The telephone rang and Tom left. Daisy suddenly threw her napkin on the table and excused herself and went into the house, too.
“Tom’s got some woman in New York[23],” said Miss Baker. “She might have the decency not to telephone him at dinner-time. Don’t you think?”
Tom and Daisy were back at the table.
“We don’t know each other very well, Nick,” said Daisy. “Well, I’ve had a very bad time, and I’m pretty cynical about everything. I think everything’s terrible anyhow. I KNOW. I’ve been everywhere and seen everything and done everything.”
Tom Buchanan had a mistress[24]. Though I was curious to see her I had no desire to meet her – but I did. I went up to New York with Tom on the train one afternoon and when we stopped he jumped to his feet.
“We’re getting off!” he insisted. “I want you to meet my girl.”
I followed him over a low white-washed railroad fence. I saw a garage – Repairs. GEORGE B. WILSON. Cars Bought and Sold[25] – and I followed Tom inside.
“Hello, Wilson, old man,” said Tom, “How’s business?”
“I can’t complain,” answered Wilson. “When are you going to sell me that car?”
“Next week.”
Then I saw a woman. She was in the middle thirties[26], and faintly stout[27], but she carried her surplus flesh sensuously as some women can. She smiled slowly and walking through her husband as if he were a ghost shook hands with Tom. Then she spoke to her husband in a soft, coarse voice:
“Get some chairs, why don’t you, so somebody can sit down.”
“Oh, sure,” agreed Wilson and went toward the little office.
“I want to see you,” said Tom intently. “Get on the next train.”
“All right.”
“I’ll meet you by the news-stand.”
She nodded and moved away from him.
We waited for her down the road and out of sight.
“Terrible place, isn’t it,” said Tom.
“Awful.”
“It does her good to get away[28].”
“Doesn’t her husband object?”
“Wilson? He thinks she goes to see her sister in New York. “
“Myrtle’ll[29] be hurt if you don’t come up to the apartment,” said Tom.
I have been drunk just twice in my life and the second time was that afternoon. Some people came – Myrtle’s sister, Catherine, Mr. McKee, a pale feminine man from the flat below, and his wife. She told me with pride that her husband had photographed her a hundred and twenty-seven times since they had been married.