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'upPlease Pleasejusttellstearfully
I crane my head around ”Wait a sec” I hold the phone do at my hip and walk swiftly up to the house and into the first French door off the porch I close it shut behind aze 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 knohatto say ”Playing tennisandeatingdoughnuts,I guess?”
”Buthehates her,hehatesgoingaith her Hecan't behavingfun?
”Well, yeah,no, hedoesn't reallyseefun”
”Really?” she asks I look out theat the party, such as it is: balding paunchytime till their next peel or tuck, all oblivious to their children running back and forth on the lawn, savoring a few quietly onthedatheirnextorder
”No,”I say, ”nobodyishaving anyfun”
”What?Whatdidyousay?”
”Look, I just have to ask, because you see here What is it here that you want?
Whataboutanyofthisisappealingtoyou?” I gestureoutatthe
”You don't knohat you're talking about What are you? Eighteen?” Her tone changes as she sobers upfro ”I don't seehowthisisanyofyourbusiness”
”Oh, oh, you knohat? I don't think this is any of h theand have it land right in Mrs X's Perrier ”You came to my house Howa covert affair, okay, et 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
nineoodhere?
”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 apartonthelawn
”My,” she says, ”that's quite an iht hundred dollars froh the air My breath catches and it see?” sheasks ”hello?Nanny?I saidI fullyexpect?
”What, do I have to say it in Spanish? Get out of this relationshi+p while you still have a pulse!And this advice is worth way ht hundred dollars, so you just consider us even” I click the phone shut There is an inter wail The entire party is struck silent, no onemoves
I run out to the porch and down onto the lawn I weave through the iMrs Xinthepartingcrowd
”Nannnyyy!” he cries Mrs X gets there first ”Nannnyyy!” She tries to bend down to hi arrass and pullhitoncomes over withthefirst-aid kit, whiletheotheradults lookon
”Here,whydon't you letMo herto bandage it, butcurlshi+s faceawayfro,”heasks tearfullyasMrs Xaardlyappliesiodine
”'Ninety-nine bottles of beer on thewall,' ” I singquietly, while rubbinghis back ”'Ninety-nine bottlesober '”
”'Takeonedownandpassitaround,'” hemumblesintomyshoulder
”Where's thecrowd just as Mr X roundsthe hedgeroith his arm around Caroline's friend They're both a little flushed and clearly hadn't been anticipating that all eyes wouldbeontheed aret the Batoing 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,manIt willbesohot!Like thisbath!Andyoucancome andsith me”
”Thanks for the invitation, Grove You knohen you're all grown-up you'll have lots of friends and I'll bereal old?
”Toooldtoswi, 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 poolA poolfor all the aniOkay,Nanny?” ”What about your puppy, Grove? Have you thought of a naetleftintheyard all dayagain
”I want aguineapig, NannyEllie canhavethepuppy”
”Theyalreadyhave adog,Grove”
”Fine,nodogsontheboat OnlyguineapigsAndwe'll all swishi+s plasticaircraft carrier incircles
I nuzzlehis boats ”It's a date”
I wait until Grayer is co down to the living roo silently across from each other in the worn armchairs oneithersideof thecouchBothofthesidelampsin thedarkenedroom I take a seatinthemiddle ofthee a deep breath, andin thevoice I canifitwouldbepossibleif,insteadof driving backonSaturday?
Mrs X lowersher paper ”I'nant,” shesayssteadily
Hispaperdoesn't nant,” shesays in asteely,even tone
Hispaperdrops ”What?”