stuffed them in my
purse, snagged my coat, and reached for the suitcase. Maggie got there ahead of
me. Our eyes met, and just for a second, a split second, with her looking at me
with so much love and compassion, the words almost came out.
But then the eight-year-old girl within screamed No! so loudly that I just smiled instead.
“Thanks for helping me pack, Mags.”
“Ah, Melanie.” She pulled the bag off the bed and looked so
sad for a second that I threw one arm around her and hugged her fiercely.
“It’s all right,” I whispered.
“No, it’s not,” she whispered back.
I felt tears burn, but blinked them back, then turned
quickly and headed out toward the living room. Cheryl stood at the door. I
stopped, looking at the two of them, my friend and my sister, Cheryl grinning,
Maggie beginning to smile, and I felt a little of the happiness and fun that I’d
felt in the early morning hours finally coming back.
“You look beautiful,” Maggie said and Cheryl nodded.
“Oh, what do you know,” I said and grinned.
“You be careful,” Maggie said.
Not too careful , Cheryl mouthed behind her back, and
I laughed.
A knock at the door made me jump. “I can’t believe this is
really happening,” I said.
“Believe it,” Cheryl said and swung the door wide.
Adonis in a chauffeur’s cap stood on the other side. All
three of our jaws dropped.
“Ms. Brenner?” he asked.
“Uh, yes.”
He smiled at me, white teeth flashing, brilliant against his
darkly tanned skin. “Is this all your luggage?”
I nodded dumbly and his smile intensified as he scooped up the
bags and then stood to one side, waiting for me to pass.
“You go ahead,” I said. “I’ll be right down.”
He bowed his head, then headed for the stairs.
“Oh my god,” Cheryl whispered, coming over next to me, looking
out the door at the broad shoulders disappearing down the stairs. “If that isn’t
a good omen for a great trip, I don’t know what is.”
“Why don’t you find a way to mention to him the extra ticket
you’ve got,” Maggie said with a wicked grin. “Just casually bring it up.”
“Yeah,” I said, “right after I ask him what he’d like to
name our first born.”
“Subtle,” Cheryl said.
“Well, you guys stay up here and wipe the drool from your
chins. I’d better get going.”
They both gave me a hug, and wished me well, and when I
reached the street and looked back, they were both standing at the front
window, waving. I hadn’t wanted a big good-bye scene on the sidewalk. I just
wanted to walk elegantly and casually out the front door and climb into the
limo as if I owned it. Adonis stood at the door, holding it for me, and I
smiled casually for the benefit of my downstairs neighbor, Barb Greenly, who,
bless her, had chosen that moment to come outside with her baby and her mother-in-law.
They stopped dead, staring at the long white limousine, at the handsome,
black-haired young man holding the door, and at me stepping in and sitting down
on the plush leather seats. A better exit I couldn’t have planned.
As Adonis shut the door, I waved one last time up at Maggie
and Cheryl, though I don’t think they could see me through the tinted window
glass. I settled back in the seat and stretched my fingers wide and ran them
over the expanse of soft leather. The inside of the car was enormous. Seats
faced me from across an expanse of thick plush carpet; between the seats were a
small inset television, a DVD player, and below them, a small bar.
The driver slid behind the wheel. His voice crackled through
the speaker mounted below the Plexiglas partition. “Are you ready, Ms. Brenner?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Very good. If you need anything, please key the button on
the armrest. That activates the speaker. My name is John Tomlinson.” He keyed
off the speaker, smiled into the rearview mirror and pulled the massive car
gently out into the traffic.
I smiled and stretched, then leaned back against the
purse, snagged my coat, and reached for the suitcase. Maggie got there ahead of
me. Our eyes met, and just for a second, a split second, with her looking at me
with so much love and compassion, the words almost came out.
But then the eight-year-old girl within screamed No! so loudly that I just smiled instead.
“Thanks for helping me pack, Mags.”
“Ah, Melanie.” She pulled the bag off the bed and looked so
sad for a second that I threw one arm around her and hugged her fiercely.
“It’s all right,” I whispered.
“No, it’s not,” she whispered back.
I felt tears burn, but blinked them back, then turned
quickly and headed out toward the living room. Cheryl stood at the door. I
stopped, looking at the two of them, my friend and my sister, Cheryl grinning,
Maggie beginning to smile, and I felt a little of the happiness and fun that I’d
felt in the early morning hours finally coming back.
“You look beautiful,” Maggie said and Cheryl nodded.
“Oh, what do you know,” I said and grinned.
“You be careful,” Maggie said.
Not too careful , Cheryl mouthed behind her back, and
I laughed.
A knock at the door made me jump. “I can’t believe this is
really happening,” I said.
“Believe it,” Cheryl said and swung the door wide.
Adonis in a chauffeur’s cap stood on the other side. All
three of our jaws dropped.
“Ms. Brenner?” he asked.
“Uh, yes.”
He smiled at me, white teeth flashing, brilliant against his
darkly tanned skin. “Is this all your luggage?”
I nodded dumbly and his smile intensified as he scooped up the
bags and then stood to one side, waiting for me to pass.
“You go ahead,” I said. “I’ll be right down.”
He bowed his head, then headed for the stairs.
“Oh my god,” Cheryl whispered, coming over next to me, looking
out the door at the broad shoulders disappearing down the stairs. “If that isn’t
a good omen for a great trip, I don’t know what is.”
“Why don’t you find a way to mention to him the extra ticket
you’ve got,” Maggie said with a wicked grin. “Just casually bring it up.”
“Yeah,” I said, “right after I ask him what he’d like to
name our first born.”
“Subtle,” Cheryl said.
“Well, you guys stay up here and wipe the drool from your
chins. I’d better get going.”
They both gave me a hug, and wished me well, and when I
reached the street and looked back, they were both standing at the front
window, waving. I hadn’t wanted a big good-bye scene on the sidewalk. I just
wanted to walk elegantly and casually out the front door and climb into the
limo as if I owned it. Adonis stood at the door, holding it for me, and I
smiled casually for the benefit of my downstairs neighbor, Barb Greenly, who,
bless her, had chosen that moment to come outside with her baby and her mother-in-law.
They stopped dead, staring at the long white limousine, at the handsome,
black-haired young man holding the door, and at me stepping in and sitting down
on the plush leather seats. A better exit I couldn’t have planned.
As Adonis shut the door, I waved one last time up at Maggie
and Cheryl, though I don’t think they could see me through the tinted window
glass. I settled back in the seat and stretched my fingers wide and ran them
over the expanse of soft leather. The inside of the car was enormous. Seats
faced me from across an expanse of thick plush carpet; between the seats were a
small inset television, a DVD player, and below them, a small bar.
The driver slid behind the wheel. His voice crackled through
the speaker mounted below the Plexiglas partition. “Are you ready, Ms. Brenner?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Very good. If you need anything, please key the button on
the armrest. That activates the speaker. My name is John Tomlinson.” He keyed
off the speaker, smiled into the rearview mirror and pulled the massive car
gently out into the traffic.
I smiled and stretched, then leaned back against the
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