come on, Dad. Of course it is. You’ll have to give a paper and attend a few seminars and dinners, but you’ll have plenty of afternoons to explore and swim—it even says so in the invitation!”
Theodore sighed. “Teddy, I understand your intentions are good. But please remember that I have been married to your mother for thirty years. I know what she likes and doesn’t like. More importantly, I know what and who will be helpful to me at a conference. I have a reputation to uphold, remember. Which reminds me. Did you have a chance to read Weingarten’s paper?”
Marilyn had slunk back to the kitchen, bowed by the sadness of her son’s voice, which exposed clearly the sadness of her marriage.
But she had to focus on the present. With a shake of her head, she saw she’d somehow driven herself to Martino’s and parked the car neatly between two others in the parking lot. Right, she told herself. Enough sniveling. She hurried into the restaurant.
To the right lay the dining area; to the left, the little shop with its deli counter. Theodore was a plain meat-and-potatoes man, so Marilyn indulged now, buying pickled mushrooms and antipasto with fat wrinkled Greek olives and a pasta salad with pesto and roasted red peppers. And bread. And wine.
As she fished in her purse for money, she heard a familiar laugh. Where? Who? She paid, gathered her purchases, and headed to the door, then stopped as she heard the laugh again.
It had to be Lila, Teddy’s fiancée. Her laugh was so distinctive. Teddy was in Hawaii with his father. Perhaps Lila was here with her parents. Perhaps Marilyn should say hello—
Peering into the dining room, she spotted Lila immediately. Such beauty. Lila stood out in any crowd. Tonight her hair was pinned up on her head in that careless way young women did it these days, so that the ends fanned out like a turkey’s tail. She wore a red dress with a plunging neckline.
She was smiling. She was throwing her beautiful head back in laughter. She was accompanied by a man. A handsome man, with sleek black hair and gangster looks. He put his hand over Lila’s.
The two obviously knew each other well, or were going to.
Marilyn told herself she should go over and say hello. Undoubtedly, Lila would explain just who this man was, this man who wasn’t Teddy.
“Excuse me.”
Marilyn was blocking the door. Two people, arms full of pungent purchases, were trying to get out. Rattled, Marilyn pushed through the door and out into the cold night, and the only reasonable thing to do seemed to be to keep on going to her car.
As she drove home, Sharon seemed to beam herself onto the passenger seat like a hologram, reminding Marilyn of her warning that Lila was interested in Teddy only for his money.
The house loomed empty and dark. The mailbox next to the front door was crammed, as usual. She collected the correspondence and dumped it, with her book bags and food, onto the dining room table, then went up to her bedroom to change into the comfort of a robe. She turned lights on everywhere to make the house feel warm. She wished she had a dog or cat, but Theodore had too many allergies.
Settling in at the table, she began to read, absentmindedly picking at her food, which had lost its savor. She was worried about Teddy, about the strange man with Lila.
She wished she had someone to talk to.
Really
talk to. The truth was, she was lonely. Her life had been devoted to her family and her work. She’d worked hard, juggling the demands of both worlds, until now she’d arrived at a calm lagoon. Her son was a successful scientist about to be married. Marilyn was a tenured professor and a respected authority in her field. She had many acquaintances, but no real friends. True, she could always call her sister. But she didn’t think she wanted to hear what Sharon would say.
At nine, she made a cup of instant hot chocolate and curled up on the sofa to watch
The Thin Man
, the perfect antidote for her mood, frivolous,
Theodore sighed. “Teddy, I understand your intentions are good. But please remember that I have been married to your mother for thirty years. I know what she likes and doesn’t like. More importantly, I know what and who will be helpful to me at a conference. I have a reputation to uphold, remember. Which reminds me. Did you have a chance to read Weingarten’s paper?”
Marilyn had slunk back to the kitchen, bowed by the sadness of her son’s voice, which exposed clearly the sadness of her marriage.
But she had to focus on the present. With a shake of her head, she saw she’d somehow driven herself to Martino’s and parked the car neatly between two others in the parking lot. Right, she told herself. Enough sniveling. She hurried into the restaurant.
To the right lay the dining area; to the left, the little shop with its deli counter. Theodore was a plain meat-and-potatoes man, so Marilyn indulged now, buying pickled mushrooms and antipasto with fat wrinkled Greek olives and a pasta salad with pesto and roasted red peppers. And bread. And wine.
As she fished in her purse for money, she heard a familiar laugh. Where? Who? She paid, gathered her purchases, and headed to the door, then stopped as she heard the laugh again.
It had to be Lila, Teddy’s fiancée. Her laugh was so distinctive. Teddy was in Hawaii with his father. Perhaps Lila was here with her parents. Perhaps Marilyn should say hello—
Peering into the dining room, she spotted Lila immediately. Such beauty. Lila stood out in any crowd. Tonight her hair was pinned up on her head in that careless way young women did it these days, so that the ends fanned out like a turkey’s tail. She wore a red dress with a plunging neckline.
She was smiling. She was throwing her beautiful head back in laughter. She was accompanied by a man. A handsome man, with sleek black hair and gangster looks. He put his hand over Lila’s.
The two obviously knew each other well, or were going to.
Marilyn told herself she should go over and say hello. Undoubtedly, Lila would explain just who this man was, this man who wasn’t Teddy.
“Excuse me.”
Marilyn was blocking the door. Two people, arms full of pungent purchases, were trying to get out. Rattled, Marilyn pushed through the door and out into the cold night, and the only reasonable thing to do seemed to be to keep on going to her car.
As she drove home, Sharon seemed to beam herself onto the passenger seat like a hologram, reminding Marilyn of her warning that Lila was interested in Teddy only for his money.
The house loomed empty and dark. The mailbox next to the front door was crammed, as usual. She collected the correspondence and dumped it, with her book bags and food, onto the dining room table, then went up to her bedroom to change into the comfort of a robe. She turned lights on everywhere to make the house feel warm. She wished she had a dog or cat, but Theodore had too many allergies.
Settling in at the table, she began to read, absentmindedly picking at her food, which had lost its savor. She was worried about Teddy, about the strange man with Lila.
She wished she had someone to talk to.
Really
talk to. The truth was, she was lonely. Her life had been devoted to her family and her work. She’d worked hard, juggling the demands of both worlds, until now she’d arrived at a calm lagoon. Her son was a successful scientist about to be married. Marilyn was a tenured professor and a respected authority in her field. She had many acquaintances, but no real friends. True, she could always call her sister. But she didn’t think she wanted to hear what Sharon would say.
At nine, she made a cup of instant hot chocolate and curled up on the sofa to watch
The Thin Man
, the perfect antidote for her mood, frivolous,
Similar Books
