by Nancy Thayer
“Um, I think I’ll stay here. I’ve got work to do.”
“Fine, but you know you’ll need to take Darwin out for a long walk today. He’s a puppy, he needs lots of exercise. Perhaps later this afternoon I can drive the two of you to a park.”
Angus looked miserable at the prospect, but nodded his head dutifully. “Perhaps.”
As Angus and his dog headed back up the stairs, Marilyn went into her bedroom to dress for the day—an easy task. She wore khaki shorts, a blue T-shirt, and sandals. Summer was so blissfully easy! She pulled her long hair into a loose tail to let air flow against the back of her neck as she went into her study.
She had an e-mail from Ian!
Perching on the edge of her chair, she opened it.
Marilyn, my love, I miss you. I’ll phone you later, around four or five your time, but the thing is, I’d like to bring Fiona over to the States with me for a while. She’s lost without Tam. This is such a terrible terrible tragedy. Whenever she walks from one room to another, she breaks into tears—everything reminds her of Tam. She’s so grief-stricken she can’t make a single decision. She doesn’t know whether to give Tam’s clothes and books away or keep them, whether to sell the house, where she would move if she did sell, and so on. She’s just overloaded. Doesn’t the sofa in the living room open into a bed? If she stayed with us for a while, maybe a complete change of scenery would help her regroup. I think it might. I’ll ask her today and let you know when I call tonight. This makes me realize each moment how fortunate I am to have you in my life.
Love, Ian
33
On this hot Tuesday afternoon, Elroy Morris, the building and grounds manager of The Haven, was presenting his report. The words, cast in his high-pitched, nasal voice, circled Shirley’s ears with the persistence of a starving mosquito. Elroy looked like a beaver. He wore brown coveralls and had buck teeth, shaggy brown hair on his head, face, and all over his arms, and a slow, shuffling way of moving.
Shirley tried to pay attention, but it was hard. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Nantucket. Right now she could be walking barefoot on the beach, letting the breeze cool her skin and the salt air work its magical aromatherapy. Instead, she was here at work, trying to comprehend and organize a bunch of essential but mind-numbing information to be presented next week at the monthly meeting of the board of directors of The Haven.
Her mind kept floating back to Nantucket. She’d had a blissful weekend on the island, lazing about with all the Hot Flash femmes, except for Marilyn. She’d dragged Alice along with her on a walk on the moors—Alice had not been thrilled. They’d all gone together to a play Saturday night, and Sunday they sat in their robes and talked and nibbled on a feast of leftovers until it was time for Alice and Shirley to catch the ferry back. Shirley hadn’t caught sight of Harry. She hadn’t even thought of him—well, not constantly.
“For storms and screens for all windows in the upper and lower floors of the main building $26,342…” Elroy droned.
The three of them—Shirley, Alice, and Elroy—were in the conference room, so they could spread their papers out across the big mahogany table. Alice sat across from Shirley, looking distracted and uncomfortable. Usually Alice, who had the acumen and experience with these sorts of practical matters, knew exactly what questions to ask and how to sort through the whirlwind of facts to glean the necessary elements by which to steer the board of directors to a decision.
But Alice had baby Aly on her lap.
And Aly was teething. The infant squirmed in Alice’s embrace, fussing and drooling, occasionally pacified by chewing on a brightly colored puffy object, but always managing to drop the teething ring just when Alice had gathered her thoughts and started to speak. Alice had confided to Shirley that Alan and Jennifer were having problems, and Alice donated all her time and expertise to The Haven free of charge, so Shirley felt guilty for feeling impatient and resentful of Alice’s divided attention. But without Alice’s input, this meeting was a waste of time.
With each passing day, Shirley sensed how little time she had left to waste. It was ironic. She had had a dream come true. She had dreamed of, and yearned for, and then, with the help of her friends and some investors, created this place, The Haven. But in many ways it was no haven for her, and there were even times when her dream had the qualities of a nightmare.
“…also, in light of the additions and changes to the building, we’ll need to review the insurance policy…,” Elroy Morris continued.
“Urglelblah!” the baby screamed.
My thoughts precisely, Shirley thought.
The baby arched her back angrily in an attempt to launch herself off Alice’s lap and wailed like a siren.
“I apologize,” Alice said. With one hand, she held on to the shrieking baby. With the other hand, she gathered together her papers and stuffed them into her briefcase. “I’ll take her home so the two of you can concentrate.”
Don’t leave me!, Shirley wanted to weep. I can’t understand this stuff!
“That pretty much concludes my report, anyway.” Elroy Morris pushed himself up from the table. “If you have any questions, you can e-mail me.”
Aly’s face was turning purple as she shrieked at hurricane force. As Alice carried the baby out of the office, all she could do as a way of saying good-bye was to waggle her eyebrows and mouth “Later” at Shirley. Elroy followed Alice, and Shirley gathered her papers and left the conference room, too.
She smiled briefly at her secretary—Wendy, who deserved a huge raise, something else to bring up at the next meeting—and stepped into the peace of her office. No, Shirley decided, not peace. It was quiet in here, but not peaceful. How it could it be peaceful, when her desk was piled high with incomprehensible forms needing to be read, digested, and acted upon?
As she collapsed in her chair, her thoughts turned to Alice, who had looked unusually frazzled this morning. Shirley knew how much Alice loved her son and his family, but she also knew about the osteoarthritis that caused Alice crippling pain. She knew how much time Alice needed to spend exercising, paying attention to her diet, taking care of herself—and she knew full well how Alice was ignoring her own health in order to help her son. Alice adored her granddaughter. The little girl’s birth had been a kind of miracle for Alice, who had spent so much of her life climbing the spiky ladder of corporate politics that she’d almost lost touch with her soft side. Alice was in a kind of love, but the practical everyday operations of that love were wearing her down. When they were on Nantucket, Alice had a chance to catch her breath. She slept a lot, and ate what Shirley suggested, and went on walks, and began the first steps to getting back in shape. But when she returned to real life, her granddaughter and all the complications of reality sucked her up like a cosmic vacuum cleaner.
But what could Shirley do? She felt guilty, because she relied on Alice’s precise executive mind for The Haven. She needed Alice, too.
Her phone buzzed. “Shirley?” It was Wendy. “Your eleven o’clock appointment’s here.”
“Great. Thanks.” She picked up her clipboard and pen. This was the part she liked about being director of The Haven. Meeting a new client, assessing her, chatting over a cup of tea in the beautiful lounge, suggesting a plan of therapy that would suit each individual need—that was Shirley’s forte. Helping people feel better. That was her gift.
At least it used to be. She wasn’t sure how effective she was these days.
She stepped into the staff bathroom in the back corridor to check her hair and makeup. She’d once had long fluffy red curls. When she became director of The Haven, she’d had her hair styled into a more elegant chin-length bob to go with her new tailored—and she felt, completely un-Shirley—suits. Over the past couple of years, as The Haven flourished, she’d allowed herself to soften her look. She’d grown her hair out to her shoulders and let some of the white as well as some of the curl return. She wore her tailored suits only when the board of directors met. Today she wore a su
mmery swirl of lavender silk and lots of amethyst jewelry. She blew a kiss at herself in the mirror. Really, she was looking pretty good for a gal her age.
She went back through the corridor, out to the front lobby, and into the lounge. The prospective new client was gazing at the art hung on the walls, which gave Shirley a moment to study her.
Shirley kind of wished she’d worn the tailored suit.
Usually the women who came to the spa, no matter what their income or social status, showed some signs of personal chaos. A torn hem, slumped shoulders, tightness around the mouth.
This woman looked like she’d just walked out of an ad for a Jaguar. She was trim and blonde, encased in a perfectly fitted black suit. She wore the kind of high black heels Shirley hadn’t been able to wear for years. When she turned to look at Shirley, she showed a flawless face. Big blue eyes, peaches-and-cream complexion, and the kind of makeup that looked like none at all.
Shirley gulped. A woman like this always somehow brought Shirley back to her early insecurities, the sense of worthlessness that had once driven her to alcohol. Not every flawless young woman made Shirley feel this way—Carolyn Sperry looked just as gorgeous as this creature, but when they first met, Carolyn had come as a client, with a slight air of vulnerability. This woman looked invulnerable.
Shirley sucked in a deep breath, held out her hand, and crossed the room. “Hello. I’m Shirley Gold, director of The Haven.”
The blonde smiled her million-dollar smile, every tooth perfect and dazzling.
“Eden Morton.” Her hand in Shirley’s was cool and soft.
Of course your name’s Eden, Shirley thought. “Let’s sit over here.”
Shirley sank onto a sofa. “Someone will be bringing tea in a moment.” Shirley had instituted this ritual herself. She liked the sense of intimacy it gave. It made the whole process seem more homey, less businesslike. “Peach tea, iced, no caffeine.”
“How nice.” Eden seemed completely uninterested.
Shirley crossed her legs and rested her clipboard on her knee. “Now. Let’s talk about what The Haven can do for you.”
Eden arched a perfect eyebrow. “Oh, you must have misunderstood. I’m here to see what we can do for you.”
Great, Shirley thought, another sales rep. She didn’t have time for this today. “I—”
Eden cut her off. “I represent Rainbow.” She beamed smugly. “The Rainbow Corporation.” Reaching into her briefcase, she pulled out a brochure and handed it to Shirley.
Shirley took it with fingers that were quickly going numb. She didn’t need to peruse the brochure. She’d heard of Rainbow. Everyone had heard of Rainbow. It was like the Vatican of spas. Started ten years ago in California, it had exploded under the leadership of a young, ambitious married couple, Rain and Richard Bow. He was in pharmaceuticals, she was in advertising. Together they’d created an empire.
Shirley’s mouth had gone so dry she couldn’t speak. She nearly fell on her knees with gratitude when Wendy arrived, carrying a tray with tea. “Thank you, Wendy,” she managed to squeak. She didn’t dare pick up a glass and expose her shaking hands.
Eden Morton seemed used to this kind of reaction. She waited until Wendy had left the room, then said in a low but authoritarian voice, “We—Rainbow—would like to purchase The Haven.”
Feeling flooded back through Shirley in a rush. “Oh, no.” Shirley shook her head. She even smiled—an effortless, even triumphant little smile. “Sorry. That’s not going to happen. We’re quite happy with The Haven.”
“Yes, I’m sure you are. You have a wonderful location, a great building, and a growing clientele. Otherwise Rainbow wouldn’t be interested.”
“Thanks, but we’re not interested.”
“Perhaps you should consult your board.” Eden Morton handed Shirley a slip of paper with a number written on it. “Show them this. It’s what we’re prepared to offer.”
Shirley looked down at the figure. It began with a dollar sign. It was a very large number. She almost fell off the sofa in shock.
“I…” She cleared her throat. “I see.” She stared at the paper, half expecting the numbers to rearrange themselves into something more reasonable. “Well, as I said, Eden, we’re not interested, but since you’ve gone to the trouble to come here personally, I will present this offer to my board of directors. We meet next week.”
Eden held out another piece of paper. “My business card. Perhaps you’ll phone me after the meeting?”
“Of course.” Shirley rose. Once again they shook hands. As she escorted Eden to the main doors, she sent a silent prayer of thanks to the goddess above for the gift of legs that supported her, when she felt like they were made out of pudding.
34
Overnight, something clicked in nature’s thermostat, and when New England residents woke on that July morning, the outside world was one giant sauna. The temperature climbed into the high nineties, and the humidity was in the nineties, too. Air-conditioning units chugged laboriously and still couldn’t make the interiors of houses and apartments really comfortable.
The heat made Alice lethargic. Unfortunately, it made Aly irritable. Or perhaps the tension between Alan and Jennifer was effecting the baby. The experts said that babies and children picked up on things adults weren’t aware of. Even Alice couldn’t miss the clipped words and abrupt looks passing between her son and his wife as they went about their daily business in the bakery. Fans were set up all over, and there was central air conditioning, but with all the ovens going, the heat ruled. Probably trying to cool the place was a simple waste of money, yet it was just so miserably hot and humid they craved even the smallest alleviation.
With the humid heat and the hostility between Alan and Jennifer, Alice found the atmosphere almost unbearable, so she took the baby up to The Haven for a change of scenery. Often the new faces and rooms proved a diversion for Aly. Certainly they cheered Alice. She walked up the long white gravel driveway with the baby safely tucked into a clever backpack. Aly was grizzling again, cranky from the heat and her teeth. By accident, she found Alice’s shoulder and began to gnaw on it, finding comfort as her gums touched the bare skin, and it felt so funny Alice laughed aloud, her mood lifting in spite of the heat.
The inside of The Haven was cool and dry—bliss. Alice decided to drop in on Shirley. She didn’t do this very often—she knew Shirley had a lot to prepare for the board meeting—but perhaps she might be up for a break, a glass of iced tea. Alice stopped at the secretary’s desk to chat a moment with Wendy, then tapped on the door and stepped into Shirley’s office.
Shirley was bent over a yellow legal pad, scribbling numbers on it. When she saw Alice, she actually jumped, and she looked oddly guilty.
“Hi, Shirley. Sorry to bother you. Just thought we’d stop by to say hi.”
“Hi!” Shirley said brightly. She pulled a pile of papers on top of the yellow legal pad.
Alice felt as if she were invading Shirley’s space, an unusual and uncomfortable feeling. “Actually,” Alice tried to sound jokey, “I just wanted to show you that even in this wretched heat I’m exercising. I walked all the way here with this little weight on my back.”
Shirley came around the desk to kiss the baby on her nose. “Hello, dolly.” Stepping back, she looked Alice over. “How’s your heart?”
“Fine. It’s fine!”
“Well, Alice, don’t get all crabby. You really have to remember, you’ve got high blood pressure and a wonky heart. This terrible humidity will make you retain water. Are you taking diuretics?”
Alice snorted. “You bet I am. I pee like Niagara Falls. In fact, now that you mention it—want to hold Aly for a moment?”
Alice bent down so Shirley could lift the baby out of the backpack. Alice went out to the restroom. When she returned, Shirley was waiting for her in the corridor.
“Let’s go down to the lounge. It’s cooler there.”
Alice gave Shirley a look. “Are you hiding something from me, g
irl?”
“Me?” Shirley’s eyebrows were always a dead giveaway. When she lied, they shot up to her red hair like a pair of caterpillars squirming for cover. Quickly, she changed the subject. “How’s Alan?”
Lifting fussy Aly into her arms, Alice sighed. “Low. I’m worried about him. He really needs to get back on an antidepressant.”
“Did you give him the Saint-John’s-wort and the ginseng?” Shirley held the door open and they went into the lounge, which was blissfully cool.
“Of course.” Alice sank into the sofa. She lay Aly next to her, and for a few moments the baby was distracted by the new light and colors around her. “Whether he’s taking it, I couldn’t say. But he was like this when he was divorced from his first wife, and it was really a prescription antidepressant that brought him out of it. It doesn’t help that Jennifer is so unsympathetic, but she’s whipped herself.”
Shirley sat on the other side of Aly, lightly stroking her fine baby hair. Shirley studied her friend. “Alice, you look so tired.”
Alice opened her mouth to argue, then slumped. “I am tired. And you don’t need to remind me, Shirley, I know I’ve gained back the weight I lost when I was on the island, and I know I’m not exercising as much as I should, but when I get home after taking care of Aly, I’m just too beat to move.”
“Why don’t you step back?”
“Because Alan and Jennifer—not to mention my granddaughter—rely on me. I don’t know what they’d do if I didn’t help them!”
Leaning over, Shirley put her hand on Alice’s arm. “What would happen if you couldn’t help them ever again?” That got Alice’s attention. “If you don’t take care of yourself, Alice, you’re going to have another heart attack, and you know it.”
To her enormous embarrassment, tears sprang into Alice’s eyes. Quickly she closed her eyes before Shirley could spot them. She leaned her head back against the sofa, and for a moment she thought she could fall asleep right there. “All right. I’ll think about it.”
