“You never told me you weren’t!” she shouted, losing hers a lot.
She yelled at me without giving me the chance to defend myself. I kept thinking it would end up okay, but she was possibly the most stubborn person I’d ever met, and the night ended with her sleeping, I kid you not, in the bathtub fit for a king, with all the bedding and most of the pillows. The next day I didn’t know what to say and she seemed to have said everything she felt, so we rode home on the private plane in silence. Except for one parting sentence—hers.
“Goodbye, Jeremy. I liked you better when you were gay.”
She took her own cab from Teterboro. In the limo home I consoled myself with one reassuring fact: although now she didn’t like me in that way or in any way whatsoever, at least before she hadn’t liked me in that way because I was gay.
CHAPTER 18
Love in the Afternoon
By Felicia (aka Arthur Winters’s Executive Assistant)
He got me there on the pretext of needing a file for a client. The whole way over I secretly thought he’d remembered I had said the Carlyle was on my bucket list. Of course I’d said it picturing us listening to Sutton Foster at the Café, not in a tryst in a suite upstairs. Looks like I may have to write myself a new list!
I went to the front desk as instructed and asked for Mr. Winters.
The concierge said there was a note for me. “Suite 402” was written in the most familiar handwriting I knew, with a little heart drawn on the bottom of the card. That part was new to me. I pressed the fourth-floor button six times, but it didn’t make the elevator go any faster.
Within seconds of entering the room I was naked between what felt like million-thread-count sheets. Arthur kissed me and then pushed back to the foot of the bed. This scene, of a woman being pleasured by a man and responding with reckless abandon, is being played out in the movies and on television more frequently lately. It must have something to do with the resurgence of the feminist movement. I thanked those young feminists in my head for making me slightly more comfortable with it, but still I tensed up. It’s the reckless abandon that I’ve never been able to get a handle on. I just never felt comfortable enough with someone to let him do that. The few times someone had tried, I’d literally said, “No, thank you.” No, thank you, like I was turning down dessert.
Arthur must have sensed something because he returned to face me. He kissed me on the mouth. “What’s the matter?” He kissed me again.
“Nothing,” I said, but I could hear the nervousness in my voice.
He must have heard it too. He smiled and looked into my eyes. “C’mon. It’s me,” he said before heading down my body again. And somehow then I got lost in it.
An hour later, as I watched him sleep, I realized with a sinking heart that I would probably have to leave him. This was getting serious, for me at least. And he had yet to officially break it off with Sherri, although he promised he would. He opened his eyes.
“Arthur,” I said, very seriously, “tomorrow afternoon I’m going to meet with a headhunter.”
He laughed. “That’s a setup for a sex joke if I ever heard one.”
“I’m serious, Arthur. I shouldn’t be working for you anymore.” I sighed. “Partners shouldn’t break the rules.”
He looked sad. “If you don’t work for me, then I won’t see you every day. I don’t think I could bear it.”
Now I laughed. “You haven’t even broken up with Sherri yet. She called three times yesterday.”
“I know. She’s calling so often because I haven’t seen her.” He sighed heavily. “I’m just trying to find the right time. She’s not the strongest. I’m scared of hurting her.” I looked at him and rolled my eyes.
“You’re right. I’ll do it this weekend. You go to the headhunter, and by next week we will no longer have to skulk around.”
I felt completely content. Being with Arthur this way felt both so new and so old at the same time.
He laughed. “I’m going to miss the skulking, though. This has been my only skulking experience, and I have to admit, it’s sort of fun.”
I laughed too. “It is fun. We still have a little skulking time left. I’m sure I won’t get a job right away.”
“That’s true.” He peeked under the covers and added, “I bet a lot of that depends on my recommendation.” And we were at it again.
CHAPTER 19
Opening Night
By the Diva’s Mancubine
Age: Same as the diva’s (if I told you, I’d have to kill you)
I knew every line by heart. Every stage direction and scene description as well. I had rehearsed every part over and over, except of course for Jordana’s. I had to concentrate hard not to move my lips along with the performance.
ACT ONE