AT BOCA, JASPER ordered a seventy-five-dollar bottle of wine—especially since Jane wasn’t drinking, Liz hoped he planned to let Sporty cover the bill—and after the sommelier had delivered it, Jasper said, “If you guys are the scullery maids at your house for the summer, who’s making dinner tonight?”
Liz, who didn’t recall having used the words scullery maid with Jasper, said, “Actually, Jane made them some chicken and cold soup.”
Jasper grinned. “God forbid they fend for themselves, right? Hey, Jane, Lizzy mentioned you’re with child—mazel tov.”
Somberly, Jane said, “Thank you.”
“How you feeling?”
“All right,” Jane said.
“That’s great. I swear Susan was puking her guts out from conception to delivery.”
Liz could feel Jane glance at her, and it was with an air of overcompensatory cheer that Liz raised her glass. “Bon appétit,” she said. “Please, Jasper, tell us more.”
What Jasper really wanted to talk about, clearly, were his interviews with the squash players and coach, and he proceeded to do so over appetizers (oysters for him, beet salad for both Jane and Liz), entrées (pasta for Jane, scallops for Liz, filet for Jasper), and into dessert (crème brûlée for Jasper and Jane, nothing for Liz). Again, his long-windedness bothered Liz less than Jane’s observation of it; Liz suspected the evening was reinforcing Jane’s impression of Jasper as self-centered. He’d been describing the rather intense father of eleven-year-old Cheng Zhou when Liz said, “Did I tell you Jane’s going to be the private yoga instructor for a family in Rhinebeck?”
“Oh, yeah?” Jasper swallowed a spoonful of crème brûlée. “Who?”
“I went to college with one of them,” Jane said.
“So is it a real job or a pity thing?”
“Jesus, Jasper,” Liz said, and, in a jovial tone, Jasper said, “Well, she is pregnant and single.”
“Yeah, on purpose,” Liz said. “And she could go back to her job in the city if she wanted. This is just a change of scenery.”
“I thought you two had a leave-no-man-behind deal,” Jasper said.
Liz glared at him. “Things have changed, and you know what? I’m a big girl. I can handle being in Cincinnati without Jane.”
Calmly, Jane said, “I hope my friends haven’t hired me out of pity, but maybe I’ll never know.” Turning toward Liz, she said, “And of course I’m very appreciative that Lizzy’s staying here until our mom’s lunch event.”
“Speaking of which,” Jasper said, “I trust Sally Bennet and the gals are still having lots of productive three-martini meetings?” As he mimed pouring liquid into his mouth, Liz sensed that Jane, too, was bristling.
“Jasper,” Jane said. “Tell us more about the squash players.”