Part 32 (1/2)
”No,” I say, craning my neck to see down to the water, but Mr. X and his new friend have disappeared.
”I'm sorry,look,I've gottago?
”No.Don't hangup.Please. Pleasejusttellmewhereheis,”shebegstearfully.
I crane my head around. ”Wait a sec.” I hold the phone down low at my hip and walk swiftly up to the house and into the first French door off the porch. I close it shut behind me, keeping Grayer steadily in mygaze. I take adeepbreathbeforeliftingthephone back up to my ear. ”Look, I'm not really sure what to tell you. Not to be trite, but I really just work here.”
”Whatis hestill doingupthere?Hewon't answer hisphone, i_?
”He's, he's...” I don't knowwhatto say. ”Playing tennis ... andeatingdoughnuts,I guess?”
”Buthehates her,hehatesgoingawaywith her. Hecan't behavingfun?
”Well, yeah,no, hedoesn't reallyseemtobehavingfun.”
”Really?” she asks. I look out the window at the party, such as it is: balding paunchy men and their second or third wives, who're just biding time till their next peel or tuck, all oblivious to their children running back and forth on the lawn, savoring a few moments away from their monsters. And the nannies, all sittingquietly onthedampgra.s.s, awaitingtheirnextorder.
”No,”I say, ”n.o.bodyishaving anyfun.”
”What?Whatdidyousay?”
”Look, I just have to ask, because you seem so intent on being here. What is it here that you want?
Whataboutanyofthisisappealingtoyou?” I gestureoutatthewindow.
”You don't know what you're talking about. What are you? Eighteen?” Her tone changes as she sobers upfromher crying jag. ”I don't seehowthisisanyofyourbusiness.”
”Oh, oh, you know what? I don't think this is any of my business, either!” I want to hurl the phone straight through the window and have it land right in Mrs. X's Perrier. ”You came to my house. How much more of my problem could you have made this? Having a covert affair, okay, means n.o.body knows about it. You do not get to have a crew of little helpers.” I stare at the phone. ”Are you still there?”
”Yes.”
”Well, forwhatever it's worth,I've been all upandinherefor THE NANNY.
ninemonths,asinas agirl couldget, andI cantellyou: thereisnothinggoodhere?
”ButI?
”Anddon't thinkit's all her,either,becauseit's not. Shewas youonce,you know. Soyou canplay all the Cole Porter you want, turn the heat up as high as it will go, but in the end you'll spend your life chasing him down, just like everybody else in that apartment.” I look back out the window at the children playing tagonthelawn.
”My,” she says, ”that's quite an impressive moral a.n.a.lysis from the girl who stole eight hundred dollars fromme?
Suddenly Grayer trips and goes flying through the air. My breath catches and it seems to take hours for himtoland.
”Are youlistening?” sheasks. ”h.e.l.lo?Nanny?I saidI fullyexpect?
”What, do I have to say it in Spanish? Get out of this relations.h.i.+p while you still have a pulse!And this advice is worth way more than eight hundred dollars, so you just consider us even.” I click the phone shut. There is an interminable pause and then a bloodcurdling wail. The entire party is struck silent, no onemoves.
I run out to the porch and down onto the lawn. I weave through the immobile linen s.h.i.+fts and khaki pants,immediatelylocatingMrs. Xinthepartingcrowd.
”Nannnyyy!” he cries. Mrs. X gets there first. ”Nannnyyy!” She tries to bend down to him, but he hits out at her and flings his bleeding arm around mylegs. ”No! 1 want Nanny.” I sit down on the gra.s.s and pullhimontomylap.Mrs. Benningtoncomes over withthefirst-aid kit, whiletheotheradults lookon.
”Here,whydon't you letMommy take a lookat.i.t,” I say. Heholds out his arm, allowing herto bandage it, butcurls.h.i.+s faceawayfrom herintomyshoulder.
”Sing thebottle song,”heasks tearfullyasMrs. Xawkwardlyappliesiodine.
”'Ninety-nine bottles of beer on thewall,' ” I singquietly, while rubbinghis back. ”'Ninety-nine bottles...o...b..er ...'”
”'Takeonedownandpa.s.sitaround,'” hemumblesintomyshoulder.
”Where's myhusband?” shesuddenlyasks, scanningthecrowd just as Mr. X roundsthe hedgerowwith his arm around Caroline's friend. They're both a little flushed and clearly hadn't been antic.i.p.ating that all eyes wouldbeonthemwhentheyreturned.
I hold G's bandaged arm as he swishes in his bath, a reminder not to get the Batman Band-Aid wet. He leans his head against my hand. ”I'm going to get a boat when I get big. It's going to be blue and have a poolonit.”
”I hope it'll bewarmer thantheoneattheclub.”I washhis backwiththewashclothinmyfreehand.
”Oh,man.It willbesohot!Like thisbath!Andyoucancome andswim with me.”
”Thanks for the invitation, Grove. You know, when you're all grown-up you'll have lots of friends and I'll bereal old?
”Toooldtoswim? No way, Nanny.You liar.”
”You're right, G, I'm lying, count me in for the cruise.” I drop my chin to the cool porcelain beside his head.
”You couldbring Sophie, too! Shecould have her own pool.A poolfor all the animals.And Katie could bringherguineapig.Okay,Nanny?” ”What about your puppy, Grove? Have you thought of a name for her yet?” I ask, hoping if we name hershemightnotgetleftintheyard all dayagain.
”I want aguineapig, Nanny.Ellie canhavethepuppy.”
”Theyalreadyhave adog,Grove.”
”Fine,nodogsontheboat. Onlyguineapigs.Andwe'll all swim foreverandever andever.”Hetugs.h.i.+s plasticaircraft carrier incircles.
I nuzzlemynoseinhis hairandrestmyeyes whilehefinishesparkinghis boats. ”It's a date.”
I wait until Grayer is completely asleep and Elizabeth has turned in before going down to the living room. Mr. and Mrs. X are reading the paper, sitting silently across from each other in the worn armchairs oneithersideof thecouch.Bothofthemtilt theirsectionstowardtheflickeringsidelampsin thedarkenedroom. I take a seatinthemiddle oftheemptycouch,butneitherX botherstolookup.
Taking a deep breath, andin themost supplicatingvoice I can muster,I say, ”Urn, I was just wondering ifitwouldbepossibleif,insteadof driving backonSat.u.r.day?
Mrs. X lowersher paper. ”I'm pregnant,” shesayssteadily.
Hispaperdoesn't move. ”Whatdidyousay?” heasks.
”I'm pregnant,” shesays in asteely,even tone.
Hispaperdrops. ”What?”
”Pregnant.”