PARTISAN REVIEW
"Unfortunately, one can never manage to be alone," Giacomo
replied, thinking of Livia.
He walked, still naked, with bare feet, over the cold sand in her
direction, but she did not see him coming because she was pulling
her jersey over her head. Her nakedness, he reflected, made her
seem more virginal than ever. Her low-swung, round breasts had
large, rosy nipples, and a look of purity about them, as if they had
never been offered to a masculine caress. Indeed her virginal quality
was so overwhelming that Giacomo did not dare press her to
him
as he had intended, but stood close by while she pulled her head out
of the jersey. She shook back her ruffled hair and said in surprise:
"What are you doing? Why don't you put on your trunks?"
"I'd like to make love right here and now," said Giacomo.
"On these rocks? Are you mad?"
"No, I'm not mad."
They were facing each other now, he entirely naked and she
naked down to the waist. She crossed her arms over her breasts as
if to support and protect them and said entreatingly:
"Let's wait till tonight. . . . And meanwhile let's go swim-
ming . . . please . . . "
"Tonight you'll put me off again."
"No, it will be different tonight."
Giacomo walked silently away and proceeded to put on his
trunks, while Simona, obviously relieved, hastily donned her two–
piece suit. She shouted gaily:
"I'm off for a swim!
If
you love me, you'll follow!"
"Let's go in right here," Giacomo suggested.
Simona paused and stuck her white foot into the green and
brown seaweed that choked the black water.
"This pool
is
too murky.... It's no more than a puddle. Let's
go where we just came from."
"But we shan't be alone."
"Oh, we have plenty of time for that."
They went back to the basin, where Livio was taking a sun-bath
on the cement landing, lying as still as if he were dead. Somehow
this increased Giacomo's dislike of him. Yes, he was the sort of fellow
that goes in for purposeful tanning, and then wanders about showing
it off, wearing skimpy trunks designed to exhibit his virility as well.
