Terry Salvini - Crystal Masks

It was six o’clock when she opened the door of her apartment and total silence welcomed her. The cushions on the L-shaped sofa where Johnny was usually lying in the evening, were still in place. She called him in a loud voice and when there was no response, went to check the study to see if he was there working. Whenever he locked himself in there he cut himself off from the rest of the world. She turned on the light, but everything was as she had left it that morning, even the sweatshirt on the arm of the chair. The bedroom was empty too.

He wasn’t home yet.

She picked up a pair of his black socks from the floor and threw them into the dirty laundry basket; he would never lose the bad habit of leaving them lying around.

Putting on an apron, she went to the kitchen thinking she would try and prepare something for a dinner that was half-way decent.

Finding some fish in the fridge, she took it out to clean it, and removed the scales under running water so they wouldn't scatter everywhere. Mira, her housekeeper, who was staying with relatives that weekend, had taught her that. Loreley wanted to take advantage of her absence to spend an evening alone with Johnny, like they used to do in the early days of their relationship. She peeled some potatoes, cut them into small pieces and put them in the pan with the fish, hoping that it wouldn’t all turn into a puree or charcoal.

When everything was in the oven, she took a quick shower, put on some lacy underwear and stay-up stockings, and a short blue dress. She combed her hair back and gathered it at the nape of her neck, securing it with an elaborate clasp, then finished with a light touch of makeup.

She took some care in setting the table and placed a small glass container in the middle with a candle burning inside it,.

It was getting late and there was still no sign of Johnny. The dinner was getting cold and half the candle had burned away.

At eight o'clock a message arrived on her phone. Don't wait for me, I’m eating out with Ethan.

She sighed. He usually went out with Ethan after dinner, once a week so as not to "lose his friendship", as he told her to justify the evenings he spent with him. Loreley hoped that this exception would not become the rule. He hadn't even taken the time to phone her before she started cooking, knowing full well that it was a chore for her.

All she could do was resign herself to eating dinner alone. She felt disappointed: the one time she had managed to make something decent, Johnny wasn't there to appreciate it.

She didn’t waste time clearing the table, and put the fish with the leftover potatoes in a container, stored it in the fridge and went to bed. She was really tired, and still had to catch up on the sleep she had lost the night before studying the Wallace case.

When Loreley woke up the next morning, she found Johnny beside her, still asleep and snoring, which happened when he drank too much in the evening. How strange that she hadn’t heard him come home.

I wonder what time he got back!

She looked at the clock: half past nine. As she pulled back the blankets Johnny muttered an expletive and turned over: he didn’t work on Saturdays and if he wanted to sleep in, he was free to do so.

Loreley put on her heavy blue satin robe, pinned up her hair and after washing her face went to the kitchen. She was feeling sluggish that morning, as if she still needed some sleep. And yet she had slept even too much that night. A large dose of coffee was what she needed.

She was about to pour it into her cup when she heard Johnny come into the kitchen behind her. His short hair was sticking straight up at the front, his eyes were bloodshot and there were dark circles under them, which revealed insomnia.

"Will you pour me a little too?" he asked, scratching his cheek, rough with a growth of beard.

"I didn't think you'd be up so soon."

He murmured something incomprehensible, but she didn’t ask him to repeat it. Sometimes he woke up in a bad mood and this morning had to be one of them, because besides the serious expression on his face, he had not even given her the usual peck on the cheek to say good morning.

Johnny drank the coffee standing up and put the cup down on the table with a thud.

"What do you want to eat?" she asked him, looking puzzled.

"I'm not hungry."

"Do you want to tell me what’s wrong with you this morning?" she asked, crossing her arms and standing in front of him.

"Just stuff to do with work."

"Can you tell me about it?"

"I know you won't leave me alone until I do." He scratched the back of his neck. "There’s a project I have to work on, but the best way to do it is to go and see the place in person."

"And where’s the problem?"

He made a sound which was more like a sarcastic chuckle. "Where’s the problem... " he repeated, irritated. "The problem is that the place is in Paris."

"Paris? Don’t tell me you have to leave again!" said Loreley alarmed.

'"It's not certain, but there's a good chance I'll have to go. And I really don't want to make another trip so soon after the last one."

"When will you know for sure?"

"By Wednesday. If it’s like I think, I'll have to leave next weekend."

"How long is it since you came back from California? Not even three weeks... and you're leaving again already!"

"L.A. had nothing to do with work, you know that. I'm already annoyed, so don't you start too!"

Loreley tried to stay calm.

"I’m going to get into a tracksuit and go for a run. I need to let off some steam," he announced, with one foot already outside the kitchen.

"I’ll prepare something to eat in the meantime. I’m hungry, and maybe when you get back from your run you will be too."

Johnny headed to the bedroom and Loreley focused on breakfast. How did you make pancakes? Oh, that’s it: eggs, flour, sugar... and something else. Damn, I can’t remember! Picking up her phone, she did a search on the internet, found the recipe a minute later, read it quickly and immediately set to work.

As she making the toast, she heard her private mobile phone ringing. She turned off the toaster and ran to answer. Recognizing the caller’s voice immediately, she jumped with joy.

"Hello, beautiful. Did you miss me?"

"Hans, how are you? Where are you?" She sat on the stool beside the kitchen counter.

"I'm fine, don’t worry. Esther and I are back home."

"Really? It was about time!"

She imagined him smiling.

"Don't be envious..."

"I'm not. And Esther? Where is she?"

"Right next to me and she says hello."

"Give her my love. I'm glad you're back in town."

"We’re a little less glad, but that's okay. I called to tell you mom would like us to go to her place for lunch tomorrow. She'd love to see us all together again."

"If it’s OK with you, it’s fine with me. I'll tell Johnny and let you know."

"I hope I see you tomorrow."

"I hope so too. Bye!"

With the cell phone still in her hand, Loreley began thinking about how to tell Johnny about the invitation. He liked to go for a ride on his motorbike on Saturdays and watch football games on Sunday. In the two years they’d been living together, you could count the times her parents had seen him on the fingers of one hand, despite living nearby. Only Central Park, on its shortest side, separated their homes. Convincing him to accept the invitation would not be easy.

Confirming what she had imagined, it required all her diplomatic talents and lawyer's tactics to convince Johnny to go with her. She pointed out that Hans and Esther had been disappointed at his absence from their wedding, and that the least he could do to make up for it would be to attend the lunch that her parents had arranged for the newlyweds’ return home.