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By Root 495 0

confidence as he followed her into the lobby, where a few couples sat on plump, tapestry-covered sofas, drinking brandy from cut-glass snifters. She waited by the door while Gordon went into the men’s room. She was reading a framed poem on the wall, “Ode to a Demanding Diner.” In the glass reflection she noticed a handsome couple coming down the stairs. They paused on the landing, laughing and leaning into each other. The young woman was a tiny blonde in a short red silk dress. The tanned man in the canary yellow blazer was Dennis Loomis. He and the woman waited arm in arm by the lectern for the maître d’ to lead them into the dining room. The men’s room door opened, and Gordon was walking toward them. They spoke at once, the woman joining in as if she knew Gordon. The maître d’ appeared, and Dennis gestured irritably for the woman to go on ahead into the dining room. He and Gordon stepped aside in the shadowed hallway. Dennis did all the talking.

For once she kept quiet. Gordon stared out the window as she drove.

“I can’t believe he’d do that to Lisa,” he finally said.

“Maybe it’s not even what you think it is.”

“He was mad. Mad that I caught them together. It was so obvious.”

“But you don’t know for sure. Maybe she’s just an old friend or something.”

“She’s twenty-five years old.”

“He told you that?”

“No. I know her. She’s a real estate agent. Jilly Cross. The one who showed me the condos. I can’t believe it,” he said again.

She drove slowly into Collerton. Seeing sexy Dennis and his clingy little girlfriend, along with the wine and the nearness of Gordon in the dark, rolling car, made her ache. She wanted to reach over and touch him. She pulled up in front of his house, trying to think of a way to invite herself inside.

“Well, thank you. And I’m sorry it had to end this way,” he said.

“What way?” she asked, alarmed.

“Well, seeing Dennis like that. I mean, it’s so disappointing. I never expected anything like that. Never in a million years.” He looked sick.

“Sometimes things like that happen. They just happen whether people want them to or not.”

“Lisa’s such a good person. She’s his wife. The mother of his children. I thought they loved each other.” He sounded so sad.

“I’m sure they do.”

“How can he if he’s doing that? Because then everything’s a lie. Everything!”

“But he’s still your brother, right? No matter what he does, no matter what happens, right?” She touched his arm, leaving her hand there. “Right?” she whispered, turning in the seat. His hair was starting to recede. He had the softest blue eyes, especially now with so much hurt in them.

He nodded. “I just can’t believe he’d do something like that.”

“Don’t worry.” She squeezed his arm. “She’s just some dippy little thing. He’s not going to leave his family for someone like that. Dennis is like you. He’s got character, he wants stability in his life. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“I don’t know, maybe it can’t be.”

“Oh, Gordon. Don’t say that. You’re going to have a wonderful life. Everything’s just so new right now, that’s all.”

Across the way, a girl bounded down the tenement steps. She ran in front of the car and leaned down at Gordon’s window. “Guess what happened,” she said breathlessly. “Some guy tried to break into your house, but Thurman told Feaster, and him and Polie pulled him off your back porch. Polie beat the shit out of him.” Her eyes glowed with excitement as Gordon scrambled from the car toward his house. Delores and the girl followed him inside. “I seen you here before,” the girl said to her as Gordon turned on the lights. All the windows and doors were locked. “Yeah, right after he moved in,” the girl continued as Gordon returned to the living room. Everything seemed to be in order, but he had to check upstairs to be sure. Delores introduced herself as an old friend of Gordon’s. “That’s cool,” the girl said. “He’s a really nice guy. But not too many people come here. I can see right out my window there. That’s where I live. Right there.” She lifted the blinds and pointed.

“What’s your name?” Delores asked, fascinated and