Part 15 (1/2)
”Okay, then that's that. Let's forget about it. I know how much your brother loves you but he'd probably be really upset and disappointed if he knew you were doing it again. Remember last time? So look, if you don't tell him what you told me, I won't say anything either. It'll be our secret. But you've got to keep the secret, Greer. 'Cause if anyone finds out, you're the one it'll hurt.”
”Are you going to tell Mommy?”
”Mom doesn't need to know either.”
Hearing that, she knew she was off the hook and could be mischievous again. ”Okay, but sometimes I can't keep a secret, Dad. I just have to open my mouth and scream it out 'cause it's like a burp, you know? Like it can't live in my stomach or I'll explode.”
”Baby, do what you like, but if you tell Lincoln, he's not going to let you in his room again, because he won't trust you. If you tell Mom, remember what she said last time about snooping where you're not supposed to in the house. I don't think it's a good idea to talk about this with anyone, but the decision is up to you.”
”Are you going to tell anyone?”
”No.”
”It's bad, huh, Dad? About Lincoln having it.”
”I'm not sure yet. I think it's kind of bad because what does he need a gun for?”
”Maybe he wants to protect us!”
”I'll protect us. He knows he doesn't have to worry about that.”
”Maybe he wants to show off. Or maybe he's going to shoot someone!”
”I hope no one we know!”
Looking to see if I was serious, her small concerned face relaxed as soon as I smiled and she understood I was joking.
I could trust her not to tell only for a little while because sooner or later Greer spilled any bean she owned. I called Lily at Crowds and Power and said we would be going over there for dinner. She was in a good mood and wanted to know if anything new was happening.
”Nothing much, except I love you.”
”That's new? We've been together seven years but only now you're starting to love me?”
”I think we love differently every day. Like the guy who said you can't stand in a river at exactly the same place twice. Today I love you differently than yesterday, or will tomorrow.”
”Oh. Uh, Max, are you okay?”
”Is that Mommy on the phone? Can I talk to her?”
I handed the phone to Greer. She took it with two hands and pressed it tight up against her face.
”Mom? Ms. Zuckerbrot says I have to bring two thousand peanut b.u.t.ter cookies to cla.s.sThursday for our party.”
I heard Lily squawk, ”Two thousand!?” Greer giggled into her hand and grinned at me. ”Just kidddding . But I do have to have a lot of cookies for the party. Will you help me make them?”
We worked on her homework together and then played Chinese checkers for another hour.
”Max, I'm going out.”
I turned and saw Little White making a flirty face at Elvis. He grabbed her by the jaw and apparently squeezed too hard, because she squealed like a pig and slapped his hand away. ”You always hurt me, a.s.sho” Seeing us, she caught herself and gave a lame smile. Lincoln ignored them.
”Be back by seven, huh? We're going to the restaurant for dinner.”
”I'm not hungry.”
”Lincoln, be home at seven o'clock tonight. I don't care if you're hungry.”
Elvis whistled and shook his hand slowly back and forth at my ”show of might.” The girl rubbed her jaw.
”Whaddya want me to do there, sit at the table with an empty plate and listen to all the f.a.gs?”
”If you want to be sarcastic, tiger, you gotta be witty too. You almost have the tone now, but you ain't got the funny yet.”
Little White thought this was hilarious. She clapped her hands delightedly. Elvis put a finger out, touched him on the arm, and, pretending to be burned, made a hissing sound and whipped his hand back fast.
”Guess he burned your a.s.s, Linco.”
”I guess you better kiss my a.s.s, Elvo . Come on, we're outta here.”
They trooped out in their sevenleague Gestapo boots and I'd guess it was my son who slammed the door and then gave it a loud kick for good measure.
”How come you and Lincoln always fight, Daddy?”
”Because I think he should do certain things but he thinks he shouldn't. Come on, it's your move.”
Seven o'clock rolled around with no sign of him. I waited another half hour before going to dinner.
I tried to be as calm and goodnatured as I could with Greer, while at the same time figuring out what to do with her brother. Getting into his room was no problema week after he put the lock on his door, I had a locksmith come in and make me a copy of the key. What I'd told Mary was trueI had been in his room only once since the lock was installed, but I'd also stopped trusting our son long ago and felt the secret key necessary. No one knew I had it, not even Lily.
Crowds and Power was packed with pretties when we arrived. In the years since Lily and I met, it had become one of the ”power” spots in Los Angeles for people to meet and be seen. Articles were written about it in trendy magazines, the parking lot was invariably full of the appropriate German, English, and Italian cars with license plates that said things like ”L.A. Gent,” and getting a table reservation was tough if you were not important. Ibrahim and Gus were still together despite their neverending bickers, yet I liked them less because of how they had changed with their success. On the one hand, they worked too hard to be cool. On the other, both were overtly sycophantic. This showed in the way they dealt with their increasingly famous clientele. If you were someone, a table was always ready. If you weren't, you might be allowed to sit in the back near the kitchen. The noman'sland Gus called ”Table h.e.l.l.” There was little of the original warmth and happy frenzy that had been such a precious trademark of the place when I'd first known it. A few years back there had been a palace revolt because of this elemental change of heart. The Band sisters and Mabdean Kessack quit because none of them liked how elitist and false their bosses had become. In a move that troubled Lily because it erased most of what was left of the original ”feel” of the restaurant, Ibrahim replaced the women with a gay couple named Ace and Berndt who were both very swish and sn.o.bbish but efficient.
”Hi, guys. Where's Lincoln?” Lily had an armful of menus, and her hair, which had grown much longer, was sticking out in all directions. We kissed, then she bent over and traded big ones with Greer.
”He's with his friends. He might show up later.”
She gave me her ”Is this what I think?” look and I nodded. She grimaced and sighed. ”He used to love coming here so much, remember? We had fun. Remember how Mabdean used to make him thatspecial pizza?”
”And his birthday party with the snakes?”
”Golden days at Crowds and Power. How I wish it was like that now. Are you hungry?”
One of the waiters came up and, with the slightest head tip of recognition to us, started talking to Lily in an urgent whisper.
”Just tell her it's not on the menu, Berndt. I don't understand the problem.”
Offended, he looked at her as if she'd asked if he had farted. ”The problem is, I did tell her that, but she insisted we make it for her because we served it before.”
”Too bad. She can eat what's on the menu, like everyone else.”
”Gus might be upset if he hears you said no. He loves this woman's show.”