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.”“Because I’m not a threat to you anymore? Then in that case, I guess not.”She smiled a little sadly, with her lips pressed together.Mike would never change, she thought, he’d never get over his ego.She’d done as much as she could do here; it was best to let it go.“I hope you’re well, Mike,” she said.She began to turn away, and he stood up.“Well, I guess I do have to thank you for one thing,” he said suddenly.“Natalia and I are getting married,” he said, indicating the young woman, who smiled at Nico as if she weren’t sure whose side she was supposed to be on.“You must know Natalia,” Mike said accusingly.“She works for you.Now,” he added.“Of course,” Nico said.“Congratulations.”“I’ve told her if she wants to get ahead, she should act just like you,” Mike went on, picking up his overcoat.This was obviously meant as an insult, but Nico decided not to take it as one.“That’s very nice,” she said, as if she were flattered.“In any case,” Mike went on, sliding his arms into the coat, “you opened my eyes to what’s important in life.It’s like what you women have been saying all along: It’s relationships that are important, not your career.Careers are bullshit.Careers are for assholes.When I think about how I twisted myself around.what I gave up to please Victor Matrick.” He looked down at Natalia and took her arm proprietarily.“Isn’t that right, babe?”“I guess,” Natalia whispered, looking from Mike to Nico.“But I think it’s a good idea to try to have both,” she ventured, not wanting to offend either one of her bosses, Nico thought.“Well, congratulations, again,” Nico said.She watched them for a moment as they strolled out of the store.That poor girl, Nico thought, having to marry Mike Harness.He was such a bully.She was going to take a closer look at that Natalia.She hoped she was good; if she was, she’d make it a point to help her.The kid deserved something good in her life after being married to Mike.“Should I wrap this tie and have it sent for you?” the salesman asked, holding out a folded silver tie in a shiny brown box.“Yes,” Nico said, enjoying her day again.“Please do.”* * *OH, WHAT A LOT of fuss human beings made, Nico thought.It was seven p.m., and the car was caught in a juggernaut of vehicles trying to make the turn from Seventh Avenue onto Fifty-fourth Street to the Ziegfeld Theatre where Wendy’s premiere was being held.You could feel the tension emanating from the other cars, the pure stress of winding up the day by attending a movie premiere; dressing up, finding transportation, and then there were the crowds outside the theater (held back on both sides of the street by police barricades) hoping to get a glimpse of a genuine movie star (was it the kind of moment people took to their graves, Nico wondered, the moment when they saw Jenny Cadine in real life?), and then the photographers and the P.R.girls with their clipboards, having to distinguish between the somebodies and the nobodies.The car pulled into a small space in front of the theater, and Nico quickly got out.Putting her head down, she pushed through the crowd and slipped into a side door, avoiding the red carpet altogether.More and more in the last six months, she’d accepted the realization that she didn’t want to be a public figure at all.She didn’t need it.The CEO and president of Verner Publications should be a slightly mysterious, shadowy figure who rarely appeared in the papers.It was Wendy’s night, anyway.The photographers didn’t need to get pictures of her.“Nico O’Neilly?” a young woman dressed in black with a headset asked.“Yes,” Nico said pleasantly.“We have a seat reserved for you in Wendy Healy’s row.I think your husband is already here.”“Thank you,” Nico said, following the young woman down the aisle.In the middle was a row of seats with “Healy” taped to the backs.Shane was at one end, next to Tyler and Magda, who was sitting next to her darling Katrina (how gorgeous she looked—that face, it broke her heart), followed by Seymour, who was sporting his new tie.Magda and Katrina were both wearing their fuzzy hats.They were good friends now, both with ponies and hats, she thought—how wonderful for them.She hoped they’d be friends forever.There were three empty seats on Seymour’s other side.She would sit next to him, and then Victory and Lyne would sit next to her.She glanced down to the end of the row.There were a couple of empty seats on the other side of Shane—that meant Selden would have to sit next to Shane! she thought.But no, Wendy would sit in between them.And this settled, she took her seat next to Seymour.“Hello,” she whispered.“Hello,” he said.He glanced at his watch—his way of inquiring about why she was late.“Traffic,” she said.“There are about a thousand people out there.” She stared across him to the other side of the row.Selden Rose was coming down the aisle.He was stopping.looking at Shane.and now he was sitting down, just as she’d predicted, with a seat left for Wendy in between them.Shane was ignoring Selden, he was staring straight ahead.Well, Shane was going to have to get used to Selden now, Nico thought.She wondered if Shane knew about the pregnancy.If he didn’t, he would soon enough: Selden was selling his apartment and moving in with Wendy.“What is Wendy doing?” Seymour asked, having seen Selden take his seat.“I think she’s going to give a speech before the movie starts,” Nico said.“No,” Seymour hissed.“I mean with Selden and Shane.It isn’t right.”“They’re all grown-ups.” She shrugged.“It isn’t very nice to Shane,” Seymour said, taking Shane’s side.“No, but he deserves it.He was the one who wanted to leave,” Nico said.“Besides, you never liked him.”“And I’m not sure I like Selden any better,” Seymour said primly.“He’s okay.I think,” Nico added.She glanced down the row again.Shane was still staring straight ahead.no, now he was fussing with Tyler’s jacket.Tyler had that look on his face like he was about to have a temper tantrum.He was squirming and kicking the seat in front of him.Selden was watching Tyler, surreptiously, perhaps wondering if he ought to step in.Shane was now trying to ignore both Tyler and Selden.This was almost better than a movie, Nico thought.Selden kept glancing over at Shane.he is going to step in, Nico thought.And sure enough, Selden leaned across the seat.He said what looked like “Hey, buddy,” to Shane—the universal male greeting.Now Shane had to look at him.Selden was trying to be friendly.he was holding out his hand.Shane had to take it.And then, Selden was leaning over, saying something to Tyler.Tyler was momentarily distracted from his impending temper tantrum.Selden was making a funny face and Tyler was laughing.Shane looked put out, but now Selden was saying something to him again, trying to put him at his ease.Good for Selden, Nico thought, sitting back in her seat.She was happy to see that he was taking control of the situation and trying to do the right thing.She really was going to try to like him.Maybe things would work out happily for Wendy and Selden.In any case, Wendy certainly deserved some happiness in her personal life.The lights in the theater dimmed and everyone quieted down [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]