Howdy there, folks. Glen and Erika have certainly had enough time to
solve their problems. I doubt that's happened, but let's see what
they're up to.
The hotel manager, whose spot Erika is filling, calls up the hotel
and tells Erika that he'll be back at work in a week. He's hoping
they can work together for a few days before she leaves. This means
Erika's and Glen's time will be cut short! Maybe someone will be
pushed into making a decision! Maybe.
The permanent hotel manager, Bruce Oldfield, offers Erika a paid
vacation for the rest of her contract there, but Erika declines. She
and Glen would still have to say goodbye at the end of that time, you
see, and clearly it's better for her not to linger for too long. Or
something.
When Erika tells Glen that Mr. Oldfield will be coming back in a
week, Glen looks on the bright side: Erika can stay at the hotel and
spend more time with him, or just stay in his villa so they can get
up to more hijinks. Erika, however, seems to be operating under that
assumption that if Glen likes it, he should put a ring on it. She
says she has an appointment in England so she can't stay. Does
anyone else foresee Glen “dropping by” to see Erika in England
soon after she leaves?
Glen is annoyed that Erika is so bland about leaving, and Erika is
annoyed that she can't just say “forever”, but she realizes that
Glen would freak out if she suggested such a thing. She's gotta let
him get the idea, then he'll think it's wonderful and they can get
married and live happily ever after. ...but if she suggests it, then
they will break up and end up bitter and forever alone. That seems
like an intense contrast, but clearly I don't know Glen as well as
Erika does.
So, of course, they have sex again and all is well for the present,
with a stormy future looming in the distance. So...you remember that
tension I mentioned in the title? That's not what I was talking
about. This next paragraph is.
Hello, Tony Sutton, a man whom Erika has met several times previously
and turned down being having relations with, but does not do a good
job of continuing to make that clear this time. How's it going? Oh,
you're still totally into Erika. Well, you'll just have to get in
line. The consequences of Tony showing up are a bit funny, in a
“dear God what are you doing?!” kind of way.
Tony is Mr. Smooth, trying to work in time with Erika and she,
thinking that a friend will “help keep her sane” when she has to
leave Glen, says she might spend time with Tony. Because clearly
Tony's given up on getting with Erika. No, wait that other thing.
He makes a remark about ambition being something he likes in a woman.
You know, since it's the “nineteen-eighties”, that's unusual
that a man would appreciate that. I guess. Also, the two of them
are totally flirting.
So, in the spirit of poorly outlined friendship, Erika agrees to have
dinner with Tony, breaking her rule about eating with guests. Of
course, while they're having cocktails, Glen walks in and gets
territorial. Erika, desperate to make Glen think she'll be fine
(just fine!) when they go their separate ways, kind of over does it
with Tony and Tony is no help by being vague about what, exactly,
their past relationship was...which Erika appreciates. What?
Both men talk about what they do, Tony's some big wig in a bank or
something, “a captain of industry” as Erika calls him. Glen
casually mentions that Tony's company could sponsor him. Tony
uneasily says they're already sponsoring one artsy thing. Satisfied
that he won, Glen stalks away before dinner.
Dinner is tense because Erika can't forget Glen. Afterward, Tony
asks if he can hang out with Erika again the next afternoon, and he
slips a compliment in there. Then, as Erika walks away, she realizes
that she accidentally encouraged Tony's interest in her because she
was trying to make herself seem less dependent on Glen. I mean, it
seems a little obvious that this would happen, given what Erika was
doing, but they've got to fill the next four chapters somehow.
Glen calls Erika and asks if she's alone. Of course she is!
Harumph. Glen says he needs to see Erika. She says she's not at his
beck and call. He double checks they're still on for the next night.
Then Glen makes a remark about how a “captain of industry” is a
good catch, and Erika gets pissy. Glen apologizes and admits that he
wanted to hit Tony. Jealous much, Glen? Maybe you're kind of
invested here. I'm just sayin'...
Erika says neither of them own each other, they're both free, blah
blah. Glen says he can't leave her alone, with better phrasing, but
that he can't really explain because he doesn't understand himself.
He sounds so depressed that Erika wants to run to him and comfort
him, but then she'll have lost everything she gained tonight. Excuse
me? So, is it a plan to hurt him until he realizes that he totally
wants you by his side forever? Or is this like a friend picking a
fight before she moves away so neither them have to be sad? Some
people.
Anyway, back at the villa of love, Glen is annoyed at himself for
pissing off Erika. He pours himself a strong drink, then furiously
writes music until the wee hours of the morning. Then next morning
he walks down to the piano and looks at the music he wrote hours ago.
Crying out in terror, he throws it all in the trash.
So, marrying someone kills your creative outlet (in theory), but
wanting someone and being frustrated kills your creative outlet (in
practice). My prediction for the next few chapters? Glen is
screwed, Erika realizes that Tony is much easier to deal with and
falls for him and the couple we all thought would get together
doesn't. That would probably take three chapters. The last one is
shifts between Erika and Tony getting married and spending a happy
life together and Glen spiraling downward, no longer able to write
his snappy music and realizing he possesses no other marketable
skills. The romance becomes a tragedy.
