Arthur Hailey - Wheels

There was still time to hurry to the bedroom, check her hair, freshen lipstick, and renew her perfume - the perfume. A full-length mirror told her that the Paisley lounging pajamas which she had chosen as carefully as everything else, looked as good as earlier. When she heard Adam's key in the lock, Erica ran downstairs, irrationally nervous as a young bride.

He came in apologetically. "Sorry about the time."

As usual, Adam appeared fresh, unrumpled, and clear-eyed, as if ready to begin a day's work instead of having just completed one. Lately, though, Erica had detected a tension at times beneath the outward view; she wasn't sure about it now.

"It doesn't matter." She dismissed the lateness as she kissed him, knowing that the worst thing she could do was to be Hausfrau-ish about the delayed dinner. Adam returned the kiss absently, then insisted on explaining what had delayed him while she poured their martinis in the living room.

"Elroy and I were with Hub. Hub was firing broadsides. It wasn't the best time to break off and phone."

"Broadsides at you?" Like every other company wife, Erica knew that Hub was Hubbard J. Hewitson, executive vice-president in charge of North American automotive operations, and an industry crown prince with tremendous power. The power included ability to raise up or break any company executive other than the chairman of the board and president, the only two who outranked him. Hub's exacting standards were well known. He could be, and was, merciless to those who failed them.

"Partly at me," Adam said. "But mostly Hub was sounding off. He'll be over it tomorrow." He told Erica about the Orion add-ons, and the cost, which Adam had known would trigger the blast it had. On returning from the proving ground to staff headquarters, Adam had reported to Elroy Braithwaite. The Product Development vice-president decided they should go to Hub immediately and get the fireworks over with, which was the way it happened.

But however rough Hub Hewitson might be, he was a fair man who had probably accepted by now the inevitability of the extra items and their cost. Adam knew he had made the right decision at the proving ground, though he was still aware of tension within himself, which the martini had eased a little, but not much.

He held out his glass for refilling, then dropped into a chair. "It's damn hot in here tonight. Why did you light a fire?"

He had seated himself alongside the table which held some of the flowers which Erica had bought this afternoon. Adam pushed the flower vase aside to make a space for his glass.

"I thought a fire might be cheerful."

He looked at her directly. "Meaning it isn't usually?"

"I didn't say that."

"Maybe you should have." Adam stood up, then moved around the room, touching things in it, familiar things. It was an old habit, something he did when he was restless. Erica wanted to tell him: Try touching me! You'll get a lot more response!

Instead she said, "Oh, there's a letter from Kirk. He wrote it to us both. He's been made features editor of the university paper."

"Um." Adam's grunt was unenthusiastic.

"It's important to him." She could not resist adding, "As important as when a promotion happens to you."

Adam swung around, his back to the fire. He said harshly, "I've told you before, I'm used to the idea of Greg being a doctor. In fact, I like it.

It's tough to qualify, and when he does he'll be contributing - doing something useful. But don't expect me, now or later, to be pleased about Kirk becoming a newspaperman, or anything that happens to him on the way."

It was a perennial topic, and now Erica wished she hadn't raised it because they were off to a bad start. Adam's boys had had definite ideas about their own careers, long before she came into their lives. Just the same, in discussions afterward Erica had supported their choices, making clear that she was glad they were not following Adam into the auto industry.

Later, she knew she had been unwise. The boys would have gone their own ways in any case, so all she succeeded in doing was to make Adam bitter because his own career, by implication, had been denigrated to his sons.

She said as mildly as she could, "Surely being a newspaper writer is doing something useful."

He shook his head irritably. The memory of this morning's press conference, which he liked less and less the more he thought about it, was still with Adam. "If you saw as much of press people as I do, you might not think so. Most of what they do is superficial, out of balance, prejudiced when they claim impartiality, and riddled with inaccuracies.

They blame the inaccuracies on an obsession with speed, which is used the way a cripple uses a crutch. It never seems to occur to newspaper managements and writers that being slower, checking facts before they storm into print, might be a better public service. What's more, they're critics and self-appointed judges of everybody's failings except their own."

"Some of that's true," Erica said. "But not of all newspapers or everybody working for them."

Adam looked ready for an argument which she sensed could turn into a quarrel. Determined to snuff it out, Erica crossed the room and took his arm. She smiled. "Let's hope Kirk will do better than those others and surprise you."

The physical contact, of which they had had so little lately, gave her a sense of pleasure which, if she had her way, would be even greater before the evening was over. She insisted, "Leave all that for another time. I have your favorite dinner waiting."

"Let's make it as quick as we can," Adam said. "I've some papers I want to go over afterward, and I'd like to get to them."

Erica let go his arm and went to the kitchen, wondering if he realized how many times he had used almost the same words in identical circumstances until they seemed a litany.

Adam followed her in. "Anything I can do?"

"You can put the dressing on the salad and toss it."

He did it quickly, competently as always, then saw the note about Teresa's call from Pasadena. Adam told Erica, "You go ahead and start. I'll see what Teresa wants."

Once Adam's sister was on the phone she seldom talked briefly, long distance or not. "I've waited this long," Erica objected, "I don't want to have dinner alone now. Can't you call later? It's only six o'clock out there."

"Well, if we're really ready."

Erica had rushed. The oil-butter mix, which she had heated in the fondue pot over the kitchen range, was ready. She carried it to the dining room, set the pot on its stand and lit the canned heat beneath.

Everything else was on the dining table, which looked elegant.

As she brought a taper near the candles, Adam asked, "Is it worth lighting them?"

"Yes." She lit them all.

The candlelight revealed the wine which Erica had brought in again. Adam frowned. "I thought we were keeping that for a special occasion."

"Special like what?"

He reminded her, "The Hewitsons and Braithwaites are coming next month."

"Hub Hewitson doesn't know the difference between a Chateau Latour and Cold Duck, and couldn't care. Why can't we be special, just the two of us?"

Adam speared a piece of beef tenderloin and left it in the fondue pot while he began his salad. At length he said, "Why is it you never lose a chance to take a dig at the people I work with, or the work I do?"

"Do I?"

"You know you do. You have, ever since our marriage."

"Perhaps it's because I feel as if I fight for every private moment that we have."

But she conceded to herself: Sometimes she did throw needless slings and arrows, just as she had a moment ago about Hub Hewitson.

She filled Adam's wineglass and said gently, "I'm sorry. What I said about Hub was snobbish and unnecessary. If you'd like him to have Chateau Latour, I'll go shopping for some more." The thought occurred to her: Maybe I can get an extra bottle or two the way I got the perfume.