Some Like Them Rich

by Shirley Hailstock

  I felt as if I’d done my part as a host for the morning, but this was not to be the worst of the day. Problem after problem came up. Air conditioners didn’t work, ice machines were out of order, reports of lost property had the staff searching.

  I should have appreciated the problems since they kept my mind from going back to Amber and the anger I felt. What I needed was some exercise. But by the looks of things today, there would be no time to get in a game of tennis. Maybe I could sneak in a swim.

  At 3:00 things seemed to calm down. I went toward the pool. Amber usually swam in the mornings. I knew she hadn’t been there this morning. And I doubted she could come in the afternoon, especially if she had a date with Casey Edwards later tonight.

  “Heavy date last night?” Jeff asked. I looked up at him. I was standing in the fitness room with no memory of walking through the doors.

  “What did you say?”

  “It’s that bad?” he asked.

  “I thought I’d go for a quick swim.” I ignored his comment. Going to a small dressing room I often used, I began changing clothes.

  “I’ll bet it was that woman with the long legs and the perfect diving form.” Jeff had moved closer to the room I was in. I could hear him clearly.

  “Well, that’s in the past. She’ll be leaving the Vineyard soon.”

  “But not before you two enjoy a concert or two.”

  I stopped as if flash frozen. “What did you say?”

  “You know they say the hearing is the first thing to go.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Wynton Marsalis. Row eight, seats G and H. And you didn’t come dragging in here until well after nine.”

  I stepped out of the room, wearing a hotel robe over my trunks. “You were there?”

  “Several rows behind you, but I could have been on another planet for all you knew. You only had eyes for the woman on your arm.”

  I remembered the feel of Amber’s waist, the way she moved, her long legs and the high-heeled sandals that emphasized her toned body. I thought about our lovemaking on the beach. I remembered her mouth on mine and how she completely lost herself in the throes of passion.

  “She’s here, you know.”

  “What?” I looked toward the pool. It was surprisingly empty.

  “Not in there. She and her two friends are having massages.”

  Jeff gestured toward a closed door. It led down a long hall where there were private massage rooms.

  “Who’s she with?”

  “Antoine, Mr. Hands.”

  Antoine was the best the St. Romaine had to offer. Women and men raved about his magic hands, how good he made them feel and could they take him home with them. I had thought of having a massage today. Thank God I’d opted for the pool. I didn’t want to run into Amber. Not this soon.

  “I’m going for a swim,” I said. Going through the doors, I walked to the chair I usually used, dropped the terrycloth robe, and dove into the water. I swam, taking long strokes to move through the water. I concentrated on my breathing, on the distance from one end of the pool to the other. I counted the laps, forced myself not to look up at the diving boards and think of Amber standing there.

  Exercise usually helped me. It got the kinks out of my system, relaxed me after the physicality of the act. Today I could only think of Amber being a few yards away, lying naked on a table covered only by a long towel. My mind could hear her moaning as Antoine worked on her muscles, removing any traces of stress and leaving her as relaxed and complete as the aftermath of sex.

  “Shit,” I said as pool water rushed in to my mouth.

  Chapter 20

  The front door slammed. I jumped, turning in the same instant that I reached for a knife. Lila shouted from the front of the house.

  “Anyone here?”

  I came to the doorway of the kitchen, ready to defend against whatever or whomever she was running from.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, panic in my voice.

  She ran toward me, hugging me and turning me around in circles. I held the knife away from us.

  “I’m getting married,” she shouted, then looked at the ceiling and shouted again, “I’m getting married.”

  I was shocked. Here I was thinking she was angry with someone and slamming into the house, while she was so excited she couldn’t contain her exuberance.

  “Clay?” I asked, putting the knife on the counter.

  “What were you doing with that?”

  “Never mind.” Explaining it sounded foolish now. “Who are you marrying?”

  Lila stepped back. “Clay.” Her voice dropped a level. “I know he’s not what we expected to find here, what we came here to look for, but I love him, Amber. Please be happy for me?”

  Lila was glowing. She looked happier than I’d seen her in ages. I hugged her and stepped back. “I am happy for you, Lila.”

  “But …”

  It was there. I couldn’t help but be concerned. I’d come here with a plan, but I knew now that it wasn’t completely thought out. I assumed it was. In the starkness of my Brooklyn living room, I’d weighed all the angles. But there were things about human nature that couldn’t be quantified. I knew that now.

  I sat down at the table, pulling Lila with me. “Clay seems like a wonderful man,” I began.

  “He is, Amber.”

  “Are you sure you love him?”

  “Of course I am. I’ve never felt this way about anybody.” After a moment she said it again. “Anybody.”

  “Including Orlando Robinson?”

  Lila smiled widely. It was the last thing I expected to see. “Amber, I thought I was in love with Orlando. Even when we came here, I wanted to call him, fall on my knees and beg him to get back together. I was this close to dialing his number.” She put her thumb and forefinger an inch apart. “Then I met Clay.”

  “And he changed that?”

  She nodded. “Right from the beginning he understood what I was going through. He even offered to help me through it.” She was smiling again. In fact, she didn’t seem to be able to stop smiling. “I was so angry with him. I practically threw him off the porch. As an apology, he made me that doll’s chair with my name on it.”

  Understanding dawned.

  “Since then we’ve done so much together. I didn’t think I’d fall in love with him, or he with me, but I did.”

  “And he popped the question?”

  “Last night.” She nodded. “I told him the truth, Amber. I told him that I’m not rich but work as a rep. It meant nothing to him. He still wants to marry me.”

  I couldn’t help being both happy and envious of Lila. She was so in love and so happy that she couldn’t contain it.

  “Lila, if he’s what you want, then go for him.”

  “Do you mean it?” she asked. “Do you really mean it?”

  “I mean it,” I said. “I’ve never seen you happier.”

  “I am happy,” Lila said. “I want everyone to be this happy. But, Amber, I want you to be happy, too.”

  “Me? I just said I was happy for you.”

  “For me,” she repeated. “I want you to knock down that wall you erected around your heart.”

  I stared at her, unsure of what she meant.

  “Since Emile broke your heart, you’ve avoided men.”

  “I have—”

  Lila put her hand up to stop me from speaking. “You go out with them, but you don’t let them inside the wall. Don—”

  “Oh God, let’s not talk about Don.”

  “You concocted this plan, and at the time I bought into it. After getting here it was fun. I liked the pretense, liked hiding behind another identity. It helped to be another person, someone who hadn’t been hurt, who wasn’t nursing a broken heart. But after a while I just wanted to be me.”

  “I’m not doing that,” I said, but not really analyzing my words.

  “Aren’t you?”

  Sitting in the audience with Casey wa
s vastly different from the previous night when Don had occupied the seat next to me. Last night I couldn’t concentrate on Wynton Marsalis. The electricity generated by Don’s presence snapped like anticipation between us. Tonight I had no problem giving my full attention to Natalie Cole as she sang updated versions of her father’s standards. All the electricity came from the stage.

  Lila’s words crept into my thoughts. Was I keeping everyone at bay? Did I develop this plan to find someone who could support me, but to whom I would have no emotional attachment? Was Emile still occupying my heart?

  No!

  I almost said it out loud. Emile was just a memory. I had loved part of him, but I understood with the whole of my heart that I didn’t love him in the forever kind of way.

  Natalie Cole’s lyrics touched me, reminded me of how much I missed Don. He hadn’t called all day and I didn’t see him during my afternoon visit to the hotel for a long massage. Of course, I was glad he hadn’t been around. The Vineyard was small and Don was known by everyone. Anywhere I went I was bound to run into him sooner or later. Right now I wanted it to be later.

  Casey reached over and took my hand. I smiled at him, then turned back to the stage. I was aware of his hand holding mine, but there was nothing there, no electricity, no stirring in the pit of my stomach, no contraction between my legs. Could I live with that?

  I knew Casey was suppose to leave the Vineyard this morning. He’d changed his mind and added a week to his vacation. I was pretty sure I was the reason. He was what I was looking for—a man in his prime, with an ample bank account. I liked his son. Casey was attracted to me, maybe even falling in love with me.

  So why wasn’t I satisfied with that? Why wasn’t I falling in love with him?

  Don, I thought. Don had spoiled my plans almost from day one. But I was not going to let that happen. I squeezed Casey’s hand a little harder and he looked at me with a smile. I settled back in the seat and watched the rest of the concert.

  We left slowly with the crowd. There was no walking back to the car parked at my house. There was no stopping on the beach. We got into the car Casey had rented and drove the short distance in silence. He parked in the driveway and turned the engine off. For a long moment neither of us spoke.

  “Did you enjoy the concert?” he finally asked.

  “I love Natalie Cole, and the opening act was very funny.” A young comedienne had come on in advance of the singer. The young woman poked fun at the some of the normal things in life, like the daily coffee run and the fact that there was an exercise challenge on the cover of women’s magazines superimposed over a chocolate cake or some other sweet, fattening, artery-clogging dessert. I laughed thinking of the truths she told.

  Casey turned to me. “What are you thinking?”

  “I was remembering some of the jokes the comedienne told.”

  He smiled as if he was remembering, too. “I’ve enjoyed being with you during this trip,” he began. For some reason my stomach clenched. “Joel has enjoyed his diving lessons. He’s glad we’re not going home for another week.”

  “He’s a wonderful child.”

  “I know. I feel so lucky to have him.”

  Another silenced ensured.

  “You’ve been one reason that Joel has enjoyed himself. The diving is something he wouldn’t have tried without seeing you do it.”

  “He only needed a little coaxing,” I said.

  “And you were there to do it.”

  I didn’t know where this was going. Casey seemed a little nervous. And my shoulders were very tight.

  “I’ve been thinking,” Casey said. “I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I feel that we’re compatible.”

  Compatible, I thought. It wasn’t the word I was looking for, not the word a woman wanted to hear. It should have been satisfying for me. After all, I wasn’t really looking for love. Was I?

  “You and Joel get along well. And Joel needs a woman’s influence.”

  A woman’s influence? He was about to propose. Suddenly I didn’t want him to do that. I had come to the Vineyard looking for a husband, and I might be about to get my wish. But I wasn’t sure I wanted this wish any longer. Let someone inside the wall, Lila had said.

  “When we get back to our normal lives, I want to continue to see you. In fact, I want to see you as often as possible.”

  I said nothing. I didn’t know what to say or how to let Casey know that my feelings didn’t go any further than friendship.

  “I thought I’d never love anyone except my wife. After she died, I thought my life was over, too, but then I met you.”

  I had to stop this, I told myself. I couldn’t let him ask me to marry him. Even if it was my goal, I knew it wasn’t right.

  “I never thought I could feel so strongly about someone after so short a time, but I’m sure I love you. I want you to marry me.”

  Oh God, I thought. I’d won. This was why I’d come to the Vineyard, why I’d convinced Jack and Lila to spend their life savings on this elaborate hoax. But now, faced with the reality of it, seeing the brass ring within reach—or more likely a diamond large enough to skate on—I couldn’t say yes.

  “Casey,” I said. “I know you miss your wife. I know that my affection for your son and the time we’ve spent together make us seem compatible. But we don’t really know each other.”

  He didn’t know me, didn’t know that I was not who I pretended to be. I was a lie. I was an actor, playing a role to an audience that had no idea they were part of the play. I was a fraud.

  “I think marrying would be a mistake.”

  “I don’t. I’m sure about you.”

  I took his hand. “You only think you are. When you’re back in your world, back to the routine of life, you’ll see that this summer was a way to ward off loneliness and not real love.”

  I knew I was talking more about myself than I was to Casey. I was sure he wasn’t in love with me. He thought I could fill the void his wife left in his son’s life and that we would make a good couple, but we’d only have a shadow of a marriage. Eventually that would become burdensome and we’d make each other miserable.

  “You don’t feel the same way I do?” he asked.

  I didn’t answer. At least not in words. Slowly I slipped my hand free.

  The sound of voices woke me. Turning over, I ignored them, even ignored the pangs of hunger my stomach insisted on audibly playing like a tape recorder. Sunlight poured through windows whose shades hadn’t been pulled down last night. Grabbing a robe, I wearily finger-combed my hair and took the stairs with heavy footsteps.

  “Excuse me, do you live here?” I asked, seeing Jack for the first time in days.

  “Not funny,” she said flatly.

  “Where have you been?”

  Lila stood at the stove, stirring a pan of something that smelled delicious.

  “Out with Shane would be my guess,” I said, raising my eyebrows.

  “As a matter of fact, I was,” she confirmed.

  “You should talk,” Jack said. “Have we seen you in the past couple of days? I suppose Don Randall has been occupying your time.” Just hearing his name conjured both anger and passion within me.

  I sat down and Lila slipped a plate in front of me. Lila was no cook. I could only assume that Clay had been giving her lessons. By the smell, he was doing a good job. The meal was hers, I was sure of that, but if the way I felt was on my face, she knew I needed the food.

  ” So where have you been for two days and two nights?” I asked Jack. I poured myself a cup of coffee from the pot on the table and sipped. Looking over the edge of the cup, I waited for Jack to answer.

  “Here,” she said. “At least I was here last night.”

  “And the one before that?”

  Lila joined us at the table. She hadn’t said a word since I walked in the room.

  Jack ignored my question. “I came in last night. I needed clean clothes. Lila was on her way out. And you,” she paused and smi
led, “were nowhere in sight.”

  “I had a date.” Then I added, “With Casey.”

  I gave Jack a piercing look. She held it a moment. I relented. I didn’t want to fight with Jack. To lighten the mood, I asked, “Has Lila told you her news?”

  A look passed between the two them. I wasn’t sure what it was. It was like they had a secret. I dug into the eggs on my plate and took a bite of the toast. I felt as if I hadn’t eaten in years.

  “She said you took it well.”

  Neither of them spoke for so long I stopped eating and looked at them.

  “Has something happened?”

  Jack looked up. “We got engaged,” she said quietly, so quietly that I didn’t think I’d heard her.

  “Isn’t that what we’re talking about?” I glanced at Lila.

  “I got engaged,” Jack corrected.

  “What did you say?”

  “They got engaged,” Lila said louder.

  I looked from one to the other. “Both of you?”

  They both nodded.

  A slow smile tickled the edges of my mouth, then broke out into a full grin. I forgot everything that had happened to me in the past two days. I jumped up and hugged Jack. “This is wonderful,” I said. “At least one of us accomplished our goal.” I hugged them again. “This calls for a celebration. We need some champagne.”

  “Amber,” Lila said.

  I barely heard her. I was thinking of wedding gowns, flowers, diamond rings.

  “Amber,” Jack called, but I didn’t hear her either. “Amberlina,” she shouted.

  I stopped, froze in place at that strength in her voice.

  “What is it?” I asked, my voice in a normal range. “We didn’t complete the plan.”

  I was confused for a long moment. Then it came to me. “Whom are you engaged to?”

  “Shane,” Jack said.

  Both women extended their left hands. Small, but elegant diamond rings sparkled from their third fingers.

  “Shane? Shane from the band and Clay the furniture maker.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with what they do,” Jack defended. “Shane won’t be in the band forever. He’s really good at what he does.”