Page 265 of Fall of Giants (The Century 1)

Before he had finished his smoke, Marga came out of the building and got into the car beside him. She was wearing a daring sleeveless dress and had her hair coiled over her ears in the latest fashion.

He drove to Humboldt Park, on the East Side. They sat together on a slatted wooden park seat, enjoying the sunshine and watching the children playing in the pond. Lev could not stop touching Marga's bare arms. He loved the envious looks he got from other men. She's the prettiest girl in the park, he thought, and she's with me. How about that?

"I'm sorry about your lip," he said. Her lower lip was still swollen where Vyalov had punched her. It looked quite sexy.

"Not your fault," Marga said. "Your father-in-law is a pig. "

"That's the truth. "

"The Hot Spot offered me a job right away. I'll start there as soon as I can sing again. "

"How does it feel?"

She tried a few bars.

I run my fingers through my hair

Play a little solitaire

Waiting for my millionaire

To come.

She touched her mouth gingerly. "Still hurts," she said.

He leaned toward her. "Let me kiss it better. " She turned her face up to his and he kissed her gently, hardly touching.

She said: "You can be a little firmer than that. "

He grinned. "Okay, how about this?" He kissed her again, and this time he let the tip of his tongue caress the inside of her lips.

After a minute she said: "That's okay, too," and she giggled.

"In that case. . . " This time he put his tongue all the way inside her mouth. She responded eagerly-she always did. Her tongue and his met, then she put her hand behind his head and stroked his neck. He heard someone say: "Disgusting. " He wondered whether people walking by could see his erection.

Smiling at Marga, he said: "We're shocking the townspeople. " He glanced up to see whether anyone was watching, and met the eyes of his wife, Olga.

She was staring at him in shock, her mouth forming a silent O.

Beside her stood her father, in a suit with a vest and a straw boater. He was carrying Daisy. Lev's daughter had a white bonnet to shade her face from the sun. The nurse, Polina, was behind them.

Olga said: "Lev! What. . . Who is she?"

Lev felt he might have talked himself out of even this situation if Vyalov had not been there.

He got up. "Olga. . . I don't know what to say. "

Vyalov said harshly: "Don't say a damn thing. "

Olga began to cry.

Vyalov handed Daisy to the nurse. "Take my granddaughter to the car right away. "

"Yes, Mr. Vyalov. "

Vyalov grasped Olga's arm and moved her away. "Go with Polina, honey. "

Olga put her hand over her eyes to hide her tears and followed the nurse.

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