She burst into the kitchen saying, “Sorry I took so long.”
“I watched the clock. Less than ten minutes.”
“That’s why my hair’s still wet.”
I watched the way her backside moved when she poured coffee. She had a sweet little bottom and short but graceful legs. I liked her a ridiculous amount.
When she sat down across from me, she said, “Is it all right if I take this towel off my head?”
“Sure.”
She patted the towel on her hair one last time and then swept it away. In the light now I could see the wrinkles around her mouth and hazel eyes and the tiny point where her nose had probably been broken a long time ago. But to me she was all the more appealing for the wrinkles. I was at the age when I wanted women who were at least as road-tested as I was. She took a sip from her coffee and sat back and smiled. She’d changed into a pink top and jeans, and somehow the pink made her smile even more fetching.
“Couple things first,” she said. “I hate this house, in case you’re wondering. This was my husband’s idea. He was in a dick-measuring contest with all the other lawyers in his firm. He left me because my warranty had expired. He met a lady lawyer at a convention in Chicago. She’s beautiful, so I can’t blame him there. But, of course, I do blame him. I used to hope there was a little gallantry left in this world, but my husband proved there wasn’t. He handled the whole thing very badly. But I got a decent settlement and I got this house. I’m trying to sell this place so I can move into a house like the one I grew up in. My father was a high-school history teacher. We weren’t used to luxuries.”
“I was looking at some of these sheets. Looks like you wouldn’t have much trouble finding the kind of place you want.”
“The problem is the economy. This is an expensive house. And a lot of lawyers are being laid off in most of the big firms. Even a few of the CEOs Sean knew — Sean was my husband — they don’t have the kind of money they once had, either.”
“That doesn’t exactly break my heart.”
“From what Susan has told me about you, I didn’t think it would. She told me you were a commie. And a very cynical man. But that she trusted your judgment and liked you very much.”
“The only part of that I don’t agree with is the commie part. They aren’t radical enough.”
“You and my soon-to-be ex would get along fine. He thinks everybody in your party should be put in prison.”
“He sounds like a lot of fun.”
“He was for a long time. But you know how marriages go.”
“All too well. But I suppose Susan told you about that, too.”
“She said that two of your staffers told her that you seemed lonely to them.”
“That would be Ben and Kristin. And they both seem lonely to me, so I guess we’re even.”
“How about some more coffee?”
“Fine. But I can get it.”
When I started filling my cup she said, “I like a man who knows his way around the kitchen. You know how to pour your own coffee.”
Coming back to the table I said, “I have the home video. I studied it very hard for a week. I made a lot of mistakes — I kept pouring it on the floor — but I finally figured it out.”
“Smart-ass. What I meant was my soon-to-be ex assumed that since I didn’t have a job as such — not that he wanted me to have a job, by the way — I should become his personal servant. Whatever he wanted, I did. Susan saw the bind I was in a long time before I realized it myself.”
“And speaking of Susan.”
She sighed and shrugged slender shoulders. “You want to find out what’s upsetting her so much, but there are some things I won’t discuss. She’s been my best friend since seventh grade, when my family moved here. Even when she went away to private school we stayed in very close touch. The only time we didn’t get along was when she got into drugs and sleeping around. I did a little bit of both myself, but I pulled back while there was still something left of me. Susan seemed determined to destroy herself. I couldn’t handle watching it.”
I meant to startle her, and I did. “And somewhere during that time she had a son. His name’s Bobby Flaherty and he’s in town now.”
She’d been reaching for her coffee but withdrew her hand. “I can’t believe she told you that. She swore me to absolute secrecy.”
“I figured it out for myself. She’s been avoiding me so that we won’t have to discuss it.”
“How did you ‘figure it out’?”
“A couple of things happened and it seemed like the only explanation. But I need you to give me your impression of her the past few weeks. She’s been missing scheduled campaign stops and she really blew off the last debate with Duffy. As a cynical commie, I’m worried about the campaign.”
“But you’re not worried about Susan?”
“I like Susan and I admire Susan, but I wasn’t hired to be her shrink. I was hired to get her elected. So that’s my main concern right now. And this thing with Bobby has obviously taken its toll on her.”
She was up and crossing the hardwood floor to the coffeepot before she said, “She loves him very much.”
“I assumed she did.”
When she came back she said, “There’s only one thing I’ll tell you.”
“All right.”
“And I’ll only tell you this because the two times I’ve asked her about it she just dismisses it, tells me I’m imagining things.” She picked up her cup and blew on the coffee. “There’s a man who followed us a few times. A redheaded man. She said she’s never noticed him and therefore I’m crazy. But one night after we had dinner downtown I dropped her off at campaign headquarters. Her car was there. We said good night and I drove off. But when I got to the end of the alley I looked in my rearview mirror, and I saw him pull in right next to her. And she walked over to his car. I went around the block and got as close as I could to them without being seen. They were standing there talking. They both looked very angry. I went around again, but this time their cars were gone.”
“Did you tell her about what you saw?”
“I tried to last night, but she was so depressed about everything I didn’t want to push it.”
“So she spent most of the night here?”
“Yeah, it was like being in college again. We sat up all night and talked. It was nearly five o’clock when she left.”
“You think she cares about the election?”
“Very much. She’s really ambitious now. I sort of kidded her one night and said, ‘You’ve had a taste of power and you want more.’ And she said, ‘It’s terrible, Jane. But it’s true.’ ”
I finished my coffee and said, “Well, thanks for the coffee and the company. I should have called before I came out here, but I figured you’d just stall me if I gave you a chance.”
“I would have. But I’m glad you came.”
She walked me to the front door. “Do you mind if I’m a little bit forward?”
“Be my guest.”
“If you don’t have any plans for tonight, would you consider having dinner with me somewhere?”