"Hey, Frack!" Brian sat down beside Nick. Nick nodded at him but said nothing. They sat in silence for a few minutes.
Finally, Brian spoke. "Grace?"
Nick nodded again. He pursed his lips and shook his head as if to clear it. "I went by her place on the way here. I don't know why. I think I was half-thinking about asking her to come along today. I saw Matt in front of her building." He stood up from the deck chair and leaned on the railing, looking out to sea.
"The fiancé?"
"Yeah."
"Are you sure it was him?"
Nick nodded. Brian thought for a moment or two and then said, "And you are immediately jumping to the conclusion that he spent the night?"
Nick looked at him. What other conclusion could you come to?
Brian sighed. "Nick, the whole world doesn't keep hours like we do. Some people have half a day's work accomplished by the time you roll out of bed. How do you know he wasn't dropping something off? Or maybe he tried to see her and she refused?"
"Well, he sure didn't look happy, I have to say that."
"And do you think if you had just spent the night with her, you would be looking unhappy?"
Nick put his hands to his temples and squeezed. "Bri, I just don't know what to do. I mean, I've only known her for a couple of days, but something just tells me...she's different, you know...from any of the girls I've been out with lately...she's not in the business, for one thing..."
"Or hoping to get into it..." added Brian ruefully. That was the biggest disappointment they had had with women and they had all experienced it at least once. At some point during a relationship, the girl would casually mention that she 'sang a little' or 'wrote songs' and did they know anyone who could help her get started?
They felt the boat slow as Kevin throttled back the engines. "Come on," said Brian, "Let's get some lunch. Maybe you'll get some sort of sign - the celery sticks will spell out her name or something."
They laughed together and hugged. "Thanks, Bri. I know you only want what's good for me."
"So does he." Brian nodded at Kevin. They exchanged a smile. Yeah, Nick knew that. He knew that Kevin really did have his best interests at heart. It was just that Kevin thought he knew better than Nick what those best interests were.
When they got to the back, the girls had set up a table and were putting out lunch. Theresa got down out of the co-pilot's chair where she had been sitting. Kevin called out to her. "Hey, you forgot your hat." He held up a straw sunhat that had fallen behind the chair.
"That's not mine," said Theresa.
Nick took the hat from Kevin. He brushed his fingers over it lightly and looked at Brian.
"That's not a hat," said Brian. "That's a sign." Nick nodded and went below with the hat.
******************************Grace didn't have a shower after all. Seeing Matt outside the apartment had unnerved her and she felt too vulnerable to attempt it. So she spread the towels on the bathroom floor again, wrapped the cast in plastic and did another drippy, messy sponge bath. She usually washed her hair by using the telephone shower attachment and hanging her head into the tub. But she couldn't be bothered today. Altogether an enormous effort for very little purpose, she thought. Who was going to see her?
Okay, enough of that, she scolded herself. You are not going to sit here and get maudlin. Get your clothes on and get out of here. She limped into the bedroom and was stopped by the view of herself in the mirror. She was wrapped in a towel. Her hair looked okay, she guessed. It was her best feature, naturally wavy. All she had to do was shake it and fluff it and it was ready. But it didn't matter how you looked at it, she thought. Crutches and a cast were not sexy. She amused herself with a couple of poses. Nope, no way. Definitely not sexy.
Grace had gotten very good with the crutches. Actually, she had gotten very good at not having to use them. She had quickly found the focal point of the bedroom, the spot from which she could most easily reach the dresser and the closet. She had placed a high-back chair there, so that she only had to use one hand to lean and she could hop and reach everything. Getting dressed now took a fraction of the time it had the first day. But it still took over an hour for the whole washing/dressing process.
Well, hooray for me, she thought. It's noon and I've managed to get dressed. She shook her head. What's the matter with me today? I got three hours of work done this morning. So what if I was wearing PJs at the time!
Grace decided that she had to get out of the apartment. She was going to go for a walk. That was it. To the bookstore around the corner. Not too far, wouldn't tire her out too much. And unless she bought an encyclopedia, she should be able to get it home. She laughed to herself. Coming out of a bookstore with a small bag wasn't something she usually managed to do.
She sat down at the computer to finish one small area of the project. When she sat back finally, satisfied that it was now perfect, she saw by the clock that two hours had gone by. I'm in the Twilight Zone, she mused. Time means nothing anymore. She fixed herself a quick lunch and then gathered herself for the trip to the bookstore. She thought about wearing a backpack, but that would be cumbersome in the heat and it made her vulnerable to pickpockets from behind. Besides, she laughed to herself, that would just be daring herself to make large purchases at the store. She settled for a waist pack for her wallet and keys. On her way out, she chatted with Gary for a few minutes. He was just starting his shift. She told him she was on her way to the bookstore. He laughed. He had helped her up to her apartment with heavy bags before.
"Sure you don't want to take a little wagon with you?" he asked with a grin.
"No, I'm going to be good today. I have to," said Grace, waggling her crutches.
"Well, the store's not too far, and if you get carried away, just call. I can leave the desk for a few minutes and run over and get them."
"Now, Gary, how is that encouraging me to exercise restraint?" she demanded with a twinkle in her eye. He held open the door for her and watched her walk away.
Grace took her time, enjoying the neighborhood as she made her way to the store. It was nice, she thought, that she was actually forced to go slowly. She saw all kinds of things she had never noticed before. Most of the shopkeepers waved and many came out to ask her about her leg and wish her well. They all told her they would deliver anything she needed. She loved this neighborhood. She just hoped that it didn't become too popular and lose its charm to financial considerations.
By the time Grace got to the bookstore, Bailey's Books, she was exhausted. She sat at the coffee bar in the window and enjoyed an iced coffee and a half hour of people watching before she turned to the store. She loved this store. It combined the amenities of the big stores - computer selection, coffee bar, sofas - with the charm and personal touch of a small store. That was because Marian Bailey, the owner, did not need to make a profit from the store. And in fact, didn't want to. In some kind of bizarre divorce settlement, Marian had forced her husband to set her up in business in the store and pay alimony to a certain amount over her final profit margin. He didn't realize how bitter she was about the blonde trophy-wife who had started out as his receptionist. He thought Marian would make a go of the business and he'd be off the hook. Marian deeply resented every dollar of profit that she made and her customers were the beneficiary of some lovely specials and treats, especially near her year-end.
Grace wandered through the stacks. She loved books. She was leafing through a travel book on France when suddenly she got a chill. She had a feeling she was being watched. She looked slowly around but could see no one. She stepped away from the shelf and surveyed the store. Marian was helping a customer at the cash desk and there were two women getting coffee from Tony, the young man who ran the coffee bar. She saw no one else. She put the book back on the shelf and moved on to the cookbooks. She was a sucker for cookbooks. She didn't cook all that much, but she loved to read cookbooks. She was perusing a new book on salads, when the feeling came back, little fingers of ice creeping up her spine. This is crazy, she thought. Maybe I'd better forget the book and get back out into the sunshine. She placed the book back on the shelf and turned to go.
"Grace?"
Grace stifled the scream that rose in her throat. Marian stood at the end of the row. "Sorry to startle you. I just wanted to show you a couple of computer books I got on spec. Maybe you could tell me if they're any good."
Grace nodded, waiting for her heartbeat to return to normal before she spoke. "Sure," she said in a voice that didn't sound like her own. Marian looked at her oddly.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Grace nodded again and cleared her throat. "Just frustrated with these," she said, lifting the crutches. She followed Marian to the front desk and looked at the books with her. She approved of one, said it would be good for people who weren't all that comfortable with computers. She shook her head at the second one. It dealt with a specific program for processing and enhancing digital photos.
"It's far too complicated for someone who doesn't know what they're doing and too wordy for someone who does. The program itself is easy to follow. This would just confuse people."
Marian thanked her and retrieved the book on France for her, which Grace had decided on after all. It was a small book of fold-out maps of Paris neighborhoods, with descriptions of the areas' attractions and restaurants.
Grace stepped out on the sidewalk and looked around. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Oh, get over it, she chided herself. You're on crutches. Of course people are looking at you. She turned for home.
She had only gone a couple of steps when she heard her name.
"Hi, Ms. Barrett. Do you need any help?" It was Petey.
"Hi, Petey. Are you on your way to work?"
"Yes," Petey explained, taking the bag from her. "But I've got time to take this home for you."
They walked along the street. Grace asked him about his date the night before.
"What kind of movie did you see?" she asked. "Because you know, that's a very important part of a date, especially in the beginning of a relationship."
Petey wasn't sure if she was making fun of him or not. "There were six of us and no one could agree, so we ended up seeing Star Wars again." He looked at her sideways, seeking her approval for the choice.
Grace shook her head ruefully. "I guess that's okay in a group, but if you really want to impress a girl, take her to see a romantic comedy or a drama."
Petey raised his eyebrows. "You're kidding, right?"
She laughed. "No, I mean it. You might not like the movie, but you will sure make points with the girl!"
She turned the corner and looked at the front of her building. A blond head caught her eye. Just opening his car door was Nick.
"Nick!" she yelled, without thinking. A startled Petey stopped dead. Grace began to hobble faster. Nick tossed something into the car and started to get in. "Nick!" she yelled again.
Nick stopped. He was used to having people call his name and it didn't really register. He was upset that Grace wasn't home and the doorman didn't know where she was. Maybe that was a sign too, a sign in the opposite direction from the hat. He got in and slammed the door. He checked his rearview mirror and immediately jumped out of the car. In two long strides, he reached her.
"Grace," he whispered.
Grace looked up at him and smiled. Nick took her face in his hands and kissed her gently. Kevin would kill him for doing it in public, but Nick didn't care. There wasn't anything he wanted to do in the world right now except kiss this girl.
Grace was glad she had crutches under her arms. Her legs had turned to water. His kiss thrilled her from head to toe. When he stopped and leaned back, she smiled up at him and said, "Hi," very softly. He smiled back. They were lost in each other, smiling.
Petey stood on the sidewalk with the bag. Gary watched from inside the lobby. Neither of them was smiling.
