THE HOUSE ARRANGED itself around Doe as she walked in, the way perfect houses do. She’d been in a few in Miami where the space unfolded, the sight lines planned for the view. Floor, blue slate. An enormous freestanding gray stone fireplace in the middle of the room. The visual shock of just blue—ocean and sky—through enormous windows that were walls. She could happily move in here tomorrow and discover she had a soul.
Through an open archway (though it was square of course, no round forms in this house) she could glimpse the formal dining room. A long, long table she wouldn’t want to have to polish. Uncomfortable-looking chairs. Her ass wouldn’t last through the soup course. A scratchy abstract on the wall.
Facing her, an amazing Rothko, floating color, blue and that deep sad black. One of her art teachers had loved Rothko and talked about the depth of that black, of how spiritual Rothko was. He paints the abyss, he would say, but he gives us hope. Doe still felt impatient, remembering. Rothko was a master, sure, but spiritual? Overreach. His paintings were physical, color and form. Art wasn’t about feelings. If you want feelings, go to the movies. If you want God, go to a church.
On the opposite wall the predictable big Ed Ruscha. Every great house in Miami had one. Just yellow letters against blue. HAPPY MESS. Did it refer to Lark? That would require a sense of humor. Doe had yet to meet a super-wealthy person who would make fun of themselves.
It could be the most beautiful room she’d ever been in or it could be designed to make her feel flimsy.
What the fuck was she doing?
Doe turned away from her rumpled reflection in a mirrored sculpture that looked like a Louise Bourgeois. With a jolting heartbeat, she heard footsteps approaching. Nowhere to hide in a minimalist house, that was the trouble. Doe backed up, flattening herself next to the gray wall of the fireplace.
Footsteps clattered into the space. A woman in heels. How the hell did Adeline Clay get here so fast?
Adeline was too angry to see Doe. She went right to the door of the room where Daniel Mantis sat meditating and crashed it open.
“For God’s sake, Daniel. Take off the hood.”
Too good to miss. Doe slipped out of her sandals and tiptoed across the floor. By tilting her head toward the sculpture she could see the fractured reflected image of Adeline standing in the room, Daniel sitting cross-legged facing her. “I’ve been here for twenty minutes.”
No answer.
“This is ridiculous, Daniel! Take off the hood!”
“I don’t like scenes.”
“This isn’t a scene, this is me talking to you. You are being rude.”
“This isn’t ego-driven. Isn’t everyone enjoying themselves?”
“We can all see you in here! I realize that’s the point, but it’s comical.”
“Comical is this event that Lark talked me into. More farms on the South Fork? As if these people are going to knock down their houses.”
“Do we have to talk about this right here?”
“What is it with this girl and farms? She grew up on Park Avenue. I’m seriously worried. She just keeps…flitting. People ask about her and I have to lie. I don’t enjoy that.”
“She needs your attention.”
“Thirty thousand dollars to throw a party isn’t enough? Adeline, you’re my hostess. You can greet the guests for a few minutes.”
“I’m not the hostess. These people aren’t my guests.”
“Apparently one is. The guy in the Gap pants.”
“It’s Michael Dutton, he owns the house I’m staying in. I invited him with his family. It seemed like the nice thing to do. Am I not allowed to invite guests?”
“Is it just Lark who needs more of my attention?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Just so we’re clear. This was your choice. We had an agreement. You were to live here this summer. You were the one who went ahead and rented a house without telling me. In a place I can’t get to.”
“There’s this thing called a ferry.”
“I had to send you a launch. A launch and a car. Now who is being manipulative? It’s a journey to get there. You removed yourself from our plans. Without telling me beforehand, I recall. Didn’t we say from the beginning, Let’s have honesty between us.”
“All right. I rented the house. I didn’t want to be in the Hamptons, I didn’t want to go to parties like this all the time. I wanted a place to retreat to if I had to. If we don’t have an exclusive relationship, why should I give up myself for you?”
“I never asked you to give up yourself. I’m trying to teach you how to be yourself within the context of a committed relationship.”
Doe had to muffle her snort.
“Committed relationship? When you have another woman and a third in the wings?”
“I have other committed relationships, yes. You accepted that. Have things changed?”
“I don’t know. Yes. Maybe.”
Adeline’s voice skittered around, but Daniel never lost his soft monotone. Doe had to strain every muscle to hear him.
“I see.”
“I did agree to your terms. Yes. But I didn’t think that your latest mistress would be at the same parties, either! I don’t care too much about Samantha’s existence, but I do care that she’s in my face. Our agreement was New York was my territory.”
“She’s staying in Amagansett, I could hardly not invite her. I thought you two could be friends. You have a lot in—”
“If you complete that sentence, that hoodie is in the ocean.”
Oh, please, let me get that shot, Doe thought. Us Weekly, here I come!
She moved to the right of the door, hoping to get a photo at an angle.
“I can’t talk to you about this now,” Daniel said. “It is extremely unprofessional for you to bring it up—”
“Excuse me?”
“I didn’t mean to say unprofessional. I meant to say unmannerly.”
“Oh, really? Well, I meant to say fuck you.”
Doe heard the footsteps and was around the fireplace before Adeline had clattered back into the room, moving fast. Doe flattened against the stone but the two were intent only on each other.
Daniel reached Adeline and grabbed her arm. It was a hard grab. Doe felt sweat spring along her spine. They were in profile, their faces and bodies in perfect tense lines of fury. She snapped the shot.
His voice was so clear. Doe knew that low pitch of threat. Her stomach turned over.
“You don’t want to start this. Not with me.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means I create the narrative. Not you.”
Adeline threw off his arm. She stalked out of the room. Daniel let out a breath. She watched his shoulders move. He waited until he heard the front door slam. Then he walked out into the hall.
Doe backed up and slipped out the door. It closed behind her with a soft click. Damn, shoes. She’d left them behind.
“EXCUSE ME. CINDERELLA?”
Her sandals dangled from his fingers. He was about her age, twenty-two or -three. A face to take your breath away. She felt his ticking assessment, up, down, all around. Blond hair, blue eyes the color of Miami ocean when the sky was white.
She chose not to smile. This one was too used to the smiles of girls.
“Prince Charming—I knew you’d show up eventually. How did you find me?”
“You’re the only barefoot girl.” He held the shoes out of her reach. “How come I don’t know you?”
“Do you know everyone?”
“I know all the beautiful girls in the Hamptons.”
“I could have sworn you took in more territory than that.”
“Sabrina!” He shook his head. “I’ve had about six girlfriends who were obsessed with that movie. I don’t get it. She ends up with the boring old guy?”
“Who controls the family fortune. Is that so dumb? Anyway, it’s all about the clothes.”
“I knew that. So, I found these inside the house.”
“I’m a friend of Lark’s.”
“Coincidence. Me too. Yet I don’t know you.”
“I had to tiptoe out. Daniel was wearing his hoodie,” she said. “Apparently you’re not supposed to interrupt him.”
He shrugged. “Stupid house rule, right? But at least it’s out in the open. It’s those hidden ones that catch you. Anyway, I’d put up with it if I got to live in that house, wouldn’t you?”
“I don’t put up with anything,” she said. She meant it to sound careless, but it came out hard and fast.
He tilted his head. She saw she’d snagged him. Before it was just play. “Lucas,” he said.
“Doe,” she said.
He didn’t make the “a deer” comment, like everyone did. “I think I like you.”
“The jury’s out on you, though,” Doe countered. “Just so you know.”
“That’s okay,” he said. “I don’t need to be liked. Just appreciated.”
Lark suddenly careened into view, a full glass in her hand. She grabbed onto Doe and kissed her on the mouth. “You did it!” she cried. “Now I owe you me!”
Just like that, standing between the two of them, her summer shook itself out like a sail.