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"They’re wealthy, you can say it. But this has nothing to do with me."
"I know, Loreley, don't get angry, I was just kidding."
"Let's not talk about that and relax a bit. Whatever you want to do is fine with me."
David had nothing particular in mind. They left the car and walked to Corona Park. It was quiet that autumn day, immersed in a light blanket of silence and a thin veil of fog. There were carpets of multicoloured leaves underneath the almost-bare trees, accentuating the languid nostalgic charm of autumn, despite the flowers which were still blooming in colours from deep yellow to violet.
They could have chosen to walk in Central Park, which was larger and not far from her home, instead of crossing the entire Borough of Queens, but she knew David didn't like places that were too big and crowded. To tell the truth, nor did he like going to places where wealth, and especially those who flaunted it, were in the majority, she thought, as she walked by his side. She was his only well-to-do friend.
When their legs began to ache with fatigue, they took a break and sat on a wall near the Unisphere, a huge steel monument depicting the terrestrial globe. Loreley chatted about her brother's wedding and what had happened the night before, though she did not reveal the name of the man with whom she had shared a bed. She still didn’t feel ready for that, even to her friend. He seemed to understand because he avoided asking her about him, but a frown had appeared on his forehead that had not been there before.
"I know what you're thinking," she said, looking into his cerulean eyes, that seemed to scold her. "I'd could slap myself. Johnny doesn't deserve it, and I don't know how to get out of it without hurting him."
"You can’t decide whether to tell him or not, can you?"
"I'm scared he won't forgive me. And I don’t have the courage either..." She looked away for a few moments.
"If he knows you as well as I do, he’ll realize that you would never have ended up in that bed if you’d been sober."
“You make it sound simple!”
David looked at her annoyed. "It's never easy. Do you think it didn't cost me a lot to confess my betrayal to you? I was so afraid of losing you forever, even as a friend. But then you understood..."
"I was upset all the same, even though I tried not to show it. I didn't want anything to do with men for years after that, and all that counted for me was studying and skating."
He sighed. "It's been a long time, but I can see you still get upset when we talk about it."
She shook her head. "I'm sorry, David..." She stroked his cheek. "I’m not upset about the past. I’m upset about the present."
"I just told you how I feel about it.”
"I'll think about it, I promise,” she reassured him, wanting to be done with that embarrassing topic.
Best to talk about something else.
She looked at him as if she had just remembered something important. "Speaking of confessions, you haven't told me the news you mentioned on the phone." She moved into a more comfortable position. "I’m here and I promise I’ll listen to every word you say."
She saw him calm down and smile.
Sitting down beside her, David let a few seconds pass, and then blurted out his happy news. "After a long time... and much searching, I think I've found the right person. In a few months, maybe we’ll go and live together."
She opened her eyes wide. "Oh my God, you don't know how happy I am!" She clapped her hands and hugged him, jubilant. "What’s his name?"
"Andrew. We met in the clinic when he brought his dog to me for treatment."
"I'm really happy, you know?"
"Thank you! I feel a little scared though."
"I know what it’s like, especially at the beginning."
"That's why I wanted to talk to you about it. I wanted to know how you got on with John. What it feels like."
"Well... I can tell you that I felt awkward at first and I didn't quite know how to behave. I was afraid that everything I did might bother him. I had to stay calm, be understanding and have a flexible mind to accept his way of doing things and his way of thinking. Sometimes I wanted to slap him, sometimes I wanted to hug him. One day I would thank heaven I’d met him and the next day I’d wish I never had. More than once, you'll feel like you can't make it and you’ll yearn for your lost freedom, but I can assure you that everything settles down eventually. You just have to really want it."
"Is that how you felt with John?" he interrupted, astonished.
"I can guarantee you that I don't regret it at all." As she answered, she wondered why, if she really didn't regret it, she was unable to take on board what she had just said to her friend, to reassure herself as well.
"That's good enough for me." David laughed cheerfully and took her hands. "Things will work out for you too, you’ll see; you just have to really want it, right?”
"You're such a..."
He put a hand over her mouth. "Ahhh... you mustn’t say certain things." She smiled at him. "Now it’s best if we go and get something to drink."
After a cool drink and a quick visit to the Science and Technology Museum, they decided it was time to look for a quiet place to dine. The sun was giving way to the moon, which soon appeared like a spotted disc of light and shadows, occasionally obscured by clouds.
They ate a light dinner of only two courses and a small portion of cheesecake. Fortunately, the temperature hadn't dropped, so they continued to wander through the streets of Manhattan until well past midnight. Feeling guilty about keeping him up late, Loreley decided to ask her friend to stay with her so she could enjoy his company for a while longer.
***
She was still lazing in bed when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned over and opened her eyes a little, expecting to see David, but the eyes looking at her at that moment were too dark to belong to her friend who had blue eyes.
"Johnny!" She pulled herself up, leaning on her elbows. "When did you arrive?"
"I sent you a message last night, didn’t you get it?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't notice."
"Too busy doing something else, huh? I ran into David in the living room. He was leaving."
"We spent the afternoon together yesterday and it got late so I put him up here at home." She sat up on the bed. "I’ll go and say goodbye to him."
"Forget it." He held her by the shoulders. "He told me to say goodbye to you. He was in a hurry."
She was about to protest, but John leaned over her and closed her mouth with a long kiss. Putting an arm around his neck Loreley returned it.
When she saw him pull away to quickly take off his clothes, she slipped out of her short nightgown, putting her body with its delicate skin on display.
"I wanted to take a shower, but now..." he said to her.
Loreley looked closely at him. His hair was untidy, and his face appeared strained, like someone trying to regain control of his senses. His dark eyes seemed to be urging her to make a quick decision. Opening her lips in a mischievous smile she held out her arms towards him, grabbed him by the collar of his unbuttoned shirt and pulled him close to her.
They would certainly be skipping breakfast that morning, and maybe even lunch, but right now she didn’t care, she needed her man.
When John had fallen asleep, she slipped out of bed, put on a black satin robe, picked up her cell phone, and went downstairs to the living room. Sitting on the couch she made a call.
"Hey, Loreley!" David's voice was as cheerful as ever.
"I'm sorry about this morning...”
"It doesn’t matter. I was surprised to see him come in, and a little embarrassed, as he was too, so I thought it best to get out of your hair quickly. I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye."
"Me too. But I still don't know what to do..."
"We talked about it yesterday. I'm sure you'll do the right thing."
On the other hand, she was not sure, though. "Promise you’ll come and see me again soon."
"Of course. Maybe you can come over here to me."
"I’ll think about it, I promise."
"I’ll take your word for it. See you soon, then."
"Enjoy your Sunday, David."
Before Loreley had time to finish the call, John appeared wearing a grey tracksuit.
"Up already?" she remarked, believing that he had fallen asleep. "How are your parents?"
"They're fine. Mom has her usual aches and pains, but nothing serious."
"And your daughter? I imagine she was jumping for joy at seeing you again."
He nodded, smiling at her.
"I'd like to go with you someday to meet them."
The smile quickly vanished from John's face. "I’m going out for a run. I hope you don't mind."
Loreley was disappointed but tried not to show it. "No, no, go ahead. Are you actually able to jog?" she asked, astonished that he had so much energy left.
He smiled again. "Of course."
"When you get back, we’ll have something to eat, and if you haven’t collapsed with a heart attack, we can go out somewhere."
"If you’re doing the cooking, it’s more likely I’ll get a dose of food poisoning and then we won’t be going anywhere."
She picked up a cushion off the couch and threw it at him.
John dodged it and left the house laughing.
Left alone, Loreley went into the kitchen and got to work at the stove, even though she already knew he would not be enthusiastic about the result.
She had met Johnny when she was doing her internship. He was with Ethan who had introduced John as an old friend. His attractive face, dark eyes and his kind and at the same time cheeky attitude had struck her immediately; but she had no way of getting to know him better until she met him again one afternoon in the parking lot near the law firm.
Her car would not start, and after a few futile attempts she got out of the vehicle furious and cursing like a man. Then she saw him, leaning against the trunk of the car with his arms crossed, watching her amused.
Without beating about the bush, she had asked him if he was going to help her or just stand there enjoying the show. Johnny had held out his hand, as if asking for the keys. She had looked him straight in the eyes and handed them to him, albeit with some reluctance.
A few minutes later the engine was turning over again.
"What can I do to repay you?" she had asked, relieved.
"You could put your bank account in my name,” he had said, getting out of the car to give her the driver's seat.
"Or?”
He looked at her like someone who already knows he has won.
"Come to dinner with me tonight."
And that was when it had started.
3
Ethan went past her almost running, as if he were in a hurry to leave the office. "Hey, Loreley!"
She was leafing through a file and stopped to look at him from over her blue-framed glasses. There was a dark trench coat hanging over his arm and the ever-present hat in his hand, a sign that he was going to court or to some client.
"The boss wants to see you in his office," he said, looking sorry for her.
"Are there problems brewing?”
"I'm not sure, but when he asked me to send you in to him, he had this strange little smile..."
"Not looking good for me, then; how much do you want to bet on it?"
"I only gamble if I'm sure of winning. But I must run now. Good luck." And with that, he winked at her and disappeared through the door.
Loreley sighed. Kilmer would be dumping a problem on her soon, she thought, heading to the office next to hers.
When she went in, he was sitting at his desk dressed in a dark gray suit. He gave her a half smile, which was more like a smirk, and handed her a folder which she took without taking her eyes off his face.
As she read the few notes inside it her anger mounted, but she continued, trying hard to remain impassive. She had already heard about the murder, near her parents' home, on the news the day before and had been surprised and disgusted at the cruelty of it. She knew the victim's family by sight, a retired business couple who had only one daughter, and the thought of having to defend the person who had snatched her from them was enough to tie her stomach in knots.
The boss was staring hard at her, almost as if to challenge her.
"Why do I have to take this on?"
"Ethan is following another case and Patrick is sick. Furthermore, the guy who contacted us to give us the job wants you; evidently he prefers women." He sniggered, but immediately became serious again. "Sorry."
You’re not sorry at all!
Kilmer leaned back in the black leather armchair, which creaked under his weight. "If you need a hand, don't hesitate to let me know," he continued in a friendly voice, but which immediately sounded false to her.
He could forget that! Loreley thought. She closed the folder and held it tightly.
