The Coach House (11 page)

“I didn’t hit you, my brother did,” the small boy pleaded. The two of them tumbled into the snow. It didn’t take long for the other boy to pounce on top of them. Marie watched Richard interact with the children. It was hard not to smile. It was hard not to imagine what life could be like living with this man, raising children with him, growing old together.

Marie had formulated her fantasy family early in her childhood when she dreamed what it would be like to have siblings. She still had the dream, but now her wish to have siblings was replaced with the hope to have children, and she couldn’t think of anyone she would rather do it with more than the man playing in the snow.

Richard broke away from the boys and interrupted Marie’s thoughts. “You started this, you know.” Each boy clung on to one of his arms.

“Yes, I know. Isn’t it fun?” She walked closer to where they were playing and flung the snowball she had hidden behind her back at him. It hit him squarely on the forehead and slowly dripped down his face. The boys roared with laughter.

“You’re going to get it now!” the older boy shouted at her.

Richard stood there expressionless as he licked the melted snow that slowly ran down to his mouth. He squinted and pursed his lips. “Love you,” he mouthed.

“You better stop fooling around.” Marie pointed to the section of sidewalk that was still covered in a foot of snow. “You’ve still got a lot of work to do!” With that she retreated to his apartment.

They went to the Christmas church service and then drove home in silence, she thinking about whether she was ready to marry him and afraid he was already mentally planning the event. That evening they sat slightly apart on the sofa while dinner was cooking. Marie looked through the window at the snow falling. The flakes were larger and falling more slowly than earlier.

“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked.

She smiled as she searched for the right words. “I was thinking about something you said last night.”

“What’s that?”

“You were about to tell me that you haven’t felt this way in a long time, and then you changed it to you’ve
never
felt this way before.”

“I meant it.”

“You’ve never been in love before?”

“Not like this.”

“What makes this different?”

He straightened his posture. “I’m twenty-five-years-old, Marie. I’ve dated a lot of girls, and I’m here to tell you that I thought I loved just about every one of them.” She closely watched his expression change. “And then, without fail, something would go wrong. It could have been the smallest thing, but it was always enough for me to break it off, and then when I looked back, I knew I never really loved her in the first place.”

“Even Carmela?”

He thought for brief moment. “Especially Carmela.”

He grabbed her gently by the arms and wrestled with her until she fell back onto the sofa, her head landing softly on a throw pillow. “I love you, Marie, and it doesn’t matter what happened between me and
anyone
else.” He kissed her, and then he kissed her again and again, light wispy kisses that barely touched her lips. The sensation was electric, sending her to some other universe.

“Richard.”

“Yes, dear.”

“There are things we need to talk about before we get married.”

“Like what?”

“Well, children, for starters.”

Richard turned on the radio and found a station playing Jo Stafford songs.

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread

And so I come to you my love my heart above my head

They talked about children, how many they would have, and in what religion they would be raised.

Though I see the danger there if there’s a chance for me then I don’t care

Fools rush in where wise men never go

“I checked out some homes in Lakeview,” he told her.

He did what?
She frowned at him.

“What’s wrong? You don’t like Lakeview?”

But wise men never fall in love so how are they to know

When we met I felt my life begin so open up your heart and let this fool rush in

“You checked out houses…for us?”

“Yeah. What’s wrong with that?”

“Well…I just think it’s interesting that you’re so much farther ahead than I am in this relationship.”

He was quiet for several seconds. “You’re upset with me, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not upset. It’s just…well, please don’t forget I’m the other singer in this duet.”

“Okay, you made your point.” He leaned over for a kiss. “How about if we go for a drive tomorrow? To Lakeview.”

Just open up your heart and let this fool rush in

Well open up your heart and let this fool rush in

They talked about finances, work, vacations, and weekend getaways. Being more of a shoot-from-the-hip kind of guy, Marie sensed Richard’s growing impatience with all the planning talk.

“Is that it?” he finally asked. “Do you have any more questions, my dear?”

“Just one. Is there any history of mental illness in your family…Mortimer?”

He scooted close to her and gave her a hug, then pulled her in closer. “That
was
your last question.” He led her into the bedroom. After they made love, when they were still breathless, Richard suggested they get married the following month.

Marie sat up in bed. “Richard,” she began. “I’m having a hard time keeping up with you. It’s like you’re going sixty miles an hour, and I’m only going forty-five. I think we should wait another few months or so… at least.”

He sat up. “Why wait?”

She thought for a moment. “Because I feel we’re only halfway there in our relationship.”

“You
may only be halfway there. I’m
all
the way there.”

She looked at him. “How do you know? What makes you so sure I’m the one?”

“I just know.” He kissed her on the nose. “Let’s split the difference and do it the middle of February.”

She couldn’t help but smile. The truth was that she really was more than halfway there, but she didn’t want him to know it. “I don’t know. It still seems too soon. Besides, I don’t even know yet if you’re a good enough lover for me.” She tried to keep a straight face but couldn’t.

He rolled over on top of her and kissed her. Her heart began to race. She wrapped her legs around his hips. Then he rolled back to his side of the bed pulling her on top of him. He took her hands and clasped his fingers around hers, locking their hands palm to palm. He stretched her arms out to her sides. Her breasts dangled above his chest, her nipples barely brushing up against his chest hair. He explored her body with his hands, then his mouth, his breath hot against her skin, until both their bodies pulsated with excitement. When it was over, her body dissolved beneath him.

“Middle of February, then?” he sighed when they were done.

“Okay.”

That night, like many nights to follow, they fell asleep holding hands, fingers interlaced.

* * *

They spent their first New Year’s Eve together in New York, six weeks before their wedding. He surprised her with two nights at the Algonquin and tickets to see
Carousel.

The winter sun warmed their faces as they walked down Fifth Avenue. They stopped in a small boutique dress shop where Marie flipped through the dresses to see how they compared to what Marshall Field’s carried. Richard purchased a silk scarf for her that he thought would go nicely with her blue silk dress, the one she had worn the first day they met, his favorite dress. They returned to their hotel in time to get ready for the show.

It was an elegant theater, with mile-high painted ceilings and tremendous columns adorned with gold leaf medallions. The seats were covered in red velvet fabric that matched the enormous curtain that was pulled across the stage. They had box seats.

Carousel
lived up to everything they thought it would be.

You’re a queer one, Julie Jordan,

You won’t ever tell a body what you think.

You’re as tight-lipped as an oyster,

And as silent as an old Sahara spink!

Marie smiled at the song lyrics. Richard had called her tight-lipped once when she didn’t want to talk about something that had happened at work. She hoped he didn’t think of her as ‘tight-lipped as an oyster.’

Richard reached over and took Marie’s hand in his when the two main characters decided to get married. Her thoughts drifted to her own wedding plans.

If I loved you,

Time and again I would try to say

All I’d want you to know.

If I loved you,

Words wouldn’t come in an easy way

Round in circles I’d go!

During the second act, they watched Julie and Billy grow within their relationship. But when Julie became pregnant, the relationship took a turn.

June is bustin’ out all over

All over the meadow and the hill!

Then Julie began to see a side of Billy that she didn’t like. He got caught up in illegal activities and was arrested. Not able to handle being locked up, he committed suicide. Marie tensed up as she compared the couple in the play to own situation with Richard. She concentrated hard on what was happening on the stage to keep her mind from going too far with the few suspicious incidents involving Richard.

When you walk through a storm

Hold your head up high

You could hear outright sobbing in the audience. Richard didn’t appear to be affected by the emotion of the scene and song, but Marie continued to wipe tears from her eyes until the act was over.

“I can’t imagine how this is going to end,” she said to Richard during the second intermission. “It can’t get much sadder.”

“Remember, it’s just a musical, sweetheart.”

The next morning they left the hotel early and went out for breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria. Still decorated for Christmas, it was a sight to see with its fifty-foot Christmas tree in the center of the lobby, twinkling lights everywhere, and hundreds of monstrous poinsettias scattered about. Then they took a taxi over to Macy’s Department Store so Marie could check out their window displays and Christmas decorations.

“I’m probably just a little biased, but I think we do a better job,” she observed.

“What’s that fragrance?” Richard asked her when they neared one of the cosmetic counters.

Marie inhaled. “There’s such a mix of scents here, I can’t tell.”

He asked the woman behind the counter what it was he smelled. She waved a tester under his nose. “No, that’s not it.” She waved another one. “No, that’s not it, either.” She tried a third one. “That’s it! What is that scent?”

“You have fine taste, monsieur. This is Caron Narcisse Noir. A timeless French fragrance.”

He took the tester and waved it under Marie’s nose. “Do you like it?”

“I do.” She smelled it again. “Yes, very nice.”

“I’ll take it,” he said, not bothering to ask the price.

“That will be $49.50.”

Marie hoped he didn’t hear her gasp at the price. It was more than she typically spent on groceries in a month.

He held out his arm for her to take. “You’re going to spoil me, you know that.”

“Gee, I hope so.”

They returned to the hotel and ordered room service for an early dinner. Finished by seven o’clock, Richard suggested they rest, maybe even take a nap before going out to Times Square for the midnight festivities. Marie took a quick shower, and when she came out of the bathroom, Richard was already in bed, the sheet pulled up to his waist. He leaned on his elbow with his head propped up with his hand.

“What have you got on under there?”

He smiled a mischievous smile. “Nothing.”

She faced him and slowly let her robe drop to the floor, allowing him to see her entire naked body in full light, something she had never done before. She felt a sudden rush flow through her body as the robe dropped. His gaze commenced at her breasts, his stare enough to make her nipples peak. His eyes ventured further down her body to her small waist and curvaceous hips and then to the triangular mound of hair between her legs. He studied her thighs and then down the rest of her legs. Then his gaze lazily traveled back up her body until their eyes met.

Richard pulled back the sheets to reveal his own naked body and hard masculinity, inviting her in. They held each other momentarily, voices silent, their bodies as close as two bodies could be.

“Do you want to know how many times I have fantasized about that?” he breathed.