Cosmo's Deli (16 page)

Gaby peers through a slit in the curtains. “Yup, she is.” Renny joins Gaby, furtively watching as Tawney steps up on a square platform surrounded by mirrors. A tight orange dress clings to her body. Francine stands at her side, cooing, “That dress is perfect for you, very sexy. You look amazing.”

Tawney's nose crinkles and she whips the straps off her shoulders, letting it fall to the ground like a discarded orange peel. She is completely nude as she steps from the circle of fabric at her feet with her hands demandingly set on her tiny hips. “Bring me the beige one.”

Tawney turns, as Renny and Gaby fall back behind the curtain, narrowly avoiding detection.

“Oh my god, did you see that body?” Renny whispers.

“I never knew people actually came like that,” Gaby murmurs.

Renny paces. “She's incredible, did you see that? Why would Georgie want me when he had that?”

“She sounds like a real bitch.”

“She's an eclipse for Christ's sake. I can't believe we're not blind from having looked directly at it.”

“Forget her. He's taking you to the thing Saturday, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well come on then. Slip one of these dresses on.” Gaby holds them up.

Renny checks the tag on the black dress and feels woozy. “I have to go.”

“Why?”

Renny has tossed off the red dress and is quickly throwing on her own black shirt and gray trousers. “I need to get out of here. I belong back in the real world where the average woman is fifteen pounds overweight and obsessing about it.” She peeks out of the fitting room to make sure all is clear and dashes back to the main room.

“Did we make a decision?” Francine asks, rushing up to her.

“They're all beautiful, but I can't…”

“Decide,” Gaby says from behind her. “She'll take this one.” The black dress is in her hands.

“Excellent.” Francine takes it. “I'll go put it in a bag.”

Renny turns on Gaby. “That dress is $3,000! I can't afford that.”

“It's a comp.”

“A what?”

“Free. I told Francine where you were going and that I'd have a photographer from my magazine shooting pictures. It's good publicity for Mu Mu.”

“We're all set.” Francine hands Renny a black canvas garment bag. “Enjoy the party.”

Gaby nudges Renny.

“Thank you,” Renny says.

“I'll meet you downstairs,” Gaby tells her. “Francine wants to show me something.”

“That's okay, I'm going to head back to work.”

Gaby gives her a hug. “Don't forget to stop at Lulee for shoes.” Renny opens her mouth to protest, but Gaby cuts her off. “It's one block from your office. Promise me you'll at least look. You can't wear a Mu Mu dress with sandals from the discount rack. Christ, that's like putting earrings on a pig.”

“Fine,” Renny says as she heads to the stairwell.

***

Renny presses her nose to Lulee's front windows, her breath creating a foggy circle on the glass. Inside a single spotlight illuminates the star of the spring collection—a pair of black-pointy-toe sling backs with Lucite heels and a red rhinestone bow at the top. They are called the Princepessas and there is a six-month wait list. A giant billboard in Times Square hails them as the modern woman's glass slipper.

“I promised Gaby I'd look,” she says, patting the garment bag slung over her arm and knowing they would look terrific with the dress tucked inside. Renny pushes the door open and steps over the threshold before her normal state of frugality steers her away.

“Can I help you?” a gravelly voice asks.

Renny turns and finds the Cleavage Lady from the night she met Georgie. “I know you!”

Cleavage Lady shoots a detached look at her. “Hmmm?”

“I was the one the deejay sent the drink to. At Volume last week.”

With a wave of her hand, aloofness fades to recognition. “I thought you looked familiar. So tell, how'd it go?”

“We have a date on Saturday night,” Renny says proudly.

Cleavage lady coughs. “Good for you. Now, don't tell me, you need shoes? Am I right? Tell me what you're wearing and we'll get you set up.”

“It's in here.” Renny pats the garment bag.

Cleavage Lady's eyes light up. “Mu Mu. Very nice.”

“He's taking me to the big party at the Meltdown. So we might be dancing.”

Cleavage Lady narrows her eyes as if measuring Renny's feet. “Small foot. Are you a six?”

“Five and a half.”

“I thought so. Come with me.”

Renny follows her to the back of the store.

“Have a seat here.” She gestures and vanishes through a paneled door only to reappear a moment later with an oversized gold case in the shape of a treasure chest. She speaks closely and punctuates her words by intermittently touching Renny's arm. “This pair was flown in overnight. It's special order for a soap star. You know, the little bitchy one. And I can tell you, there's no acting going on there. That one needs a few weeks of detox she's so high on who she thinks she is. It's because of the affair of course. ‘He' is very high up in politics. You know who I'm talking about—the married one. Sh, we've already said too much. Tell me if you like these.” She pulls a pair of Princepessas from the gold case.

Renny reaches her hands out. “I read they are so hard to get that they practically have to be bequeathed to you.”

“I know. I'm a size seven and I can't even get a pair. But in the really small sizes, they're a little more available. Do you want to try them on?”

Renny instantly kicks off her black flats and rolls up her trousers. The Princepessas glide onto her feet. “They're so light.” Renny faces her reflection, gasping, “Oh my god!” The mirror has erased her black shirt and gray trousers, along with the day's faded make-up and rumpled hair. In it's stead is a glowing face, framed by cascading curls and a body swathed in a beautiful shimmering gown which embraces her as if it were the only dress she were ever meant to wear. Renny blinks and the image evaporates, her reflection once again showing her as she was before. “Wow. These are—”

“Magical. Everyone says the same thing. I had one customer who accused us of having a trick mirror. She was nuts. They look great on you. If you want them, they're yours. We're expecting another pair next week. The bitch deserves to wait a week.”

Dueling voices battle within Renny. They must cost a fortune. I can charge them and pay them off over the next few months, she thinks. And not eat! But then I'll be thin. “How much are they?” she finally asks.

“Six hundred.”

The voices in Renny's head faint from sticker shock, leaving her blank. She glances in the mirror prepared to say no thanks when the vision returns. “I'll take them!” she blurts.

“You won't regret it.” Cleavage Lady scoops the shoes from Renny's feet and back into the box. “Will it be cash or credit?”

Renny hands over her credit card. “Do they come with a happily ever after guarantee?”

Cleavage Lady coughs up a laugh.

She didn't realize that Renny wasn't joking.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Two days later, Renny paces around her office reciting her pitch. “If we start in the South. No, that's not right.” She checks her notes. “Start in the Midwest, then go to the South,” she shakes her head, “that doesn't make sense. It doesn't flow.”

“It sounds good to me.”

Renny looks up and finds her father standing in the doorway. “How'd you get back here?”

“I was in the elevator and I heard this voice. It was Lucy. After talking to her so many times on the phone, it's good to put a face with the voice. That girl is as nice in person as she is on the phone.”

He steps into her office and Renny notices the dark circles that have taken up residence under his eyes. Is it possible that his hair has gone grayer since she was out at dinner the previous week?

Her father sighs, “I was in Brooklyn again and I thought I'd see if you're plans changed and you want to come out tonight.”

Two days ago, Renny told Ira she was still going to attend her Friday meeting. However, after the meeting, she would take a car service straight to the oncologist's office. She broke the day down minute by minute to prove to herself that her plan would work. She might be a smidge late, she told Ira, but she would be there. “Besides, no doctor takes you in at the exact appointment time?” she rationalized in response to her brother's stony silence. “My late will probably be early.”

His answer was to hand the phone off to Renny's sister-in-law, who jabbered on for ten minutes about their kids. Even though Ira had been too disgusted to continue their phone conversation, he'd still played his part by relaying her plans to their parents. Renny had expected to receive a nagging phone call from her mother. Not her father in person.

“Dad, I have this pitch tomorrow. I'm coming straight out after. The car service is all set up to drive me.”

He nods, appearing exhausted by the minor movement. “You know, I've never meddled in your life the way your mother does.”

“God threw me a bone,” Renny says, rolling her eyes.

“I'm not joking, Renny. She's scared and I've never seen her scared of anything. Your mother needs her family around her in case the news is bad. I need you there, too.”

“I'll be there. I promise.”

He gives her a hug, the tight squeeze hinting of not wanting to let go. “You're a good girl.”

Renny wells up, overcome not just by her father's sentiment, but with an overwhelming wish to hear those same words from her mother's lips, just once. “How do you put up with her, Dad?”

“Your mother and I have been married thirty-seven years. She's a tough woman, I'll give you that. But, I love her and she loves me. Sometimes in a marriage you have to take the shit with the sugar.”

Her father releases her from his embrace, but not from her thoughts, which weigh on her mind as she walks him to the elevator.

“Bye Mr. Shuler. Talk to you soon,” Lucy calls as they pass her desk.

“Bye Lucy.” He turns to Renny, “Such a nice girl.”

“The best,” Renny says, only her father doesn't realize that she's being facetious. Standing together waiting for the elevator, he takes out a handkerchief and blows his nose with a trumpeting blare. Renny shrinks as a co-worker smirks while walking by. “Dad!”

“What? People don't blow their nose in New York.” He shoves the handkerchief back in his pocket. “You should call your mother later and wish her good luck.”

“Okay.” Renny pauses. “You know it would be nice if just once she showed some approval of my life.”

“She tells you she loves you all the time.”

“It's not the same. I know she loves me, but I don't think she likes me very much.”

He shakes his head in disagreement. “That's not true. Some people just can't see past there own wishes when it comes to their children.” The elevator doors open.

“She has to try,” Renny says.

“So do you,” her father adds before walking into the elevator and disappearing behind the closing doors.

Walking back to her office, Renny considers leaving her presentation and resignation on Val's desk and then running down to catch her father. Instead, the sound of her phone ringing makes her sprint toward her office, “You could answer that for me.” Renny says to Lucy, who sits at her desk eating popcorn.

“It's more fun to watch you run for it,” Lucy answers.

Renny slams the speaker button on her desk. “Renny Shuler,” she answers feeling slightly winded.

“What are you still doing at work?” Georgie asks, his voice melting her agitation away.

“I'm working out the details on that presentation I told you about. Georgie, listen about the other night, I…”

“Forget it, I have. What time are you going home?”

“I have to drop off a few things down at the art department, but I'll probably be out of here in an hour.” Lucy comes to the door and Renny holds up her hand. “Georgie, can you hang on?”

“Sure.”

Renny pushes the hold button and looks up at Lucy. “What's up?”

“Is that him?” Lucy asks.

“Yes. What do you need?”

“Your friend Jeff is at reception.”

“Shit! I forgot that Jeff and I are supposed to have dinner.”

“Well I guess when it pours it floods.”

“Lucy, keep Jeff at reception. I'll be out in a minute. I need to get back to Georgie.” Renny impatiently turns her back to the door and pushes the speaker button. “You still there?”

“Still here,” Georgie says.

“Sorry about that. What were you about to say?”

“I was going to offer to come over tonight so you can have an audience to practice your presentation on. I assume you do that in the nude?”

“Who told you about those?”

“I have sources everywhere.”

“I bought a dress for Saturday night…shoes too.”

“Cool, I can practice taking them off you tonight. How about I pick up Chinese and meet you at your place at seven.”

I'm completely smitten, Renny thinks, as all thoughts of Jeff and family evaporate. “Okay,” she adds, “but I really do have to do some work too.”

“I'll leave you with just enough energy. See you later.”

Renny's lips stretch into a face-spanning grin as she hits the speaker off. She turns to call Lucy and finds Jeff standing at the door.

“So, I guess Gigolo hasn't moved on yet?” His eyebrows scrunch together into a protruding bulge of hurt.

“Jeff, I'm sorry, it's just…”

“Just what? It's just that you're going to blow off dinner with me to meet him. Do you even see how shitty that is?”

“Please try and understand.”

He shakes his head. “I understand that he will crush you. Present infatuation aside, you're also my friend and I don't want to see you get hurt. And for the record, when you scrape yourself off his heel don't expect me to be there to dust you off.”

“That's not fair. I said I was sorry.”

He waves her off. “I'll talk to you.”

“Jeff.” But he is gone, leaving her to wallow in guilt. Renny never wanted to be one of those girls who dump their friends for a guy. Or her family. After all, if she has time to see Georgie, then she could have gone out to Jersey tonight to be with her mother. Maybe she should call Georgie and cancel? No, damn it! Renny is fed up with being made to feel guilty. She and Jeff are just friends. He should be happy she found someone! And tomorrow she'll be there for her mother. Besides, Georgie did promise to help with the presentation.

“Lucy!” Renny bellows.

“What?” Lucy yells back.

Renny walks out of her office and finds Lucy with her jacket on getting ready to leave. “I told you to have Jeff wait at reception.”

Lucy shrugs. “I'm not your social secretary. If you're going to hog all the guys, then you can keep them straight on your own. See you tomorrow.”

***

Thirty minutes later, Renny hustles through the dark deserted corridor of the eleventh floor when she realizes she forgot to hit the lights near the elevator. No time to go back now, there is just enough time to drop her report on Heather's desk and grab a cab to meet Georgie. The dark office makes her jittery and she talks out loud for company. “It's okay, I can still see where I'm going,” she proclaims just as she whacks into the corner of a desk and sends her report fluttering in the air like confetti. “Damn!” She drops to the ground to retrieve her papers. A few slivers of white peek out from under the desk she banged into, so Renny slides the chair away and crawls into the leg space to get them.

As she picks up the papers, a voice travels down the dark hall. “I thought we were going to get naked in your office.”

Is that Lance, Renny thinks?

“Patience,” a hard clipped voice answers. “I need to check for something on the art director's desk first.”

That's Val!

Fluorescent lights flicker on and Renny instinctively knows that it's too late to come out from the space that with the speed of light has become her hideout. Shifting a millimeter at a time, she gains a view through a thin crack in the back of the desk to where a few yards away, Val rifles through the papers on top of Heather's drafting table.

“Is it there?” Lance asks.

“I can't find it,” Val hisses.

“It could have gone out already. Did she go for the plan you gave her?”

“Of course she did. Renny's terrified of me and it's not like she had a choice.” She slams her hand down. “It's not here!”

Lance reaches his arms around Val. “Where did you tell your husband you were tonight?”

Val scoffs, “I didn't tell him anything, he's out of town. It's not like the bastard cares, he's probably dick deep into his little media buyer right now.”

Lance rears back, offended.

“What?”

“Are you using me?” Lance asks.

“You are retarded aren't you? Of course I'm using you.” Val leans up against him, her hips gyrating against his. “Let's not kid ourselves. Our fucking has a dual purpose, mine is to make my husband jealous and yours is to get a promotion out of me.”

“That's not—”

“True?” Val says, finishing his sentence and laying a heavy kiss on him. “The truth is always laced with dirty little secrets. Go ahead, talk dirty to me.” Lance groans as Val's hand grabs his crotch. “Bitch,” he hisses, causing Val to let out a diabolical laugh.

Renny's heart palpitates frantically as if it were about to beat a hole in her chest. She watches them, riveted yet repulsed, like one drawn to the bloody aftermath of a car accident. Tongues dart in and out of sight as their mouths devour each other. Val's hand fumbles with the opening of his pants and in retaliation his hands move under her skirt. She is about to pull out his…

DING!

The elevator bell rings and Lance and Val race to put Humpty together again, zipping up just as a janitor turns the corner. He smiles at them and they pretend to be engrossed with papers on Heather's drafting table. The janitor retrieves a yellow feather duster from the top of a desk and whistles his way back to the elevators.

Lance opens his mouth, but Val puts a finger to his lips commanding silence. The seconds tick by like individual grains of sand dropping in slow motion through an hour glass.

DING! The sound of the elevator opening and closing travels through the quiet hall. Val sighs and straightens her clothes. “Are you ready for tomorrow?”

Lance tries to maneuver his arm around her.

She pulls away and snaps, “I asked you a question.”

“I'm ready. Have you decided what you're going to do with Renny after the meeting?”

“She's fired. We both know that with my help you're going to win the account. There are a few of her ideas you need to add to your pitch later. I told her not to use them.”

Lance frowns.

“Now what?” Val hisses.

He speaks softly like a servant fearful of angering the master. “Nothing. It's just that I think I could have won the account on my own. It doesn't feel fair this way.”

“Who gives a fuck about fair?” Val presses against him and plants her hand firmly on the front of his pants. “Now let's take that big boy up to my office and see if he can finish what he started.” She glances around. “This place gives me the creeps at night.”

Lance scurries after her like an obedient puppy in heat.

***

Renny races into her building quickly wiping the tears from her face and scanning the lobby for Georgie.

“Miss Shuler,” the doorman calls.

A sinking feeling takes hold of her.

“A gentleman was here. He left you a note.” He hands over a folded sheet of paper.

“Did he wait long.” Renny asks taking it.

“About a half hour.”

“Thanks.” Renny quickly unfolds the note and finds:

Renny,

My agent called. I went to meet him for a drink. I'll call you when I'm done. Keep the dress warm.”

G

Renny turns toward the elevator, as fresh tears spill out, forming pools of moisture on the elevator floor like the warning drops of a gathering storm.