Даниэла Стил - Neighbors

“You’re not answering,” Arthur said after a minute of silence at the table. “Does that mean you’re not interested?”

“She’s nodding,” Peter answered for her, “and she looks like she’s going to faint.”

“Fainting is not allowed, and she needs to speak so I can hear her,” he said, and both young people laughed.

“I don’t know what to say, Mr. Harriman. I would love it. And I can learn Braille, so I can answer all your correspondence.”

“That might be a good idea.” He looked pleased. He liked helping them. He was all in favor of young love. He was a romantic at heart, and had never had children, he had taken Peter under his wing, and he was willing to give Ava a chance and let her prove herself, to Peter, and to him. “When can you start?” he asked her as he got up from the table and reached for his cane, and she handed it to him.

“Tomorrow,” she said without hesitating. It was perfect, just what they needed. She had a job and a place to stay, with Peter, and he didn’t have to leave Arthur to be with her. If it turned out well, it could be a blessing for all three of them, and if it didn’t, at least they would know they tried.

They cleaned up the kitchen after dinner, Peter and Ava went up to his room to talk, and make plans. She was going to move out when Joel left for Europe, but that was in a few days. She could spend the nights with Peter until then, and then pack her things once Joel was gone. It would be less awkward that way. She knew that Joel didn’t like melodramatic farewells either. When it was over, he moved on, and she suspected that within a short time, she’d be replaced.

Peter and Ava were talking about how generous Arthur was to have offered her a job, and let her stay there with Peter. She was sitting on the small couch in his attic bedroom, when he came to sit next to her with a smile.

“You know, there’s one thing we haven’t worked out yet. We have all the practicalities arranged, your job, your salary, moving out of Joel’s house, Braille lessons.” She looked puzzled as he went down the list, it sounded like everything to her. In a sense, she was leaping from one man’s bed to another, which made her somewhat uncomfortable, but they had spent a month living under one roof together, or three weeks. It had been long enough for them to fall in love.

“What have I missed?”

“Us,” he said simply, with a boyish look.

“What do you mean us?” He kissed her in answer to her question, and slipped his hand gently under her sweater, and she smiled when she realized what he meant. “Oh…that…” They had something to celebrate, and nothing to stand between them or hold them back. Joel had ended it simply and cleanly, and she was stunned that she and Peter had rearranged their lives entirely without ever making love. He pulled her gently onto his bed, and undressed her in the simple attic room where she was going to live with him, and almost like a bride, he made love to her for the first time, first gently and then passionately, and she gave herself to him as though there had never been any man before him. It was simple and sweet and innocent and honest. It was everything she and Joel never had.

She spent the night with Peter, and texted Joel that she wasn’t coming home, so he wouldn’t worry. He didn’t answer, and she didn’t expect him to. A door had closed behind her. Joel was the past now, and Peter the future.

She stayed with Peter until Joel left town, and then she packed her things. Peter helped her move them to Arthur’s house. She left Joel’s home impeccable. She had spent two years there. She was alone when she closed the door for the last time, with a last look around. She didn’t think she’d miss it. Her life with him had never been real. It had been a strange interlude in her life.

She walked to Arthur’s house then, with her last suitcase, and walked the steps to the future. Peter was waiting for her. He took the bag from her, and they walked the rest of the way to his garret together. It felt like Heaven to her.

Chapter 9

The morning after Charles and Meredith’s first weekend together, she told Debbie at breakfast that she was having the earthquake group to dinner on Saturday. It was a reunion of everyone who had stayed at the house. They all missed one another, and were eager to catch up on news, discuss the progress of their repairs, and just share a meal again.

Charles had to go out of town for three days to see an important client in Seattle before that, but he’d be back by Friday. Meredith and Tyla spoke almost every day, and she and Andrew were coming, with the children. Arthur and Peter accepted immediately, and Ava. She said that Joel would be in London. She was going to explain the situation to her later. It was too awkward to put in a text, and she said she’d come with Peter and Arthur. Meredith told Debbie there would be nine of them, and asked Debbie if she’d mind doing it. They could eat in the kitchen, which was easier for her.

Debbie reported it to Jack on her break at lunchtime.

“Christ, she’s giving a dinner party for all of them. We’re never going to get rid of these people, especially now if she’s sleeping with the colonel. They’re like the guests who stayed forever. We’ve lost her, Jack,” she said miserably.

“Relax. Be patient. I told you. They’ll get bored with each other. They’re not that interesting. And the colonel will get tired of her.”

“At least I don’t have to babysit for those brats anymore. But they’re coming to the dinner.”

From Meredith’s perspective, Jack and Debbie seemed in better humor since the houseguests had moved out. They didn’t have more work to do, beds to make, meals to serve, and weren’t worried about theft around the house. They seemed faintly chilly whenever she mentioned her former houseguests, but Debbie made an extra effort to be pleasant that week, made her all her favorite foods, and was secretly delighted there was no sign of the colonel. They had Meredith to themselves, just like old times. They didn’t know Charles was in Seattle. Debbie was just grateful that he wasn’t around, and hoped he was already bored, and none of the neighbors had dropped in to see her. Meredith and Debbie had several long chats in the morning at breakfast, and she said she was doing a research project, but didn’t explain what it was. It had been gnawing at her since she spoke to Kendall. She hadn’t heard from her since, although Kendall had promised to call again. But as usual, she didn’t.

Debbie had the illusion that they were closer again. The Fabergé box hadn’t turned up after the others left, but Meredith was sure it would, and that it had been put away for safekeeping. The aftershocks had been strong, and a few more paintings had fallen. Jack had taken them to the framers and they were getting a sizeable commission on all the repairs.

He had also found a structural engineer to check all the chandeliers. One had been slightly loose, and all the others were solid. Considering the force of the earthquake, they had suffered very little damage, unlike so many others. Bodies were still being found under collapsed houses, but no survivors now.

Unfortunately the repairs took time. Repair services were backed up for months, including the framers. Everyone was dealing with similar requests. The walls looked bare at the house in the meantime, with so many paintings missing. It couldn’t be helped. Debbie and Jack had glued a vast number of small fragile objects back together, with meticulous, loving care. Meredith thanked them for doing it. They knew how much the small treasures meant to her.

For several days, and every night, Meredith combed the Internet, and even found the agent listed. She pretended to be a casting director for an independent film. She wanted to see all the examples of her granddaughter’s work that were available. She had them digitally transferred whenever possible, and FedExed. Finally on Thursday, she had several hours of viewing material. Auditions Julia’s agent had sent, two commercials she’d done in New York, one in L.A. for a blue jeans company, and a shampoo ad plus a number of bit parts in series and TV movies.