Not Oh God I love you but I’m taking my broken heart to Greece or Adam! How could you? I’m devastated!
Oddly, I wasn’t brokenhearted or devastated. I just felt very disappointed. I had depended on Adam’s faithfulness for the better part of my life and now I didn’t know if I ever could again. I remembered reading a line by Emily Dickinson about the heart wanting what it wanted. Was that how Adam felt? Had this friendship with Eve and Carl been a sham so that Adam and Eve could see each other every so often?
I checked my phone again. Nothing from Adam. Maybe he’s dead in a ditch, I thought. The thought of it made me smile. This fucking till-death-do-us-part thing could have already happened for all I knew. Nah, the police would’ve tried to contact me. He was probably in the kitchen of the condo changing the drawer pulls and trying to figure out a way to blame me for snooping on him.
As I began to drive I had the thought that it would be a good idea to leave my car with Ted and Clarabeth. Why should I pay for parking for more than a week if I decided to stay longer?
I dialed Ted’s cell and he answered.
“Ted? I need a small favor . . .”
I gave him part of the truth and left out the majority of the details.
“I’ll drive you to the airport,” Ted said. “It’s no problem.”
I went directly to Clarabeth’s home on the Ashley River and parked under a sprawling live oak tree in front of the house. I got out and saw Ted, Clarabeth, and Cookie standing on the front porch. It was getting chilly, as it did in the afternoons in winter. I rubbed my arms and looked up to see that their faces were covered in concern.
“No reason to be alarmed,” I said. “It’s kind of spur of the moment, I know. It must seem funny but believe me, everything’s okay.”
I gave everyone a little hug and a pat on the back, which was how we all greeted each other.
“You got time for a cup of coffee?” Clarabeth said.
I looked at my wristwatch. I still had three hours before my flight to New York.
“Sure,” I said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
We all went inside the house together and I noticed that Cookie had her hand on Ted’s lower back, a gesture that seemed too possessive.
I had the thought then that Clarabeth had sure seen better days. She looked decrepit. Cookie, however, was dressed for tea with the First Lady of the United States, should she drop by, and already circling the carcass before it gave up its ghost. And as usual, Ted was oblivious to Cookie’s attention, or perhaps he just decided to take the stance that Cookie couldn’t possibly be serious. In any case, Cookie and I sat down at Clarabeth’s kitchen table while she opened a tin of shortbread and Ted took out cups and saucers. He made each of us a cup of coffee from a rather fantastic looking cappuccino machine. The thing was huge and a vision of chrome and knobs and gauges. I’d never seen one like it in someone’s home. Starbucks? Maybe. Clarabeth’s kitchen? It was a very high-end and luxurious accessory.
“Wow!” I said. “When did you get that?”
“I surprised him with it just this week!” Clarabeth said. “You know how he loves a good cup of coffee, and we’ve been using my old Mr. Coffee machine for a thousand years, so I saw this in a catalog and . . .”
“I’m a barista now,” Ted said. “Would you like your milk frothed?”
“Why not?” I said. “Thanks.”
“So where are you going?” Cookie asked.
“Greece,” I said.
“That’s wonderful! Is Adam going too?” Clarabeth asked.
“No. He has to work,” I said.
“I didn’t know you were planning a trip,” Ted said.
“It came up sort of suddenly,” I said.
“You and Adam had a fight?” Cookie said.
It was hard to get anything past Sober Cookie. She had feline instincts.
“I don’t know if I’d call it that,” I said. I felt my neck get hot.
“Must’ve been pretty gargantuan to prompt a trip all the way to Greece,” Cookie said.
I felt tears welling up and knew that within a matter of seconds they’d be sliding down my face. She saw it too and pounced.
“Listen, Eliza, between Clarabeth, Ted, and me, we’ve got the better part of two hundred years of experience, and I’ve had more men in my bed than I can count or remember. You can tell us anything.”
The story and the tears came tumbling out.
“Oh, honey,” Clarabeth said.
“I can’t believe my son would do something so terrible,” Ted said. “I mean, I believe you, but I seriously doubt he would actually be unfaithful. I’d stake my last dollar on that.”
Cookie looked at Ted and Clarabeth and then she looked at me.
“Look, I don’t want to burst your bubble, Eliza, but here’s the truth. When Adam and Eve were just out of high school, I caught them screwing their brains out in my house downtown. I threw him out of the house and told him to get lost or I’d call the authorities. When y’all met up with Eve and Carl at Wild Dunes I doubt that there’d been a word between them since then. But if you want my opinion? I wouldn’t trust my daughter as far as I could throw her. Adam grew up to be a nice man. But my daughter? She’s never happy.”
I was stunned. I looked at Ted and said, “We’d better get going or I’ll miss my flight.”
chapter 12
adam
Our condos had the same floor plans but hers was absent any crown molding or shiplap. And our fireplace was bigger. Still, they rented for the same money. As soon as Carl and Eliza’s cars were gone I walked back over to Eve’s. I rang the doorbell and stood there waiting for what seemed to be a long time. She finally opened the door. Her hair was in a towel and she was wearing that same silk robe.
“Sorry! I was in the shower. Oh, Adam, I feel so terrible,” she said. “Come in. It’s cold.”
She had been crying and was holding a fistful of tissues.
“Well, you shouldn’t. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Carl said I should’ve had clothes on. He’s furious with me.”
“He’ll get over it. Eliza’s not too thrilled with me either. But she’ll come around, she always does.” Truth? I didn’t know how fast Eliza would calm down. I couldn’t remember her ever being so upset.
“You want coffee? Did you eat anything for breakfast?”
“Actually, no. Coffee might be good, not that I need the caffeine today. Carl gave me a jolt that should last for a few days, at the least.”
“Oh God, Adam, I’ve never seen Carl like that. I thought he was going to kill you!” She took the towel off her hair, which was wet. “Give me a few minutes. I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“To comb out my hair and throw on some clothes in case Carl comes bursting in here again.”
I hated that she was getting dressed. I loved seeing her this way.
She ran up the steps to her bedroom and I called after her.
“He’s not coming back. Guaranteed he’s on his way home to Raleigh.”