‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Alice says. ‘You didn’t have to get me anything at all. Meanwhile,’ she extends her hand as Harry tries to hide the present, ‘hand it over.’
‘Okay.’ Harry reluctantly hands Alice a small box, and Joe what is quite obviously a book.
Joe rips the paper off. ‘
The History of Porsche
,’ he says delightedly. ‘Thanks, Harry. What a great book.’
‘My pleasure,’ Harry smiles. ‘Go on, Alice. Open yours.’
Alice opens the paper, then the box, and finds an alarm clock shaped like a dog, a dog that looks exactly like Snoop.
She laughs delightedly. ‘I love it!’ she says.
‘Wait,’ Harry smiles. ‘You have to hear the alarm.’ He takes the clock and turns the dials on the face until the alarm goes off, a person barking in a thick, almost indecipherable, Japanese accent.
‘What the…?’ Joe starts laughing.
‘What is that?’ Emily giggles.
‘I know. It’s made in Japan. Isn’t that bizarre?’ Harry grins. ‘It just made me laugh, and of course I couldn’t miss the resemblance to Snoop.’
Alice laughs. ‘It will have pride of place on my bedside table. Thank you,’ and she leans over to give Harry a kiss.
‘Come on guys,’ Emily says. ‘What about your presents to each other? Your turn now.’
Alice and Joe exchange gifts and open them at the same time. Joe is thrilled with his watch, and Alice is embarrassed to open a large orange Hermès box, to find a beautiful russet Kelly bag within. It’s a classic, it’s smart as hell, and it’s just about the very last thing Alice wants right now.
What did she want? A KitchenAid mixer would have been fantastic, not to mention a fraction of the cost of the Kelly bag. Or a new pair of gardening clogs and gloves. Or perhaps a set of thermal underwear to keep her warm.
‘Wow!’ Emily says, well aware of the beauty, and cost, of a Kelly bag.
‘Nice bag,’ says Harry, who has no idea.
‘Do you like it?’ Joe says, used to Alice gushing with joy in the past over presents such as these, somewhat mystified by her silence.
‘It’s beautiful,’ Alice smiles, getting up to kiss him and making a pretence of admiring the bag. ‘I love it,’ and as she sits down again she reaches up and fingers the quartz crystal. Help him know who I am and love me for it anyway, she thinks. Help us understand one another. Help us. Please.
The rest of their days pass all too quickly. They bundle up in gloves and hats, go for long walks along nature trails or take Snoop to the beach – bleak and deserted in the middle of winter.
They drive up to Mystic and wander through the Seaport, stopping at the touristy shops, laughing at how gullible they are but buying fishy mementoes nevertheless.
They have antiqued in New Canaan, all four of them horrified by the extravagant prices for reproduction furniture, the originals of which are available at a fraction of the price at any number of shops along the Kings Road. ‘Are they mad?’ Joe kept repeating. ‘Three thousand dollars for that repro bit of shit?’
They have been on holiday house tours – days when handfuls of people in various towns open their houses to whoever would like to poke around in them – and have oohed and aahed at magnificent modern houses on the water, at charming converted barns in the middle of the woods. ‘Isn’t this extraordinary?’ Alice had nudged Emily. ‘That people just open their houses to strangers?’
‘No, not at all. I’m thinking of doing it at home actually. I thought I might stick a sign up in Camden High Street and open my flat up one Sunday. What do you think?’
Alice bursts out laughing. ‘I think you’d have all the local winos moving in.’
‘Surely not,’ Emily says with a serious face. ‘You don’t think they’d just walk around, admire my Habitat throws covering my manky old sofa, then leave?’
They go to trendy South Norwalk – SoNo – and make comparisons with Covent Garden, Alice and Emily even going so far as to buy handfuls of beads in the bead store and spend an afternoon making necklaces and earrings which they insist on wearing for the next two days, and then remove, never to be worn again.
Alice and Emily leave the boys behind one afternoon and drive up to the Danbury Mall, both of them astonished by the reductions in the end-of-year sales. ‘But I had to buy it,’ Emily explains to a surprised Harry, surprised because he is still under the illusion that Emily has no money. ‘It was half price. As far as I’m concerned that’s practically free.’
They alternate between cooking at home – each of them taking turns (Alice inevitably produces homestyle stews and casseroles, Emily has so far made pasta twice, Harry has made roast chicken, and Joe has organized Chinese takeout, which was voted most inspired meal of the trip) – and going out to restaurants as far afield as Southport and Monroe.
The rose quartz crystal, which Alice surreptitiously and secretly ‘programmed’ on 26 December, and which she has not taken off apart from at night, appears to be working. Joe’s workload seems to have eased off, and he has spent far more time than Alice would have thought possible with the rest of them, genuinely appearing to be having fun.
In fact he has disappeared only twice, for last-minute tennis matches, and has been as loving and attentive as Alice had wished for. Alice has not been this happy for a long time, and having Emily (particularly Emily) and Harry here cements that happiness for her. She has her dream home, her dream life, her husband and her best friend here. What more could she possibly ask for?
22
The house is completely silent as Alice walks in the front door, her arms filled with brown paper bags of groceries.
She dumps the bags on the kitchen table, pausing as something catches her eye outside, and leaning forward to see better, watches with a smile as Harry bends down to reward Snoop with a treat. Snoop, who clearly adores Harry, trots off next to him as they both head down to the pond. ‘Traitor,’ she whispers under her breath, but the smile doesn’t leave her face.
She unpacks and puts away the food, stokes the fire, then pops her head around the study door to find Joe tapping away at his computer.
‘Do you need anything?’ she says.
‘No, darling. I’m just doing some work. Won’t be long.’
‘But Joe, it’s New Year’s Eve.’
‘I know, darling. I’m sorry, but that’s why I won’t be long. Promise. I’ll be out in about fifteen minutes.’
Alice sighs. ‘Where’s Emily?’
‘Don’t know. Try upstairs.’
Alice closes his study door again and walks softly upstairs, knocking on Emily’s door.
‘Em? Are you in there?’
Silence.
She pushes open the door as Emily stirs and opens her eyes. ‘Bloody jet-lag,’ she mumbles, still half-asleep. ‘I can’t believe I’ve been here a week and I’m still exhausted.’
‘Oh God, I’m sorry. Did I wake you? Bugger. Look, you go back to sleep, sorry. Sorry.’ Alice starts to close the door.
‘No,’ Emily says. ‘Come back. I was just waking up anyway.’ She pats the bed. ‘Come and talk to me.’
Alice kicks her shoes off and lies down on the bed next to Emily, rolling on to her side to face her friend, resting her head on her arm and smiling at her.
‘So were you having dangerous dreams?’ Alice says.
‘I know they were weird but can’t remember them.’
‘So not about,’ she drops her voice and silently mouths, ‘Colin?’
‘No!’ Emily says. ‘Sssh. Where’s Harry?’
‘Outside playing with Snoop.’
‘He misses Dharma.’
‘Em, I know you don’t want me to say this but he’s just so lovely. How can you not fall madly in love with him?’
Emily sighs. ‘I don’t know. I just don’t know. Anyway, if you think he’s so lovely you can have him.’
‘Thanks,’ Alice snorts. ‘But no thanks. Like I haven’t got enough to deal with.’
‘Joe seems to be on pretty good form.’
‘I’m sure his computer would agree.’
Emily frowns. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean all he seems to do when he’s down here is read the papers or sit at his bloody computer for hours doing God knows what. He says he’s working but half the time when I open the door he gets rid of whatever he’s looking at, so for all I know he’s playing bloody Solitaire.’
‘Maybe he’s addicted to internet porn,’ Emily grins.
Alice rolls her eyes. ‘I tell you, nothing surprises me any more. Anyway, you should get up because we’ve got the party later on and we have to make ourselves beautiful.’
‘Okay. So what are you wearing for the party? Are they smart or casual?’
Alice shrugs. ‘I think I’ll probably go for black trousers and a black sweater.’
‘When in doubt keep it black?’
‘Absolutely. What about you?’
‘I bought a sparkly leopard-print top last week in SoHo. I thought I could give it its first outing tonight.’
Alice laughs. ‘You’ll certainly give the locals something to talk about.’
‘Will they all hate me?’
‘Nah. Only the women. The men will probably spend all night lusting after you. Especially James.’
‘James?’
‘The local lech. All mouth and no trousers.’
Emily smiles. Exactly what Alice has always said about Joe.
‘Is he nice?’
‘Do you care?’
‘Just curious.’
‘He is nice, actually. Just a terrible flirt but only when your other half isn’t around. But his wife’s a bit of a nightmare. She and Joe play tennis together and she’s also a horrible flirt who I don’t trust at all. She’s charm personified to Joe, and rather cold and flinty to me.’
‘Sounds awful.’
‘She’s the only person I’ve met here who I don’t really like. But hey, you can’t like all of the people all of the time. Now come on. Up you get. I’ll see you downstairs.’
‘Wow!’ Joe looks up and gives a long whistle as Emily walks down the stairs and gives a twirl in front of the Christmas tree.
‘Why, thank you,’ she says. ‘You don’t think it’s too obvious?’
‘You look sexy as hell,’ Joe says, taking in Emily’s luscious breasts in her semi-transparent top and high spindly heels. ‘Good enough to eat.’
‘Joe!’ Emily, while enjoying the compliment, refuses to flirt with Joe.
‘Sorry, sorry. But you do look fantastic.’
‘And you promise they won’t all think I’m a slut?’
‘Well, they might, but they’ll all fancy you anyway.’
‘Oh shit. I’m going to change.’
‘No!’ Joe says. ‘You’ll probably be the most exciting thing they’ve seen since the OJ police chase.’
‘God. I do have to change. I’m too obvious now.’
Alice steps down the stairs in her flat suede shoes, and laughs when she sees Emily.
‘Wow,’ she says. ‘You look amazing.’
Emily looks worried. ‘Too sexy do you think?’
‘Unbelievably sexy, but who cares?’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Quite sure. What does Harry think?’
‘He was in the shower. Okay. I’ll wait and see what Harry thinks.’
A few minutes later Harry emerges, hair still damp from the shower. His eyes open wide when he sees Emily.
‘Wow,’ he says.
‘You like?’
‘You look incredible,’ he starts. ‘But do you think it’s appropriate for the country? I mean, Alice is in trousers and flat shoes. I think you look amazing but you might feel a bit out of place.’
Alice watches as Emily bridles. ‘I
feel
amazing,’ she says. ‘And this is what I’m wearing.’
Joe grins. ‘Don’t worry, Harry, she’ll be the hit of the party.’
The four of them pull up into Sally and Chris’s driveway. Small white fairy lights twinkle between the needles of the white pine trees lining the driveway, and there are candles in all the windows, giving the house a traditional, festive air.
Sally comes to the door in a long black velvet dress, glass of eggnog in hand, and kisses both Joe and Alice hello.
‘Great to meet you,’ she says warmly, putting the drinks down to shake hands with Harry and Emily. ‘Let me take your coats.’
Her eyes widen slightly at Emily’s leopard print extravaganza, but she has the good grace to recover quickly, and with a smile she leads everyone into the formal living-room.
‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ Sally says. ‘I just have to deliver drinks and check on the food. Chris is around somewhere and of course you know Kay and James over there. Chris!’ she shouts. ‘Come and say hello!’ And with that she disappears.
‘Who is that?’ Emily whispers out of the corner of her mouth as Kay advances with a large smile and a mile of leg. ‘Nah, don’t tell me. She’s got to be the nightmare.’
‘Yup.’ Alice plasters a false smile on her face as she nods. ‘I wonder how you knew? Kay! How lovely to see you!’
‘Hello Alice, I haven’t seen you in ages.’ Kay smiles coldly, enthusiasm only reaching her eyes when she turns to Joe. ‘Hi partner,’ she says, her lips suddenly forming more of a pout, her eyes twinkling with an uncharacteristic warmth.
‘Hi partner!’ Joe laughs, bending down and giving Kay a peck on the cheek. Alice turns to Emily and rolls her eyes as Emily stifles a laugh. ‘These are our friends Emily and Harry,’ Joe says. ‘They’re visiting from London.’
Kay turns slowly and sizes Emily up and down. ‘Well,’ she says brightly. ‘Great outfit,’ but her voice is full of disdain and Emily doesn’t feel the need to pretend to be polite. ‘I could say the same about yours,’ she says, giving Kay the same look, taking in her tiny Lycra miniskirt and strappy sequinned top.
Kay’s face hardens and she turns to Harry, the smile returning. ‘Well, hello,’ she says. ‘I’m Kay.’
‘How do you do. Harry.’ And he shakes her hand politely, admiring her rather spectacular cleavage.
‘God, aren’t men pathetic,’ Alice whispers to Emily. ‘Let’s go and get something to drink.’
‘Good idea,’ Emily agrees, turning to the men. ‘Back in a minute.’
They walk out of the living-room, shoulder to shoulder, heads together as they giggle.
‘Isn’t she
awful
?’ Alice says. ‘Joe thinks she’s “great fun” but I think she’s dreadful. Did you see the way she looked at Joe? Talk about thinking you’re God’s gift.’
‘What about how she looked at Harry?’
‘Yeah. She looked like she thought it was Christmas.’
They both start laughing.
‘And what are you two lovely girls laughing at?’
They stop abruptly and turn to see James. ‘Ah, James, we were just talking about you.’
‘You were?’
‘We were?’ Emily is just as surprised, but not half as delighted.
‘Well, we were talking about your wife actually, just saying how wonderful Kay looks tonight.’
James raises an eyebrow as he stares at Emily’s breasts, thinly concealed in the leopard-print top. ‘I’d say she had some pretty stiff competition,’ he says.
‘As long as that’s the only thing that’s stiff,’ Emily laughs merrily.
‘Emily.’ Alice nudges her sharply, because while she has come to realize that harmless flirting is fine, the double entendres that are so common at home seem to go down like a lead balloon over here.
True to form, James looks slightly shocked.
‘Sorry,’ Emily mumbles. ‘I didn’t mean anything by it. You must be James.’ She extends her hand which James takes gratefully.
‘I am. And you are?’
‘Emily. How do you do.’
‘Another lovely English girl,’ he says. ‘What have we done to deserve this?’
‘James?’ Kay rounds the corner and joins them as James looks flustered. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Just talking to Alice,’ he says. ‘Sorry, honey. What was it again that you wanted?’
‘A Cosmopolitan.’ Her irritation is apparent. ‘I’ll wait for you, shall I?’
‘No, no. I’m going now. Nice to meet you,’ he says to Emily and scurries into the kitchen for the drink.
‘Bit of a weird dynamic,’ Emily says when Kay has gone back into the living-room. ‘What’s going on there?’
‘I’d rather not know. Although he’s actually very nice once you get past the leching. He owns a garden centre in town. But anyway, Em, what did you expect wearing that? I warned you.’
‘He’s attractive, isn’t he?’ Emily muses, as James walks back past them, a Cosmopolitan in one hand, a beer in the other.
‘I suppose so, but in a very henpecked way.’
Every few minutes the doorbell rings, and within half an hour the room is packed. Frank Sinatra plays softly from the stereo, a fire blazes in the huge stone fireplace, and glass bowls filled with cranberries and fat red candles flicker light gently around the room.
The hum of conversation grows louder the more relaxed people become, and Sally and Chris push their way through the crowd bearing silver trays piled high with canapés.
Joe is astonished by how many people Alice seems to know. ‘HomeFront?’ he keeps whispering as yet another woman waves at Alice from across the room, or walks over to say hello.
‘She’s from HomeFront,’ she’ll say. Or, ‘No, that’s Caroline who works in the coffee shop,’ or, ‘That’s Samantha, I met her at the supermarket.’
‘But you know everyone!’ Joe says. ‘When did my wife turn into such a sociable creature?’
‘My darling husband, if you ever took a break from work,’ Alice smiles lovingly, ‘you would have noticed how sociable I am. Actually I think it’s just because I’m happy.’
‘Are you, darling?’ He smiles down at her and puts an arm around her waist, pulling her close as he kisses her softly on the lips and smiles into her eyes. ‘Good. Have I told you recently that I love you?’
Alice leans into him, savouring the closeness, remembering how much she loves it when he is this affectionate, this loving, suddenly realizing how much she has missed by spending so much time away from him in the country.
Alice smiles up at him. ‘
Do
you love me?’
‘Very very much.’
‘Good, because I love you too.’
‘As much as I love you?’
‘Oh, I think quite possibly more.’
‘Well, that’s okay then.’ Joe laughs and kisses her again as Kay watches from across the room, her face hardening. She would have put money on them being unhappy. God knows Joe flirts with her enough over their weekly games of tennis. But look at them now over there, acting like newlyweds, eyes only for each other. Surely she couldn’t have misread the situation that much…
‘Everything all right, honey?’ James is at her side.
Kay switches the smile back on. ‘Oh yes,’ she says, putting an arm round his waist as he smiles in delight and surprise. ‘Give me a kiss, you gorgeous man.’
‘Here?’ he says, looking around. ‘In public?’
‘And why not? Are you embarrassed to be seen kissing your wife?’ Kay is aware that Joe is now looking over at them. Hell, he isn’t the only one who can play that game.
‘Why no. Of course not.’ James leans down and gives her a quick peck on the lips, but Kay snakes her arms around his neck and pulls him closer, opening her lips as she presses a full-blown smooch upon his mouth.
‘Wow!’ James pulls back, looks at Kay with delight, then moves in for another go.
‘Don’t be silly.’ Kay pushes him away, Joe having turned away. ‘Not here,’ and leaving James completely mystified, she turns and walks off.
‘Mind if I join you?’ Harry stands in front of the bench as Alice smiles and shakes her head, wrapping her arms around her for warmth.
‘Isn’t it gorgeous out here?’ she says as Harry sits down. ‘Look how completely black it is. You can’t see anything. I just love it.’
Harry doesn’t say anything, merely reaches into his pocket, fumbling around until he brings out a packet of Marlboro Lights and a box of matches.
‘Harry!’ Alice says. ‘You smoke?’
‘Sssh!’ Harry raises a finger to his lips. ‘Only when I’m drunk.’
‘But you’re not drunk. You’re completely sober.’
‘No,’ he shakes his head. ‘I always act completely sober when I’m drunk. In fact the drunker I am the more sober I act.’