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.”My face froze.That remark gave just the image I wanted to avoid.Tanis looked at me with an expression similar to that of someone who’d just found a fifty lying on the sidewalk.“Not necessarily,” Valerie said.“Why don’t you tell them, Emily?Rosalind, sensing a secret about to be revealed, instantly perked up.“Tell us what?”“That I was the one in the car with Teddy,” I said.“I was out with Valerie Wednesday night down at City Island, and I’d just gotten off the parkway in Euliss when my engine gave out.I didn’t have any of my nephews’ phone numbers with me, but Teddy’s number was still in my cell phone from when we met for dinner the other week, so I called and asked him to give me a jump.The car didn’t make it all the way to my mother’s, so we managed to park it and he drove me home.” I shrugged.“It was all perfectly innocent.I tried to keep out of sight because people tend to jump to conclusions, and the next thing you know there’s this huge, totally untrue rumor going on.” I gave Tanis a pointed stare.She took a sip of her Sprite, her eyes meeting mine over the rim of her glass.“I’m surprised you didn’t just call Aaron,” she said after she swallowed.“Aaron does his surgeries in the mornings, and I preferred not to bother him that late unless it was a real emergency.”“Did you get your car started, Emily?” Rosalind asked.“Yes.Yesterday morning it started up just like that, and Mr.Norris didn’t find anything wrong with it.”“That happens sometimes,” Valerie said with a nod.“Maybe Teddy’s jumper cables were weak.” This smart-assed comment came from Tanis.I had a little trouble digesting her statement and had to press my lips together to keep them from twitching.Teddy had a tiger in his tank, and the idea of any of his equipment not functioning at capacity made me want to roar with mirth.But of course the object here was to prove Tanis wrong, preferably with some quiet dignity.“I have no need to get any from Teddy, Rosalind,” I said.“I have Aaron, remember?” I smiled sweetly.“When I leave here I’m going straight over to his place.”“You lucky girl, you,” Rosalind said.Now Tanis wore an expression that looked like she’d eaten some bad pepperoni.She let the matter drop like the grease off the slice she was eating, and we returned to menu planning between bites.At least Rosalind, Valerie and I did.I wasn’t surprised when Tanis seemed to lose interest in the reunion after that.She even made an excuse for leaving early, something about a promise she’d made to her kids.Valerie and I walked out together to our cars, both of which were parked in the street.“Thanks again for covering for me, Valerie.I really owe you one.”“Tanis is such a pain sometimes.I can’t tell you how sick I am of having her and Wendy and their husbands shoved down my throat.”“But Tanis is getting divorced.”“My mother isn’t giving me any reprieve.Already she’s predicting that Tanis will probably be remarried within a year, the implication that everyone can find a husband except me.” Valerie’s upper lip curled.“I hope her new show flops.”I chuckled at her hope for the failure of Tanis’s new gig, but I felt for Valerie.I’d been hearing about Tanis’s accomplishments all my life.Poor Valerie had to hear about both Tanis and Wendy.“I really appreciate it,” I repeated.“I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t helped me cover.”“No problem.So tell me, how was he?”I’d never actually come out and expressed that I’d been to bed with Teddy; I’d only said that Aaron was bound to misunderstand if word got back to him through a vengeful Tanis that I’d been riding with Teddy at night.But Valerie was no fool.What other conclusion could she come to?“Valerie! You’re embarrassing me.”“Listen.I always thought Teddy Simms was cute.He always struck me as the type who’d want to settle down, so I’m surprised he never got married.”I saw an opening and took it.“Valerie, haven’t you ever wanted to get married?”“Of course I have.Both of my parents were worried when I started getting promotions that if I became too successful, I’d never get a husband.My father said he certainly wouldn’t want a woman who made more money than he did.My mother actually tried to get me to turn down a promotion.When Wendy got married and had her son, got divorced, and was remarried within a year and started having more babies and I still couldn’t find anybody to go out with, I started to wonder if maybe they’d been right.”I could understand how she felt.Wendy Woods was a nice enough person, but her brain was as absorbent as a cheap paper towel.I was amazed she managed to get through high school.Nobody would want to finish behind her at anything.“So I decided not to let that get in the way of having babies.Since I made enough money I’d find someone to sleep with and raise my baby on my own.Then when Melanie started school, I found I missed having a little one around, so I did it again.And again.” She looked at me and smiled.“You probably think I’m nuts, Emily, but I love kids.I always have.”I remembered Valerie as a little girl with her collection of dolls.When we got older and got into the Barbie phase, Valerie still preferred her baby dolls.“When I grow up I’m going to get married and have a house full of kids,” she used to say.“You look happy,” I ventured.“Life’s good.I’ve attained more success than in my wildest dreams, Em.I’ve got three wonderful children.And it looks like I’m going to have another baby in the house.Melanie’s pregnant.”Her oldest daughter.So Bea Pullman hadn’t been imagining things.“But she’s so young, Valerie!”“Sixteen.” She sighed wearily.“At least I was a woman in my midtwenties before I got pregnant, and it was planned.But Melanie is tough.She knows that having a baby doesn’t mean she can’t achieve her goals.I’ll help her, of course.It’ll be kind of nice to have a baby around again.Only six more weeks to go.”She sounded only vaguely disheartened at her teenage daughter’s pregnancy.I’d say her leading emotion right now was excitement, and I didn’t know what to say.All I could think of was, If you’re happy, I’m happy.In the end I said nothing, and Valerie kept talking.“I know what you’re thinking, Emily, but Melanie will be fine.”“Haven’t you ever met a special man, Valerie?”A wistful smile formed on her lips, and her eyes took on a faraway look.“Only twice [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]