Fine Lines - SA (6 page)

"In that case I've done you a favour getting you out of it. I'm taking Anna to lunch. I want you to be there as wel ."

"Lunch? No way."

"It's important."

"Look, I've already got plans for this afternoon. And I've got someone with me."

"Get rid of her and cancel whatever you were doing. This is too good an opportunity to miss." I explained what had happened, and told him where we would be. "We'l be there just after twelve o'clock. You can get there for half-past. That gives you about an hour. If you rush you should be able to manage that, I think." He sighed, irritably. "Oh, okay. I'l get there as soon as I can. But this is real y pissing me about."

"That's what I'm paying you for."

"Look, I've said I'l be there, al right?" His voice was petulant.

I was tiring of his moods. "Would it be too much to ask for you to be in a better frame of mind, do you think?"

"I'l be al sweetness and light," he said, and hung up.

He was late. But I had expected as much, and did not al ow it to spoil my enjoyment of Anna's company. She was animated, on a high now that she had told me, and when Zeppo final y arrived I felt a momentary pang that I no longer had her to myself.

"That's your friend Zeppo, isn't it?" she asked, looking over my shoulder. I turned. He was at the bar. I waved him over.

"What are you doing here?" His smile included us both in the question.

He seemed genuinely surprised.

"It's a celebration. Anna's going to America." He turned to her. "Fantastic! How long for?"

"Hopeful y for good."

"She's going with her boyfriend. You met him at the party, I think."

"I remember. Marty. Wel , that's great! Congratulations." There was no sign of his earlier sul enness. Either he was an excel ent actor, or he had managed to cheer himself up. I did not particularly care which. I was only thankful for the fact.

"Why don't you join us?" I asked. "Unless you're meeting someone, of course." He looked at his watch. "I was supposed to, but he's not here. I'm late, though, so I might have missed him."

"In that case have a glass of wine. I'm sure we can squeeze one out of the bottle." He sat down. As I poured his wine he asked Anna which part of America they were going to. I watched her as she answered. She was resting her arms on the table, leaning forwards slightly. Her dress was stretched taut where her breasts hung against it. I made myself look at her face.

She told him they planned to live in New York, at least until Marty had finished his doctorate. Zeppo, of course, had been there.

"It's great. London's got nothing on it. It's got a real buzz, twenty-four hours a day. Is that where Marty's from?"

"Wel , he lived there before he came over here, but original y he's from Boston. That's where his parents live, but Marty doesn't like it.

He says it's too country-club and snobbish for him."

"I've never been. Apart from New York I've only been to California a couple of times. Now there's somewhere you've got to go." Anna smiled. "I'd like to, but Marty's not too keen on the West Coast."

"Real y? God, why not?"

"He's not real y one for the beach lifestyle. He says he had sand kicked in his face so many times when he was a kid that the tide comes in on him." We laughed dutiful y. "It can be a bit like that," Zeppo said. "But you shouldn't let that put you off. Some of the beaches are incredible. It'd be a shame to miss them." The implied censure was only mild, but it was there.

The first overt move against Marty. Anna accepted it with a shrug.

"Oh, wel , we'l see. There are hundreds of places I want to go to. I expect I'l never get around to seeing half of them."

"Have you a job already lined up?" Anna glanced at me. "Oh, no, not yet. I'l just have to look around when I get there."

"If you'd like, I have one or two contacts in New York I could get in touch with," I said. "They may be able to help."

"Oh, would you? That'd be fantastic!" I basked in her gratitude. "Wel , I can't promise that they wil , of course, but I can certainly try." I would at least go through the motions.

"Oh, that'l be great, Donald! Thanks ever so much. We'l be able to live on savings for a while, but the sooner I can find work the better."

"Don't build your hopes up too much. But I'l see what I can do." That put Anna in a better mood than ever. Watching her, I could almost forget the reason we were there. Then Anna excused herself, and Zeppo leaned towards me.

"I think now's as good a time as any for you to go." The request took me by surprise. "Now? Why?"

"Because there's only so much I can do while you're playing gooseberry, isn't there? Don't look so upset. That's what you're paying me for, isn't it? You've got to leave us alone sometime or other." I covered my disappointment. "Yes, of course. I just wasn't expecting it. What do you plan to do?"

"Not much. It'l give me a chance to get to know her a bit better, that's al . Then, if it goes wel , I can rip her clothes off and take her over the table." He sighed at my expression. "Joke, Donald."

"I don't find it funny." Zeppo smirked. "I noticed. Anyway, think of an excuse before she comes back. Say you've remembered a meeting, or something."

"Won't that seem rather suspicious?"

"Why should it? You're her boss, for Christ's sake, you don't have to account to her. Just make it something simple, and leave it at that."

I stood up as Anna returned. "Anna, I've suddenly remembered I've got an appointment in half an hour. I'm going to have to go. I'm afraid you'l have to open the gal ery yourself. You don't mind, do you?"

If it was flimsy, Anna did not appear to notice. "No, of course not.

I'd better be getting back, anyway. I've had far too long as it is." She began to pick up her coat.

"No need to go this minute. There's no hurry. Finish the wine first.

I'm sure Zeppo won't mind running you back, wil you, Zeppo?"

"Of course not. My pleasure." I left them at the table. Not without regret and, I admit, a touch of jealousy. But I dismissed both, and instead tried to think of somewhere to go. There was a cafe opposite the gal ery that was as good a place as any. I parked some distance from it, so Anna would not see the car, and began to walk back. No sooner had I set off than it started to rain. By the time I reached the cafe I was soaked.

I bought a cup of coffee and sat in a window seat, uncomfortably damp.

From there I could look over the road at the gal ery. I doubted I would be noticed. Plants cluttered the window sil , and the glass itself was so misted I could barely see through it myself. I sipped the appal ing coffee and settled down to wait.

I was just beginning to suspect that Zeppo might have lured Anna off somewhere when I saw his car pul in further down the road. A moment later they were both running towards the gal ery, sheltering under Zeppo's coat. I was pleased by this unexpected intimacy, and felt more kindly disposed towards the rain. I watched as they went inside, and then the lights came on against the dark afternoon. Now I could see them clearly through the gal ery's large windows, a silent pantomime. I wished I could hear what they were saying. Both of them seemed to be smiling a great deal. The telephone must have rung, because Anna suddenly picked it up and began writing something in the messages book.

Zeppo watched her for a moment, than moved to the window and looked out. I drew back but he did not see me. After a while Anna hung up, wrote some more, then said something to him. He answered, nodding.

They laughed.

I took another sip of coffee, and was surprised to find it was

cold. I was. about to order another when I saw someone else going into the gal ery. I could see it was a woman, but she had her back to me, and it was only when she turned to acknowledge Zeppo that I recognised her. It was Miriam, the rather ridiculous designer who had been at my party. I hoped she would leave once she found I was not there. But she showed no inclination of doing anything of the sort, and when Anna disappeared and came back with three cups on a tray, I knew Miriam was planning to stay.

I cursed her and looked at my watch. Enough time had passed to justify me going back, and now that Anna and Zeppo were no longer alone there was no reason not to. I left the cafe and walked back to my car, getting wet again in the process. I parked around the back of the gal ery and let myself in.

"Wel , this is a ful house," I said. "For one happy moment I thought you were customers."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Miriam said. "I was passing, so I thought I'd stop by and see if you were in. Anna was a lifesaver and made me a cup of coffee. Good God, Donald, you're soaked!"

"Yes, I got caught in it," I took my coat off and gave it a shake.

"It'l teach me to find a nearer parking space in fixture."

"Would you like a coffee?" Anna asked.

"I'd love one, please. I take it your lunch partner didn't arrive?" I said to Zeppo. It was only after I spoke that I realised I wanted to catch him out. But he fielded the question smoothly.

"No, but it was probably my fault for being late. I must have missed him. How was your meeting?" Now he had caught me unawares. "Oh ... unproductive."

"That's a shame. It didn't take very long, did it?" He sipped his coffee. The observation could have been innocent.

"Not as long as I would have liked. But never mind." I turned quickly to Miriam. "This is a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect to see you so soon after the party. Is it a purely social visit, or do you have an ulterior motive?"

"You are a cynic, Donald. Actual y, it's both. It's a purely social visit, but I do have an ulterior motive."

"That sounds intriguing."

"Don't get excited. Some friends of mine phoned yesterday and invited themselves up next weekend. So I thought I'd have a few people around for dinner. Take the burden of entertaining them off me for a while. I wondered if you'd like to come?"

I was about to make an excuse when Anna returned with my coffee. Before I could answer, Miriam added. "I was going to ask if Anna and her boyfriend Zeppo, isn't it? wanted to come as wel ?" There was a moment's silence. Miriam had obviously seen them together at the party and drawn the wrong conclusion. Zeppo smiled.

"You've got the name right, but I'm not Anna's boyfriend. I'm afraid."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought ..." Miriam went red. Anna and Zeppo smiled at each other.

"It's okay. You did meet her boyfriend, but only for a minute. He's cal ed Marty." A flush of colour had touched Anna's cheeks as wel , descending to her throat.

"Oh, yes, of course, how stupid of me," Miriam blustered. "Wel , if you and Marty would like to come, you're very welcome. And you too, of course, Zeppo." Zeppo looked amused.

"Thanks, I'd love to." I fol owed his lead. "So would I. Miriam's an excel ent cook." In fact she was nothing of the sort, but it would be worth risking indigestion to bring Anna and Zeppo together again.

Miriam laughed. "I think Donald's being kind, but I'l do my best not to poison you. Wil you and Marty be able to come, or have you anything planned?" I wil ed Anna to accept. "No, I don't think so," she said. "Thanks very much." I looked across at Zeppo. He held my eyes for a moment before looking away.

It seemed that fate was on our side.

The dinner party was a disaster. Miriam's guests seemed to have been

selected with the same sense of foolhardy experimentation that she had used to decorate her house. It was a beautiful old Victorian vil a that had been spoilt by the combination of period features and a more severe, modernistic style. Bauhaus chairs rubbed shoulders with panel ed doors, and splashes of vivid, designer art hung below the original delicate wal and ceiling mouldings. It was amish-mash that might pass for stylish in some circles, but which grated on my nerves.

The guests themselves were similarly il -assorted. One of them, a crop-haired, overweight woman, was especial y offensive. She appeared hostile to the world in general, and men in particular. It was quickly apparent that she had taken a strong exception to Zeppo.

"And what do you do?" she demanded, almost as soon as they had been introduced.

"I'm a model."

"A model?" The woman spat the word out with distaste. She looked at Zeppo as though her worst suspicions had been confirmed. "Is that an artist's model, or the other kind?"

"Wel , I don't do life classes, so it must be the other kind." He gazed back at her with an amused expression. It was not calculated to improve matters.

"You're a fashion model, then." It was an accusation.

"More photographic, real y."

"What's the difference?" A trace of condescension entered Zeppo's voice. "Wel , I don't do catwalk stuff. I do shoots for magazines. Advertising. That sort of thing."

The woman appeared unimpressed by the distinction. "Doesn't it bother you at al ?"

Zeppo looked puzzled. "Why should it bother me?"

"Because the entire concept is sick. How can you justify doing something which is so total y non-productive?" I saw Miriam glance over from the far side of the room, a worried expression on her face. But Zeppo only gave the other woman a dazzling smile. "It pays wel . Excuse me." He brushed past her and came to where I was standing, alone for the moment.

"Keep the fucking dyke away from me." For once I found his profanity almost understandable. "She does seem to have taken a dislike to you, doesn't she?"

"Because I'm a man, and good-looking, and she'l never be either." He scanned the room and quickly turned his back on it. "Jesus, what a bunch of losers. I hope you realise what a sacrifice I'm making. I could be somewhere having a good time. Christ knows why I'm here."

"To quote you, because it pays wel ." He snorted. "I just hope Miss Muffin over there leaves me alone." It was a vain hope. I had planned to sit near Anna, Marty, and Zeppo, but Miriam, with a designer's love of arranging things, had her own ideas. She seated everyone apart from friends and partners, obviously with the intention of forcing conversation. I was relieved that, either accidental y or by design, she put Zeppo and the crop-haired woman at opposite ends of the table. Unfortunately, it made no difference.