CHAPTER 4
———
MARCH 4, 1997
7:00 P.M.
NEW YORK CITY
LAURIE finished preparing the salad greens, put a paper towel over the
bowl, and slipped it into the refrigerator. Then she mixed the dressing,
a simple combination of olive oil, fresh garlic, and white vinegar, with
just a touch of balsamic. She put that in the refrigerator as well.
Turning her attention to the lamb loin, she trimmed off the small amount
of fat the butcher had left, put the meat into a marinade she’d made
earlier, and then stuck it into the refrigerator with the other makings.
The last chore was preparing the artichokes. It took only a moment to
cut off the excess base and a few of the large, stringy leaves.
Wiping her hands on the dish towel, Laurie glanced up at the wall clock.
Familiar with Jack’s schedule, she thought it was exactly the time to
call. She used the wall phone next to the sink.
As the connection went through, she could imagine Jack coming up the
cluttered stairwell in his dilapidated building. Although she thought
she understood why he’d originally rented his apartment, she had trouble
comprehending why he stayed. The building was so depressing. On the
other hand, as she glanced around at her own flat, she had to admit,
there wasn’t a lot of difference once Jack got inside his unit except he
had almost double the space.
The phone rang at the other end. Laurie counted the rings. When she got
to ten she began to doubt her familiarity with his schedule. She was
about to hang up when Jack answered.
‘Yeah?’ he said unceremoniously. He was out of breath.
‘Tonight’s your lucky night,’ Laurie said.
‘Who is this?’ Jack asked. ‘Is that you, Laurie?’
‘You sound out of breath,’ Laurie said. ‘Does that mean you lost at
basketball?’
‘No, it means I ran up four flights of stairs to get the phone,’ Jack
said. ‘What’s happening? Don’t tell me you’re still at work?’
‘Heavens, no,’ Laurie said. ‘I’ve been home for an hour.’
‘So why is this my lucky night?’ Jack asked.
‘I stopped by Gristede’s on the way home and picked up the makings of
your favorite dinner,’ Laurie said. ‘It’s all ready to go into the
broiler. All you have to do is shower and get yourself down here.’
‘And I thought I owed you an apology for laughing at the vanishing
mafioso,’ Jack said. ‘If amends are needed it’s surely from my side.’
‘There’s no atonement involved,’ Laurie said. ‘I would just enjoy your
company. But there’s one condition.’
‘Uh-oh,’ Jack said. ‘What?’
‘No bike tonight,’ Laurie said. ‘You have to come by cab or the deal’s
off.’
‘Taxis are more dangerous than my bike,’ Jack complained.
‘No argument,’ Laurie said. ‘Take it or leave it. If and when you slide
under a bus and end up on a slab in the pit, I don’t want to feel
responsible.’ Laurie felt her face flush. It was an issue she didn’t
even like to joke about.
‘Okay,’ Jack said agreeably. ‘I should be there in thirty-five to forty
minutes. Shall I bring some wine?’
‘That would be great,’ Laurie said.
Laurie was pleased. She’d been unsure if Jack would accept the
invitation. Over the previous year they had been seeing each other
socially, and several months ago, Laurie had admitted to herself that
she’d fallen in love with him. But Jack seemed reluctant to allow the
relationship to progress to the next level of commitment. When Laurie
tried to force the issue, Jack had responded by distancing himself.
Feeling rejected, Laurie had responded with anger. For weeks, they only
spoke on a professional basis.
Over the last month their relationship had slowly improved. They were
seeing each other again casually. This time Laurie realized that she had
to bide her time. The problem was that at age thirty-seven it was not
easy. Laurie had always wanted to become a mother someday. With forty
fast approaching, she felt she was running out of time.
With the dinner essentially prepared, Laurie went around her small
one-bedroom apartment straightening up. That meant putting odd books
back into their spots on the shelves, stacking medical journals neatly,