Chapter 7
Eva sat back in the seat, watching the scenery flash past the speeding car, enjoying herself immensely. The day certainly was turning out much better than she'd anticipated.
The man beside her kept his eyes straight ahead on the crowded freeway, only now and then glancing over at Eva and smiling.
So far the trip had been mostly silent. They were well beyond the city limits. On either side of the road the endless grape fields of San Bernardino County stretched into the distance, simmering with heat of the late summer sun.
To the right the mountains followed their path, barely visible through the smog overflowing from Los Angeles.
But inside the car it was comfortable, without a trace of the discomfort visible through the glass. The only sound was the light hiss of the air-conditioning vents.
This was real luxury, Eva thought. She'd never ridden in a Cadillac before. It gave her a feeling of importance. This was the way to live, not cooped up in a stuffy house.
Martin slowed as they crawled through a town. "It won't be long now," he said.
Eva shrugged. "I'm in no hurry. Are you?" The man beside her laughed, the action relaxing the rugged features of his face. "Not really, although I'm very anxious to see your husband." He glanced over at her, adding, "Aren't you?"
"Not really," Eva admitted. "I see him all week." Martin grinned, speeding up as they left the town behind them. "I hadn't thought of it that way. Why don't you ever come up here with him?"
Eva looked at Martin with a question in her eyes. "How did you know I don't?"
"You said so back at the house when I asked where the cabin was. You told me you hadn't been up here in years. I know Ralph comes up. He's always talking about his week-ends in the mountains. And I must say that they seem to do him good. He comes back looking great."
Eva had noticed the same thing. "For those that like it, it's all right."
"But you don't."
"I don't," Eva agreed. "It's bad enough living in that box we call a house."
"You could afford better," Martin said.
Now that seemed like a strange thing to say, Eva thought. She studied Martin and he seemed suddenly uncomfortable. "Why do you say that?" she questioned.
Martin shrugged, his hands gripping the steering wheel until the knuckles showed white. "I thought the bank paid well," he said unconvincingly.
There was something here deeper than light conversation, Eva thought to herself. But it wasn't her concern. "I bet you don't live in a shack," she smiled.
Martin grinned again. He found a pack of cigarettes and offered her one, lighting them from a small, gold lighter. Eva held his hand to steady it. She could feel the strength of the man touch her. It was nice.
"No," he agreed. "I don't live in a shack. I'd like to but my wife has other ideas. She feels that a man of my stature should maintain a certain dignity. That involves a fancy home in Benedict Canyon with all the trimmings."
Eva glanced around her. "And a fancy car," she added.
Martin chuckled, nodding his head. "I suppose so but that's the one pleasure that I allow myself."
They were in San Bernardino now. Martin guided the Cadillac through the maze of traffic until they'd left the city behind. Now he headed directly towards the mountains that had been following them, driving down a broad, palm-lined street. When it seemed impossible that they could go any further, the highway cut gently to the right and began a gradual rise.
"This certainly is different from the old days," Martin grunted, swinging the car around a broad curve. "You took you life in your hands on that two-laned road."
Eva nodded absent-mindedly. For the past half hour she'd begun to wonder just when he was going to make his move. Could it be possible that he really wanted to see her husband? That would be real funny, she thought. A riot. Just the same, in fifty miles he had done nothing out of line, not even as far as trying to put his arm around her. It wasn't natural.
And so when the landscape to the right beyond dropping to alarming depths, Eva slid closer to Martin, shuddering, "That scares me."
"We're only up a few thousand feet," he grinned. "It gets worse."
"That doesn't make me like it." But she had accomplished her purpose in getting closer to him. Now Eva crossed her legs with calculated slowness, allowing a bit of slip to peek out from below the skirt. Men liked to see a bit of lace. It gave them ideas.
But apparently not to Martin. He didn't seem to notice. Eva was getting dizzy from watching the scenery flash past in great curving sections. "It looks cooler out there," she said at last. "Couldn't we put down the top?"
"Good idea," Martin agreed. At the next pull-off he left the road and slid to a stop on the gravel. As he unhooked his side of the top above the windshield, Eva struggled with hers.
"I can't get it," she lied.
"Here let me." Martin reached across in front of her. As he did, Eva leaned forward, just enough so that the fullness of the breast pressed into his arm. Excitement poured through Eva at the touch. She waited breathlessly for his response.
But instead of doing anything about it, Martin snapped the catch and moved over to his side of the car. He pulled a lever beneath the dash and the top glided back above their heads. A sudden breeze whipped through the front seat, sending Eva's hair fluttering.
But she didn't notice. She was still too perplexed at Martin's failure at rising to the bait. Never in her life had she run across a man like this.
"Better?" he asked.
Eva nodded. "Much." Despite her disappointment, she had to admit that it was lovely up here. Everything was so green, instead of the dusty brown she was used to in the rainless city. Far below she could see the beginnings of the desert and the city of San Bernardino, looking for all the world like a toy town.
And it was quiet. The birds chittering in the nearby trees were the only sound. It was as if they'd suddenly entered another world.
Martin spoiled it all by restarting the engine and drifting back towards the main highway. Era looked across at him but his expression was impossible to interpret.
In was thirty minutes before they crossed the dam at the south end of the lake.
"Water's low," Martin commented.
Eva followed his eyes. He was right. The level of the lake had fallen to a point where the original wooden dam was visible.
"Haven't seen it like that in years," Martin continued. "That's not a lake, it's a pond. You can see the stumps of the trees they cut down to clear it for a reservoir."
Eva nodded her agreement. It wasn't like she remembered it at all. The last time she'd been here the water was well up to the shore, lapping at the porches of the many cottages. At that time it had reminded her of a small, Swiss village ... or at least of what she thought a Swiss village would look like.
Now it was ugly, the dirty, muddy bottom mostly exposed. The only area left to be fished was crowded with boats almost gunnel to gunnel.
"And they call that fun," Martin said wryly.
"Ralph does," Eva commented, trying to keep the bitterness from her voice.
"I thought he was smarter than that."
Once across the concrete dam, the road suddenly got the wiggles, twisting and turning through the outcrop-pings of granite. Martin deftly guided the caddy through the narrow spaces. "Where's the cabin?"
"As I remember, it's about a mile up from the dam," she said.
Martin nodded and speeded up slightly.
In a few minutes, Eva pointed straight ahead. "There, by that big boulder. There should be a road leading to the left."
Martin grunted and hit the brakes. He found the trail and started to turn in. "Wait," Eva said sharply.
Martin stopped the car and looked across the seat at her. "What's up?"
"Nothing," Eva said, bitting her lip. "I was just thinking that it might be better if my husband doesn't see me with you."
"Why? We haven't done anything."
That was some understatement, Eva thought bitterly. Out loud she said, "I don't mean that. It's just that I've consistently refused to come up here with Ralph. If he saw me here now he might expect me to come with him the next time." She glanced around her. "I don't want to. I hate this place."
"So what'll we do?" Martin questioned, reaching for a cigarette and lighting it. "Hide you under a log?"
Eva laughed at the suggestion. Despite his good intentions, Martin was fun to be with. "Nothing like that. Just take me into the village. I'll wait for you there."
"How about finding the cabin?"
"You won't have any trouble doing that." Eva pointed ahead of them. "There are three cottages on this road. Ralph's is the last. It's painted a sickening red."
"Suits me," Martin agreed, backing the Caddy onto the main road. But you might have to wait a' while. He might be out fishing."
"That's all right," Eva smiled. "I'd just be waiting at home anyhow. I might as well do it here."
The village of Big Bear was nothing more than a three block long stretch of buildings devoted to the good natured fun of the tourists. And now the visitors swarmed over the street, buying souvenirs, doing anything to keep from having to return to the heat of the flatlands below.
Martin pulled to the curb in the center of town. "Where will I pick you up?"
Eva glanced the length of the busy sidewalk. She knew that she could be demure and tell him to meet her at the drugstore. But she certainly didn't feel like a malted milk. She pointed at the building with the statue of a wooden Indian in front of it. A small sign hung above its head, TAVERN. "That looks cool. I'll be inside."
"Fine," he agreed, He left the car and hurried around to her door, opening it.
The shock of having a man act like a gentleman for a change froze Eva momentarily to immobility. She recovered quickly and started to slide from the seat.
What happened next couldn't have been better even if she'd have planned it. In reaching for the high curb with her shoe she missed, plunging one leg to the street. Off balance, Eva pitched forward towards the sidewalk. The only thing left to prevent her from falling was Martin and she grabbed at him. He in turn grasped at her. One of his hands clutched her waist, the palm of the other pressed in on a breast, almost mashing it flat against her body.
Despite her surprise at the fall, Eva felt that hand against her blouse. It was only there a second but it was the most wonderful feeling she'd ever known. Recovering her balance, she smiled up at him, noting that the hand had gone, to her shoulder and they were now only inches apart. "Thanks," she said softly. Her heart was beating wildly.
"It was a pleasure," Martin grinned. "We wouldn't want concrete to spoil that pretty face of yours, would we:
"I didn't realize that you'd noticed," Eva smiled.
"I have," he admitted. His hands were gripping Eva's shoulders until she felt pain.
She tilted her mouth, hoping, praying that he would kiss her. All the want Eva had stored up came to the surface in a gigantic wave. It was an effort for her to keep from throwing her arms around him and begging to be caressed in the street.
But common sense prevailed. That would ruin everything with a man like Martin. "Hurry back," she heard herself say.
He gave her shoulder a final squeeze and got back into the car. "I will," he promised.
As Eva watched the Caddy purr down the street she sighed deeply. The man wasn't all stone after all. This could still turn out to be a very interesting day.