Read Online The Scarlet Letter Society by Mary McCarthy - Free Book Online
Authors: Mary McCarthy
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French accent greeted her on the other line. “Good morning, Madame Eva Bradley?”
“Yessssss?” she answered.
“This is Charles, the head chef here at the Plaza. Are you enjoying your stay?”
She snickered.
“I would be enjoying it more if I had someone here in my room to take care of some of my personal needs,” she purred.
“Yes, madame, we do offer 24-hour butler service in our royal suites, as you know. Hopefully our butlers can service your every personal need? I’m calling to see if you would like to be the Chef’s guest for breakfast this morning here in our private dining room.”
“I would love for you to have me for breakfast,” said Eva.
“Oui, madame, the pleasure will be mine. Is 7:00 am a good time for you?”
“Perfect,” said Eva, smiling, because Charles of course knew she always left the hotel by 8 am.
“Very good, madame. We look forward to seeing you then.”
Eva tapped her fingers on the open door of her large closet. She’d have to choose an outfit that could be easily—well, disassembled and reassembled for the corporate law office where she’d be spending the morning after her little breakfast meeting. In the financial fallout of the modern economy, companies rose and fell, and it was her job to deal with multimillion dollar lawsuits between those companies, no matter how exhausting that often was.
Exhausted at work, exhausted at home. Calvin had just come home with his first C, in Biology. She couldn’t wait until the day her boys were out of college (already an optimistic goal , she thought) and she could get off this hamster wheel,retire, and live on Matthew’s Island collecting sea glass and reading whole, actual books like that was her career.
But for now, Eva smiled to herself, because at least it looked like it was going to be a panties-in-the-Coach purse kind of morning first.
Zarina served two mocha lattes to the overwhelmed moms with the unruly looking preschoolers.
She watched as the kids chose from the corner basket containing blocks, puzzles, worn children’s board books, and tiny Polly Pocket houses that were once hers. A random My Little Pony or two, some Matchbox cars, and a few Barbie dolls with frazzled hair and frayed princess dresses rounded out the mix of distractions meant to keep kids like these busy so moms could relax and caffeinate.
And for when the moms get desperate? Ring Pops and Fun Dip candies at the counter could keep a kid occupied long enough for his mother to have a gulp or two of some much-needed java. Of course, only the coolest moms let their kids have the sugar. The ‘cruncher’ moms pulled out a bag of grapes or an organic banana.
Zarina returned to the counter where she was pleased to see one of the moms had placed two Ring Pops, an apologetic look on her face. Zarina smiled at her as Lisa walked in alone. She looked a little stressed.
“Busy day at the bakery?”
“Yeah, pretty much always,” said Lisa, “which I shouldn’t complain about.”
The shop wasn’t busy besides the two moms with their kids, so Zarina asked Lisa if she wanted to sit down and have caramel lattes.
“I’d love that.” Lisa looked genuinely happy.
The women had never gotten a chance to sit down and chat, even though the two of them were about as close in age as Lisa was to the other Scarlet Letter Society women.
“So, are you reading Fear of Flying ?”
“Oh heck yes,” said Lisa. “I’m sure I will read all the monthly books, even though we don’t really discuss them at our gatherings.
“Can I tell you a little secret?” asked Zarina.
“Sure,” said Lisa.
“When I order your books each month, I’ve been ordering an extra copy for myself and reading along with you.”
“That’s so funny!” Lisa said, laughing. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell. So what did you think of the first two books?”
“Well I had read The Scarlet Letter in high school, but read it again anyway. And then I really thought Anna Karenina
“Yessssss?” she answered.
“This is Charles, the head chef here at the Plaza. Are you enjoying your stay?”
She snickered.
“I would be enjoying it more if I had someone here in my room to take care of some of my personal needs,” she purred.
“Yes, madame, we do offer 24-hour butler service in our royal suites, as you know. Hopefully our butlers can service your every personal need? I’m calling to see if you would like to be the Chef’s guest for breakfast this morning here in our private dining room.”
“I would love for you to have me for breakfast,” said Eva.
“Oui, madame, the pleasure will be mine. Is 7:00 am a good time for you?”
“Perfect,” said Eva, smiling, because Charles of course knew she always left the hotel by 8 am.
“Very good, madame. We look forward to seeing you then.”
Eva tapped her fingers on the open door of her large closet. She’d have to choose an outfit that could be easily—well, disassembled and reassembled for the corporate law office where she’d be spending the morning after her little breakfast meeting. In the financial fallout of the modern economy, companies rose and fell, and it was her job to deal with multimillion dollar lawsuits between those companies, no matter how exhausting that often was.
Exhausted at work, exhausted at home. Calvin had just come home with his first C, in Biology. She couldn’t wait until the day her boys were out of college (already an optimistic goal , she thought) and she could get off this hamster wheel,retire, and live on Matthew’s Island collecting sea glass and reading whole, actual books like that was her career.
But for now, Eva smiled to herself, because at least it looked like it was going to be a panties-in-the-Coach purse kind of morning first.
Zarina served two mocha lattes to the overwhelmed moms with the unruly looking preschoolers.
She watched as the kids chose from the corner basket containing blocks, puzzles, worn children’s board books, and tiny Polly Pocket houses that were once hers. A random My Little Pony or two, some Matchbox cars, and a few Barbie dolls with frazzled hair and frayed princess dresses rounded out the mix of distractions meant to keep kids like these busy so moms could relax and caffeinate.
And for when the moms get desperate? Ring Pops and Fun Dip candies at the counter could keep a kid occupied long enough for his mother to have a gulp or two of some much-needed java. Of course, only the coolest moms let their kids have the sugar. The ‘cruncher’ moms pulled out a bag of grapes or an organic banana.
Zarina returned to the counter where she was pleased to see one of the moms had placed two Ring Pops, an apologetic look on her face. Zarina smiled at her as Lisa walked in alone. She looked a little stressed.
“Busy day at the bakery?”
“Yeah, pretty much always,” said Lisa, “which I shouldn’t complain about.”
The shop wasn’t busy besides the two moms with their kids, so Zarina asked Lisa if she wanted to sit down and have caramel lattes.
“I’d love that.” Lisa looked genuinely happy.
The women had never gotten a chance to sit down and chat, even though the two of them were about as close in age as Lisa was to the other Scarlet Letter Society women.
“So, are you reading Fear of Flying ?”
“Oh heck yes,” said Lisa. “I’m sure I will read all the monthly books, even though we don’t really discuss them at our gatherings.
“Can I tell you a little secret?” asked Zarina.
“Sure,” said Lisa.
“When I order your books each month, I’ve been ordering an extra copy for myself and reading along with you.”
“That’s so funny!” Lisa said, laughing. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell. So what did you think of the first two books?”
“Well I had read The Scarlet Letter in high school, but read it again anyway. And then I really thought Anna Karenina
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