Chapter 5

“I got it!”

Rebecca is happy to tell Gary this. They’re in a bar in the Boston harbor area. Christmas is just around the corner and it’s freezing cold. Gary grabs her hand. The young girl has just arrived and she is still wearing her coat and gloves. In the background, a jazz orchestra improvises for an enthusiastic audience.

“Really?”Gary asks impatiently.He is fifteen years older than her. “ Yes! She screams excitedly, jumping on her journalism lecturer to kiss him. But ... she adds with a flirtatious gesture, it’s going to cost you dinner tonight and later ... I told my folks that I was spending the night at Lucy’s! She is euphoric. She is a very outgoing girl, unable to contain her emotions. She’s lovely. Gary looks at her, unhappy. He is really in love with Rebecca but he has a family, a wife ... two children... “Uh, of course, honey,” he said with an effort, “we are going to celebrate tonight ... But tell me first everything about this meeting. The young girl orders a coffee with grappa; it’s the trendy drink in the city’s intelligentsia. With her foot, she beats time to the rhythm of the quartet. “It’s a shame they’re black,” she begins. Gary looks at her out of the corner of his eye but doesn’t say anything. The only thing he doesn’t like about his lover is her racism. “It’s amazing...” She continues happily, changing the subject. “They called me at noon. They are expecting me in Nairobi tomorrow! - Tomorrow? Gary asks, surprised. - Tomorrow! Rebecca repeats, enthusiastic. And the next day we will be famous. I see the headlines from here ... Gary Jacobs and Rebecca Johnson get the interview of the year.Then ... Then we’ll get married! Gary looks at her bitterly. Why wouldn’t it be like this? He is no longer in control and he has never found the right time to talk to her. He deliberately kept things from her. He was afraid she might not care about him anymore.

“I have my ticket.I’m leaving early,”she said, a little surprised by his expression.

“Something wrong, honey?”, she asks.

“Oh no, Gary responds quickly, who doesn’t want to spoil her last day ... i have a little cold, I’m sorry. “ I’ll take care of you...”says Rebecca, running her tongue over her lips and looking him boldly in the eyes.”By the way, she adds, changing her expression completely, before I came in, I ran into this idiot Ben”

“You didn’t... ?”Gary interrupts, alarmed.

“No, calm down. But this pig wants me to have dinner with him in his house ... to celebrate, the bastard! He’s a sickening pig! Thinking I could sleep with a disgusting African! “She’s really out of her mind. “So what did you say to him?” Gary said impatiently.

“Well, as always ... that I was in a rush, that we were just friends ... that we would talk when I got back from Nairobi”

“You’re brilliant”, he congratulates her, smiling. “ In fact, there is something else” ... adds Rebecca, fixing the tablecloth and playing with a spoon.”Give me a cigarette.”Gary, intrigued, hands her his packet. Rebecca lights the cigarette and inhales a deep puff. “Well, you see, we met at the Boston Trading Bar. On the top floor, the 102nd. You know? - Yes, of course, he answers briefly so as not to interrupt. - In the elevator, on the way down, there were about fifteen of us, all white except him. Rebecca pauses to exhale the smoke. “I was embarrassed, a black man, you understand ... Everyone was looking at us. And that pig had the nerve to hug and kiss my ear ... So I... - What? Gary is very nervous. “I slapped him in the face and yelled at him...” Gary clutches his head in his. “ Everyone was looking at him ... They wanted to hurt him. It was the longest three minutes of my life. I didn’t know what to do... “Rebecca’s eyes shine. She is on the verge of tears. “But, didn’t you step in? Didn’t you try to excuse him? The man asks in exasperation. - No, replied the girl sharply. You know he disgusts me, I hate him ... He’s a goddamn groper, an idiot, and a nigger. He thinks he has the right to grope a white woman like me just because his father is immensely rich. Gary doesn’t share the racist views of the young woman’s family, but he tries not to contradict her. “Come on...” he said, taking her hand and removing his glove. It’s over now...”I’m sure Ben will understand and everything will be fine.”The young girl looks up. She smiles coquettishly. Obviously, the incident does not matter to her and if the situation changes she will not change her behavior. Maybe she should knee him in the balls instead of a slap... ? “ Do not worry. When you come back you won’t need to see him again ... we’ll have the interview and this will be all over.”

“Oh, Gary, she cries gently, you are so understanding ... I don’t know what I would do without you!”