A New Kind of Bliss (21 page)

“Sounds great.” How nice it would be to be able to lounge around a private residence, rather than rush to vacate that motel before eleven.

He kissed me once more before leaving. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

While watching him from the kitchen window, a squeal escaped from my lips that would have made Al Green proud. Aaron turned around before getting behind the wheel to wave at me. I blew him a kiss.

Even though I could have waited until after the holiday to take advantage of all those post-Christmas sales, I chose to shop for Aaron’s gift on Christmas Eve. I enjoyed the revelry of the mall atmosphere as people good-naturedly purchased last-minute gifts.

I went to a men’s specialty store, which sold everything from underwear and socks to overcoats. The store aisles were packed with special displays of holiday gifts, some of them ludicrous. I mean, did people actually buy those ear and nose hair trimmers? I couldn’t think of a more insulting gift. There was just no nice way to say, “You need to cut the hair that’s growing out of your nostrils.” That was like me giving Beverline a nice jar of Porcelana for her liver spots.

After much looking at all the goodies, I chose a snazzy brown and white tie with matching hanky and a gold love-knot tie clip for Aaron. He preferred to wear plain white shirts to work—they went with the white smock he wore—but the tie would give some pizzazz to his everyday wear.

It would be hard to go without seeing him over the holiday. I had to be satisfied with knowing he was thinking about me…and with wondering about what he’d gotten for me.

I took a day off on the day Aaron came home. That morning I took Mom to the airport to catch her flight to Pittsburgh. She was happy about her trip, and so was I. I could spend the next five days at Aaron’s and not feel guilty about leaving her alone in the apartment at the most festive time of year.

I figured Aaron would want to take me to dinner his first night back, but I thought it would be a nice surprise if I cooked for him. I called Shirley, who was freshening up the house for Aaron’s return, and arranged for her to let me in.

“You know, Miss Yancy, we have plenty of food here in the house,” she said as she took one of the grocery bags I held in my arms. “You really didn’t have to go to the store and buy all this.”

“I wanted to be responsible for the entire dinner,” I said. “You know how it is.”

“I think that’s very sweet. Are there more bags?”

“No, just my suitcase. Um…I’ll be staying here through New Year’s Day.”

“Just let me know if there’s anything you need, Miss Yancy.”

That familiar guilt came over me, and I decided to put a stop to it. “Shirley, won’t you please call me Emily?” I saw no reason to give an explanation for my request; instinct told me she knew where I was coming from.

“The doctor might not like it,” she protested.

I didn’t think she truly believed that. “He won’t mind,” I said. I looked at the kitchen clock. “I’d better get started. Aaron said he was leaving after lunch. He’ll probably be here soon.”

“I’m about to leave myself. Do you need me to take out any pans or cooking tools for you? It can be hard when you’re not familiar with where everything’s kept.”

“Good idea. All I need is a saucepan, a broiler pan, a cutting board, and a salad bowl.” I was making a simple surf ’n’ turf: steak, boiled shrimp, loaded baked potatoes, and salad.

Shirley left soon after taking out the utensils I requested. It made me feel good to know that she felt she didn’t have to stay and keep an eye on me until Aaron arrived. I was glad she left, for that allowed me to carry through a part of my plan that I didn’t think I’d be able to.

After six months and two sexual positions—missionary and spooning—it occurred to me to shake things up under the guise of spontaneity.

I was all set when I heard Aaron’s key in the lock. “Emily!” he called out, sounding excited. “Where are you?”

“In the kitchen.”

He rushed into the room. “I saw your car in the driveway. That was real smart of you, to get here before I—” he broke off at the sight of my French maid outfit. “Wow.”

“Shirley went home for the day, so it’s just you and me,” I said in a throaty voice a half octave lower than I normally spoke in, playfully twirling the hem of my short skirt. The three-and-a-half-inch heels I wore were hurting the hell out of my feet, but the enchanted look on his face made it worth the pain.

“Oh, yeah.” He jerked his jacket off and threw it toward a stool, not even turning at the sound of it hitting the floor instead. “C’mere, baby.”

I wrapped my legs around his waist when he picked me up. Aaron leaned me against the refrigerator for balance as he kissed me, allowing his hands to roam over my body, including my bare upper thighs where my elasticized thigh-high stockings ended. “I don’t think we’ll make it upstairs,” he said between gasps. “Let’s go to my office.”

“I don’t think I can wait that long,” I whispered back. “I say we do it right here.” I wriggled against his erection and moved his hand to my conveniently crotchless panties. He caught on quickly, moving to unzip his jeans.

I held on for the ride of my life.

“I thought it would be nice to invite a few people over for New Year’s,” Aaron said as we ate the dinner we ended up preparing together. “Nothing too big. What do you think?”

I was still reeling from the exciting sex we’d had before dinner. Wow. First I came to stay for a few days, and next we were entertaining as a pair. I could hear Mom saying, “You’ll be married by this time next year.”

“I think it’ll be fun,” I said. “I just wish people would dress up more for casual parties. It seems so less festive when people throw on a pair of jeans and a sweater, like they’re going to the mall or to wash the car or something.”

“So we can tell people to dress up.”

“We can?”

“Sure. I think that’ll be nicer, anyway. More festive, like you said.”

I found myself starting to get excited. “Who should we invite?”

“Elias and his latest flame, of course.”

I shook my head. “He really gets around, doesn’t he?”

“He’s gone buck wild since his divorce. Sometimes I don’t think he’ll be satisfied until he’s bedded every single woman over twenty-five in New York.”

“And no doubt he calls every one of them ‘dahling.’” I giggled.

“I’m sure. Let’s see. My other close friends are all out of town until after New Year’s. But there’s Rosalind and John, Tanis, your friend Wayne, Tanis’s cousin…”

“Valerie.”

“Yes, that’s the one. And your other friend, Marsha.” Aaron frowned. “That does make it a little female heavy, doesn’t it?”

“Do you know any single doctors, Aaron?” Marsha would certainly love that.

“Not a one, I’m afraid. Everyone I know who isn’t married is dating someone. Do you think Wayne has any friends he’d like to bring? Not that I want word to get out that there’s a party going on here and have fifty people show up.”

“I’d rather not vouch for any friends Wayne might have. I’ve always known him to be pretty much a loner, anyway.”

“You can always ask your other old schoolmate from the reunion. Teddy. He seems to go way back with you girls.”

The last person I wanted around, especially if Tanis was present. “Uh…I think he’s away for the holiday. He mentioned something about going upstate.”

“Oh. Too bad. Nice guy.”

“What about food?” I asked, eager to change the subject.

“I’ll give you the number to my caterer. She won’t appreciate the late notice, but since it’s a small gathering I’m sure she can squeeze us in. That’s another reason to keep it at about a dozen people. All the best caterers are booked.”

“I wouldn’t know anything about that,” I remarked. “But there is something I do know that I’d like to share with you, Aaron.”

“What’s that?”

I smiled at him with all the warmth in my heart. “I love you.”

I
dreaded calling Tanis with an invitation to the party. If I thought I could get away with telling Aaron that she simply wasn’t able to make it I would have, but the likelihood of them running into each other at their kids’ school or at the dance school their daughters attended was too high. I had no choice.

I forced myself to think of good things, like the joy on Aaron’s face when I told him I loved him. It had been a long time since I’d been this happy. I couldn’t let Tanis ruin it for me.

To my surprise, a man answered the phone. I was more surprised when he called me by name. “Wayne? Did I dial the wrong number?”

He laughed. “No, I’m at Tanis’s. I normally wouldn’t answer the telephone, but your name and number—I mean Aaron’s—showed up on the TV screen, so I figured I would.”

I knew what he meant. Caller ID showed up on Aaron’s TV screen, too. I also understood why he picked it up. He thought Aaron was calling and wanted to know why.

“Tanis went to the store. She’ll be back any minute.”

I felt happy for him. “So how long has this been going on?”

“We’ve been seeing each other since the night of the reunion.”

The night he took her home. Wayne was probably a poor substitute for Aaron in Tanis’s eyes, but he was a kind and caring man, and those kind of men were always hard to find. It didn’t hurt that he obviously adored her.

“I’ll tell you why I’m calling,” I said. “It’s awfully last minute, but Aaron and I thought it would be fun if we had a small group over to ring in the new year here at his place. We’d love to have both you and Tanis.”

“That sounds great. We really didn’t have any plans. Tanis’s kids are with her ex until New Year’s Day. Why don’t I ask her to call you at Aaron’s?”

That thought made me smile. “You do that. I’ll see you New Year’s Eve.”

I called Rosalind next, inviting her to the party as well as sharing the gossip about Tanis’s involvement with Wayne. “Wayne sounds so happy, Rosalind.”

“I hope he enjoys it while it lasts, because it won’t.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Tanis told me that she won’t ever marry another man in the entertainment industry, but that she wanted someone who made a good living. I don’t think that’s Wayne, do you?”

“No.”
It sounds more like Aaron.

“I know she’d planned to make a play for Aaron until you showed up and put a butcher knife in her plans. Aaron’s friend Elias is single now, and heaven knows he’s handsome, but he likes blondes.”

If I’d been surprised when Wayne answered Tanis’s phone, I was astounded when Marsha asked if she could bring James, when I called her next. I couldn’t even form an intelligible response.

She laughed. “I know you’re surprised. But we’ve been in pretty constant touch since the night of the reunion, and he’s driving up from Beaufort the day after tomorrow to spend New Year’s with me.”

“That actually makes it easier,” I noted, “since my guest list is short on men. But Tanis is coming with Wayne, and you’re coming with James—”

“Wait a minute. Tanis and
Wayne?
”

“I know it seems unlikely,” I said with a smile. “Apparently you and James aren’t the only ones who hooked up at the reunion.”

“He doesn’t seem her type.”

“You said the same thing about James,” I reminded her.

“I know, but he’s so nice, Emily. I admit I made a mistake. I can’t tell you how excited I am about him coming up. We’ve talked just about every day since Thanksgiving weekend. I’ve learned so much about him. But seeing him in person again…”

“You mean you’ll be sleeping with him.”

Marsha giggled. “I’m so excited. It’s been a while.”

I felt her excitement over the wire. Silently I expressed my hopes that she wouldn’t be disappointed.

Tanis called a few minutes later. “I see you’re playing house with Aaron while his family is away.”

“Yes, just like you and Wayne.”

“Touché,” she said easily. “He told me about your invitation. We’d love to come. Can I bring anything?”

“No, but thanks. I’ve spoken to the caterer, and she’s taking care of everything.”

“Oh. Can I ask who else is coming?”

My instinct told me she wanted to know if anyone from Euliss was coming, which meant word could get out about her and Wayne. “It’ll be small. A friend of Aaron’s and his date, plus Rosalind and John, you and Wayne, and Marsha and James Hardy. I haven’t spoken to Valerie yet.”

“James Hardy is coming with Marsha? I thought he was a drill instructor down in South Carolina. Did he retire or something since last month?”

“He’s still working, but apparently he’ll be in town.”

“That might create a problem for my cousin,” Tanis said, not sounding particularly concerned. “I don’t think she’s seeing anyone, and it’ll be awkward for her not to have anyone to kiss at midnight. Her life might revolve around her family, but her son and grandson are both too young to escort her.”

“I’ll leave that up to her.” Tanis made it sound like Valerie should be pitied for not having a man in her life, but I knew better. Valerie seemed perfectly content with her life around her children, her new grandchild, her career, and, undoubtedly, her vibrator.

“You don’t know any unattached men you can invite just to even things out?”

“Truthfully, Tanis, I don’t know if she’d really care about being the only one without a date.”

“Hold on a minute, Emily. Let me ask Wayne.” I could hear her as she spoke to him. “Do you know a nice man we can invite to the party so Valerie will have someone to pair off with?”

I laughed at his response. “Tanis, I don’t be runnin’ with a pack of dudes like that.”

“Well, I tried,” Tanis said to me through the receiver.

I’d gone shopping and found a simple navy knit dress with a tight-fitting bodice, three-quarter sleeves, a belted waist, a scooped back, and a full skirt that fell to just above my ankles. I wore navy high-heeled sandals and skipped the hose—the straps around my big toes made stockings impossible anyway—and showed off my freshly pedicured toes. Aaron whistled appreciatively when I came downstairs, and I felt like a fairy princess.

That is, until Tanis arrived.

She and Wayne showed up a little after eleven, after Rosalind and John and Elias and his latest squeeze, a pretty Latino whose honey blond hair came from a bottle and whose name was, of all things, Eliana. I watched, steaming like a lobster pot, as Tanis gave Aaron a hug much warmer than the phony air kiss she’d given me.

Tanis wore a dark mink. She was wearing her hair longer these days, in a cascade of curls with a center part. It looked quite nice. She removed her coat to reveal a green rayon dress with two clear halves to its bodice, each cut all the way down to the wide belt, revealing the swell of firm, C-cup boobs. The cinched waistline also showed off the great shape she was in. I looked down at my modest chest, which looked grossly underdeveloped next to Tanis’s bold display.

Rosalind came up beside me. “Double-sided tape,” she whispered. “There’s nothing like being the center of attention, is there?”

“I hope she gets a chest cold,” I muttered. I turned to see how Aaron had reacted to Tanis’s plunging neckline, and was dismayed to see his eyes glued to it. Elias, too, couldn’t seem to control his stare, which went down to her cleavage even while he greeted her. I even noticed John Hunter’s gaze lingering on Tanis’s chest, at least until Rosalind gave him a firm poke in the ribs.

Aaron glanced up at me, embarrassed at having been caught. He leaned toward me for a kiss and I relented. So he’d been caught looking. He was a man, after all. What did I expect?

I was refilling the ice bucket and didn’t hear the doorbell ring, but when I returned I was happy to see Valerie, wearing a black velvet pantsuit with red satin trim, handing her coat to Aaron.

Tanis rushed forward to greet her cousin. “Valerie, I’m so glad you made it,” she said, her voice dripping sugar.

Valerie’s response brought a chuckle to my lips. “I don’t know why you’re so surprised to see me, Tanis. You called me yesterday to see if I was coming.”

“That’s because I arranged for a surprise for you, and in order for it to work out you had to be here.”

Valerie responded the same way most people do when being informed of an impending surprise. “What is it?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.” Tanis stretched the last word out to three syllables over two octaves. Then she turned to freshen her drink with the ice cubes I’d just replaced. She leaned forward slightly, and I could have sworn Elias craned his neck to see if he could get a glimpse of tit.

“You know, I’ve always loved this painting of Diana,” Tanis said, pausing in front of the picture that I was finally learning to ignore. “It’s in such a nice place, too. It’s the first thing people see when they step inside the house.”

I deliberately offered to fix Valerie a drink, which she accepted. As I took Valerie’s arm and led her to the bar, I saw Tanis shift position out of the corner of my eye, like she was turning around to give me a triumphant little smile.

“I like it, too. But I’m thinking of moving it to the girls’ room,” I heard Aaron say, and instinctively I knew his eyes were on me. “None of us will ever forget Diana, and I wouldn’t want us to. But she’s no longer mistress of the house.”

Tanis seemed to shrivel before my eyes.

The doorbell rang at ten minutes to twelve. Both Aaron and I went to answer it, laughing and clasping our hands. I closed one eye for a look through the peephole.

“It’s Marsha,” I said as I stepped back, gesturing for him to open the door.

The first thing I noticed was the happy expression on Marsha’s face. James had arrived in town yesterday. I guessed he’d pushed all the right buttons. No wonder they’d barely made it before midnight.

The second thing I noticed was that someone stood behind them. Had they brought someone with them? Why hadn’t Marsha mentioned it?

When they moved inside I got a better look at the third wheel.

Teddy.

“Hey, man. I didn’t think you’d be able to make it,” Aaron said jovially.

“Thanks, Aaron.” Teddy shook his hand, then turned to me. “You seem surprised to see me, Emily. Didn’t Tanis tell you I accepted your invitation?”

Tanis!
“I guess it must have slipped her mind, but we’re happy to see you, Teddy. Come in; you’re just in time.”

“Everybody, let me take your coats,” Aaron urged.

“Aaron, what a lovely home you have,” Marsha said with admiration.

“Thanks. It’s comfortable.”

“I’ll say,” James said with a chuckle. As he had at the reunion, he wore his dress blues and looked quite dashing.

I faced Teddy while Aaron took Marsha’s and James’s coats. “She didn’t tell you, did she?” he guessed.

“No. She’s up to something, and I think I know what it is.”

“I’ll talk to her.”

“No, let me. Just give your coat to Aaron, Teddy.”

I sought Tanis, who stood next to a stunned Valerie saying, “There’s your surprise! You have a partner, so you won’t have to sit alone while the rest of us are dancing. Wasn’t that thoughtful of me?”

“Extremely solicitous,” Valerie said drolly.

I quickly stepped in. “I’ve only got five minutes to get the champagne. C’mon Tanis, give me a hand in the kitchen.” I grabbed her arm before she could protest. Tanis was the type of guest who never offered to help.

I started in on Tanis the minute we were alone. “All right, what gives? Why did you invite Teddy to come and not say anything to me about it?”

“Because we both said we wished we knew someone who could prevent Valerie from feeling left out around all these couples. Teddy was the perfect choice. We’re all old friends, aren’t we? I can’t imagine why you’d be upset.”

Too late, I realized my mistake. If there’d been nothing between Teddy and me, I wouldn’t have been upset by his unexpected appearance. I’d just given myself away, and that syrupy sweet way Tanis spoke proved it.

She gave me a knowing smile. “So what’s the deal, Emily? Why
are
you so upset to see Teddy here?”

“Listen, Tanis, I don’t know what you think you’re up to—”

“Cut the crap, Emily. You and I both know you were boning Teddy while you were supposed to be seeing Aaron. Don’t you think I know why you were trying to hide from me, and why Teddy stopped at the store? What happened? Did you run out of protection?”

The kitchen door swung open. “Hey, it’s almost twelve,” Aaron announced. “There’re only a few minutes left to pour the champagne. Do you need help with the cork?”

“Oh, we’re just gossiping,” Tanis said lightly. “You know how we women are. The time got away from us.”

I sprung into action, removing two chilled bottles of Freixenet Cordon Negro—actually a bubbling sparkling wine—from the refrigerator and arranging flutes on two round trays. Aaron removed the cork from the first bottle and started to pour.

Tanis seemed only too eager to hang around now that Aaron had appeared. She pulled and tugged at her dress until she achieved the desired wardrobe malfunction.

Aaron noticed before I did. “Um…Tanis.” I looked up to see him patting his chest, then saw Tanis’s uncovered tit.

“Oh, look at me.” She giggled.

“We’ve seen it,” I snapped. “Now, fix your tape and cover it up.”

She promptly began to fiddle with the inside of her bodice, standing where she was.

“For God’s sake, Tanis, turn around!” I said, disgusted.

“I’ll take this batch out,” Aaron said hastily, turning away from Tanis and her tit. “You two can take in the rest. Don’t take too long; you only have about two minutes.”

I poured champagne into the remaining glasses and found a tray to place them on. I sensed Tanis a few steps behind me, but I let the door swing shut in her face.

“Three…two…one…
Happy New Year!
”

Aaron and I shared a chaste but prolonged kiss, plus an embrace that neither of us seemed to want to end. “I love you,” he said softly against my ear. It meant all the more to me because we stood not three feet from Diana’s portrait, and Aaron actually faced it. In my heart I knew that painting would never bother me again. It was just a likeness of someone who had passed on, and it couldn’t watch me or curse me or have any effect on me whatsoever. I clutched him tightly and savored the moment, momentarily forgetting we were in a room full of people. When I opened my eyes, knowing we had guests to entertain, I was reminded of the threat to my happiness. Tanis slipped out of Wayne’s embrace. He caught her hand, and she smiled at him but pulled away, her eyes fixated on Aaron.