By the time Michael and David had completed the park circuit, Michael thought he was going to die, much to David’s amusement.
“Just go on,” he wheezed. “Leave me, save yourself.”
“Aw, c’mon, it’s not that bad.” David laughed.
“Just promise me you’ll put up a plaque where I fall, saying something touching about my courage and dauntlessness.” Michael bent over double, bracing his hands on his knees, trying not to throw up. He hadn’t had enough water to drink.
“You’re the better writer out of the two of us. I think I’ll leave it up to you.”
“Damn.” Michael straightened up with a groan and squinted at David. “And I’m in no shape to dictate. Guess I’ll have to pull through.”
The two men walked toward the edge of the park and back out into the streets.
“That’s my boy.” David clapped him on the back. “I’m proud of you.”
“Bite me,” Michael replied.
“Speaking of which,” David said, a distinct gleam in his eye, “what was the name of that place we met at for lunch a while back?”
“Take the Cake. It’s in the Village. Why?”
“It was good. I might go there again sometime,” David replied.
“Really,” Michael responded, watching David’s expression.
“Yeah, really.” David said. “I need lunch. How to you feel about a Tube Steak?”
Michael grimaced. “You want street meat after a jog like that?”
“Hey.” David cuffed him on the shoulder. “It might have been a workout for you, but I’m well ahead of the game. I need mustard and onion too, and I can smell a vendor here somewhere. C’mon.”
After waving David off, Michael walked home slowly, already feeling his muscles protesting after his exertions. David had returned to work somehow still managing to look fresh, which firmed Michael’s resolve to go jogging more often. As he strode through the crowds, deep in thought, he completely missed the admiring glances from the women in the street … and from a few men. He moved with an unconscious grace and assurance that, centuries before, could have commanded armies, but all he knew was that he felt rank and desperately wanted another shower.
~~~
“A hot dog.” Kate stared at Wren, who had given a guilty start from her corner in the kitchen. “I slave over a hot oven to create culinary delights, Emily wears her fingers to the bone creating gourmet bagels and you come in here with a hot dog?”
“Don’t be mad,” Wren pleaded. “I just felt like one!”
“Oh, Wren.” Kate shook her head. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do with you.” She gave the hot dog an arch look. “You know that’s not even real meat, right?”
“Don’t spoil the illusion!” Wren yelped, taking another bite and trying to talk with her mouth full. “I know it’s plastic, I know it could withstand a nuclear war, but I wanted one.”
“Fine,” Kate sighed. “I’ll make sure we’ve got Tampax in the ladies’ room next week.”
“Huh?” Wren looked mystified, and Kate smiled at her.
“You always crave stuff like that when you’re due, same as I usually want sweet or savory.”
“It’s cheese for me,” commented Emily as she carried a tray of cups inside and stacked them into the dishwasher. “And you know it’s only a matter of time before we’re in sync.”
“Men have it so easy.” Wren contemplated her hot dog for a moment, and then resolutely bit into it again. “They never have to put up with this shit.”
“Babycake!”
Kate looked up with a delighted smile of recognition. Paul was coming into the store, and he stopped short and stood aside to let a female customer leave who brushed against him, offering a smile of thanks for his chivalry as she passed. Paul stood stock still and watched her leave, his eyes following her progress with an appreciative gleam. When he turned back to Kate, he looked pole-axed. He wandered toward the counter and stopped in front of it, looking at Kate.
“Wow,” he said. “That’s all I’ve got to say, wow.”
“I take it you saw something you like?”
“Something like that,” Paul replied. Kate had a cupcake on a plate and was making some more coffee.
Wren appeared, wiping crumbs off her hands with a dishcloth, and beamed at Paul.
“Hey, Paul,” she called as she glanced at Kate. “You gonna take a break, boss?”
“You know, I think I will.”
“Ah, the privilege of power,” Wren replied with a wink. She loved working with Kate and was delighted to see just how relaxed Kate was today. Maybe she had needed the Sunday off even more than she thought. She made a mental note to have a talk to Emily to see if they could somehow reduce Kate’s workload a little.
Kate selected a “Jack” cupcake and followed Paul to a table, where he was already opening the file he’d been carrying and was making some room for their cups and plates.
“So, what’s the verdict?” Kate asked as she sat down.
Paul licked some frosting from the corner of his mouth, and then glanced at Kate.
“Kat, do you have an idea as to how the business is going?”
“A little.” She shrugged. “Seems to be going okay. Why?” She looked worried. “What’s wrong? Am I wrong? Am I struggling more than I thought?”
Paul gave her a look that was rich with affection. “Calm down. You’re doing better than okay. Seems you’ve found yourself a good little niche here in the Village after all. How was your weekend?”
“Uh …” Kate was flummoxed at the change in topic. “It was good. Great, even. I didn’t realize how tired I was until I had the chance to relax.”
Paul regarded his sister. He loved her with all his heart, which was considerable, and always would. After Jack’s and Gwen’s passing, the two of them had grown even closer. Partners had come and gone and had always been welcomed into the fold, but their bond had grown stronger over the years. Kate was, he had to admit, a striking woman—sister notwithstanding—having a quiet kind of beauty that drew people to her. He took enormous pride in her success but had watched with concern as faint purple smudges of fatigue had appeared beneath her eyes as the years went by. He had cautioned and advised, and now he was in a position to remedy the situation.
“Would you like to have more?”
“Oh, God,” Kate groaned. “Now you’re just talking dirty.”
“I’m serious, Kat. You can all give yourselves a two-day weekend, just like the rest of us. How ’bout it?”
Kate gaped at him. “Are you sure?”
“Definitely. Your turnover has been steadily increasing and you’re sitting in a good place. You’ve got some good cash reserves now, good staff. I think you need to start to pace things before you burn yourself out and it goes south.”
Kate sipped her coffee, her mind racing. She set her cup down and looked at Paul. “You’re really serious.”
“Yup.”
“How long have you been thinking about this?”
“About twelve months,” he admitted, then held up a hand as she opened her mouth to protest. “I wanted to make sure it was a long term trend, not just a spike in your sales.”
Kate shook her head. “How is it that you ended up with a degree in Business and yet you work as an Urban Ranger at Central Park?”
Paul shrugged. “Guess I found something to do that I enjoy more. How did that Literature degree of yours work out?”
“Point taken,” she replied.
“That’s what she said,” Paul shot back, making her laugh. “I guess we found our passions led us elsewhere, but look at it this way, I’m in a position to help my favorite sister, my youngest sister, my oldest sister …” He paused and raised an eyebrow.
“Your only sister,” Kate completed the old joke and waved for Paul to continue.
He nodded and went on. “… with her business decisions, and make sure that she’s okay, and I get to stop in and see the hotties that her
business attracts. And although you’ve got a Literature degree you don’t think you use, I’ve got an extensive collection of notes and letters from you at home and I know your friends often keep them too, so I think we’re doing okay.” He toasted her with his cup and took a swig.
“You’ve kept all my notes?”
“Yep.”
“Even the one that I wrote on the back of a dry cleaning docket?”
“Even that one. It’s one of my favorites because it tells me that you were having a busy day but you still had a moment to think about your brother, grab any piece of paper that came to hand and write something to him.”
Kate thought about Paul’s business suggestion and her forehead wrinkled with concern. “You’re really sure about this?” she asked as she waved a hand at the printouts Paul had spread across the table to illustrate his point.
“Totally.”
Without breaking her gaze, Kate lifted her chin slightly. “Hey, Wren, you got a sec?”
“Hang on,” came the reply. Wren finished serving, Emily took over and Wren appeared at the table.
“Sit down,” Kate invited her.
“What’s all this about?”
“Well, Paul here has just made a suggestion and I thought I’d see what you think.”
“Oh?”
“How would you feel if I were to close the store Sundays and Mondays, and we all have a two day weekend?”
Wren stared at her. “I think I could tongue kiss you right now.”
“I think that means she thinks it’s good,” observed Paul. “Although if you girls want to try the practical demonstration, I’ve got no objections, Wren, so long as your intentions toward my sister are honorable.”
~~~
That night Kate let herself into the apartment and slipped into her usual routine. Jewelry was dispensed into teacups, keys were hung up, and her bag was slung over a chair. She wandered about the apartment, her face blank with thought. Dinner was cooked and eaten, followed by a glass of red wine. The television was switched on and stared at for a long time. After a few hours, Kate sat up with a huff of exasperation. It was no use trying to relax, because her head wouldn’t stop buzzing with activity. Paul’s revelation this afternoon had floored her, although she had to admit that she was thrilled.
Maybe she’d go see a movie. It was better than lying on the sofa like a corpse.
A quick change later, she was skipping down the steps. She walked a couple of blocks before finding a cab. She had no idea what was showing, but she knew the Quad Cinema between Fifth and Sixth Avenue had late shows. It’d probably be an independent or foreign film, but that suited her just fine.
~~~
Michael woke with a start, cursing when he saw the time. After getting home, he’d had a long, hot shower and re-read his writing effort from the night before. After a quick lunch, he’d sprawled on the sofa, staring drowsily at the television, not even realizing he was falling asleep. Now it was late at night. He sat up with a sigh and scrubbed at his hair with his hands.
Rather than loll about in the apartment, he decided to catch a movie at the Quad, knowing that they always had something worth seeing. He left the apartment and was just settling himself into a seat at the cinema when he saw movement in the aisle, his eyes widening as he saw who it was.
“Kate?” he whispered.
Her head snapped up in surprise. “Michael?” she whispered back. “What are you doing here?”
“Same as you, I’d imagine,” he replied, inclining his head toward the still darkened screen.
“Oh, right.” She gave a sheepish laugh. “Sorry. I wasn’t expecting to see anyone I knew here at this hour.” She paused and looked at him. “So are you stalking me or something?”
“Well, given I got here first, I’d have to say it’s a case of you stalking me.”
“True,” she conceded, then glanced around at the array of empty seats. “Uh, so it seems a bit silly to know you’re here and sit somewhere else. Do you mind if I …?” She indicated the seat beside him.
“I’d be delighted,” he replied with a smile.
Kate had barely sat down when the lights began to dim.
“So,” murmured Michael after a pause, “what’s your stash?”
She looked at him, her eyes luminous in the dark. “Huh?”
He held up his bucket of popcorn by way of explanation.
“Oh, right. Let’s see, I’ve got Junior Mints, Goobers, and I’m pretty sure I’ve got some Reese’s Cups in here somewhere too.” She dug around in her bag and produced a packet with a triumphant smile. “And a small vat of Coke.”
“I’m impressed; you take your snacking seriously.” He paused. “Do you allow incursions?”
“Absolutely, but I’ll be expecting popcorn in return.”
“Deal.”
Arrangements made, they smiled and settled back to watch the movie. Unfortunately for Michael, although it seemed that Kate was thoroughly enjoying herself, he wasn’t able to keep track of the movie at all. Her scent swirled around him, as did the memory of his dream. He could feel the heat of her body soaking into his, and he reveled in it.
Chapter 8
Limited French and Possibilities
The closing credits began to roll, and the other movie patrons started to gather themselves and file out of the theater. Michael and Kate remained relaxed in their seats, talking in quiet voices and laughing occasionally as they discussed the movie.
“That was …” Michael said as he tried to find the right word and gave up with a laugh. “I don’t know what the hell that was.”
“I didn’t know this one was screening until I got here, but some of his other movies are quite a trip. Did you like it?”
“You know, I think I did,” Michael replied slowly. “I had no idea what to expect.”
When he had decided to catch a late night movie, Michael had no other expectations beyond keeping himself occupied for a couple of hours. He had arrived at the cinema and purchased a ticket for whatever was screening at the next show, grabbed a snack, and wandered inside to take a seat. At first when he had seen Kate walking up the aisle in the dim lighting, he thought he was seeing things, but when he had realized that serendipity had again brought her to him, he had felt a rush of pleasure.
Michael had followed the movie with a diminished level of attention as his mind kept wandering to the woman who sat beside him. He wondered if she realized she leaned into his shoulder during the more dramatic scenes, or shifted in her seat when the characters’ tortuously slow entanglement began to gain speed. He had enjoyed the movie, but enjoyed Kate’s reactions to it all the more. She allowed herself to be truly immersed in the storyline. The way her breathing quickened, the slight involuntary movements she made told him that, for her, a movie was a complete sensory experience.
“Who’s the director?” Michael turned a little in his seat so that he could see Kate’s face more clearly.
“Uh, Jean-Pierre something. I’ll have to check the poster on the way out,” Kate admitted. “His movies are like a kind of fairytale for grownups. You really ought to see some of his other films. I’d be curious to see what you think.”
“What are they?” Michael asked. Even if he’d known, he would have asked. He just wanted to keep her talking, to keep her with him.
“The City of Lost Children and Amélie are two of my favorites,” Kate replied, then had to stifle a yawn behind her hand. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Michael looked at his watch. “It’s nearly midnight.” He got to his feet and extended a hand to help her up, which she accepted with a smile. It seemed only natural that he kept her hand in his as they walked down the aisle toward the exit, past the tired usher who was holding a garbage bag as he collected discarded drink cups and popcorn buckets. They emerged into the evening and stopped on the sidewalk, smiling at each other. Michael released her hand with considerable reluctance.
“Have you got a busy week planned?” Michael asked,
still wanting to prolong their time.
“As always,” Kate answered with a smile. “It never stops, but I guess I’ve only got myself to blame for that one.”
“You don’t look too sorry about it,” he observed.
“It’s starting to pay off. My brother has been going over the books for me, and I’ll be able to give myself more of a weekend soon.” She yawned again, apologizing with a laugh.
“You’re going to need a break,” Michael said, “but for now we’d better get you home. Which way are you headed?”
“I’m in West Village.”
Michael’s eyebrows went up at that. “Really? I’m in West SoHo.” He’d wondered where she lived, and now he’d discovered they were closer than he thought, which perhaps explained why they had ended up at the same cinema. “You want to share a cab?”
Kate looked up and down the street, which was quiet. “Sure,” she agreed. “Why not?”
Michael crooked his arm, which she accepted with a smile, and they began to walk. They’d barely gone a block before Michael flagged down a cab and helped Kate inside. The cab took off with a lurch, sending Kate, who had been settling into her seat, crashing into Michael.
“Oops, sorry.” She laughed.
Michael looked at her and smiled, feeling brave. “I’m not.”
They gazed at each other and Kate smiled. “Neither am I,” she admitted, glad that the dim interior of the cab hid her blush.
“I know this wasn’t a date, but would you mind if I …” He raised an eyebrow at her in silent query as he dipped his head toward hers.
“Not at all,” Kate whispered, lifting her face toward his.
Their lips met in a soft kiss, parted, and went back for more.
“Well, for an evening that wasn’t a date, I had a great time,” Kate said with a smile.
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