Chapter 2
Seated at the island in her kitchen, Alicia chopped vegetables for the salad, while Harrison set the table in the atrium. Gabby decided to go for a little walk on the grounds before dinner.
”Has the sorbet set?”
“I made it yesterday. It should be fine.”
Suddenly Gabby burst into the kitchen from the backyard, out of breath. “Oh my God!”
Alicia was alarmed. “What’s wrong, Gabby? What happened?”
Gabby collected herself. “Dogs. I just saw two of the biggest rottweilers I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“Dogs? On my property?”
Harrison looked up. “Nathaniel has two dogs.”
Alicia looked disgusted. “I’m not home one day yet and he’s already terrorizing the neighborhood.” She got up and took her apron off.
“Where are you going?” Harrison asked.
“I’m going to get a leash.”
“Don’t you mean two leashes?” Gabby asked, puzzled.
“No, I mean one leash. It’s not for the dogs.” She picked up her cane.
“The dogs are still on the loose, Alicia,” Harrison warned.
“I know, but my cane is pretty heavy.”
“You’re taking your cane outside?” Harrison asked pointedly.
“No. I’d like to, though.” She put it back.
“The dogs didn’t chase me. They just scared me, that’s all,” Gabby noted.
“Don’t worry, Gabby, if I did take my cane outside, the dogs wouldn’t be my target.” She walked out the glass door and made a beeline for Nathaniel’s.
Nathaniel put the dogs on their leashes as Alicia walked over.
“Better late than never, I guess, Mr. Becker.”
Alicia and Nathaniel made a game of referring to one another by their surnames, which definitely had a certain Pride and Prejudice quality to it that didn’t go unnoticed by Alicia.
“Well, if it isn’t Scarsdale’s own diva of domesticity. How nice to see you, Ms. Archer.”
“I’d like to say the same, except you’ve managed to scare my company to death with your dogs.”
“Rocky and Bull? They wouldn’t hurt a fly. They’re just stretching their legs.”
“Mr. Becker, they’re rottweilers, not lap dogs, and they scare the crap out of people.”
“Why Ms. Archer, such language. What would your viewers think?”
“Grow up!” she huffed.
He chuckled.
“Do me a favor and use the leash.” She looked him over. “And don’t forget one for yourself.”
“Nice return, Ms. Archer.”
“By the way, what brings you back to Scarsdale this summer? I thought you preferred summering in some European or Mediterranean hideaway.”
“I’m not exactly an expatriate, Ms. Archer. I do enjoy living in the good old USA.”
“I see. I guess you were caught diddling someone’s wife or girlfriend in international waters and decided to lay low.” She snickered.
“You wound me, Ms. Archer.” He feigned being shot in the heart.
“Oh please, Mr. Becker, you don’t have a heart, remember? That’s what you told me. Or did you pick one up in the duty-free shop on the way back to the States?”
“Still as sharp as ever, Ms. Archer. You know it turns me on when you mix just the right amount of reserve, disdain and raw animal attraction,” he said seductively.
Alicia shook her head in disgust. “You’re incorrigible.” She turned on her heel. “Just remember to keep the dogs away from my property.”
“So does that mean they can’t cool off in your pool?” he called after her.
“Put a sock in it, Mr. Becker,” she called back.
Smiling, Nathaniel watched her as she stormed back to her house.
A minute later, she was back in the kitchen. “The man is a menace.”
“He really gets under your skin, doesn’t he?”
“The man is a Neanderthal, Gabby.”
“I see.”
“What do you see?”
“Why are you getting so testy? I’m just saying…”
“I’ve known you since we were fourteen so I know that tone. You might as well say it.”
“I seem to remember another Neanderthal that got under your skin.”
“Oh, no, you don’t. Kurt wasn’t anything like this guy.”
“ ‘Methinks the lady doth protest too much,’ that’s all I’m saying. Am I right, Harrison?”
“Leave me out of it.”
“Smart man, Harrison.”
“That’s okay, Harrison, I’ve got your back. Alicia knows she married the last man who got under her skin like this.”
“Enough already.” Alicia was clearly vexed. “Let’s change the subject, shall we?”
“Fine with me.”
“How’s your Fifteen to Watch new artist exhibit and reception coming along?”
“It’s coming along, and this year there will be Sixteen to Watch.”
“Sixteen?”
“Yes.”
“You know Victor’s going to throw a fit.”
Interior designer Victor Long had worked with Gabby on setting up the gallery from its inception and was involved in staging every exhibition within an inch of total perfection. At forty-one he was one of the most sought-after interior designers in New York. Victor was a combination of Project Runway’s Tim Gunn and Michael Kors and Flipping Out’s Jeff Lewis. Most people needed half a Xanax just to speak with him over the phone.
“I know. He’ll get over it,” Gabby said dismissively.
“Must have been some painting.”
“It was.” Gabby had a little twinkle in her eye.
“Scratch that. It looks like the artist caught your attention more than the work.”
“Why would you say that?”
“It’s written all over your face.”
“Shouldn’t you be checking on the steaks or something?”
“Harrison, would you do the honors for me?”
“No problem.” He went outside to the grill.
“We’re covered. Now spill it.”
“There’s nothing to tell. His name is Nigel Clark and he brought a canvas he’d painted of West African street life in a port city.”
“Uh-huh. What did this Mr. Clark look like?”
Gabby looked lost in thought for a minute. “He was tall, muscular and clean shaven. He came in dressed to impress in an expensive Italian suit, which kind of threw me for a loop, since I’m used to more Bohemian-looking artists.”
“I see he made an impression on you.”
“The painting was amazing,” she protested.
“So was the painting tattooed on his head or something?”
“Don’t be silly.”
“He was cute.” Alicia winked.
Harrison came back in with the steaks. “All done.”
“Terrific. Saved by the dinner bell.” Gabby was relieved.
“Aren’t you lucky?” Alicia handed her the salad bowl. “Can you put this on the table, please?”
Gabby placed the bowl on the table and then Harrison seated them.
“The steaks look and smell divine. Too bad Lauren isn’t here.”
“Don’t feel too bad for her. She’s having dinner at Ricardo’s.”
“Wow. I’ve heard good things about that place. Getting a reservation is a bear, though. How did she manage one?”
“Ken got it. It’s one of the perks of being a former NFL player.”
“Do you think he wants to get back together?”
“To be honest I don’t think so, but I could be wrong.” Alicia sipped her water.
Gabby picked up her bag and began rifling through it.
“What are you looking for?”
“My calendar. I want to mark the day Alicia Archer said she could be wrong.”
“Ha, ha. I’m not that bad.”
“I’m just teasing you.”
Harrison put his fork down. “So which movie is it going to be, ladies? Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park or Emma?”
“Lauren isn’t here. Should we watch a movie?” Gabby asked.
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.”
Gabby looked at Harrison. “You must think we’re pathetic,” she laughed.
“No, not at all.”
“And even if he did think we’re pathetic, he wouldn’t tell us. Isn’t that right, Harrison?”
“I plead the fifth.”
“You’re batting a thousand tonight.” Alicia smiled.
“You’d think that now that we have the money, power and, dare I say it, the celebrity, we’d be out partying every weekend to make up for all the weekends we spent pouring over Austen novels in high school. Yet even though the digs are way better than the dorms, we’re still nerds sitting at home on a Friday night.”
“Well, at least one of us is out having a good time.” Alicia lifted her glass. “Here’s to Lauren. I hope she’s having fun.”
* * *
Lauren quickly threw all her clothes on the floor and wrapped her arms around Randy’s neck as he lifted her onto the bed. Her body pulsated with anticipation as he lowered his body onto hers. She wrapped her legs around him and their bodies began to rock. Her inhibitions were released and they made feverish love over and over throughout the night. Lauren was having fun. Whether she’d remember it in the morning was another matter entirely.