Her interview with the president of the university that afternoon went extremely well. It was a serious conversation about the dangers to young people today, and a certain hopelessness in youth around the world, due to the economy, the environment, and the opportunities that had dwindled for them in recent years. It was a strong message to parents everywhere to pay attention to their kids.
And the next day she spent with the young movie star, which was a welcome counterpoint to her serious interview the day before. The star was outrageous, sexy, and full of fun, and had just won a Golden Globe at twenty-one. Blaise had asked her every question she’d dared, and the girl had answered them all and had volunteered some shocking information of her own. It was the kind of interview Blaise loved to do sometimes, to break the monotony of the more sober ones. And she had nailed this one easily. It was lighthearted, sexy, and the subject was outspoken and ingenuous. Blaise was pleased when she flew back to New York on the red-eye and fell asleep on the plane.
Tully was there to meet her, and she went straight to work from the airport, just in time to do her segment. And as soon as she got to her office afterward, Simon called her to tell her everything was fine, and had gone smoothly while she was away. She hadn’t had time to call them while she was rushing for the red-eye the night before.
“Are you exhausted?” He sounded concerned. The schedule she lived would have killed anyone. But she seemed to thrive on it. And she sounded happy about the interviews she’d taped in L.A.
“No, I’m fine. I slept on the plane. Although that L.A. red-eye is always just a little too short. It’s better going to Europe.” That was a seven-hour flight, compared to five and a half from the West Coast, which was cutting it a little close for a good night’s rest, even for her, and the first class seats didn’t turn into beds. She knew the configuration of every plane that flew.
And to make matters worse, she had to stay late at work that night, for a meeting. But for once, there were no bad surprises, although it annoyed her to see Susie Quentin at the meeting. She was on top of the world. And they were sending her to Paris, to do a special on French fashion, attend the haute couture shows, and interview the French president’s wife. All plums, although the fashion shows would have been a little lightweight for Blaise.
She didn’t get home until eight o’clock. Salima was in her room on the phone, having already eaten, Simon had dinner waiting for her, and he gave her a hug when she walked in. It was nice to see his smiling face, and know that someone was happy to see her. It was new for her, and he held her close to him for a minute and looked at her.
“I’m glad you’re back,” he said in a gruff voice. “I worry about you.” He was still holding her and hadn’t let go.
“It’s nice to know that someone does. I worry about you too,” she said, and realized it was true. And she always worried about Salima. So much could go wrong with her health. But Simon had everything in good control. And she felt confident knowing Salima was with him. And Teresa, the housekeeper, had stayed there too while she was gone, but had left that afternoon.
She told Simon all about what she’d done in L.A. over dinner, Patrick Olden’s funeral, the interview with the university president, and the one with the young movie star. The diversity of subjects was typical of her life and what made it fun for her. He could see she’d enjoyed the day with the young actress. He liked learning about it, and seeing the excitement in her eyes. Even after sharing her life and hearing her stories for a while, he was fascinated by it. She talked about people he had only read about before, and they were commonplace to her. The exceptional was part of her routine.
“I love knowing about what you do,” he said, smiling at her. But he knew the flip side of the coin now too, all the rigors that went with it. It was far from easy, but she loved the challenge, and rose to it every time.
They chatted for a while, and Blaise finally got up from the table, and said she wanted to take a bath and go to bed. She was tired. She stopped in to say goodnight to Salima, gave her a kiss, and went to her own room. It felt good to be home, particularly with someone to talk to at the end of the day, or when she came home from a trip. With Simon and Salima there, dinner together every night, and all their comings and goings, the apartment felt like a home, for the first time since she had moved in. It was a different world, with Salima singing with Lucianna, and wandering around the apartment, and Simon cooking dinner every night. She was enjoying it so much that for the first time ever, she hated to leave home and go to work. Whether he had intended to or not, Simon had given new meaning to their life.