“I was only doing my job,” she said.
“You did quite a bit more. You’re bright and quick and you have a great people sense. You seemed to know exactly how to handle them, when to push a bit and when to back off. You were a real asset.”
Glowing with the unexpected praise, Jenna said, “Thanks.”
“I told the folks at the agency too.” He took her hand across the pink tablecloth and gazed into her eyes. “Now that we’re done with the business end of this, let me say that I really enjoyed our dinner and I’d love to see you again. I really mean that.”
Jenna’s hand warmed at his touch and she felt her pulse speed. “I’d like that,” she said, realizing that she meant it. “Let me give you my cell-phone number. I don’t know whether I’ll bother getting my own phone, so I’ll use my cell for personal calls for now.” She gave him the number and he wrote it down on a piece of paper that he carefully put in his wallet. She wrote down his home number as well.
He signed the credit-card slip, and then the two of them walked out into the warm, late-spring night. “I live in a converted loft not far from here,” Toby said, “but I’d like to see you home.”
“Don’t be silly,” she said. “I’ll get a taxi.”
He stood with her while they flagged down a passing taxi. As she climbed in, Toby said, “Take care and I’ll call you. Maybe we can get together one evening next week.”
“That would be wonderful,” she said, then gave the address of the brownstone to the taxi driver.
Since she had no assignment for the following day, Jenna wandered around New York City doing tourist things while Chloe was at work. She took the elevator to the top of the Empire State Building and stared in awe in all directions. She took a subway to Ground Zero and found her eyes filling at the sight of the massive empty space and the memories of that awful day, then pulled herself together and walked to Chinatown for lunch. In the afternoon she visited the United Nations Building, wondering whether she’d ever work there. They probably have all the translators they need, she thought, but it would be exciting to be part of international peace negotiations or something equally dramatic.
She arrived home, marveling at the fact that she already thought of it as home, at about five. She poured herself a glass of iced tea, stretched out in the back garden and called Marcy, knowing her sister would have just arrived home from work. “How did your second day at Paramount go?” Marcy asked.
“Just great. I felt really good about my part in the negotiations. I think I really greased a few of the wheels.”
“You always do, Jen,” Marcy said. “Tell me about the boss. You were less than candid when I spoke to you on Wednesday.”
Jenna could hear the unbridled curiosity in Marcy’s voice. “I didn’t mean to be evasive. He’s nice.” She lowered her voice. “He took me to dinner.”
“What?”
Louder, she said, “He took me to dinner. We had real Indian food. You’d have loved it. We had—”
“I’m not interested in the dinner menu. Tell me about the man. Come on, give.”
“He’s very nice. Midthirties, divorced, like that.” Somehow, for the first time, she found she didn’t want to go into all the details of her evening. Although it was nothing more than a dinner between business acquaintances, it felt personal.
“Okay,” Marcy said, no trace of ire in her voice. “I understand if you want to keep this to yourself. One of the things we vowed was to build separate lives while you were gone.” She paused, then continued, “By the way, I saw Glen today. He said to tell you that he’d give you all the time you want but he’s still hoping you’ll come back. He’s still acting as if you’ll be back by Christmas.”
“He’s so focused on that six-month thing. I wish he’d just let go.”
“I know, but he’s really in love with you. I think you really threw him a curve when you turned him down. He seems a bit lost now.”
Jenna uncrossed and recrossed her legs. “You’ve always been fond of him. Take him to dinner and try to get him to understand. Take him to dinner just because.”
“I’m not horning in on your boyfriend, Jen.”
“He’s not my boyfriend any more, and if you’re interested, nothing could make me happier.”
“If you’re trying to push a relationship, let me make this clear. Glen’s a nice guy and I like him as a friend but I’m not interested in him. I’m not interested in anyone. I’m very happy just the way I am.”
They had had this discussion several times recently. Jenna worried about the way Marcy seemed content to sit around with little or no social life. Maybe her dates with Glen had been a bit predictable but at least she’d had dates. “I know that. I just wish—” she stopped herself. It did no good to restate something that Marcy already knew. “I love you, Sis, very much.”
“I love you, too, Jen. Call me when you want and I’ll do likewise.” The connection ended.
Chloe arrived home a few minutes later. “How about going somewhere for dinner?” Chloe believed the old joke. What she made for dinner was reservations.
“Sure. Where to?”
They settled on a noodle house a few blocks down on First Avenue. “I’ve got a date tomorrow night,” Chloe said, neatly eating her soup with spoon and chopsticks. “He’s got a friend in from out of town. Any interest?”
“I don’t think so,” Jenna said, juggling a spoon in one hand and awkwardly using chopsticks with the other, trying not to spill down her shirt. “Thanks anyway.”
“I wish you’d give it a bit of thought. I know the other guy and he’s really nice. He’s not Glen, of course, but he’s intelligent, interesting and has a great sense of humor. It would be a great favor to me.”
“Why are you so anxious to set me up?” Jenna asked, deciding to tuck a napkin into the neck of her sky blue tee shirt.
“I worry that you’ll spend a few months here, then scurry back to the safety of Seneca Falls, having experienced nothing of what there is to experience here.”
“And that’s sex, right?”
“It’s variety. It’s men, good food, good conversation, flirtation, and that wonderful heat when two people begin to dance around the attraction they feel. And, yes, it’s sex.”
Jenna squirmed under Chloe’s scrutiny. “I’ve been sexual. Glen and I had some pretty wild times.”
“Yeah, you told me,” Chloe said, raising a quizzical eyebrow.
Slightly annoyed, Jenna said, “Stop putting me and Seneca Falls and Glen down like some collection of small-town people with nothing exciting ever happening. It’s not like that.”
“I’m only quoting you, Jenna. You said you were here to experience things and this is how. Wouldn’t you feel like a horse’s ass if you went back and discovered, sometime down the line, what you’d been missing? There’s more to life than Glen. You’re chomping at the bit to do something but you’re too chicken to reach for it.”
Jenna sat back and put her spoon and chopsticks down. She wanted to rail at Chloe, tell her that she should mind her own business, but she also was enough of a realist to accept that some of what her friend was saying was true. She had come to New York to grow, to reach out for things. “This would be just a date,” Jenna said finally. “No prior commitment or understanding. No tacit agreement for sex afterwards.”
Chloe made a face. “I wouldn’t do that to you,” she said, putting her utensils down. “Not a chance. Harry is a thoroughly nice guy who I’ve been seeing for several months on and off. His friend’s name is Brand and he’s in town from Dallas. As a favor to Harry I arranged a friend for Brand when he was last in New York. The four of us had dinner, went to a movie, and that was that. No strings. No nothing. Stop being so suspicious. Yes, I want you to get out and experience life but whether or not you get laid is completely up to you.”
Jenna had to smile at Chloe’s blunt language. “I’m sorry I got so carried away.” She realized that people at nearby tables were leaning closer to hear
the rest of the conversation so she lowered her voice. “That’s the second time this week. I guess I’ve got ulterior motives on the brain.”
“No problem,” Chloe said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “So, will you come with us? We’re thinking of seeing that new Jack Nicholson film.”
Jenna let out a long breath. “Sure. Okay. That sounds fine.”
“Great. I’ll call Harry when we get home.”
Chapter 4
After a delightful evening with Chloe, Harry, and Brand, Jenna lay in bed thinking about the way her life had progressed since arriving in New York City just a week before. She’d had dates with two different men and had had fun with each. Where Toby was serious and sexy, Brand had been just plain fun. She and Toby had discussed a myriad of subjects, while with the foursome earlier that evening she had laughed more than she could remember. Harry and Brand tossed one-liners back and forth, keeping the women laughing with genuine good humor.
Toby was very attractive and sexy looking and made her heart skip a beat or two, and, while Brand was ordinary looking, with thinning toast-brown hair, a thick nose, and a body like a fire hydrant, she quickly forgot to notice his looks at all. Two different men with two different personalities, both of whom she had enjoyed.
As she thought about dating, her mind inevitably drifted to sex, and, while Brand was fun, it was Toby who filled her mind. Thinking about Toby she imagined how his mouth would feel against hers, how his hands would feel on her breasts. Would his touch excite her differently than Glen’s had? She remembered her last sexual, rather ordinary, experience with her ex and sighed. Her ex. Interesting way to think of him, but she guessed that that was exactly what he was. Ex-what, she didn’t know, but he was history, at least for now. Would she consider going back to Seneca Falls and her old life with him? Certainly not right now.
Where was this all going? What was she here for? Was Chloe right when she said that getting back on the sexual horse was the perfect way to begin to sort things out? Maybe, but that didn’t mean tackling some man on a first date. But what about on the second or third? She quickly realized how awkward it would be to bring some man back to the brownstone with Chloe’s bedroom right off the living room, possibly entertaining there or in the main room. As Jenna fell asleep, she realized she’d have to talk to Chloe about it.
The following morning the two women were sprawled in the living room, surrounded by pieces of the Sunday New York Times. After a long period of silence, Jenna said, “Chloe, there’s something we need to figure out.”
Chloe pulled off her reading glasses, ones she wore only at home to give her eyes a rest from her contact lenses. “Sure, Jen. What’s up?”
“This is a bit embarrassing. I was thinking about last evening. I had a great time, by the way, and thanks for kicking me in the behind and getting me to accept the invitation. Anyway, the guys dropped us off and avoided an awkward moment by simply saying good night and getting back into the taxi. But what do we do about inviting a man back here for, well let’s just call them, extracurricular activities?”
“Extra ... Oh, yeah.” Her face took on a hopeful expression. “Are you starting to think about real dates? Like with sex afterward?”
“Don’t go jumping to conclusions, Chloe, I just want to think things through in advance.” And, yes, I’m thinking about sex.
“I understand what you’re getting at. Living here, together, is like having a college roommate, except that you can’t just hang a ribbon on the door and ask the other guy to come back in three hours. I’ve actually been thinking about it.”
“Any ideas?”
She crossed her legs. “How about this? What if we set up a second living room upstairs? We have all those just-about-empty rooms. Let’s get a small sofa, a chair or two, and stuff. That way you can have the upstairs and I can have the downstairs. If I’m in the living room and you and a friend want to go upstairs, just move quietly and we’ll all pretend not to notice.”
“That’s a great idea, but won’t furniture cost a lot? I’m really not sure how long I’ll be here, after all. It sounds like a giant undertaking for what might only be a month or two.” She knew that, at best, Chloe’s finances were precarious. Although a second living room was a great idea, she wasn’t about to spend much on it, or allow Chloe to.
“Shopping will be such fun. Hold on a minute.” Dashing from the room, Chloe returned with the Yellow Pages. Flipping through the much-used volume, she said, “Let’s see where we can start.”
“Chloe,” Jenna said, stemming the rush of shopping enthusiasm bursting from her friend, “I don’t have money to spend on furniture and you don’t either.”
“I know, but shopping’s such fun.”
“It might be fun but we can’t afford it. Isn’t there another way? Do you know anyone we can borrow some stuff from?”
Chloe deflated, then brightened. “Wait a minute. I remember seeing something in here.” She began rapidly turning pages, wetting her middle finger occasionally.
“Do you read that thing in your spare time?” Jenna said sarcastically. “It’s worn and dogeared like an old bible or something.”
“The Yellow Pages is a gas to browse through. You’d never believe what goes on in this town, and you can find such interesting places to shop and stuff. Lots of people are switching to using the Internet, but to my mind computers are a great mystery, except for graphics, of course. For me the good old Yellow Pages does the trick.” She flipped a few more pages, then said, “Here it is. Furniture rentals.”
“You can rent furniture?”
“Sure. Several guys I know come to town for several months at a time on business. Their company finds a sublet and sometimes they need to add a few pieces. So they rent.” She scanned the page. “Look. There are several places right around here. We can pick up a few big pieces on a month-to-month basis and fill in with small stuff. Looks like they all deliver, pick up, and everything.” She tapped one finger on a large display ad. “This one’s even open on Sunday.”
“Only in New York,” Jenna muttered.
That afternoon, after deciding which room would work out best for a second living room, Chloe and Jenna visited a nearby rental company and picked out a nondescript sofa, side chair, end and coffee tables, and a couple of lamps. The salesman did a few calculations and came up with a surprisingly reasonable monthly charge. Since Jenna had only two days of work booked for the following week, they arranged to have the pieces delivered midweek. After that, Jenna would see how the room shaped up and decide what little touches she wanted to add.
Every day she’d fallen more in love with the house, and it seemed more and more important to help her friend with the taxes. She found that, to compensate for Chloe’s extravagance, she was suddenly reluctant to spend money. Jenna vowed that they would eat home every night and that when she worked she would bring a salad or a sandwich from home. She’d try her best to get through at least the next payment. Would Chloe take money from her if she really needed it? Jenna didn’t know but, just in case, she decided to try her best not to touch her savings.
The agency had said that she could expect to work on an average of one or two days a week. “Of course, it might be an entire week and then nothing for a while, but as long as you’re available we’ll do the best we can.” I can always get a full-time job, Jenna thought, then stopped herself. Chloe wasn’t her responsibility. She was a big girl and well able to take care of herself.
She spent some time working on a budget, thinking of how Marcy would laugh. Budgeting? Jenna? When she’d juggled the numbers and made some conservative projections, she decided that things would be okay for a while. It was summer and she’d be filling in for lots of vacationing translators, but once fall came she was afraid her work days would dwindle and she might have to start digging into her meager savings.
Monday evening, she and Chloe disassembled the bed from the larger of the two remaining rooms on the second floor and wrestled it and the dresser to
an upstairs room Chloe used for storage. “Holy shit,” Jenna said, when she entered the small room. “It looks like the photos of King Tut’s tomb.” She wandered around, poking into stacks of boxes and jumbled piles of odds and ends. “If you don’t mind,” Jenna said, picking up a magazine rack, “I might move some of these things to my ‘sitting room.’ ” She said the last two words in such a mock-snooty voice that Chloe had to giggle.
“Sure. Great. Aunt Elise was quite a collector and this was what was left over after we sold off the furniture. I was in such a state that I just dumped stuff up here.” She tapped on a box of books. “I don’t even know what all is up here, but I know that Aunt Elise would be glad to see some of this stuff being useful again.”
“Collector?”
“Well, she shopped a lot on her travels, buying all kinds of things she just ‘had to have’ at the time.” With a self-deprecating smile, Chloe said, “I guess that’s where I get it from.”
Jenna prowled. In addition to the boxes there were a few small tables, one with a missing leg, four standing lamps, one particularly ugly one with a red-tasseled shade, a rolled-up throw rug, and a number of oil paintings that were balanced against one wall. An old-fashioned, full-length mirror, in a mahogany frame that allowed it to tilt, stood off to one side. She’d read about those in the occasional romance novel. Pier glasses, she thought they were called.
Tossed in one corner were a pile of pillows of all sizes, some with satin or velvet covers, others fringed, many embroidered with phrases like “Memories of the Catskills” and “April in Paris.” One had a picture of the pyramids of Giza and another the Tower of London. “Phew. What an eclectic woman she must have been.”
“Eclectic. That’s a good word for it but let’s be frank. Elise was a junk collector and she freely admitted it. She picked up nicknacks from anywhere and everywhere.” Chloe pointed to several large cardboard boxes dumped haphazardly in one corner. “Those are filled with the contents of two large china cabinets we sold. Some of the stuff ... well, you’ll never believe it. From the beautiful to the unusual, to the just plain ugly.”
Club Fantasy Page 5
