Summer in the City

by Irene Vartanoff

“Oh, Susan,” Bev said, showing sympathy at last. “No wonder you’re being a cougar with Mikey. I get it now. You’re thinking about your future. You don’t want to have to live on alimony.”

  She stared at Bev blankly. Bev always saw the selfish and unpleasant angle. “I think I’ll go make myself a snack. If Todd comes over, do you want me to make myself scarce? I could go down to the courtyard.”

  “Maybe later. That would help.”

  ***

  Todd hadn’t shown up by the time Susan was standing at the curb a couple hours later. She had a small suitcase with her. Michael pulled up in a cab and noticed it after he’d hopped out and embraced her.

  “Good girl,” he approved. “I don’t want to have to commute to see you all weekend.”

  “Seventy blocks. That’s such a long commute. Not even four miles.” She smiled at him.

  He kissed her for being so sassy.

  They had decided that driving all the way out to Long Island wasn’t worth the effort. Michael had gotten them tickets for a concert on Saturday night. The rest of the time, they intended to wander the city or stay in bed. With no thought of tomorrow. This was an idyll they were living out. Was it the kind that ended? Or one that, like Rona’s affair with Edward, eventually was revisited?

  If that was so, did it end happily? The jury was out with Rona and Edward. Edward wanted to take a break and Rona was refusing. He could always unilaterally end it. Bev and Todd were talking, which was good, she supposed, but neither seemed willing to budge from their opposing positions. As for herself, she knew that her little house of cards could tumble down any minute. The career part was over, that was for sure.

  “What’s the matter?” Michael’s inquiry pierced her reverie. “You’re wrapped up in vexing thoughts, I can tell. You sounded some kind of down when I called you.”

  “I think I got fired. Or maybe not. Hard to tell.”

  “What happened?” he asked in concern.

  “Drama at Coquette. It was a pretty amazing scene.”

  She spent the rest of the cab ride describing her last few minutes at Coquette. A relief to talk about it. She needed to go over the details with someone. She got to the end as they went up in his elevator and entered his spacious, light-filled apartment.

  “You walked away clean while Linda was taking the fall?”

  “Oh, yes. Unfortunately, that leaves all the evidence in Elizabeth’s hands alone. I was being so cautious. I stupidly had wiped all the evidence from my computer. I mean, seriously wiped. I get the feeling that I played into Elizabeth’s hands by doing so. She’s perfectly fine with having used me to smoke out Linda into compromising herself. Elizabeth doesn’t need me to be credited with breaking the case.”

  “That bothers you why?”

  “Oh, Michael, I’ve been a fool,” she sighed. “I thought she liked me. How could I have been so wrong?”

  His arm tightened around her. He steered her to the couch and sat down, then pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her ear, reaching up a hand to push her hair back.

  “What’s not to like?”

  She smiled and ran her fingers through his short, bristly hair. “Not everyone is a fan of mine.”

  “That bothers you?”

  “I think Elizabeth could like me, but she despises what she calls my state of denial. I’m a nobody because I haven’t established a whole career solving computer mysteries.”

  “You still could.”

  “Oh, maybe,” she sighed. “My personal life always absorbs most of my energy.”

  Michael’s hand insinuated itself under her blouse and stroked the small of her back delicately, causing her to shiver.

  “Really?” he asked teasingly, stealing her favorite expression.

  She leaned in and kissed his eyebrows, his eyes, and his nose. Then she kissed around his lips tenderly and slowly. When she finally took his lips, he groaned with pleasure, and so did she.

  ***

  Much later, seeing Susan’s thoughts far away again, Michael asked, “What happens now with Coquette?”

  “I guess they’ll let me know on Monday. Or not.” Kathryn Cyrus had promised to call her, but HR departments were notorious for saying those words and not following up.

  “Are you going to fret about this all weekend?” Michael followed his question with an expression of self-derision. “I don’t mean to be a selfish pig. I’m hoping you and I can spend our time fully concentrated on each other.”

  “What I’m struggling with is that I feel like a pawn in her game of corporate chess.”

  “Welcome to the wonderful world of employment,” he said ironically. “Most of us deal with that problem during our working lives.”

  “I guess so,” she sighed. “Being lied to by an employer is nothing new. I shouldn’t even take it personally.”

  “But you do. We all do.”

  “Of course. Why don’t they realize how wonderful we are?” she asked, smiling.

  “The fools. I say screw ’em.” Michael smiled, too.

  ***

  Rona’s plan for a small get-together was a complete bust. Susan had gone to Michael’s for the weekend and had only promised they would drop in for an hour before their concert. Bev and Todd were out doing something, although every visit ended in bickering. Rona was beginning to suspect that was their normal life together back in Florida. Then Louis had called up and said he and Perry were going to a Mets game—a Mets game!—and would be arriving late. Edward was AWOL.

  She decided the party was off. Officially. It was about to rain, anyway, and they wouldn’t be able to use the walled courtyard after all. She put a sign on the front door and then called, texted, and emailed each person. Nobody answered or replied.

  She sank into a long contemplation of every arrogant mistake she had made in her handling of Edward. For starters, he wasn’t used to a woman demanding fairness. He was used to subtle women who connived. To clingy, dependent women who whined and complained. She could never be that type.

  On the plus side, she gave Edward the best sex of his life. How could she not? They had always had the most amazing chemistry. Regardless of whom he had been with in the twenty-five years they were apart, the sex between them was the absolute best. They loved each other. Didn’t they?

  Hadn’t he shown that he loved her every time they’d made love? She had never needed to have the three little words. Men didn’t go around saying “I love you” at the drop of a hat. Even when they were in love. Edward did say it, and he said it often. Now, missing Edward acutely after days apart, she wanted desperately to hear the words again. To have something to believe in.

  What was the point? She didn’t want or need to be in love alone. Only if Edward wanted what she wanted, a future together, did she want to keep on loving him. If he wasn’t interested, if he wanted a convenient hole-in-corner love affair while he pretended to Celia that he was a celibate, sorrowing widower, Rona vowed she would cut him out of her heart finally and forever.

  An hour later, Louis and Perry showed up bearing wine. “We got rained out.”

  “Plus, the Mets were getting creamed,” Perry said.

  “I didn’t know you liked baseball, Lou.”

  “I’ll go anywhere they play Queen,” he said, reminding her that “We Are the Champions” was played at every macho sporting event.

  He eyed her sloppy clothes, consisting of simple slacks and a shapeless camisole. “The party’s back on, cupcake. You should go change into something nicer. Meanwhile, Perry and I will try to make the room presentable.” He looked around the messy apartment disapprovingly. There wasn’t anywhere to put the wine, or sit. “I thought you said you’d cleaned this place up?”

  “I did, I had,” she said, not happy with herself. “Then, I don’t know. I had that luncheon with Edward and his daughter. After it, he insisted I meet his priest. Since then, things are piling up again.”

  “You go find something fabulous to wear, and we’ll take the newspapers and magazines
to the recycle room.”

  When she started to object, he forestalled her. “They’ll be safe. Nothing gets recycled over the weekend. You can bring them back after we leave.” The men quickly organized the newspapers and magazines she had brought into the apartment in the past week, and got rid of them.

  Meanwhile, she put on a sophisticated bolero over a tight top and pencil skirt, jazzed up her earrings, and threw on some stilettos. She felt better already. Then Louis returned from the recycle room and started messing with the rest of her possessions. Especially the ones covering the only large table. She began to get irritated. “Leave those alone.”

  “New tchotchkes, I see. Nice. There are too many on the table. I want to put the wine here and bring out some glasses. Pick the best one,” Louis ordered.

  “They’re all wonderful and different from each other. I can’t possibly choose.” Her voice was getting tighter and higher. People changing her personal space around bothered her.

  “All right, chickie,” Louis soothed. He found a large shopping bag and started piling them inside.

  “Wait. What are you doing?”

  “Storing them so you have space to put out those glasses I helped you buy a while back. Why don’t you go get them?”

  He was trying to help her avoid conflict by sending her into her kitchen. “I’m onto your tricks,” she said, as she returned with a tray of glasses.

  “There. All done.” Louis deftly arranged them on the table with the wine. “Now we’re ready to party.”

  “I’ll bring out the cold spread I ordered.” She could feel his approving glance as she headed for the kitchen again.

  A few minutes later, Susan and Michael arrived, also bearing wine. She made introductions.

  Michael said, “I think I’ve met Louis before but not this young man.”

  “Perry Chang, who also works on Wall Street,” Rona said.

  They started talking.

  Jack rang the doorbell. She had felt she ought to give him a nicer sendoff than she had before. She accepted a kiss on the cheek and another bottle of wine.

  “You all must think I’m a total wino,” she said, holding up the bottle, laughing.

  “We like wine, too,” Jack insisted. He was wearing a jacket over a casual shirt. He looked good, but she had the sinking feeling that no man was ever going to look wonderful to her after Edward. This time, she wasn’t going to get over it. She’d end up becoming a nun. Damn Edward for betraying her twice over.

  The room was now crowded and buzzing with chatter. A party, indeed. When she tried to use the oven, she realized it was dead. She called to Susan. “Does the oven work upstairs?”

  “Yes.”

  At that moment, Perry almost fell over a chair leg. Her tiny living room was too small for six people.

  “Okay, partiers,” she announced in her loud professor voice. “We’re taking this upstairs to the other apartment. Everybody carry something.” She balanced a cookie sheet filled with tiny appetizers, and Susan followed with several more boxes of high-end deli goodies. The others grabbed the wine and the glasses.

  It was a crowded scene in the elevator. When it seemed to wobble and pause between floors, somebody groaned, “Oh, no.” The elevator finally chugged to the top. The party burst out, and Susan set down her burdens and used her key to open the apartment door. As everybody filed in, Rona thought there was something a little strange. There were clothes leading a path to Bev’s bedroom. Men’s and women’s clothes.

  She shrieked with laughter. “We’re officially turning this into a shivaree.” She dashed into the kitchen and grabbed a pot and spoon, and started banging on it. The other guests caught on. Catcalls, hoots, and the banging finally got a response. Wrapped in a sheet, obviously naked beneath it, Todd and Bev came to the bedroom door.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Todd yelled.

  “We’re having a party,” she laughed. The others laughed too. Todd looked so ridiculous.

  “Apparently, you were, too,” Louis observed, the toe of his shoe pushing at Todd’s slacks.

  “Hey! Leave my clothes alone,” Todd made to pick them up, and his action started to pull the sheet off Bev.

  “Aaah! Stop!” Bev cried. There was more laughter at the couple’s expense.

  Susan was the spoilsport, of course. She got a knitted throw from the couch and wrapped it around Bev, who immediately ran back into her bedroom. Todd, meanwhile, picked up all his clothes, and wrapped his sheet tighter, along with his dignity, and retreated to the bedroom himself.

  Everyone else was laughing. Except Susan, who came up to her. “That wasn’t very kind of you.”

  “Since when has anybody accused me of being kind?” She was unrepentant.

  Michael strolled over. “Good job. This is the best party I’ve been to in months.”

  “Other than the private type, I understand,” Rona said slyly. In response, Michael put his arm around Susan, who blushed. She relaxed in his grasp and he smiled a possessive smile.

  “O-kay, got that,” Rona said, charmed in spite of herself. She’d warned Susan enough. It looked like they weren’t interested in any warnings. Both of them radiated happiness. They were doomed, of course, but she had done all she could.

  Soon the oven was heating the hors d’oeuvres, and the men had set up an impromptu bar on the bistro table. Jack and Perry were chatting like old friends. Of course. Jack had retired from the Street himself. They had plenty in common.

  The party was happening again. Todd and Bev joined the crowd. They both looked happy. She was glad someone was.

  Before she could sink into an unpleasant consideration of her own situation, her phone beeped. A glance told her it was Edward. She turned away from the others, “Yes,” she said tensely. Was this going to be goodbye?

  “I’m downstairs at your apartment building. Where are you?”

  “Oh. Oh, Edward. We’re all upstairs at Susan’s place. It’s bigger.” She knew she was babbling. She ran to the kitchen to push the intercom buzzer and let him in the building. She gave him the apartment number and then raced outside to wait for the elevator.

  She was there to greet him when its door opened. Edward looked grave. He was dressed in a somber suit. He took a step forward and enveloped her in his arms. He kissed her. She kissed him back, trying to swallow him whole. She couldn’t stop herself. Even if this was goodbye, she wanted his kisses.

  “I’m so sorry for being a fool,” he finally said.

  “What does that mean?”

  In his long political life, Edward had given many speeches. He was a suave talker. It was a surprise to see him struggle to get his next words out, only slowly building strength and volume.

  “I spent all this week thinking everything over. Considering your needs and my needs and what my family and the rest of the world expect of me. Asking God for the grace to find the right path. Finally, today, I realized what I need to do to prove my love to you. To make you understand that you will come first with me from now on.”

  He reached for something in his pocket. A ring? No. She held in a disappointed breath. A piece of folded paper. “It was all I could come up with on a weekend.” He unfolded it carefully and showed it to her.

  It was a printout of how to obtain a marriage license in New York City.

  She looked up from it, tears in her eyes. “You mean it?”

  Edward got down on one knee. There in the hall. He kissed her hand. “Rona, I love you. Will you marry me? This week at City Hall?”

  She fell to her knees, the tears falling fast from her eyes now. “Yes. Yes. Yes!” She put her arms around him.

  Edward explained earnestly, “It takes twenty-four hours after you apply, and both people must apply in person. If we went down there Monday morning, we could be married on Tuesday. That’s not too soon for you?” he asked anxiously.

  “It’s perfect. Oh, Edward,” she said, laying her head on his chest. “At last.”

  He placed a gentle hand on he
r hair and enfolded her in his arms.

  ***

  Susan saw Rona’s face change when her phone rang. Maybe it was Edward. That would account for her tense expression that suddenly broke into happiness. If only that meant more than fleeting joy because he wanted to see her. If only Edward would do right by Rona. She had suffered so much because of him. To end their relationship now would be so cruel. Rona was tough, but she was no tougher than anyone when it came to a broken heart.

  She went to stand by Bev. She whispered, “I suspect Edward called Rona, and that’s why she dashed out. They haven’t spoken or seen each other all week.”

  Bev turned toward her, “You think he might dump her after all these years?”

  “I don’t know. She’s been down for days, wondering if they have a future. She looked happy just now.”

  “He could be stringing her along. Before he marries another society fortune.”

  She grimaced. Bev was cynical, but she could be right.

  Then the hall door opened. Rona and Edward came in, arms and hands linked. Susan’s eyes widened. Rona’s face was streaked with tears but she was smiling.

  “Everybody! We have an announcement!”

  Edward said in his deep voice, “Rona and I are getting married at City Hall on Tuesday. We’d be happy if you all could attend.”

  Pandemonium broke out. Everybody was talking at once. Even Todd, to whom Bev clearly had never confided anything about Rona’s secret lover. “Who’s he? What’s this about?”

  Susan flew at Rona and kissed her, then couldn’t resist kissing Edward, too. “This is wonderful! Congratulations!”

  Louis was next in line. He kissed Rona on the lips passionately. She heard him whisper, “Good wishes, my only love.” Maybe all Louis had said about being gay was exactly the truth. He only played at it to disguise his lifelong love for Rona. He turned to Edward and shook his hand before warning, “Don’t ever make her unhappy again.”

  Edward solemnly promised, “I won’t.”

  Jack came up and kissed Rona’s cheek. “I guess the best man won.” He shook Edward’s hand.

  Perry danced up and said, “I’m calling my paupau today to say you’re finally off the market.”