14
“Relationships between females may vary. Maternally related females in a troop tend to be friendly towards each other and associate closely. Otherwise, females have few friendly encounters and commonly act aggressively toward each other. Females may fight for social access to males and a male may intervene.”
--‘Gorillas’ on Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.org
* * *
Last night, under the stars, among many other things, Jack told me he attends a lot of events and fundraisers like this. I don’t, so I’m looking forward to getting a glimpse further into the world in which he lives.
I run some fruity-scented styling product and hair gloss through my short layers of hair and turn on the hairdryer. Mimi comes in to help me use a round brush on the back and sides. She makes the layers perfectly float and gently curl. A little hairspray and some jewelry, and I’m set.
Plus, I’m seven-and-a-half minutes ahead of schedule. Unprecedented. Kate Time does not usually work this efficiently.
Mimi and I sit on the couch and chat while I wait on Jack. It’s nice to just relax briefly with a friend and gather my thoughts for the evening ahead. I feel fidgety and I know I’m talking too animatedly, but I can’t help myself.
Mimi tells me more about the weekend at her family’s lake house—apparently announcing the engagement was full of more pratfalls than an old Charlie Chaplin flick. I, in turn, fill her in on what’s going on with me and Jack.
I don’t mention the last-minute e-mail from her brother Friday afternoon.
The doorbell rings and Dijon barks, but Mimi quickly scoops him up so that we don’t have any “poodle on the loose” issues.
I open the door for Jack and am unprepared for the sight of him. He could walk a Hollywood red carpet, as polished and debonair as he looks tonight. A dark, impeccably tailored tuxedo hugs his body and he has a steel-gray vest and tie on as well. I’ve never heard a man described in this manner, but for Jack, I will make an exception because it is the truth: he takes my breath away.
Standing in the doorway, a smile crosses his face. “Kate, you’re stunning.”
At the sound of his approval, I light up inside and can’t help but feel like I did after the first kiss on the boat last night. I can feel the sparks all the way down to my toes. “Thank you. I could so easily say the same about you.”
“Thanks. My dad insisted I have one of these things custom-made, and as with most things, he was right. Are you ready to go?”
As I more-or-less said a week ago, on one of the many occasions when I crammed my foot in my mouth, I’d go anywhere with him.
“Take good care of my Kate, okay?” Mimi sounds an awful lot like my mother.
“My goal is to always take good care of Kate. I’ll have her home before the carriage turns back into a pumpkin.”
“Okay. You two have fun tonight.” With her free hand, Mimi practically pushes me out the door.
As we’re heading down to the parking lot, I instinctively pat my hair. I just remembered the open-topped Jeep. The wind will kill my hairstyle. Maybe I can ask Jack to take back roads or drive slowly. When we get downstairs, though, I don’t see his car anywhere. Instead of walking to the familiar rugged Jeep, Jack walks up to something that looks a great deal like a silver bug. It’s a convertible, but this car is low to the ground and rounded. It’s not a new model—that much I can tell—but I have no idea what it is.
“What kind of car is this?” I ask as Jack opens the passenger-side door for me.
“Well, it’s a Porsche.”
“Really? It doesn’t look like a Boxster or anything.” I feel almost like I’m sitting just inches above the ground.
“It’s the Boxster’s great-great-great-grandfather.”
“Oh,” I say, trying to sound like I know understand anything about cars.
“It’s a Porsche Spyder. My grandfather bought this car new in 1955 and left it to me when he passed away. Most of the time it stays in my garage because it’s worth quite a bit. But tonight is a special night, and I thought you deserve a special car to ride downtown in.”
The way he said this little bug of a car is “worth quite a bit” makes me stop and think. I offer up a line of questioning that would make my mother want to ground me for being rude and nosy. “When you say ‘worth a lot’ what are you talking about?”
“Well, this is the same model of car that James Dean was killed in. There were only a limited number made. In mint condition, like this car is, it’s worth around seven figures.”
Jack’s tone of voice was unbelievably matter-of-fact and casual, as if he had practiced saying that little speech one time for every dollar the car was worth. But typically unflappable, he keeps on driving and turns out on to the street that would take us to the Driskill Hotel downtown.
“Dollars or pesos, Jack?”
Jack laughs at me. “Dollars, Kate. I haven’t really taken it out in two years or more, just quick jogs around the block to keep it running. It probably ought to be in a car museum someplace, but since it was my grandfather’s, I can’t bear to part with it.” He switches gears and goes flying past a Buick. So much for my well-constructed hairstyle. “Oh, and it’s just plain fun to drive, too.”
At the Driskill, Jack does tell the valet that he will park the car himself. He lets me out at the front door and then drives into the parking garage. I wait for a few minutes, and then he strides briskly around the corner.
“Sorry for the delay. I took the little baby far away from other cars. She’s in a back corner of the garage and parked at an angle over two spaces.”
“So, you’re that guy who takes up multiple parking spaces.” I rolled my eyes at him, careful to temper my expression with a genuine smile.
“Absolutely. I have to be. Car enthusiasts around the world would probably choke if they knew I had just parked a 1955 Porsche Spyder in a parking garage in downtown Austin, Texas.”
The Driskill Hotel was built in 1886 at the corner of Sixth and Brazos streets by a cattle baron who wanted a hotel for his adopted hometown which would rival any grand hotel in Chicago or New York. The façade of the building is brown brick, with creamy capstones and other art deco-style ornamentation of the era over every window and door and between every floor. It’s a four-star, breathtakingly beautiful hotel—both inside and out—and is endowed with a rich sense of history and beauty. LBJ and Lady Bird Johnson went on their first date here, and now Jack Cooper and I are having our first public function date within these walls, as well. Urban legend says that certain rooms of the Driskill are haunted. I don’t believe in that stuff myself, but I do wonder what stories the rooms would tell if the walls could speak.
We walk in the main entrance, and down a lavish marble-tiled entryway flanked with oversized columns. The ball is on the second floor, and we climb the wide, ornate staircase. For my part, I’m simply staying focused on not tripping on the long skirt of my dress.
I’ve attended several weddings in the main ballroom on the second floor. It’s a beautiful, open, richly appointed space that needs little further decorating. Filled with flowers and foliage and made to look like a tropical jungle space, the effect is breathtaking. Even Jack stops at the top of the stairs to take it all in.
“Wow. Would you look at that. It’s incredible in here,” he says.
“No kidding. It is.” I can’t help but agree with him. “It’s just the sort of environment a Chimp would love.”
We both laugh and then Jack hands our invitation to a woman at the top of the stairs. “Welcome to the Zoo Donors’ Ball, Mr. Cooper. Please enjoy your evening.”
“Thank you.” Jack tucks the invitation back in his inside coat pocket and whisks me into a fairy tale, Austin-style.
“So the chimps’ housing area is going to be named for your family? How funny. But what a nice tribute to your mom.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way, but you’re right. There’s some serious irony. My mom always loved gorillas, from the
time she was a little girl. So, my dad thought it would be a good thing to do.”
One of Austin’s most popular cover bands is playing at the front of the room. I’ve heard them at several weddings and events, and any party that they’re at automatically rises several notches on the “fun scale.” The sextet plays a peppy mix of all types of music—disco, R&B, dance, and much more. If you can’t get on the dance floor while Bring Da Funk is playing, well, you probably don’t know how to have a good time.
“Do you like to dance, Jack?”
“I don’t have any rhythm, Kate.”
“That’s not what I asked.” I start edging closer to the dance floor. “I asked if you liked to dance. Specifically, would you like to dance with me?”
That grin that I’ve started dreaming about in my sleep appears on his face. “Why didn’t you put it like that in the first place? If you don’t mind possibly being embarrassed in front of all these people.”
I shrug. “I don’t know all these people. What I do know is that I’m here to have a really good time with a great man.”
A mock growling sound rumbles in Jack’s throat. He grabs my hand and practically sprints the one hundred or so yards to the floor. The band launches into Earth, Wind and Fire’s September. I love this song. I am so ready to boogie.
We shimmy our way to the center of the dance floor, where it turns out Jack is actually a much better dancer than he let on earlier. It’s either that or the fact that no one really can mess up dancing to disco. It’s a style that is practically two-left-feet-proof. Jack spins me around and around on the floor as the brass instruments pump up the catchy beat of the song. I’m dizzy, and it’s not just from the dancing.
I can’t believe I’m here with Jack. Not long ago, I was sitting at home, lamenting my lame life and morose because my flaky ex-boyfriend had just gotten engaged. Tonight, I’m at the most exclusive party in town with one of the most eligible bachelors in Austin.
I haven’t just fallen for Jack Cooper. I crashed for him. And now I simply cannot imagine my life any other way.
We get our groove on to another three songs, then Jack leans close to my ear so I can hear him over the band and the crowd. “I’m thirsty, do you want to get something to drink?”
“Sure.” We leave the dance floor and head for the bar near the doors to the balcony.
“What can I get for you, sir?” The bartender sets out a small cocktail napkin with the Capital of Texas Zoo logo printed on it in front of each of us.
“Kate, what’ll you have?” My date looks to me first before placing his own order.
“I’d really love a sparkling water with a lemon twist.” The bartender nods and then looks at Jack.
“You know, that sounds good. I’ll have the same.”
Although I don’t intend for it to be so, the look on my face must be quizzical.
“I gave up drinking in college. I went to one too many completely trashed fraternity parties,” he said. “One day, my senior year, I woke up on the couch with all of my buddies sprawled out on the floor around the room, and this girl I had a major crush on walked through the front door of our house. She took one look at me, then scanned the room. She looked back at me very pointedly, then rolled her eyes, turned, walked out, and never talked to me again. I realized right then that maybe I didn’t look as cool as I thought. Never touched a bottle again. My buddies all thought I was crazy at the time.”
The bartender sat our glasses down and Jack pulled a few dollars out of his pocket and put them into the tip jar. “Thanks.”
“That’s an interesting story.”
“Well, life’s caught up with all of the guys, too. They thought I was crazy back then, but they’re all married now and their wives don’t let them get away with much. In fact, several of us who still stay in touch laugh that one of our fraternity brothers, Eric, seems to have lost his whole past the minute he said ‘I do.’ Not only does he not have nights out with the guys anymore, when we do see him, he never takes trips down memory lane with us. I think Marci gave him a case of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”
“Wow, really? When I settle down, I want it to be with someone who is ready to have a future with me. But I wouldn’t want to erase his past or keep him from seeing long-time friends. You have to trust someone in a relationship and give them the freedom to be themselves.”
“You see, Kate, there’s another reason why I like you. You make a lot of sense. Well, usually.” Jack laughs, probably recalling some of the dumber things I’ve said lately. He moves his drink to his right hand and rests his left arm across my shoulders. “Do you want to walk out on the balcony for a little bit?”
“Sure. The view is great from out there.” We step onto the wide balcony and can look down Brazos Street toward the Texas capitol. From this angle, you can’t see the dome, but you can see the glow of the lights on the outer edge of the pink granite building. We stand in companionable silence for a few minutes, looking towards the landmark and watching cars and passers-by on the street below.
“Thank you for bringing me tonight, Jack.”
“Kate, it’s truly my pleasure. You’ve already made this evening more fun than it has a right to be. I don’t usually disco at parties.”
We turn and face each other and set our drinks on the balustrade. The breeze tiptoeing across the balcony ruffles through my hair and causes the chiffon overlay of my skirt to fluff and billow.
“You should disco more, Jack,” I say with mock solemnity, although I do truly mean it. “If you can really ‘get down tonight,’ as KC and the Sunshine Band say, and still be able to laugh at yourself, you have learned a valuable lesson in life.”
“I learn valuable lessons every time I’m with you, Kate. I love your spirit and your wisdom and your perspective. I love that you’re willing to sit down and talk with me about whatever’s on my mind. I love that I’ve only known you a short time, yet there’s no one I want to hear from more first thing in the morning or late at night.”
I remember that golden, flashing sparkler from Memorial Day at the ranch. It’s as if I have morphed into one myself. I can feel simultaneous tingles of excitement crisscrossing my body.
“Kate, I know this sounds crazy, but I don’t just love all these things about you. I’m falling in love with all of you.”
From the way he spoke, I knew this was where he was heading, as clearly as if I had a map to read along with. Even so, it is a shock to my system. My heart is racing as if I’ve been drinking some kind of stimulant, instead of sparkling water.
If I’m truly honest with myself, I’ve completely fallen in love with Jack, too.
My head tells me I have known him less than two weeks. But my heart shouts to me and says that this relationship with Jack, although short, has renewed my faith in matters of the heart. When I am with him, I feel carefree, like I am gliding on the breeze.
“Jack, I feel the same way.”
And just like that, the honesty was out there between the two of us, pulling with the force of an industrial-strength magnet. With the traffic scurrying below us and a balcony full of Austin’s social and financial elite, Jack Cooper reached out, slid both his hands through my hair, pulled me to him and gave me the most connected, passionate kiss of my life.
* * *
“Kate Cormick, what do you think you’re doing?”
Well, I thought I was kissing my boyfriend until that mind-jolting screech hit my ears.
I look over Jack’s shoulder incredulously. It can’t be.
But it is. The Queen Chimp. Laura Lynn Connors, herself. I should have seen it coming when she left work with all those Nordstrom bags. If there is only one person on this planet that I could keep from knowing about my relationship with Jack, that person would be Laura Lynn.
“Laura Lynn. Hi. I didn’t expect to see you here.” I try to fix a smile on my face and be as friendly as possible. Jack turns around and steps beside me. No use in pinning a scarlet “A” to my plum floral
dress. She’s already seen me in a highly personal moment.
“Of course you didn’t, or you wouldn’t have been in a lip lock on the balcony.” She looks up at Jack. “So, I take it this is a business event?”
I panic. I want to tell her something, anything, that will get this little bloodhound off my trail. Even though I haven’t done anything wrong—Al said it wasn’t against HR rules—this will be all over the office before my coffee is even cold on Monday.
But the thing is, I can’t lie. I have to take responsibility for the choices I make, and I chose to come out to this event with Jack even though we said we would endeavor to keep our relationship quiet until we were no longer working on a project together.
“We’re here together, Laura Lynn. Jack invited me to come with him.” I put one arm around his waist. “As his date.”
At that moment, my knight in shining armor sticks his hand out to Laura Lynn’s companion. “Jack Cooper.”
“Patrick Dutton, good to meet you.”
“Dutton? Is your mom Patrice Dutton?”
Bless Jack for diverting the conversation.
“Actually, yes.” Patrick tentatively smiles, caught between his date’s agitation and Jack’s amiability.
“She was my high school calculus teacher at Hyde Park.” Like a pin to a balloon, Jack has successfully popped the tension in our group.
“No way, really? That’s great. I’ll have to tell her that I ran into you. She retired last year and now she just plays tennis in Westlake with her friends every day.”
Jack laughs. “Mrs. D., livin’ the life.”
Patrick nods back in response. “Exactly. She is.” He looks at his date’s empty glass. “Laura Lynn, it looks like your drink needs freshening. Let’s go inside, okay?” With that, he deftly turns her towards the door and begins walking. He calls back over his shoulder to Jack. “Nice to meet you guys. Have a good evening.”
The tension drains out of my veins as Laura Lynn walks off and my limbs grow heavy. Instantly, I feel overcome with tiredness in the aftermath of the confrontation. I lay my head lightly on Jack’s shoulder.
Gorilla Dating Page 17
