“We've been over this,” I said.
“I know,” she said. “But . . .”
“It's going to be good,” I echoed, with an inward sigh of contentment when I realized that I meant it. She patted my hand then sipped at her tea. I knocked lightly on her stomach and said, “Is everything okay in there, son?”
“Daughter,” Gretchen contended. She released my hand and sat up, adding, “Just for that, you're not allowed to touch me again until she kicks.”
A few days later, Gretchen gave me the excuse I needed to decline Frank's invitation to use his Lake Geneva cabin after the wedding. I'd invited her to lunch so I could show off my new office, which I loved. It was easily three times the size of the space I'd had at Breslin Evans. Violet and Adam had gone all out to give me separate areas for the different kinds of work I did. My desk was uncluttered and angled toward the window to provide me a panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline. It was a place where I could sit and daydream, which was how my advertising ideas were born. Across the room was a bank of computers that were networked with the copywriters, illustrators, and storyboard, layout, and graphic artists who brought my ideas to fruition. At the other end of my new office was an area where I could have meetings, either on leather sofas or around a small conference table. There were phones located conveniently in each of the work areas. In essence, I could do every part of my job without leaving my office.
“Of course,” I said to Gretchen, “Lillith brought in a feng shui expert to arrange everything in a harmonious balance.”
“Om,” Gretchen chanted.
“And someone came in with sage sticks to smudge the room.”
“Is that how they did that on the walls? I thought they used sponges.”
“That's not faux marble,” I said, frowning at her. “It's real. She also had a priest come in to bless it.”
“I guess if it had been faux marble, an altar boy would have sufficed. I love all the windows. You have a great view.”
“I know. I hope I'm as lucky when I find a new apartment.”
“You're still determined to move?”
“Not until after the wedding. I figured I can use moving as a way out of a vacation Frank has planned for me.”
After I told her the details about Lake Geneva, Gretchen said, “By then, we'll be telling everyone our news. You can always pretend you're having expectant father jitters and you don't want to travel until after the baby's born.”
“You're a genius,” I said. “Are you up for lunch?”
“Isn't that why I'm here?”
“I wasn't sure if you were having nausea yet.”
“I'm still working. I don't have time for nausea. My appetite's voracious.”
“Are you having any cravings?”
“There was this blonde on the subwayâ”
“I was thinking Le Madri,” I said.
Frank was waiting for the elevator when we left the office. I didn't know if it was because Rowdy wasn't with him, but he looked a little lost to me. I introduced him to Gretchen, then asked, “Where's Rowdy? Don't you usually grab lunch while you're walking him?”
“Rowdy is my yellow Lab,” Frank explained to Gretchen. “He's at the groomer.”
Gretchen surprised me by saying, “If you don't have other plans, why don't you join us?”
“I don't want to intrude.”
“We'd love to have you,” I insisted. It occurred to me that Frank had to be lonely in a new city where, as far as I knew, Lillith and his employees were the only people he was acquainted with.
“If you're sure you don't mind,” Frank said, looking happier.
“Not at all.”
When we got into the elevator, Gretchen took the opportunity to smile at me, and I knew she'd picked up the same vibe I had. It touched me that she'd forgo one of her few opportunities to discuss our baby to share lunch with a lonely stranger. She also knew how to go straight to his heart, asking him questions about Rowdy. I let them carry the conversation until we arrived at Le Madri, where Frank looked with appreciation at the cheerfully appointed tables and beautifully finished wood floors.
While we stood in line waiting to be seated, Gretchen stifled a laugh, and I followed the direction of her eyes. Ahead of us, I could see a woman's heavily jeweled hand gesturing to her companions with a cigarette holder which held an unlit cigarette.
“Get her,” Gretchen whispered.
I smiled absently, then I suddenly focused. There was no way it could be. But it had to beâ
“Daniel?” I asked loudly, and a man standing next to the woman turned to look at me.
After we exchanged stunned gazes for a few seconds, his face broke into a smile so warm that it made my heart turn over. He said nothing to his Aunt Jen when he stepped toward me, nor did he seem to notice Gretchen and Frank standing beside me.
As we stood staring wordlessly at each other, I felt like I was having some kind of out-of-body experience. Lillith would have been proud. I was dimly aware of our two groups merging and introductions being exchanged, then we were moved toward our table. The turning of heads and whispering provided my first dose of reality; Daniel had obviously been recognized by some fans. By the time I snapped to, I realized that he was sitting directly across from me, flanked by Gretchen and his aunt. Daniel's sister Gwendy was on my right, and Frank was on my left. I could barely remember being seated at the table covered by a starched white cloth, but as I smoothed the matching napkin over my lap, I figured I must have been managing coherent speech, because no one was casting strange looks my way.
Gretchen did, however, catch my eye, inclining her head toward Gwendy, and I remembered my manners.
“Is this your first trip to New York?” I asked, trying to catch up with the conversation.
“Yes. I love it! There's so much to do here, and the people are wonderful. I can't believe Daniel kept it a secret all these years.”
Daniel made a disparaging noise and said, “That's the way we New Yorkers are. We don't want a lot of tourists cluttering up the place and spending their money, so we never let our city be featured in any books, television shows, or movies.”
“Hush,” Gwendy said. “You know what I mean. Everybody talks about New York like it's dirty and unfriendly and awful. But frankly, I'm dazzled.”
“Yes, and she bought one of those dreadful tourist books and intends to traipse over the entire city in a week,” Aunt Jen said with a shudder. “Dragging me with her, I might add.”
“I keep telling you that I can sightsee alone,” Gwendy assured her.
“Aunt Jen doesn't believe in young females exploring the city unescorted,” Daniel explained to Frank. “Fortunately, I've had some time off.”
“That's why we planned the trip for now,” Gwendy said.
Everyone paused to order. I thought Gretchen seemed abnormally subdued; she didn't even harangue the waiter about the best vegetarian choices. I decided she might feel strange sitting with Daniel and me, considering everything that had happened. Or maybe it was just difficult for her to be in his presence when he didn't know about our baby.
Daniel, on the other hand, could have been my mirror. Instead of feeling like things were awkward between us, I had a giddy sense of happiness just sitting across from him. I could tell by the way his eyes danced every time he looked at me that he felt the same. It almost seemed like we were sharing a tantalizing secret that no one else knew.
“I notice neither of you has complained about being chauffeured around after you've walked your silly feet off all day,” Aunt Jen finally said to her niece and nephew.
“I'm new to the city, too,” Frank said. “I've been intending to see some of the sights, but it's not much fun alone.”
“You wouldn't say that if you had to do it with two people who act like they're heading to the gas chamber every morning,” Gwendy assured him.
“Perhaps with a charming companion like you, instead of my headstrong niece, I might enjoy a spot of sight-seeing, too,” Aunt Jen said, flashing a brilliant smile Frank's way.
I met Daniel's eyes and mouthed,
She's flirting with him.
“I confess,” Frank said. “I'm a hopeless sucker for any tourist trap. We should consider making a couple of days of it. I'll be your escort in return for the pleasure of your company.”
“How gallant,” Aunt Jen murmured.
“You don't have to do that,” Gwendy demurred, shooting an exasperated glance at her aunt.
“Everything's running so smoothly in our new office that I'm useless there,” Frank vowed. “It's a great time for me to explore my new home, especially in such pleasant company.”
I looked at Daniel, who stared pointedly at Frank. Then he mimed taking a large bite of food to communicate,
He's eating it up.
Conversation halted again as our salads were set before us, then Frank asked Aunt Jen, “Are you from Wisconsin, too?”
“Originally. I still maintain a home in Eau Claire, but I also have apartments in Tampa and San Diego. You?”
“Kenosha,” Frank said.
“Really? Perhaps you know my dear friends, Edward and Anita Oliver?”
“I've spent many a Sunday on the links with Ed Oliver,” Frank said.
This propelled them on a mission of discovering other mutual acquaintances. Gwendy sighed and asked in a low voice, “Is your boss loaded?”
“He doesn't usually drink this early in the day,” I said, pretending to misunderstand her.
“I'm just giving you fair warning. That old termagant could be your future boss-in-law.”
“Behave, or she'll write you out of the will,” Daniel said softly, after making sure his aunt was still engrossed in her conversation with Frank.
“Oh, you've got it made. You're leaving for Hawaii tomorrow,” Gwendy said.
“You are?” I asked Daniel. “Vacation?”
“No. In spite of the expense, the show has decided to shoot my latest storyline on location. Picture it. Weeks in Hawaii with the delightful Jane-Therese Pennick. The plus side is, she's getting shoved into a supposedly extinct volcano.”
“Jane-Therese or her character, Cressida?” I asked.
“That remains to be seen,” Daniel said, assuming Angus Remington's best menacing look.
“Weeks?” Gretchen asked. “How many weeks? What about the wedding?”
“Oh, God, you don't think I'd screw that up,” Daniel said. “Sheila would have a breakdown. In fact, when I get back from taping in Hawaii, I'll be on vacation. I'm spending it in Wisconsin so I can help get everything ready for the big day.”
“Oh, good,” Gretchen said.
Not good, I silently disagreed. We seemed to be experiencing a mutual return of our fascination with each other, and it was disheartening to know that it would be nearly two months before I saw him again.
Gwendy stared at her aunt, who was glowing as she flirted with Frank, and said, “I can see how the rest of my vacation will go after Daniel abandons me. I'll be like an unpaid companion to her. At this rate, I wonder who's chaperoning whom?”
“Make Daniel give you all our numbers,” I urged her. “I'm sure Sheila and I can rescue you.”
“Are you the attorney or the social worker?” Gretchen asked Gwendy, obviously unable to sort through Daniel's array of sisters.
“The attorney. Family law,” Gwendy said.
“If you don't mind mixing business with pleasure, I'm supposed to attend an interesting discussion group tomorrow night on pediatric AIDS and the Family Leave Act,” Gretchen said. “You can meet some brilliant professionals, and it might be of use to you in your work someday. I'll treat you to dinner and drinks afterward, at some place a little livelier than your aunt might enjoy.”
“I'd love to,” Gwendy said. “That's so nice of you.”
“Women's networks helped build my career,” Gretchen said. “We have to look out for each other.”
“Networks,” I said to Daniel, doing air quotes around the word.
“Yeah, what is it Rush Limbaugh calls them?” Daniel asked.
“Don't even go there,” Gwendy warned him, while Gretchen jabbed him in the ribs.
“Congratulations,” Aunt Jen said, and I realized she was talking to me. When I gave her a quizzical look, she said, “Frank just told me about your new position as Creative Director. I always knew you'd be tremendously successful.”
Maybe it was paranoia, but I could have sworn the expression on her face communicated,
Whatever the cost.
When she cast a doting look on Daniel, I was sure I'd read her correctly. Whether or not she knew any of the details of our breakup, she was, as always, squarely in her nephew's corner. It didn't bother me. I wouldn't mind being in his corner, myself. Or in his bed, his shower, his garden, his arms . . .
I cleared my mind of those kinds of thoughts. Maybe when I wasn't actually in his presence, I'd regain my equilibrium.
Later that afternoon, as I stared from my office window, my senses were still full of him. When our accidental lunch had endedâthere was no haggling over the check, as Aunt Jen was completely willing to let Frank be the gentleman he was, and cover itâand we'd all walked outside, Daniel's group to climb into their limo, mine to hail a cab, he'd given me a quick hug.
“You and I,” he said, “need to make time in Eau Claire for a serious talk. Although I can't say I feel all that serious at the moment.”
“Me, either,” I admitted.
“I'll callâ”