Chapter 35

Then Zvika smacked my thigh with a hand, so that I jumped.

“Thanks for that, Keith,” he said.

I nodded and then something hit me, something that George had said. “I guess we’re a bit sympatico. I mean, to have that understanding.”

Zvika nodded. “Yes.” He took another swig from the bottle. “And a good thing too!” He looked at me, appreciatively, I thought. “You came through, Keith. With two against one we were okay. By myself—well, I wasn’t sure of how it would have turned out.”

The thought struck me then that it was that sort of thing, the teaming up aspect, mutual support, that made being part of a couple so desirable. That and the sex. (And the love? That, it seemed to me, was dicier.)

Then I sat up. “Where’s George?”

“Oh!” Zvika sat up too. “He went upstairs, to lie down, before the guy arrived.”

I thought. “Why didn’t you get him? For the money, I mean.”