AustLit

'I didn't mean to go to the Black Cat jazz club at all. I went out for a walk to cool down after another argument with Bella. I just manged not to slam the door of our hotel room before I jogged down the green-carpeted stairs, strode across the lobby under the dusty chandeliers and pushed though the heavy swinging doors out into the street. There I stopped and took a few deep breaths. We'd been in Ljubljana three days. I liked the place, and wanted to stay longer : hike round the nearby lakes, make sketches of the frescoes in St George's church wander around this pretty little city in its autumn foliage. Bella said she was bored and couldn't we just go onto Belgrade where she knew lots of people and there were parties every night. Our differences about our holiday escalated until she was shouting and I was icily sarcastic. Despite her athletic beauty, I began to wonder whether Bella and I were a good match after all.' ( introduction)