You can’t make a second career out of pointing out someone’s flaws and expect them to love you, I said to myself. That seemed to be Cookie’s job.
On another note, it was not lost on us or anyone else that Cookie was flirting with Ted every chance she had. Clarabeth pretended not to notice. She was confident that Ted loved living on her plantation and that he would never be as happy living downtown in some stuffy old house museum, which was how I envisioned Cookie’s house. And Clarabeth was secure enough about Ted’s affection for her, even if it may have been somewhat powered by the lifestyle she provided for him. But still, Cookie gave Clarabeth, Eve, and me plenty of cause to titter. One night when we were all together, Clarabeth left the dinner table to get a glass of water. Cookie made her move.
“Ted, I sure am going to be awfully lonely without you and Clarabeth this winter.”
“Well, then we’ll have to get together!” Ted said.
“Let me know if she goes out of town,” Cookie said.
“Mother!” Eve said.
“Oh, please! You’re such a priss!” Cookie said and smiled at Ted.
Adam and I just shook our heads.
And finally, as our time at Wild Dunes came to a close for that year, I took one last walk on the beach with Adam. We walked along the water’s edge and the cool salt water washed over our bare feet. We held hands, something we had always done.
“So, there’s something we need to talk about,” I said.
Adam, who I knew could detect when there was a growing storm within me, tried to steer the conversation into something we had to be happy about.
“What’s that? I think Max is almost himself again. What do you think?”
“Maybe. Look, we’ve always been honest with each other, haven’t we?”
“What do you mean? Of course!”
“You’ve never told me a lie?”
“Not unless I had to,” he said.
It was the worst possible response. I had planned to discuss the matter calmly, but now, suddenly, I wanted to go for his jugular.
“Oh, really? You mean like when you acted all surprised to see Eve and Carl here the first day?”
I dropped his hand and turned to face him.
“Calm down, sweetheart,” he said, which was also an ill-chosen remark.
I felt my blood pressure spike.
“Calm down? Really? ‘What a coincidence!’ That’s what you said! You’re a liar! You knew they were coming! Would you like to tell me what is going on?”
We stood there growing roots into the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Adam was staring at the sand dunes and I was staring at him. He was quiet.
“Adam? Talk to me!”
“Well, honestly, I meant to tell you, and I was going to tell you, but the right moment never presented itself and . . .”
“The right moment? There has to be a right moment to tell me the truth? I’m your wife, Adam. I expect the truth from you even when it’s inconvenient.”
“Okay. Here it is. Eve thinks that Carl is having an affair with someone. She called me a month ago. She was all upset.”
“Oh? Now she calls you? For consolation? Why? To let you know she might be coming back on the market? To do what? Test the waters?”
“Oh, come on, Eliza. She knows I only love you! She just wanted me to keep an eye on Carl and see if I could detect anything funny or different about his behavior. That’s all. We were gonna come back here this year anyway. So were they. So we chose the same two weeks. Big deal. Anyway, she asked me to be discreet.”
“Are you kidding me? Discreet? Doesn’t she know it’s not nice to ask you to keep secrets from your spouse?”
“Eliza, you’re right, of course,” Adam said. “But what would we have done if they hadn’t been here? Think about what might have happened to Max.”
He had me with that remark. It was true. Carl was the hero of the year. I began to calm down.
“I know. It is further proof that there’s no such thing as coincidence. But if I catch you lying to me again, I’m gonna skin you alive.”
“I love it when you get mad. Your eyes flash lightning. And when you scrunch up your mouth like that? Your dimples show. Have I ever told you how much I love your dimples?”
“I mean it, Adam.”
Adam pulled me into his chest and held me close. Then he kissed me on the top of my head.
“I love you, my fiery Greek beauty! I wish I had God’s money so I could shower you in diamonds.”
“Oh, you.”
“You know,” Adam said in a cagey voice, “remember last summer when we were here with them?”
“Yep.”
“Well, you’re the one, missy, who told me you thought Carl screwed around.”
“So what?” I said remembering that awkward moment in the bathroom with Carl. I could feel my neck getting hot.
“So do you think he does? I mean, did you see anything weird or out of line with him?”
I considered what I knew in light of what Adam would do if he knew. If I relayed the bathroom episode to him, it would only provoke further phone calls to and from Eve and maybe all kinds of other nonsense. Carl had apologized. There was no real reason to throw him under a bus. Besides all that, I really liked Carl. I greatly admired a lot of things about him.
“No. I didn’t. I think he just made an odd first impression. Look, I think he’s a little conceited some of the time. And he likes to flirt. But the way he flirts is so overt that it’s almost silly. I don’t think it means anything.”
Now I had a secret too. I could’ve told Adam everything, but I knew it would have a negative impact on his friendship with Carl. And in retrospect I felt certain that Carl’s move on me had just been some cheap grapes talking. Nonetheless, I kept the facts to myself.
Hmmm, I thought. I’ve just committed the same sin!
Somehow, it didn’t bother my conscience one iota.
We all rationalize our behaviors, I thought.
“So, do you want to see them next summer?” Adam asked.
We began to walk again. He took my hand and held it tightly. I paused for a moment, taking in the spectacular colors of the western sky. I was so profoundly grateful to Carl. The children got along beautifully. Eve was becoming better company, even though she clearly drank too much. And I was amused by Cookie’s lewd-lite pronouncements. There was no reason not to see them again because, despite Max’s accident, it was the most fun I’d had all year.
“After what he did for Max? I’d go on vacation with them anywhere they want to go. I mean, Adam, even though I know Eve is still sweet on you, I like her. And Carl too. Plus, he’s good for your golf game.”