Family Ties (22 page)

Tom promised to call her as soon as he got back to New York, and he confirmed their dinner date on Saturday night. He said he’d figure out where on the way home and make the reservation. She liked the way he took charge of things and made plans on his own. She didn’t have to do it for him. It was a relief not to be the one carrying the whole load. That was new for her.

Annie was in much better spirits after she heard from Tom. And she finally reached Ted. He said he was just busy with classes, but he sounded terrible and she didn’t believe him when he said he was fine. He didn’t sound it. She called Liz then, who insisted she knew nothing. She hated lying to Annie, but it was up to Ted to tell her that Pattie was pregnant, and he didn’t have the courage, and there was plenty of time. Pattie was barely more than a month pregnant. She had told him the baby was due in September. He didn’t even want to think about it now. And she was talking marriage now a lot of the time. He had never been so miserable in his life, except when he lost his parents.

Liz called him every day to see how he was, and she hated the way he sounded. He admitted to her that he was in despair and felt trapped. The fetus growing in Pattie’s belly had ruined his life, or was going to the instant it was born. It already had. And Pattie was on top of the world now. She was having his baby, and she owned him for life. All she did was thank him for making her so happy, and she wanted to have sex with him all the time. He no longer called it making love. It wasn’t. It was just raw sex, and Pattie got her way every time. He didn’t want to upset her, so he did whatever she asked. He tried to be gentle with her so as not to hurt the baby, but she insisted that everything they did was fine. He had begun to wish that he had never met her. And he was having very dark thoughts. He was drinking a lot, and he told Lizzie several times that he wished he were dead. She didn’t think that Pattie would ever kill herself, but she was worried about Ted. Liz had said nothing to Annie, but she was beginning to think she should. If he didn’t feel better soon, she would have no other choice.

Liz was startled a few days later when Annie called her. She sounded serious, and she said she wanted Liz’s advice. Liz was desperately afraid that she was going to ask about Ted. But instead she admitted to Liz that Tom had invited her on a real date. He was taking her to dinner, and she had nothing to wear. Liz smiled when she heard the nervous, girlish tone in her aunt’s voice. It was sweet.

They discussed where she might be going to dinner, and what kind of impression she wanted to make on Tom. She said that all her good clothes were appropriate for client meetings, but she didn’t own anything sexy that might appeal to a man.

“How sexy? Plunging neckline? Short skirt?” Liz asked practically, and Annie laughed.

“I didn’t say I want to get arrested. I said I want to look attractive on a date.”

“Okay. Pretty ruffled blouse. Maybe Chanel. Short but decent skirt. Pretty fur jacket. I can lend you one of mine. Your hair down framing your face. Nothing hard. Everything soft, feminine, pretty.” She brought over several garment bags of things to choose from that night. She had six bags stuffed to the gills, and Annie picked a beautiful organdy blouse and a black lace skirt. Both were elegant but sexy. And she was still on crutches and had to wear flat shoes, so Liz had brought her a pair of satin flats with rhinestone buckles in the right size. She’d had her assistant pick them up. And she lent her a short black mink jacket that Annie had admired for years. She was all set!

Annie looked lovely on Saturday night when Tom picked her up. Katie had helped her dress and did her makeup for her and told her to wear her hair down. She felt like a high school kid going to her first prom when Tom rang the doorbell. He was wearing a black cashmere jacket and slacks, with an open, beautifully tailored shirt. He said he was jet-lagged but he didn’t look it, and he admired everything Annie had on. He loved her looks and the way she was dressed. He noticed it all.

“Where is everyone, by the way?” Tom asked, looking around. The apartment was deserted and silent.

“Out. Katie and Paul are at a movie. Lizzie is away for the weekend, and Ted’s busy with school. I hardly hear from him anymore. I don’t know what’s going on. I hope he’s okay and getting a little space from that woman.”

“He’ll figure it out,” Tom reassured her, as they left the apartment and took a cab to the restaurant. It was uptown and very chic. Everyone knew Tom, and he introduced her to half a dozen people who stopped at their table. And the headwaiter made a big fuss over them both. It was fun being out with him. With his face on the news every night, he was universally known, respected, and greatly admired.

Over dinner, Annie told him about the houses she was currently working on, and he told her all about China. For the first time, Annie talked about something other than the kids. She felt like she was out on a real date with him. And when he took her home, he walked her to her door, and she invited him in for a drink. He looked at her ruefully and stifled a yawn. He said he’d had a great time, but the time change was catching up with him, and he was afraid he’d fall asleep.

“Let’s do it again soon,” he said. It sounded like a good idea to her too.

“I had a wonderful time,” she said, as she thanked him, and he smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

“So did I. I’ll call you next week, unless they send me halfway around the world again.” He had mentioned that he had to go to London soon. It sounded like fun to her.

Tom left her at the door to the apartment and watched her as she went in. As she walked into the living room, Paul and Katie were sitting on the couch, watching a DVD. And Annie noticed that they looked secretive when she came in. She wondered what they were up to and assumed they’d had sex in Katie’s room while she was out. Katie had never asked Annie if Paul could spend the night, because Paul said he felt awkward about it, and neither of them was sure how Annie would react. None of Katie’s boyfriends had ever stayed there before. Liz and Ted had never brought anyone home for the night either. And Paul was very circumspect.

Annie was still floating from the evening with Tom when she went to her own room and carefully took off her new clothes. They had been a big success. It was a whole different look for her. And Liz had promised to find some other things for her to wear on future dates with Tom.

Annie was still smiling the next morning as she read the Sunday paper. She was thinking about Tom when Katie walked in. She bustled around the kitchen for a while, and then she sat down at the kitchen table and faced her aunt.

“I have something to tell you,” Kate said quietly, and Annie looked at her in shock.

“Oh my God, you’re pregnant … ,” Annie said as Kate looked at her and shook her head.

“No, I’m not.”

“Thank God,” Annie said, looking relieved. She wasn’t ready for that.

“I’m going to take a trip with Paul,” Katie said firmly, bracing herself for what would come next. “We’ve been talking about it for a while.”

“To where?” Annie asked with interest. She wasn’t shocked that they wanted to go away with each other. They were old enough.

“We’re going to Tehran,” Katie said, looking Annie in the eye. There was a deafening silence in the kitchen.

“No, you’re not,” Annie said, without hesitating for a second.

“Yes, I am.”

“That’s out of the question. I won’t allow it. It could be dangerous for you, and it’s too far away. That’s not going to happen,” Annie said firmly. “I don’t mind your traveling with him, but not to someplace that could be awkward for you.”

“We’re going. We can stay with his uncle and aunt. I’ve already looked into getting a visa. I can get one in a few weeks, and I’ve already applied. And I’m going to pay for the trip with what I make at the tattoo parlor.” They had already checked it out and made their plans. Annie was shocked at Katie’s blunt announcement of the trip as a fait accompli. She was not asking for her aunt’s permission. And Annie looked panicked at the idea.

“This is a completely crazy thing to do,” Annie said, looking worried.

“No, it’s not,” Katie said stubbornly. “He hasn’t been back in years. It’ll be interesting for both of us.”

“It’s not ‘interesting’ to go to a country that can be problematic for Americans to travel in. It’s foolish, if you don’t have to go there. That’s just not smart. Why don’t you go someplace easy for both of you that you’d both enjoy?” Annie was desperate to convince her.

“Paul won’t let anything happen to me. And his family will take care of us. He wants to see his cousins, and I want to meet them.” Annie sat shaking her head as she looked at her, and then dropped her head in her hands.

“Katie, this is a terrible idea.”

“No, it’s not. We love each other, and I want to see the country where he was born and meet his family there.” She had some strange romantic idea about visiting his roots with him, and Annie was frightened for her. Out of pure ignorance, Katie could offend someone, and wind up with a problem while she was there.

“Go somewhere else. Go to Europe and have some fun. You can get a railway pass and go all over the place.”

“He wants to go home, and I want to go with him. We’re only going for two weeks.” Katie wasn’t budging an inch.

“You are not going at all!” Annie shouted at her, frustrated that Katie wouldn’t give in. This wasn’t one of her harebrained ideas like dropping out of school, which had been stupid too. This was just plain insane. And as usual, Kate was defying her and determined to do what she wanted and convinced that she knew best.

“I’m an adult, and I can do what I want,” Katie shouted back at her. It turned into a screaming match in their kitchen, until Katie ran to her room and slammed the door. Annie was shaking from head to foot.

And when Paul came by later that afternoon, Annie said the same to him. But he was as confident as Kate and insisted they’d be fine. He said that staying with his uncle would be fun, and they would be well taken care of. And he said that Tehran was a modern city, and there would be no risk to Katie there. Annie didn’t believe him. She called Tom about it that night and told him their plan. She asked him what he thought of it, and he hesitated for a moment before he answered and considered the plan.

“I wouldn’t be crazy about the idea in your shoes either. Theoretically, they should be fine, and it’s a fascinating place. It is a beautiful city, and an interesting culture, but not for two kids who don’t know what they’re doing. The very fact that she’s American and he’s Iranian could cause them a problem, if someone in the street doesn’t like it. I think it’s potentially sensitive. Tell them to go somewhere else.”

“I did,” Annie said miserably. “She insists that they’re going no matter what, and she says I can’t stop her.”

“That’s true. But she needs to listen to common sense and people who know better.”

“Katie does whatever she wants. She’s paying for the trip from her earnings. And they’re staying with Paul’s uncle.”

“I hope you can talk her out of it,” he said kindly. He was worried about her too. “But having said that, I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

“I hope I can talk her out of it too. I’m going to be a nervous wreck if she goes there.” It was one thing to let them do what they wanted and make their own mistakes, but this one was just too high risk if they did something foolish or something went wrong. “Will you talk to her?” Annie asked Tom. She didn’t know what else to do.

“I’ll try. I’m not sure she’ll listen to me either. Did you call his parents?”

“I was planning to call them tomorrow,” she said unhappily.

“I think you should,” Tom agreed. “They may not like the idea either. For Paul to go to Tehran with an American girl could be awkward for him, as an Iranian. Maybe together, you and Paul’s parents can convince them to reconsider. I’ll talk to her too, but Katie is a headstrong girl.” He didn’t know her well, but he deduced it from what Annie had said.

Annie followed his advice and called Paul’s parents the next day. His mother wasn’t enthused about the trip either. She wasn’t convinced that they would be sensible once they got there, and she thought they were too young to travel together so far away. She said it was the first trip Paul had ever taken with a girl. She told Annie that she had tried to talk Paul out of it, to no avail. And she wasn’t keen on his being responsible for a young girl. What if Katie had an accident or got sick? Annie was worried about that too, although it was comforting to know that Paul had family there who would help.

His mother said that Paul was planning to use the money he had saved from summer jobs to pay for the trip himself, and Katie was paying her own way as well. Paul’s mother also expressed, as delicately as possible, that she felt it was not wise for an American girl to travel to Tehran with an Iranian man, even if they claimed to be only friends. And she pointed out that while in Iran, Paul would be considered Iranian, and his dual citizenship and American passport wouldn’t be recognized there. She made it very clear that she didn’t want Katie causing him problems there. Annie could hear in her voice that she was as uneasy about the trip as Annie was herself. It was reassuring, but their common disapproval didn’t seem to hold much sway with the kids, both of whom thought they were being silly and were determined to go anyway.

“What about Paul’s father? Can’t he forbid him to go?”

“He has,” Paul’s mother said unhappily. “But Paul wants to see his aunt and uncle and cousins, and his grandfather who is getting very old. I don’t think either of our children realize that they could run into problems there.” Annie wasn’t comforted by what she said.

“What do we do now?” Annie said, realizing that neither she nor Paul’s parents were able to control their kids. Technically, they were adults. Annie was reminded of Whitney telling her that she had to let them make their own mistakes, but it was easier said than done.

“Maybe all we can do is wish them a safe trip,” Paul’s mother said with a sigh. “And my brother-in-law and sister-in-law will take good care of them.” She sounded resigned, and she wasn’t hopeful about getting Paul to change his mind, nor was Annie about Kate. The two young people were willing to listen to no one’s opinion but their own. They were in control of their own destiny, and their families had no choice in the matter, except to let them try their wings and hope that all went well. Annie knew when she hung up that there was no stopping them from going to Iran.