“It’s deer.”
“Oh, that’s right.” I cursed myself for making a wrong guess. So much for giving Aaron the impression that I ate in settings like this all the time.
The maitre d’ led us to a table by the window, which looked out over the Hudson River and the Palisades. The Palisades were nothing but tall cliffs on the New Jersey side of the river, but they were big in the world of real estate. Views of them commanded premium prices for homes, co-ops, and condos. You’d think they were the white cliffs of Dover from all the fuss, but I guess it was better to have a view of rock formations and the Hudson than another building.
Soft, piped-in violin music provided a perfect musical accompaniment to a room decorated in muted colors, with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and fleur-de-lis wallpaper. “This is lovely,” I said, seating myself in the cloth-upholstered chair the maitre d’ pulled out for me.
“I hoped you would like it. They’ve got a fabulous veal scallopini.”
“I’m afraid I’m not much for veal, but I’m sure I’ll find something else on the menu I’ll enjoy.”
I ordered the chicken parmagiana from a menu that had no prices listed. Wow. I’d heard places like this existed, where only the man’s menu listed the cost of each meal, but didn’t ever expect to dine in one.
Aaron smiled at me from across the table after he gave the waiter our orders, his hand closed around a highball glass containing scotch and water. “I guess this is the time we exchange life stories.”
“You already know most of mine. I’m from Euliss. I’ve been divorced about a dozen years. No kids. And I work as a P.A.”
“Do you like kids?”
“I love kids. I just never had any. Maybe I would have if my marriage had gone differently.” I left out the part about my miscarriage and how devastated I’d been to learn about my ex-husband’s philandering. No sad tales for me tonight. Instead I merely shrugged. “Since I’ll be forty-three in August, I think it’s safe to say I won’t be having any.” I flashed a sunny smile. “Maybe in my next life.”
“I’m glad to hear you like kids. I’ve got three. Two girls, twelve and fifteen, and a boy, eight.”
“They’re so young. It must have been—” I stopped abruptly. This wasn’t the direction I wanted to go in. We’d already talked about how Mom was dealing with Pop’s death. I didn’t want the evening to turn morose.
He nodded. “It’s all right; you can say it. It was very tough on them when their mother died. She had a brain tumor. It started with piercing headaches. She tried to treat them with over-the-counter migraine medication.”
“But she was married to a doctor! Why didn’t she just get medical attention instead of trying to treat herself?”
“I tried to get her to go, and she kept saying she would, but she didn’t. Not until her right leg stopped working—she had to drag it—did she finally consult a neurologist. It was all downhill from there. The tumor was very aggressive. Eight months later she was dead.”
“How do you manage taking care of three children?” Even as I spoke the words I felt confident that he had full-time household help, but I had to keep up my end of the conversation, didn’t I?
“The kids’ grandmother lives with us. She moved in when Diana was diagnosed. It’s worked out very well. She’s a real stabilizing influence on the kids.”
I made a mental note of his late wife’s name. Diana, like the late Princess of Wales. “How long has it been?”
“About eighteen months.”
I wondered how many dates he’d gone on since his wife had passed.
“This is the first date I’ve had since she died.”
I didn’t expect him to say that, and I couldn’t hide how much this startled me, first, because he said it just as I’d been wondering, and second, because I didn’t know how to respond. It made me feel pretty good to know that I was the first woman he wanted to go out with after losing his wife, but somehow I didn’t think telling him I felt honored would be appropriate.
Aaron looked a little embarrassed. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told you that. You look a little uncomfortable. I’m afraid I’m not very good at concealing my feelings. I’ve lived with one woman for fifteen years, and there was no need for game playing.”
I considered telling him how long it had been since I’d been on a date but decided against it. Instead, I gave him more points for being a no-bullshit type of guy and said, “I understand.”
“Let me try to make it easier for you by telling you this: I’m enjoying your company tonight.”
“Likewise.”
We smiled at each other, and I felt confident that the intent behind his was as genuine as my own. I started to give him more points for sincerity, but realized that his points were already off the chart, and to continue giving him more was, well, pointless.
“It’s your turn to tell me about you,” I prompted.
“Well, I’m from Riverhead, Long Island.”
“Suffolk County?”
He nodded. “It was just my mother, younger brother, and myself. I barely remember my father. Heck, if I saw him on the street I wouldn’t know who he was. He cut out when I was seven.”
“Sounds rough.” I’d always considered myself blessed to have had both my parents.
“We didn’t have much, but we managed. My mother worked for the phone company, plus she did extra work for the summer people. We all did, actually. As soon as my brother and I got our driver’s licenses, we made extra money parking cars at parties.”
“It sounds like you beat the odds when you became a doctor.”
“My mother was determined that I be considered for every scholarship there was. It wasn’t easy. A lot of these guidance counselors kind of dismiss single black mothers, but she persisted. She saw to it that my brother and I both got first-rate educations.”
“Is he a doctor, too?”
“No, he’s a chemical engineer. He works at DuPont. My mother lives near him in Delaware.”
Now I knew that his comfort at Mom’s simple apartment was more than good manners in play. Aaron hadn’t come from money; he’d just made it. Better still, it sounded like he was aware of the great debt he owed to his mother for looking out for his future. It had to be tough, working all day, longer than that during the summer season, and still having energy to stay on your kids to keep their grades up for college. “Do you like working in oncology?” I asked.
He shrugged. “It has its ups and downs. I’m elated when I can prolong a patient’s life, but it can be devastating when I can’t. It’s ultimately more interesting than being a general surgeon, which was what I originally considered. You know what they say: you’ve seen one appendix, you’ve seen them all.”
We laughed again, and I thought, I can have a lot of fun with this man.
As our appetizers were delivered a thin, white-haired man wearing a tuxedo sat at the shiny black baby grand in the corner and began to play a series of standards, the type of music I heard in old black-and-white musicals. I almost expected to see the Nicholas Brothers come out from between the tables and do a tap dance routine. For a few minutes we sat in quiet companionship as we looked out at the twinkling lights of the George Washington Bridge in the distance, sipped wine poured from the bottle Aaron had ordered, and munched on breaded and fried vegetables, the background filled with piano music. I didn’t know what his thoughts were, but mine were that this felt awfully good. Could it be that my reward for being a dutiful, concerned daughter was to capture the attentions of a handsome doctor? It would certainly make my time in Euliss a lot more pleasant.
My chicken was so tender I didn’t need a knife to cut it, and it practically melted in my mouth. The restaurant’s quiet, unhurried atmosphere suited us perfectly. By the time we consumed our appetizers, salads, entrees, and a scrumptious napoleon, a good two and a half hours had passed. The mood would have been ruined by anxious glances or throat-clearing hints from the staff, but no one here seemed to be in a hurry,
just eager to please.
When we arrived back at my mother’s apartment building, Aaron reached for my hand when he opened the car door for me, held on to it until I needed both hands to unlock the vestibule door. It seemed like such a natural thing to do, and Lord knew it felt good.
“I had a wonderful time, Aaron,” I said as I reached inside my purse for my keys.
“So did I. Right now I’m thinking that I’d like to ask you what you’re doing for dinner tomorrow night.”
I beamed, grateful for his no-bullshit stance. He wanted to see me again!
“And the night after that and the night after that,” he continued, his eyes on mine, “but something tells me that’s not how it’s supposed to be done, so I’ll just tell you that I’m glad you’re staying in town a little longer. But I don’t mind you knowing how I really feel.”
“I think it’s a lovely thought.”
When we were inside I held my index finger to my lips. “I’m just going to check on my mother. I’ll be right back. Go ahead and sit down.” I snapped on one of the lamps in the living room. In spite of the dark apartment, I knew Mom was home; I’d seen her car outside. I decided it would be best to warn her Aaron was here so she wouldn’t come stumbling out to the bathroom in her rollers and nightgown.
She sat propped up in bed, dozing, an open book across her lap and the TV turned to a movie on the Lifetime network. One look at her and I knew that if it weren’t for me she would have put the book away and turned out the light. Like she said, I was her baby. It didn’t matter that I was forty-two years old.
“Mom, I’m home,” I said softly.
Her body jerked. She looked like she’d been caught doing something illegal. I half expected her to hold her hands up, like a criminal who’d been suddenly apprehended.
“Emmie, hi,” she said sleepily after recognizing me. How’d the date go?”
“It went fine. Aaron came in with me. I just wanted to let you know I invited him in, but I don’t expect him to stay long.”
“Doggone it. If I didn’t have my hair set for church tomorrow I’d put on my clothes and come out and meet him.”
“Another time. I’ll see you in the morning. I don’t want Aaron to think I forgot about him.”
“Come back and tell me when he leaves. I’d like to get a peek at him, at least.”
A thought occurred to me. “Mom…you haven’t told your friends that I went out with Aaron, have you?”
“Of course I did. How often does my daughter date doctors?”
I sighed. What was it about my mother’s generation, where so many of them thought doctors and lawyers walk on water?
“You should have seen the look on Mavis’s face.”
I couldn’t help smiling at that. “I’ll be back,” I said as I closed her bedroom door behind me.
Aaron sat poised on the edge of the couch. He rose as I approached. How gallant, I thought.
“Is your mother okay?” he asked.
“She’s fine. She was waiting up for me. Isn’t that cute?”
“Very cute,” he said, and from the way his eyes roamed over me I knew he wasn’t thinking about my mother. My, he had sexy eyes. I loved the way they drooped downward slightly at the outer corners. His woodsy cologne fused with his skin and gave off an intoxicating personal scent. I knew the time had come for a good-night kiss. He took a step toward me and dipped his chin, and I raised mine. It was the quickest of kisses, feather soft…and a little bit disappointing. I should have known Aaron wasn’t the type to French kiss on the first date. Any other dude would be teasing my tonsils by now.
Still, I thought of those healing hands of his, and I knew…Aaron Merritt would eventually become my lover.
Chapter 7
Rosalind called the next morning to grill me about my date with Aaron, just as I was being grilled by Mom.
“All right,” I said firmly, looking at Mom while holding the telephone receiver against my ear. “In the absence of a speakerphone, I’m going to talk to both of you at the same time so I won’t have to repeat myself.”
I cleared my throat and spoke slowly and clearly. “Aaron arrived on time. I wore a black dress, and he wore a navy suit.” In hindsight, we both looked like we could have been going to a funeral. “His car rides like a dream. It’s a Jaguar,” I said to Mom, who stood gesturing for more information like her life depended on her winning a game of charades.
“Ooh,” she said excitedly, sounding like she was all of eight years old.
I named the restaurant we went to. “It’s in Dobbs Ferry. We had a table with a wonderful view of the river and the Palisades.”
“I’ll bet he tipped the maitre d’ to get it,” Rosalind said.
“What’d she say?” Mom asked.
I repeated Rosalind’s statement for Mom’s benefit.
“What’s a maitre d’?” she wanted to know. “Is it like a hostess?”
Mom, bless her heart, was a woman best described as having simple tastes.
“Sort of, except it’s a man,” I explained. “Anyway, it was lovely.”
“What’d you have to eat?” Mom asked.
“Chicken parmigiana.” I knew that had nothing to do with the quality of my date, but I knew my mother, so I answered patiently. I think that being a child of the Depression lay behind her almost unhealthy curiosity about food.
“And what did Aaron have?”
“Veal scallopini, Mom.” This time my voice came out sounding just a little sharp. Poor Rosalind, she must have thought my mother was a candidate for Bellevue. “Now, can I get back to my summary?”
“Go right ahead,” she said indignantly.
“Anyway, it was lovely. He mentioned that I’m the first woman he’s dated since his wife died.”
Rosalind let out a whoop. “Go, Emily!”
Mom was impressed, too. “Emmie, that’s wonderful!”
“So what happened when he brought you home?” Rosalind asked.
“Don’t get personal,” I said playfully. “Anyway, Rosalind, I told my mother I’d go with her to church this morning, so I’ve got to start getting dressed. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Can you call me when you get in? I’m trying to organize a twenty-five-year reunion for our graduating class, and I’d like to run some ideas past you.”
“Uh…sure.” I hesitated because it seemed like reunion plans should have started a year ago. This month marked twenty-five years since graduation. What could Rosalind possibly hope to organize between now and the six months left in the year?
The smile plastered on my face as we stood outside the church was sure to have my jaw aching by the end of the day. My mother’s friends all told me how beautiful my hair looked. I got the distinct impression that none of them approved of nappy hair.
The kicker came from Helen Brown. “I’ll bet your new boyfriend really likes your hair.”
I raised an eyebrow. New boyfriend? Surely she didn’t mean—
“Oh, yes, the doctor,” Bea Pullman chimed in. “Your mother told us all about him.”
“Well, I think it would be a tad premature to call him my boyfriend,” I said politely. “We just met a few days ago.” Our first meeting actually occurred less than forty-eight hours ago, but they didn’t need to know that.
“Oh, but he’s pursuing you, Emmie,” Mom said. “He called as we were leaving the house. I still say you should have taken the call.”
“Mom, maybe if it was Easter I would have, but the services today aren’t going to last until dinnertime. He’ll call back.”
“Spoken like a woman who knows she’s got a man’s attentions,” Mrs. Brown said with a knowing nod.
I smiled weakly and excused myself, moving on to chat with someone else.
Mom and I hadn’t been home five minutes when Aaron called again. He made no mention of having tried to reach me, even though the call history showed two previous calls from an unidentified number. His name and number showed the first time, but, hey, if y
ou’re calling someone every hour on the hour, wouldn’t you want to block your number from showing? Either he had a pretty good idea I’d be back by now, or he felt three hours was a long enough time to allow his number to show again.
“I was wondering if you might be interested in seeing the Jazz Score exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art.” He chuckled. “Maybe seeing is the wrong word, although film clips are included. Hearing it is probably more accurate, but they’re including exhibits and panel discussions. They’re covering films with music scores written by Elmer Bernstein, Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones, and that guy who wrote the theme to Mission Impossible, among others.”
“Sounds like fun.” I started humming the theme to The Magnificent Seven. “Were you planning on going this afternoon?”
“Yes. I figured I’d get in a little culture before heading back to work tomorrow.”
“I just got back from church, but all I need is a few minutes to get changed.” I’d promised to call Rosalind back, but she’d have to wait.
“Great. How about if I pick you up in half an hour?”
“That’ll work. See you then.”
Over the next week I talked to Aaron every day, often more than once, and saw him whenever I could. I thought it amusing how slowly the sexual side of our relationship was progressing. The day we went to the museum, which was the first time Aaron met my mother, he actually kissed my cheek upon returning me home. The next time we had dinner, during the week, he returned to kissing me on the mouth, but still no tongue. I wanted a real kiss so bad, complete with his arms around me, I feared I might lose it and thrust my tongue into his mouth.
When not daydreaming about how it would feel to be held in Aaron’s arms, I spent the week putting in applications and went for an interview at a local practice. Dr. Wiley Norman had been practicing in Euliss for as long as I could remember. Two of his four sons had now taken over the practice. I didn’t know any of the Norman offspring. Although they were in my general age group, they’d gone to parochial school.
Working at the Norman Family Practice would be more convenient than working at Euliss General, because it was closer. And employment at a private practice meant I wouldn’t have to sit through one of those insufferable two-day orientations, complete with film shorts where the actors were picked up from Theater 101. They made Tanis’s performances look Oscar worthy. And I swear, if I had to listen to just one more human resources associate whose blouse pulled because it was too tight across the chest and who tapped the floor with her ankle-strap shoes tell me how to dress appropriately for the office, I think I might lose it.
A New Kind of Bliss Page 6