tell a lie,” he said. “I’m glad I did that. You wearing nothing but your underpants and a look of high indignation is truly a sight to see.”
“What are you?” she said, furious with herself for blushing. “Some kind of a pervert?”
“No. I don’t think so. I’m in love. Or ma
ybe lust. Or both. I think ‘all’s fair in lust and war’ is also true.”
She shook her head and then, robe modestly belted, looked at him.
“That can’t possibly be true,” she said.
“What can’t?”
“Love.”
“Why not? You hear about it all the time. Love at first sight, and they lived happily thereafter.”
“That’s the . . . bullshit . . . you keep talking about. Things like that just don’t happen.”
“Well, I think it happened to me. With my luck, it probably won’t be reciprocal, but I’m willing to settle for half a loaf.”
She looked at him with a strange look on her face. “I’ll be damned if I don’t think you’re serious.”
“I have never been more serious in my life,” Matt said.
Susan suddenly had a very strong urge to cry.
“Can I have one of your oysters?” she asked, her voice sounding strange.
“I thought you didn’t like oysters?”
“I was being a bitch. You bring that out in me.”
He turned to the table and picked up an oyster in its shell and handed it to her.
She ate it from the shell.
“Very good,” she said.
“I told you. Shall I get you a dozen? I ate most of—”
“There won’t be time,” she said.
“Why not?”
“This one’s already working,” she said.
“Meaning what?” he said, and then took her meaning. “Oh, really?”
She raised her eyes to his and nodded solemnly. He unfastened the belt on the robe and she shrugged out of it.
“You want to go out there?” Matt asked. “Or should I try to roll that cart in here?”