“The waiter will bring some.”
“No. This is fine, thanks. I see a machine over there.”
I held a match to her cigarette, shook it out, got up, and walked over to the cigarette-vending machine. I pretended I was out of change, and went over to the bar to get some. After getting the package of cigarettes, I paused by the pinball machine and played a game. While I was doing that I slid my right hand down into my coat pocket, got hold of the discarded cigarettes I’d slipped out from the other package, crumbled them into a ball, and dropped them unobtrusively on the floor.
I finished my game on the pinball machine and managed to ring up a couple of free games.
I looked back over at the table. Marilyn was watching me, but Hale was leaning forward, pouring conversation into her ear. The three new drinks were on the table.
I waved my hand, called out, “This is velvet,” and turned back to the pinball machine.
Rosalind walked up to the cigarette-vending machine, fumbled in her purse for coins, said out of the comer of her mouth, “Don’t look up.”
I kept playing the pinball machine.
“Don’t make any play for me. It would cost me my job. She’s interested in you. When you walked out on her, it knocked her for a loop. But-don’t go overboard.”
“Why?”