Love in E Flat (4 page)

Chapter 4

“I can’t get that damned swan song out of my head.” Lou sat back in her chair. She glanced at the clock while she watched Edie peck away. Edie had conducted the interview with the Russian cellist hours earlier, but she was tight-lipped about it, and when she returned, she dashed right to her desk and started typing.

Lou knew what it was like when you had something in your head you needed to get on paper right away. So she didn’t bother Edie, who had been sitting there typing for over two hours. Finally, Edie sat back and let out a sigh. “Done.”

They both looked up when Edie’s husband, John, walked into the office. “Are you working?” he asked, his big brown eyes sparkling.

“Not when you’re around,” Edie said, jumping into his arms when he stood by her desk. “How are you?”

“Oh, brother.” Lou groaned and swiveled in her chair. “Wake me when you’re through.”

Husband and wife ignored Lou. “The test results?” Edie whispered, and she caressed his cheek.

John smiled fondly and kissed the tip of her nose. “This afternoon. Their office will call later. I just wanted to see my girl.”

Again, Lou groaned. “Hey, I’m still here. Why don’t you get a room?”

“Did you hear something, honey?” Edie asked.

John cocked his head. “I’m not sure.” He then looked at Lou. “Oh. Hey, Lou. I didn’t know you were here.”

“Ha, ha,” Lou said. “You can continue with your disgusting display of affection,” she held her hand out to Edie, “while I read this. To proof it.”

Edie raised an eyebrow and pushed John’s big frame into a chair. “What did you write?” John asked.

“My interview this morning from the concert last night.”

“Ah, the concert you dragged Lou to?”

Edie glared at John before turning her attention to Lou. “Let me go over it again, then of course you can read it. You read all my work. Why would this be any different?”

Lou shrugged while playing with her pen. “Well, after what happened at the concert…”

John perked up. “What happened?”

“I told you it was okay, Lou. And it seems to be all right with Madam Karetnikov.”

“What’s all right?” John looked back from Edie to Lou.

Lou glowered at Edie as she explained the debacle. John laughed, then cleared his throat. “I missed it.”

“Yes, you did. Actually, it was very amusing. And as I said, Lou, she seems to be fine.”

“She is?” Lou asked. “Um, did she say so?”

“Yes. We had a brief discussion about it. Off the record, of course,” Edie said absently as she read her work and glanced at John.

Lou waited for her to elaborate. “Okay, so off the record…”

Edie looked up. “What?”

“What did she say off the record?”

“Oh.” Edie sat back. “She said she understood you’d been drinking…”

“Drinking? Did she mention she was a snooty fiddle player? Thinking I was a doorman or someone of low stature that was there just for her?”

“Hmm. No, she did not mention that.” Edie grinned. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.”

“Ahh, I see.”

Lou glared. “What do you see?”

“You’re angry because she didn’t succumb to the adolescent humor?”

“Is that what she said?” Lou walked in front of Edie’s desk, nearly running into John’s chair. “Is it?”

“Well, let me see. How did she put it?” She took off her glasses. “I think she said she didn’t succumb to your adolescent humor. Yeah, that was it.” She set her attention once again to her article.

“Adolescent?” Lou snorted sarcastically. “I doubt she ever had an adolescent stage.”

“You mean like the one you’ve never left?” Edie mumbled.

Lou sat in a huff next to John, who was still laughing, and put her legs up on Edie’s desk. Edie reached over with her ruler, and without looking up, she swatted Lou’s jeans-clad legs off the desktop. “Don’t you have a Bears game to write about? Not that there’s much there. Didn’t they lose again?”

John let out an angry growl. “They won’t make the playoffs, the bums.”

Lou smiled sweetly. “That’s because they don’t have you playing middle linebacker.”

“Very funny,” John said. “The playoffs would’ve been a nice Christmas present.”

Edie nodded emphatically. “For both of us. So don’t you have to write about it?”

“It’s done.”

Edie looked at the clock; it was only three thirty. “Already? Damn it, Lou. I wish I had your writing ability. I’m just about finished with this, but it doesn’t do her justice.”

“Do who justice?” Ron walked into the office and pulled at his tie. “I hate meetings with advertisers. Hi, John.”

John stood and shook his hand. “Hey, Ron.”

“They keep us in business,” Edie reminded Ron.

“Don’t I know it? So what are we talking about?”

“Edie can’t write,” Lou said, batting her eyelashes at Edie. John elbowed Lou in the arm, nearly sending her off the chair. “Okay, okay.”

Edie stuck out her tongue before answering Ron. “I just don’t think I got the essence of Agata Karetnikov. It just sounds so pedestrian, I guess.”

Again, Lou snorted. “Maybe Madam Karetnikov is pedestrian, and it’s not your writing.”

“Send me the article. I’ll decide.”

“Here, I printed it.” Edie handed him the pages.

Ron set his briefcase down and started reading.

Lou looked at Edie. “Pedestrian,” she said with disdain.

“Shut up. It’s a perfectly good word that fit,” Edie said.

“Both of you shut up,” Ron said as he read.

John wagged his finger in Edie’s direction. After a few minutes of silence, Ron let out a sigh and set the pages on the desk.

“You’re right. No offense, Edie, but it does sound ordinary. This woman is famous, and not only in Russia.”

“I know. I just can’t get it.”

“You have all good questions and answers. It’s just missing…” Ron shrugged.

“Soul,” Edie said, completely dejected. “I’m better off reviewing movies and talking about Chicago celebrities. Where’s Oprah when you need her?” She tapped her temple with her index finger. “We need someone…” She glanced at Ron, who raised an eyebrow in question. Then they both looked at Lou, who played with the stapler on the desk; when it jammed, Lou surreptitiously slid it toward Edie’s computer.

Lou felt the eyes upon her and looked up. “What? It’s just a stapler. I’ll buy you another one. What?”

“Lou?” Edie asked in a sweet voice.

“Uh-oh,” John whispered and slunk down in the chair. “Battle stations.”

“What?” Lou looked from Ron to Edie. “The last time you used that tone, I got suckered into going to Orchestra Hall dressed like I was going to a funeral.”

“You’re an exceptional writer,” Edie said.

“No, I’m not.” Lou’s head snapped back and forth between them. “Oh, you…” She exclaimed and pointed at them. “No. No way. I am not writing this for you.”

“Lou, Edie is right. You have a gift. Look at what you wrote about the Loyola-DePaul game. I had a ton of emails about it. All extolling your writing.”

“It’s true. That was a great article,” John chimed in.

“I didn’t know college linemen could read,” Lou said to him.

“Ouch,” John said with a grin.

“Lou, you can do this justice,” Edie said. “I can’t. Think about the circulation of the paper. We’ve been looking for something, this could be it. Ron’s right.” Edie put her elbows on the desk and leaned forward. “You can do this.”

“I know nothing about this woman. Except she’s a stuck-up Rooskie with no sense of humor.”

“Then find out what she’s like,” Ron said.

“Yes,” Edie said. “You lost the bet. You’re supposed to bring her to The Gage for dinner. That’s perfect.”

“What bet?” Ron asked. Edie waved him off. “Okay, Lou. As your boss…”

“Oh, you can’t do that. You can fire me first.”

Ron grinned. “I’m not going to fire you.”

“Then I’ll fire myself.” Lou stood and backed away. “You can’t make me do this.”

“Lou, set aside your petulant tendency for just a moment…” Edie said.

“Now, honey, don’t flatter Lou,” John said.

“You know you can do this. Think of it as a challenge. I know you can do this justice.”

Lou groaned and looked at Ron. “Do I have to?”

“Yes, you have to. Take as long as you like. We’re in no rush. How long is Madam Karetnikov in Chicago?”

“Till the end of the month.”

“Okay, there’s a rush. You got about ten days, Preston. Get to it.” He picked up his briefcase and retreated to his office.

“Thank you,” Edie said.

“Don’t thank me yet. Just how are you going to get Comrade Karetnikov to do this? Me being so adolescent and all.” Lou offered a smug grin.

“Yes. That will be a problem.” John let out a sad sigh.

Lou turned to John. “Don’t you have a building to sell or some wood to saw?”

Edie chewed at her bottom lip. “I’ll call her and tell her I have a few more questions, but I’m tied up for the rest of the week. If she wouldn’t mind meeting another reporter for dinner.”

“It might work.”

“Oh, it’ll work. I’ve found out Madam Karetnikov loves to eat. I just won’t tell her it’s you.”

Lou looked dubious. “She might get angry.”

Edie smiled. “But with your charm and wit, I’m sure she’ll come around.”

“I hate you.”

Edie and John laughed as she dialed the number and asked for her room. Lou listened as Edie went on with her sweet-talk. In the end, Agata Karetnikov agreed. Edie grinned as she hung up the phone. “All set.”

“You’re evil.” Lou shook her head.

“That’s my girl.” John put his arm around Edie.
 

“She’ll be waiting for a car to pick her up at seven. Just ring her room.”

“What, she can’t take a cab?”

Edie wagged a finger. “Don’t start. Keep that sarcastic tongue under control, please.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Lou laughed and walked back to her desk. “This might work. Maybe I can get out that stick she has firmly planted before she does permanent damage to her—”

“Lou!”

“Okay, okay.”

Edie slipped her arm around John’s waist. His hug nearly engulfed her body. “You know I think you two have something in common. You should read the Q and A. You’d be surprised.”