Даниэла Стил - The Affair

“It went great. I think he’s going to hire me. He found a beautiful little house in a courtyard. He’s a typical American businessman, probably very tough, but smart, sharp, honest, direct, no games, and lots of money.”

“That type of guy scares me to death.” Nicolas had the soul of an artist, and had been writing since he was a child. In better times, he was sensitive, gentle, and funny. Gregory Holland wasn’t any of those things. Her new client didn’t seem to have an artistic nature, but in some ways it was a relief. She didn’t have to massage his ego or play games with him. All she had to do was work like a dog and make the interior of his new home beautiful. A tall order, but one she felt she could achieve. And the house had good bones. It was a lot easier than dealing with the mess her husband had foisted on them.

She left with the two girls then, and Nicolas said he’d be in touch when he came back from Brittany in a few days. He said he wasn’t staying long. Pascale’s mother’s house was tiny, with one bathroom, and there was barely room for all of them. Nicolas was accustomed to bigger spaces and more comfort, and he wasn’t crazy about her mother. Nicolas found her brassy and common. But she was useful, and had promised to take the baby off Pascale’s hands to make up for her own past sins with her daughter.

Nadia began working on concepts and drawings for Gregory Holland on Saturday night, and again on Sunday night after Sylvie and Laure were asleep. By Monday, she was on a roll and knew what direction she was heading in. She pulled fabrics from the mills she liked to work with, and included a few photographs of sculptures on her suggestion boards. She computerized drawings and photographs to show him what it could look like.

—

On Tuesday, she finally got to see her lawyer, whom she hadn’t seen since late July. She told him what she was thinking about the divorce, and their current separation.

“You want to file the divorce, Madame Bateau, or wait until he does it?” That idea didn’t appeal to her. It put the controls back in his hands, on his schedule. If he didn’t want a divorce, he could drag it out forever, or for a very long time. And if their marriage was truly over, she wanted to close the door for good and be free.

“He just got a small apartment last week,” she informed her attorney. “He hasn’t moved his things out, but I’m sure he will soon.”

“It sounds like he’s still got a foot firmly planted in your camp, and probably wants to keep it that way, while he makes up his mind,” the attorney said wisely.

“He says that he doesn’t want a divorce, and wants to come back. But he’s still with his mistress, and they’re having a baby.”

“Are you sure you want a divorce, Madame Bateau?” he asked her pointedly. He had had plenty of clients change their minds. Sometimes it was just too hard to let go, and he suspected that she was still in love with him, despite her brave words about how “done” she was.

“I believe so,” she said quietly. “For now I would like a legal separation that officially acknowledges the fact that we’re not living together, and I don’t want him staying at the house, or even pretending he is to my children. We can always get divorced later. I see it happening more in stages, at least that’s what’s comfortable for me.” She wanted her freedom, but at a dignified pace, which she thought would be better for the children too. They had all been shocked enough.

“We can start the wheels turning now for a legal separation. We can always turn it into a divorce,” the lawyer said. Nadia knew that she needed time each step of the way to adjust, as the air got thinner. Like mountain climbing. For now, she realized that she could handle it better, and not panic, if they did it in stages. They still had money and custody to work out, and she knew that Nicolas wasn’t ready to discuss that either. She thought she might do better with him with the sensitive issues after the baby, rather than stressing him out even more while he was already unnerved about having a baby with a woman he barely knew. He said he had been in love with Pascale at first, but Nadia wasn’t so sure. He was enamored with Pascale, and wanted her body, even pregnant. He had never seen a more gorgeous female body, but that was very different. She had a mouth and a mind and ideas which conflicted with his, even though he was choosing to ignore it so he could be with her. But to Nadia, his relationship with Pascale seemed more like lust than love.

The separation she wanted wasn’t a solution to everything, but she felt better after she saw the lawyer. They were on a path now, moving slowly, but there was nonetheless some slight but definite forward movement toward the dissolution of their marriage.

She felt strangely peaceful that night, and in the morning she went back to work on her proposal to Gregory Holland. True to her extraordinary work ethic, Nadia was ready for him the following Saturday when she met him at the house. She had a beautifully put-together proposal, with just enough options, but not so many she’d confuse him. She had good instincts with most of her clients about where that line was, particularly with men, who couldn’t tolerate too many decorating choices before their minds turned to mush and they refused everything to escape making any decisions.

Gregory Holland was not afraid of making decisions. He made them every day in his office. Nadia handed him the folder and they sat on the stairs leading up to his bedroom and study. He asked very few questions and said nothing as he went through it. There were fabric samples attached throughout, paint chips, and photographs of paint finishes she thought would make the rooms more interesting and give them some texture. He looked at her when he was finished and handed it back to her. She wasn’t sure what that meant for a minute. If he was rejecting her proposal in its entirety or felt too confused to choose anything.

“Fabulous,” he said, as he sat close to her on the stairs.

“What part?” she asked him.

“All of it. You’re a genius.” And he had glanced at her fee estimate without comment.

“Can we pick some options?” she asked him cautiously, and handed the folder back to him. They went through it item by item, while he selected his favorite in each case. The process was fast, simple, and efficient, and in several instances, he loved all of her suggestions. She had never had a client as easy to deal with. In less than half an hour they were finished, including the explanation of why she thought some of the options would work well. And he thought her gray flannel guest room was the epitome of chic. He had even picked several upholstered pieces, large couches for the living room, oversized chairs in dark green leather for his study, and a dining table that seated thirty. With the choices he’d made, the house was going to have a decidedly masculine look, which suited him. He had emailed her images of the art he was having shipped from New York. They were all from major artists, Rothko, Pollock, Warhol, and a stunning Picasso they were going to put in the living room.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been able to do this part of the process as quickly,” she said, smiling at him as they left the house. “It’s terrific. I’ll get everything ordered by Monday.” She hadn’t promised him, but she was promising herself to have his house finished by Christmas, which was only three months away. She had given him a date further out, so he wouldn’t be disappointed if everything didn’t arrive as quickly as she hoped, or if they ran into problems or delays.

“You’re a whiz, Nadia,” he said admiringly. “Do you have time for lunch?” It was a rainy Saturday, and both of her girls were out with friends. She had begun to organize her Saturdays for their morning meetings.