IN THE MORNING THINGS WILL LOOK EVEN BETTER
“There, you hear them?” he said, “They’re at it again. Do you hear it?”
“Hear what?” she said.
“Them,’ he said. ‘They’re doing it again. Them upstairs. Every night we get this.”
“Doing what again?”
“You know... Christ, Linda... do I need to spell it out to you?”
“Oh, I see... that. Well, they’re a young couple. It’s perfectly natural. Come back to bed, Tony.”
“I can’t sleep. They wake me up every night. I bet you they’re not even married.”
He lit a cigarette, opened the window and leaned out. “No consideration for anybody,” he said.
In the distance he could see the perimeter lights of the airport where he worked as a security guard.
“You’re only jealous,” she said.
“That’s an awful thing to say, Linda. That’s a goddam awful thing to say.”
He blew a plume of grey smoke into the clear cold night air. There was a new moon. He could see frost glistening on the small square of grass below.
“Hurry up and close that window, Tony,” she said. “It’s bloody freezing in here now thanks to you.”
“I’m going to have it out with them,” he said.
“What, right now? I’m sure they’ll thank you for that.”
“Not now... in the morning.”
“Oh, I see. So what are you going to say? 'Do you two mind not screwing at night, it keeps me awake?'”
“It’s not funny. I’m going to give them a piece of my mind.”
“Goodnight, Tony.’
‘That was a goddam awful thing to say,” he said.
“What are you talking about?”
“Just now... what you said about me being jealous.”
“Well, you are aren’t you?”
“What was that meant to mean. I mean, just what the hell did you mean by it?”
Tony flicked away the half-smoked cigarette. It spun like a Catherine wheel in the dark. There was a shower of sparks as it hit the ground. He slammed the window shut.
“That should do it,” she said.
“Do what?” he said.
“Wake everyone up,” she said.
“Me? What about them upstairs?” he said. “They don’t give a damn.”
“I should think the whole neighbourhood’s awake by now,” she said.
“People don’t give a damn these days, that’s the trouble,” he said.
She said: “Please come back to bed, Tony. Things will look better in the morning,” and pulled the covers up tight around her chin.