Read Online Farewell, Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker Ellen Meister - Farewell - Free Book Online
Ads: Link
blue-white. His orange complexion was leathery but so well moisturized he looked sautéed.
“What are you doing here?” the girl asked.
“I came to pick you up for your piano lesson.”
“But I was going to take her,” Violet said, trying to make sense of Malcolm’s sudden appearance. Why would he drive all the way from Smithtown when the piano teacher was so much closer to Violet’s house? And with all that greasy lotion, how did he keep from sliding out of the driver’s seat? “It’s less than five miles from here,” she said.
“I know,” he said, “but I have an errand to run in the area, so I thought I’d help out.”
Violet looked past him at the red car by the curb and figured it out. The poor guy was looking for any excuse to zip around in his new RAV4.
“I’m going with Aunt V,” Delaney said.
“But I’m already here,” he said.
Violet was torn. Delaney wanted her to send him away, but he looked so pathetic standing there, freshly combed and oiled, smelling of aftershave and other grooming products, and so eager to help.
“Please,” Delaney said, tugging on Violet’s sleeve. “I don’t want to go with him. The last two times he was late picking me up and I was just standing there on the sidewalk like forever.”
“I promise I won’t be late this time,” Malcolm said.
Violet got an idea. “I’ll tell you what,” she said to her niece, “you go with your grandfather, and then this afternoon I’ll take you to a screening.”
Delaney always wanted to come with her aunt to movie screenings. It was a perfectly acceptable thing to do, as critics were invited to bring a guest. But the scheduling seldom worked out, as Violet usually attended showings during school hours. Besides, so many of the films were rated R that bringing Delaney wasn’t an option she would consider. Today, however, there was a scheduled screening of a new PG-13 film—a comedy with Steve Carell that the kid might actually like.
“Really?” Delaney said. “In the city?”
Violet smiled. “We’ll leave right after lunch.”
And that was it. Violet had made both grandfather and granddaughter happy. A perfect compromise. She kissed her niece good-bye and went back to finishing the breakfast dishes.
A few minutes later she noticed that Delaney’s binder was still on the kitchen table. The kid would surely need it for her lesson, so Violet grabbed her car keys and went to deliver it.
Delaney’s piano lessons were in her teacher’s home in an old North Shore neighborhood where the streets were small and the houses packed tightly together. As Violet drove through the winding blocks, she noticed something odd—a brand-new salsa-red RAV4 in thedriveway of an unfamiliar home a few blocks from the teacher’s address. Violet slowed down. It was almost certainly Malcolm’s car. What was he doing here? Did he have a friend in the neighborhood?
Violet shrugged it off. After all, the guy was entitled to have acquaintances in this town, right?
After delivering the binder, Violet went back into the car to wait for Delaney to finish her lesson, as there was no sense in going home. She called Malcolm’s cell to tell him not to bother coming back for the girl, but he didn’t pick up and his voice mailbox was full.
Violet toyed with the idea of driving back to where she saw his red car and knocking on the door to the house, but thought it might be intrusive. So she called Sandra.
She explained the situation with the piano book and Malcolm’s cell phone, but left out the part about spotting his SUV in a neighbor’s driveway, as she was curious to see if Sandra knew that Malcolm was paying a call on someone.
“Do you know where he might be?” Violet asked. “If he’s visiting with a friend, maybe you could call him and tell him not to bother coming back?”
“There’s no way for me to reach him. He usually just drives around after he drops Delaney at her lessons.”
“He does?”
“Sometimes he
“What are you doing here?” the girl asked.
“I came to pick you up for your piano lesson.”
“But I was going to take her,” Violet said, trying to make sense of Malcolm’s sudden appearance. Why would he drive all the way from Smithtown when the piano teacher was so much closer to Violet’s house? And with all that greasy lotion, how did he keep from sliding out of the driver’s seat? “It’s less than five miles from here,” she said.
“I know,” he said, “but I have an errand to run in the area, so I thought I’d help out.”
Violet looked past him at the red car by the curb and figured it out. The poor guy was looking for any excuse to zip around in his new RAV4.
“I’m going with Aunt V,” Delaney said.
“But I’m already here,” he said.
Violet was torn. Delaney wanted her to send him away, but he looked so pathetic standing there, freshly combed and oiled, smelling of aftershave and other grooming products, and so eager to help.
“Please,” Delaney said, tugging on Violet’s sleeve. “I don’t want to go with him. The last two times he was late picking me up and I was just standing there on the sidewalk like forever.”
“I promise I won’t be late this time,” Malcolm said.
Violet got an idea. “I’ll tell you what,” she said to her niece, “you go with your grandfather, and then this afternoon I’ll take you to a screening.”
Delaney always wanted to come with her aunt to movie screenings. It was a perfectly acceptable thing to do, as critics were invited to bring a guest. But the scheduling seldom worked out, as Violet usually attended showings during school hours. Besides, so many of the films were rated R that bringing Delaney wasn’t an option she would consider. Today, however, there was a scheduled screening of a new PG-13 film—a comedy with Steve Carell that the kid might actually like.
“Really?” Delaney said. “In the city?”
Violet smiled. “We’ll leave right after lunch.”
And that was it. Violet had made both grandfather and granddaughter happy. A perfect compromise. She kissed her niece good-bye and went back to finishing the breakfast dishes.
A few minutes later she noticed that Delaney’s binder was still on the kitchen table. The kid would surely need it for her lesson, so Violet grabbed her car keys and went to deliver it.
Delaney’s piano lessons were in her teacher’s home in an old North Shore neighborhood where the streets were small and the houses packed tightly together. As Violet drove through the winding blocks, she noticed something odd—a brand-new salsa-red RAV4 in thedriveway of an unfamiliar home a few blocks from the teacher’s address. Violet slowed down. It was almost certainly Malcolm’s car. What was he doing here? Did he have a friend in the neighborhood?
Violet shrugged it off. After all, the guy was entitled to have acquaintances in this town, right?
After delivering the binder, Violet went back into the car to wait for Delaney to finish her lesson, as there was no sense in going home. She called Malcolm’s cell to tell him not to bother coming back for the girl, but he didn’t pick up and his voice mailbox was full.
Violet toyed with the idea of driving back to where she saw his red car and knocking on the door to the house, but thought it might be intrusive. So she called Sandra.
She explained the situation with the piano book and Malcolm’s cell phone, but left out the part about spotting his SUV in a neighbor’s driveway, as she was curious to see if Sandra knew that Malcolm was paying a call on someone.
“Do you know where he might be?” Violet asked. “If he’s visiting with a friend, maybe you could call him and tell him not to bother coming back?”
“There’s no way for me to reach him. He usually just drives around after he drops Delaney at her lessons.”
“He does?”
“Sometimes he
Similar Books
