Adam was too busy mentally tallying up the house’s probable construction costs to respond. At that moment, he was fi lling his phone’s camera memory—furtively Iris noted— with photos of Norman’s furniture.
“Alyssa, didn’t you design a curtain-wall office tower for Ungers ’ studio?” Jerry dead-panned.
“Well, it had the same parti of stacked elements— sort of cubist, with a lot of transparency.” She was clearly oblivious to his frontal assault.
Iris noticed Jerry whisper something into G.B.’s ear, turning away first in case there were lip readers watching him.
“Mack,” Ellie called over. “You have to see the master bath. I want Iris to use these tiles in our bathroom.”
“Uh oh, are we doing another renovation?” Mack protested as Ellie dragged him away.
Norman sidled over to C.C. and made his annoying little cough to get her attention.
“You know, I let Iris put her name on the design of this house, but I gave her some pretty extensive ideas. I’d love to give you a tour. Remind me, what magazine are you working for these days?”
C.C. graced Norman with a glacial smile and flipped down her cherry-red glasses from their nest atop her helmet of hair. “Oh, Norman, you’ve left our provincial field of architecture so-o-o far behind. I’m sure that you don’t have time to read shelter magazines.”
“Well, C.C., someone has to be the patron and keep these innovative architects in business, don’t you think?” he intoned, a smile plastered to his face.
G.B. tapped his cheek with a finger as he stared at the windows. Turning around, he spurted out “I’m fascinated with the semiotics of this house, Iris. I will bet that not many people will notice that the pattern of the fenestration follows the proportions of the Fibonacci series. Please explain to me what you are saying with that gesture?”
The corners of her mouth flickered up in a suppressed smile. Norman hadn’t noticed that reference. “Let’s discuss my concepts over dinner, G.B. I’m seeing Norman signal for us to sit down now.”
Iris and Ellie had carefully worked out a seating plan and rehearsed what questions to try to work into the conversations. Ellie was positioned down at Norman’s end of the table with Alyssa, G.B. and Adam. Iris was at the other end flanked by C.C. and Jerry with Mack and Will’s empty seat beyond.
Before they could begin the meal, Norman stood up to give a toast. He started off with “this was always a very special class,” and went on to enumerate every funny or embarrassing memory he could dredge up. People resignedly put their glasses back down on the table. Iris’ mind wandered off as he segued into a narrative of the classmates’ various accomplishments, oh-so-modestly leaving out his own.
Iris studied Adam’s face in profile. Unlike his wife, he hadn’t aged well. There was something slack about his features. It looked as if Alyssa had sucked out all of his life-force.
Louise peeked in twice from the kitchen to see if she could serve the salad. Norman, however, was jammed on transmit.
Finally, in a rare display of practicality, G.B. rose, glass in hand, and cut off Norman in mid-gauzy-sentiment. “Here’s to Norman who has generously opened up his lovely new home to us all. Bravo!”
Everyone rose immediately, raising their glasses and crying out “Bravo!” to keep Norman from starting up again in response. They all sat down and Louise swept in with the salads before anything could stop her.
Iris overheard fragments of conversations throughout the many courses. C.C. was energetically telling Jerry about a photo shoot in Chicago gone horribly awry, her uni -bosom shelved on the table. His glazed smile said you really are repulsive, while his lips said “how amusing for you.”
G.B. held court with Norman and Adam, trying to convince them to get more involved with their alma mater, perhaps by participating on design juries now that they were ‘respected
“Alyssa, didn’t you design a curtain-wall office tower for Ungers ’ studio?” Jerry dead-panned.
“Well, it had the same parti of stacked elements— sort of cubist, with a lot of transparency.” She was clearly oblivious to his frontal assault.
Iris noticed Jerry whisper something into G.B.’s ear, turning away first in case there were lip readers watching him.
“Mack,” Ellie called over. “You have to see the master bath. I want Iris to use these tiles in our bathroom.”
“Uh oh, are we doing another renovation?” Mack protested as Ellie dragged him away.
Norman sidled over to C.C. and made his annoying little cough to get her attention.
“You know, I let Iris put her name on the design of this house, but I gave her some pretty extensive ideas. I’d love to give you a tour. Remind me, what magazine are you working for these days?”
C.C. graced Norman with a glacial smile and flipped down her cherry-red glasses from their nest atop her helmet of hair. “Oh, Norman, you’ve left our provincial field of architecture so-o-o far behind. I’m sure that you don’t have time to read shelter magazines.”
“Well, C.C., someone has to be the patron and keep these innovative architects in business, don’t you think?” he intoned, a smile plastered to his face.
G.B. tapped his cheek with a finger as he stared at the windows. Turning around, he spurted out “I’m fascinated with the semiotics of this house, Iris. I will bet that not many people will notice that the pattern of the fenestration follows the proportions of the Fibonacci series. Please explain to me what you are saying with that gesture?”
The corners of her mouth flickered up in a suppressed smile. Norman hadn’t noticed that reference. “Let’s discuss my concepts over dinner, G.B. I’m seeing Norman signal for us to sit down now.”
Iris and Ellie had carefully worked out a seating plan and rehearsed what questions to try to work into the conversations. Ellie was positioned down at Norman’s end of the table with Alyssa, G.B. and Adam. Iris was at the other end flanked by C.C. and Jerry with Mack and Will’s empty seat beyond.
Before they could begin the meal, Norman stood up to give a toast. He started off with “this was always a very special class,” and went on to enumerate every funny or embarrassing memory he could dredge up. People resignedly put their glasses back down on the table. Iris’ mind wandered off as he segued into a narrative of the classmates’ various accomplishments, oh-so-modestly leaving out his own.
Iris studied Adam’s face in profile. Unlike his wife, he hadn’t aged well. There was something slack about his features. It looked as if Alyssa had sucked out all of his life-force.
Louise peeked in twice from the kitchen to see if she could serve the salad. Norman, however, was jammed on transmit.
Finally, in a rare display of practicality, G.B. rose, glass in hand, and cut off Norman in mid-gauzy-sentiment. “Here’s to Norman who has generously opened up his lovely new home to us all. Bravo!”
Everyone rose immediately, raising their glasses and crying out “Bravo!” to keep Norman from starting up again in response. They all sat down and Louise swept in with the salads before anything could stop her.
Iris overheard fragments of conversations throughout the many courses. C.C. was energetically telling Jerry about a photo shoot in Chicago gone horribly awry, her uni -bosom shelved on the table. His glazed smile said you really are repulsive, while his lips said “how amusing for you.”
G.B. held court with Norman and Adam, trying to convince them to get more involved with their alma mater, perhaps by participating on design juries now that they were ‘respected
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