Cursed (10 page)

A half hour later Zoe’s name was finally called and they said goodbye to the men at the bar to move upstairs to their table.
Zoe whispered in Adam’s ear, placing her hand lightly on his arm as she leaned in, and he quickly nodded in agreement grabbing for the bar bill at the same time. Sarah followed the hostess up the stairs and started reading the menu, waiting for Zoe as she settled in at the table a moment later.

“Did you give him your number?”

“I made plans for a nightcap later since you’re not usually the night owl I am. Adam is going to meet me in the North End.”

The two women easily chatted about their week while waiting for their order.
As they dug in to their steaks Sarah mentioned the painting. Zoe listened, eyebrows furrowed and her level of frustration with the conversation mounting as Sarah spoke of how beautiful the painting was and how nice Mason had been. She had been so excited in the telling that she missed why Zoe had become so enraged.

“Sarah, are you really that naïve?” Zoe’s voice was loud even for this noisy restaurant. “He’s trying to buy you.
Have you
owe
him? I can’t believe this man is pulling something like this!”

“Zoe, I think you have that all wrong.” Sarah shook her head emphatically.
“My landlord is not like that at all.”

“It’s fucking creepy.
He’s
creepy.” Zoe spat out. “If I were you I would start looking for a new place. Immediately! God only knows what he does when you’re not home. He probably goes through your underwear drawer.”

“Zoe!” Sarah, lea
ning back and crossing her arms indignantly. “He does not. He is not a regular guy; he has some sort of deformity or had an accident and is very shy.”

“All the more reason! Those types are the worst! They can’t get a woman through regular channels so they become creepy and perverted.” She was almost spitting out the words and Sarah wanted to diffuse the conversation before it got any more out of control.

“Mason is a nice guy, really.” Zoe winced. “He is a very polite and proper gentleman.” Sarah took a sip of wine and looked quizzically at Zoe, feeling like she was attacking Mason similarly to the way she treated Kerry at the bagel shop and the thinly veiled comments she had made at Lisa a few weeks ago. “Zoe, what is wrong? You seem very angry.”

“Me? Angry?” Zoe was quick to respond but her grip on her knife and fork betrayed her.
“I just believe you need to get away from that place. You can find a much cheaper and cooler place over near me. You even said there are all old people living there and with a sickly guy giving you gifts I would think you would be packing your bags already.”

“It’s a beautiful apartment.
True, it would be nice to have some younger people around, but I like the quiet and love the apartment itself. In the summer it will be great with the roof deck.”

“Listen, I know someone who handles a lot of really nice apartments in the North End and
Beacon Hill. He’s cute, too. He might be someone you should meet. Go look at a few places and maybe you can use that Christmas break to move.”

“Zoe, listen, I appreciate your wanting to get me into a less expensive and more fun place but I like my apartment.
Really
. I am not moving.” Sarah watched across the table as Zoe vigorously sawed away at her rare filet mignon. The bloody meat left a puddle in the plate as she cut through the wiggly flesh.

“Fine! Whatever! You want to stay there with the old people and hideous weirdo but mark my words, Sarah Carter, you will regret it.”

Sarah felt a chill on her back and turned around, realizing the door to the restaurant on the first floor was being held open for a large party and it must be a draft. She calmed down and turned back to Zoe who was finished eating and downing the last of her merlot. She didn’t want to upset her new friend but she also didn’t want Zoe to keep harping on her moving.

Zoe raised an eyebrow as the waiter hurried by and he stopped immediately, asking what he could get for her.
Spoken like a women used to getting her way, she air brushed away the dishes and asked for another glass of merlot. Her eyes slid sideways off the waiter towards Sarah.

“Oh, um, ok.” Sarah looked up at the waiter.
“One more please.”

The waiter was busy loading up dishes even though Sarah was sure she had seen busboys.
“Yes, miss, I will be right back with your wine.” He offered Zoe a special smile before he hurried off towards the kitchen with their dishes.

“How do you do that? Get men to do whatever you want.”

Zoe smiled, lips curling in the corners exposing perfect, white teeth. “I have my ways.”

“I don’t think any man has ever said no to you.”

Zoe leaned back and stared evenly at Sarah, smile now gone and eyes narrowed slits. The din of the restaurant almost covered the low tone of her voice as Zoe confessed, “Once. A very long time ago, but I bet he regrets it every day of his miserable life.”

The wine was set on the table along with dessert menus.
Zoe smiled adoringly up at the young waiter and he blushed before asking if he could offer them anything else, the double entendre directed at Zoe hanging heavy in the air. Her smile had returned and she was playing with the waiter like a cat with a mouse. Sarah picked up her wine and took a sip, watching Zoe flirt and wondering what man had dared cross her.

Henry was just arriving at Muddy River Monday morning when Sarah entered the lobby. Removing his hat, and tapping it lightly on his thigh to shake off the snow. Sarah glanced down at the galoshes; smiling inwardly she remembered her maternal grandfather, Grandpa George, and the galoshes he always wore in inclement weather.

“Good morning, Sarah!”
He called good naturedly as he stamped the snow off his feet, “Enjoying the snow?”

“I wish I could say I was, but I am more of a warm weather girl.” Sarah confided as she joined him in front of the elevator.

Henry winked and leaned down sideways, “Your grandmother Rose always was, too. She would get spring fever on the first hot days of April,” he shook his head chuckling and remembering her grandmother, “and she would demand we all pack up, suit up and head out to Revere beach in Charley Schultz’ jalopy.” The elevator doors opened and broke his memory which was a good thing – Sarah was starting to feel a little odd thinking of her grandmother as a teenager in a bathing suit with her boss.

Stepping into the elevator, Henry thankfully changed the subject, asking about her project while removing his gloves and unbuttoning his coat.
Sarah launched into a full update on reading the manuscript and organizing the source materials.

The doors slid open and Henry stepped aside to allow Sarah out first.
Following her out, he said, “Keep up the good work, Sarah,” and he briskly marched up the hall towards his office, nodding and sprinkling pleasantries to the employees along the way.

Stopping at Kerry’s desk, Sarah set her laptop bag down on the rug while she shrugged off her wool coat.
Kerry was just finishing a call and rolled her eyes towards the ceiling as she listened to the person on the end of the line.

“Hey!
How are you, Sarah? I heard the boss throwing a little love your way.” Kerry added with a sly grin.

Sarah laughed, “Yeah, we bumped into each other coming in.”

“So how was your weekend?”

Sarah felt a little uncomfortable since she knew Kerry wasn’t fond of Zoe. “It was good.
I had dinner with Zoe Saturday night at a steak place on Newbury and Sunday I spent the day finishing my Christmas shopping over at Copley.”

“Oh my God! Don’t remind me. I haven’t even started shopping yet.”

Just as Sarah was beginning to think that the mention of Zoe was not going to illicit any remarks, Kerry added, “I don’t get that woman and why you two have become so friendly. You should come out with me and Cee Cee some weekend! We go all over the city and it’s always so much fun!”

“Zoe is a little different, I must admit, but she has been nice to me.”

“So far! Just wait. I think she wants something. She just seems evil.” Kerry involuntarily shuttered.

Sarah laughed, “Well, I have seen her mean streak, I must admit.”
Wanting to change the subject, Sarah asked Kerry what she did over the weekend. Kerry perked up and told her about the late nights, crazy people she met, and a great new band they found over the weekend. Sarah was tired just listening to Kerry recounting her social life.

As she picked up her bag to leave Kerry remembered, “Oh! I forgot to tell you when you walked in . . . your friend Lisa called.
Now
she
seems nice. Give her a call at work.”

After dropping all her stuff at her desk, Sarah picked up her phone to call Lisa.
As she dialed, she was thinking that they had not spoken since she saw her Thanksgiving weekend. At the time, Lisa had mentioned trying to call her a few times and that she didn’t get through to her cell phone. Her mom had said the same thing. She would need to look into changing her service now that she moved to Boston.

Lisa picked up on the first ring, “Sarah! I have been trying to reach you.”

“I was just thinking of changing carriers.” Sarah said as she dropped her pocketbook into her bottom desk draw and slid it closed with her booted foot.

“I’ve wanted to talk to you about plans for Christmas week.
I was going to go skiing for a few days and wanted to make sure we got to see each other. What days will you be home?”

Sarah sat down, swiveling around to her desk to turn on the computer. “I’m thinking I’ll leave Saturday afternoon and be there in time for dinner.
I’ll probably stay through late Wednesday or Thursday morning and then I was going to come back up here. I actually want to use some time researching some archives here in Boston while it’s quiet with the holidays.”

“Great! There’s a Christmas Eve party Sunday night. Maybe we can grab drinks after Christmas, too, before you head back.”

“Sounds like a plan! I am looking forward to it.” The familiar jingle sounded on her computer notifying her that it was booting up and Sarah wrapped up the conversation, “I will give you a call when I get home Saturday.”



Wednesday became bitterly cold and Sarah was becoming frustrated with the constant interruptions. Stanley and Izzy, both in a frenzy to wrap up their multiple projects before the holidays kept asking Sarah to tie down last minute items. Izzy had forgotten to get two approvals for pictures to be used in a book, and Stanley had a couple of people to track down and needed a runner to the Registry of Deeds over at One Ashburton.

When her phone rang again she muttered under breath, but then she saw it was Kerry.

“Sarah, your friend is here.” By the tone, more than her lack of friends in the city, she knew it must be Zoe.

“I’ll be out front in a minute.”

Sarah was thinking it strange Zoe would just show up like this. She saw Zoe pacing in the reception area up ahead as she briskly walked up the long hallway.

“Sarah!”

“Hey Zoe, what’s up?”

“I was in the neighborhood and thought I would stop by.
I have a woman I buy from that lives over this way, but she’s older and can’t get out very easily so I pick up the jewelry she makes every week.”

Sarah looked over towards Kerry who was rolling her eyes as she stared at the computer screen.

“Is that the jewelry?” Sarah pointed at the plain brown shopping bag Zoe was holding.

“This” Zoe announced, holding up the bag and jutting her arm out towards Sarah, letting the bag dangle off her black cherry manicured fingers, “is for you.
Merry Christmas, a little early.”

Sarah took the bag hesitantly, looking bewildered with Zoe’s generous, but unexpected, gesture.

“Zoe, I, um, I didn’t know we were exchanging gifts.”

“No worries, really, I just knew you would enjoy this.”

“Well thank you, Zoe. Merry Christmas.” Sarah looked in the bag and saw a wrapped box tied up with a bright red bow.

“Put it under your tree, or bring it back to
Connecticut and open on Christmas. When do you leave?”

“I’m hoping to head out by mid-day Saturday.
I’m taking the train and then my dad will get me at the station. I just finished up my shopping but I need to start wrapping tonight.”

“How long are you staying? Through New Years?”

“No, I have work to do here. I need to get out to the national archives in Waltham to check census records so I am thinking of coming back early Thursday morning. What are your plans?”

“Oh, we’ll do the traditional feast of the seven fishes Christmas eve, then dinner up on the north shore Monday for Christmas.”

“Sounds nice. You’ve never mentioned family around here.”

“Oh yes, some aunts and cousins. We’re scattered though.
Well enjoy the holiday. We’ll catch up when you get back. My shop needs to open so I need to scoot!”