A Perfect Life: A Novel

by Danielle Steel

  “Is something wrong between you and Mom?” Salima asked him that night at dinner. Blaise had skipped dinner again and claimed she had another headache. “Did you have a fight or something?” Simon hesitated and put another slice of pizza on her plate. It was the one he had made for Blaise, with the truffle oil. He had tried to bring it to her in her bedroom, but her door was locked, and she didn’t answer when he knocked. He texted her, and she didn’t respond. The message was clear. She was suffering in private, while trying to appear “fine” to him. She was anything but.

  “I’m worried about her,” Simon said to Salima, not wanting to share with her what was going on. He didn’t know what Blaise was going to tell her, how little or how much. But Salima correctly sensed there was something major going on. She hoped it would blow over soon. Simon wasn’t being much fun, nor was her mother, who was isolated in her room, pretending to be busy.

  Eric called Simon that night to tell him he had found a relief teacher they’d used several years before. She had just gotten divorced, had no kids, and was willing to step into Simon’s shoes in New York, temporarily at least. She thought it sounded like fun, and was excited to do it. She was three years younger than Simon, but Eric thought she could handle the job, and Simon knew her and could brief her on what she had to do for Salima.

  “How soon can she start?” Blaise asked Eric when he called her after speaking to Simon.

  “As soon as you like. Tomorrow if you want. She’s all set to go, if you want her. I think she should spend a day with Simon so he can brief her, but she’s familiar with all our procedures, and she’s a bright girl. She’ll catch on fast.”

  “Fine. Then have her come down tomorrow,” Blaise said in a strained voice. “Simon can come back to you the day after. I’m sure you’re anxious to have him at school.” He had told her that the students were returning Sunday. A few had dropped out or made other arrangements, like Salima, but most were coming back to Caldwell. He was very sorry that Salima was not returning after so many years, but he understood. And it was good for her to be at home.

  “I’m glad it worked out so well with Simon. I was sure it would, once everyone adjusted. I think Rebecca will work out well for you too.” They discussed the financial arrangements. She was going to work directly for Blaise, since Salima was not returning to Caldwell. She was giving up the cottage on the grounds too. Eric had found Rebecca for Blaise as a favor, so as not to leave her in the lurch when Simon left. He knew how busy Blaise was, and that she needed someone with Salima at all times, particularly when she traveled. She had told him she was going to Lebanon the following week and Morocco in a month. But there was no way she could go to Lebanon now and leave Salima with a new person.

  Eric agreed to have Becky at the apartment at noon the next day. She would come to the city by bus in the morning and take a cab to the apartment. As soon as Blaise hung up, Simon called her. It was the only way to reach her. She was holed up in her room with the door locked. She had been crying before Eric called her, and didn’t want Simon to see her. The situation was miserable enough without his feeling sorry for her on top of it. She didn’t want to look pathetic to him, and hadn’t felt this vulnerable in years. Not since Andrew. And the irony was that she had finally trusted someone and opened up, and now he was leaving too, for another woman. It wasn’t quite as simple as that, but it felt that way to her.

  “You talked to Eric?” Simon asked her when she answered her cell phone. He hadn’t even been sure she would do that, since she hadn’t answered his texts. “I know Becky, and she’s pretty good. I think she and Salima should get along. Don’t let Becky baby her, though. I’d hate to see Salima lose all the ground she’s gained.” But he doubted that would happen now. Salima had become her own person in a mere three months.

  “You could stay and do the job yourself,” Blaise said sadly. In her heart of hearts, she was hoping he would change his mind and stay, she wished he could, but she knew it was out of the question. He had a contract to fulfill, and he was a responsible person. And he had a woman he felt he had to go back to, in fairness to all three of them. That was the part Blaise hated. She could sense that she’d already lost him, and knew how it would turn out. She honestly believed Megan was the woman he should be with, and that she wasn’t. His relationship with Blaise had been a long shot, given their age difference, and she had lost. She had taken her chips off the table, and gone home. Now all she wanted was for him to leave as soon as possible, and end the torture of their situation as quickly as they could. She didn’t want him to linger. It was too painful knowing he was right there, and no longer hers. He was already Megan’s, and now she realized he always had been. She had won him back by leaving her husband.

  “I wish I could stay,” Simon said, and meant it. But he had to go back and face reality on all fronts, at work, and with Megan. “I’m sorry, Blaise,” he said, wanting to hold her in his arms again and sleep with her before he left, and make love together. But he was too respectful to do so. He knew how much he was hurting her, and he loved her too much to make it worse. He wished he could have them both. It was an age-old dilemma, and she’d been there before.

  “I’m sorry too,” she said, as tears filled her eyes, and he could hear it in her voice. “That’s life, I guess. Things don’t always work out. It’ll be better for you this way.” She had already given him up in her mind. And he knew she was thinking about children for him again. “And your mom will be happy. She won’t have to worry about how old I am.”

  “That never mattered to me, your age, or my mom.” She knew that was true. But Megan still had a hold on him that he hadn’t freed himself of yet, and maybe never would. He had no idea now which woman was right for him, Meg or Blaise. And Blaise had taken herself out of the running, out of pride and self-preservation, if nothing else.

  “When are you leaving?” she asked in a choked voice.

  “Tomorrow.” He had just finished packing when he called her. “Tomorrow night, if Becky seems okay to you.”

  “I don’t have any other choice. Eric says he doesn’t know anyone else.”

  “She’ll be okay.” But he wasn’t as sure that Blaise would be, which worried him. She was taking his leaving very hard. “I’ll stay in touch with Salima,” he promised. “We can text each other on her voice-texting phone, or she can call me. And you can call me whenever you want.” He hoped she would, but he had the feeling she wouldn’t, and he was right. She knew she had to let him go now to lead his life and find his path, with the woman he wanted. She wished it had been her. She was certain he would stay with Megan. He had invested too much time in her not to.

  After they hung up, it was strange knowing that she was in the apartment with him, and not together. Her bed was so empty now. He might as well have been back at Caldwell. He had already left her life, and she was setting him free, because she loved him. All that remained now were the last agonizing details. She lay awake for hours that night, thinking about him. And in his room, Simon was thinking about her too. He had never felt worse in his life. He missed her acutely, even before he left, and he cried himself to sleep that night, as Blaise lay silent and awake in the moonlight in her room. They were worlds apart.

  Blaise ran into Simon in the kitchen the next morning when she went to get a cup of coffee. He handed it to her out of habit. She suddenly felt a thousand years old, and assumed she probably looked it, and no longer cared. Simon hated to see her so miserable but didn’t tell her how beautiful she looked or how much he loved her. And Salima came in seeming depressed while they were talking. Her mother had told her the night before that Simon was going back to Caldwell, and a new girl was replacing him, and Salima had cried when she told her. But she was relieved that her mother was letting her stay home instead of going to Caldwell. But she was heartbroken to be losing Simon from her daily life. Salima went to see him in his room after her mother told her.

  “What about you and my mom?” she asked him bluntly.

 
“That’s kind of on hold for now,” he said vaguely, in an apologetic tone.

  “You mean it’s over?” Salima looked sorely disappointed and even more so that he was leaving and on such short notice.

  “I don’t know. It’s complicated. I have to work some things out, and your mom probably won’t want to wait while I do. It’ll take some time.”

  “I think she loves you, Simon,” Salima said softly. She could hear how sad he was, and her mother’s cheeks had been wet when Salima hugged her after she explained that Simon was going.

  “I love her too. And I loved my three months with you. I’ll send you text messages every day.” She could write hers by phone, and receive his by voice.

  “Will you come to visit?” May seemed an eternity away to her, when he finished the school year.

  “If it’s okay with your mother,” he said respectfully. “We’re going to miss you at Caldwell. It won’t be the same without you.” But Salima was happy to be staying in New York. She had a wonderful new life there, thanks to Simon. And she didn’t want to go back to the cottage there when Abby died. But she was worried about his replacement.

  “What if Becky is a drip and we don’t get along? I had so much fun with you.”

  “So did I.” He smiled. “Your mom can find someone else if she has to, from one of the schools here. But I think Becky will be fine. Give her a chance. You weren’t all that happy about me in the beginning either.” They both smiled at the memory of Salima’s early defiance.

  Becky arrived while all three of them were in the kitchen, carrying one small suitcase, and she looked daunted by the group. She said hello to Simon, he introduced her to Salima and they shook hands, and then he introduced her to Blaise, who looked somber as she looked her over. She was too upset to give her a warm welcome, and Salima was no better. Becky looked worried when Simon showed her to her room next to his.

  “Did someone die, or is that because you’re leaving? They look really sad,” Becky commented as she set down her suitcase, and looked around the tiny room, and then back at Simon. “I guess they don’t want you to go.”

  “I’m sad too. They’re really nice people. Just give them some time. They’ll warm up. This is a big change for them. It was an adjustment for them to have Salima at home, and when Abby died. Now they’re used to me, so you just have to keep her busy, and establish a relationship with her yourself.”

  “I’ll try,” Becky said shyly. Her personality was more like Abby’s than his.

  “Don’t baby her,” he warned her. “She likes to get out. And she still won’t use a cane, or a dog. You can work on that with her.” Becky nodded. She had long blond hair she wore in a braid down her back, and big, frightened eyes.

  “What’s Miss McCarthy like? Is she scary?” Becky had thought so when she walked in, but Simon knew she was just sad.

  “Not if you do your job well. That’s all she wants. And she travels a lot, so you have to be fully responsible while she’s away, and all the time.” He took her out to the kitchen then and showed her where things were. He walked her around the apartment, pointing out the piano where Salima had her lessons, indicated Blaise’s suite, and then walked down the hall to Salima’s room. Becky already seemed lost. It was all more than a little frightening to her. She was a simple girl who had grown up on a farm in New Hampshire, and got into working with blind children when her mother went blind. Most of the staff had some kind of personal tie to their work.

  Salima was listening to music in her room and looked up when they walked in. She had recognized Simon’s step, and she had heard Becky’s, so she knew he wasn’t alone. Salima looked sad, and her mother’s door had been closed when they walked by it. Simon’s heart felt like a rock in his chest.

  They went back to the kitchen, and he told Becky all the things Salima liked to do, and about her insulin pump, her aspirations for Juilliard, and how talented she was. He sounded proud of her when he said it. And for a minute, Becky felt like he was a member of the family, not an employee. He was fiercely protective of both Salima and Blaise and raved about them both.

  Blaise asked him to come to her office at the end of the afternoon. She had been there all day, and she was tired and pale when he walked in. But he didn’t look much better. They both looked strained, and he knew leaving was going to be hard. He was trying not to think of that as he looked at Blaise, and she invited him to sit down. He did, with a sigh.

  “What do you think of Becky?” she asked him directly. He had been with her all afternoon, describing the job.

  “I think she’s competent and smart. I know she’s reliable from working with her before, although it’s been a while. I think she’s scared, and it’ll take her time to feel comfortable. But once she does, I think she’ll do a good job. She’s not an exciting person, or as fun as Abby, but she’s nice, she knows what she’s doing, and you can rely on her.”

  “She looks terrified,” Blaise commented, looking worn out.

  “You’re a pretty impressive figure,” he said gently, and Blaise smiled.

  “Is that what you thought when you came here?”

  “For a short time. I knew you wanted a woman in the job, but you made me feel at home very quickly. And I really wanted to make it work. Becky’s more hesitant as a person. But I think she and Salima will warm up to each other with time. And Salima doesn’t need as much help as she used to.”

  “Thanks to you.” Blaise looked at him for a long time, and he nodded. And he had won them over in the beginning.

  “I don’t know what to say.… You know how I feel,” he said, choking on the words, and she nodded as her eyes filled with tears.

  “Yeah … me too …” she said softly. There was nothing left to say, about Megan, and all the rest.

  Blaise went to ask Salima then how she felt about Becky, and Salima said she was okay. She wasn’t excited about her, and she wasn’t Abby or Simon. She shrugged. She had no specific objections to her, she just wasn’t enthused and neither was Blaise, and Becky could sense it, but she had a feeling there was something else going on, and she didn’t know what it was. Simon looked as distressed as they did, and Becky felt like she was intruding on all of them at a bad time.

  Blaise ordered pizza for dinner, and Simon had a slice before he left. He couldn’t even finish it, he was too upset, and then he looked at Blaise, who sat at the table eating nothing, while Salima toyed with her salad, and Becky was embarrassed as she took a second slice. No one was eating but her, and she was starving. She hadn’t eaten all day.

  “I’d better get going,” Simon said, looking at Blaise, and she nodded. He had rented a car for the return trip to Massachusetts.

  He wished Becky luck and told her to call him if she had any questions, and then he hugged Salima hard. She burst into tears, and he told her to call or text him whenever she wanted. Blaise had walked into the front hall by then and was waiting for him near the door where he had left his bags. The others stayed in the kitchen, and Simon looked down at her and wanted to forget everything and stay, but he didn’t say it and knew he couldn’t.

  He took Blaise in his arms, and she didn’t resist. She was soaking up the last feel of him, as she smelled the familiar aftershave on his neck and felt his powerful arms around her for the last time. “Take care of yourself, Blaise.… Call me if you need me.…”

  She nodded and pulled away a little to look at him with a sad smile. “Be a good boy, figure your life out … you deserve wonderful things in your life, and a great woman.” She felt as though she were giving up her child and the man she loved.

  “I love you,” he said in a choked voice, with tears in his eyes.

  “I love you too,” she said in the saddest voice he’d ever heard. Because she loved him, she was letting him go. Somewhere in her heart she thought it was right for him to go back to Megan, and what he wanted, so she wasn’t trying to hold on to him, or stop him, or convince him otherwise. Besides, she was too proud. It seemed cleaner to just release
him, with no strings.

  He picked up his bags then, opened the front door, and rang for the elevator, and a minute later he was standing in it and looking at her. She gave him a small wave as he stared at her, and the door closed. She almost fainted as she walked back into the apartment. She wanted to scream. She had never been in so much pain in her life. It was a powerful reminder to her not to fall in love again.

  Chapter 14

  The days dragged by after Simon left, and Blaise filled them as she always did, with work. With Susie Quentin back in Miami, there was no one else lusting after her job for the moment, and she was working on upcoming specials, doing her morning segment, and planning interviews abroad. She put off the trip to Lebanon. She wanted to stay home for a few weeks to make sure that Becky was working out with Salima. Neither Blaise nor Salima had any real objection to her, although Salima said she was boring. She had the personality of a mouse, and she started off on the wrong foot.

  She took Salima’s clothes out for her in the morning and put the toothpaste on her brush for her, trying to be helpful, and Salima snapped at her that she wasn’t a child, she was almost twenty years old. Abby had done it for her, and Salima had liked it, but Simon had led her into a whole other world and treated her like an adult. Salima texted him several times a day, and he always responded. Salima always went discreetly into another room to listen to his texts, so she could hear them in private and not upset her mother. But Blaise didn’t hear a word from him after he left, and was sure she wouldn’t. She didn’t call or write to him either, and hearing the sorrow in her mother’s voice, Salima didn’t mention him anymore, or tell her about the texts.

  “I’m sorry, Mom, about Simon,” she said one Sunday night, when Blaise was trying to cook them dinner. She was roasting a chicken, and attempting one of his recipes for risotto. She burned the chicken beyond recognition, and the rice turned into cement.