day we get a chance to play and you’re on a downer.”
“Maybe it’s because you haven’t been around much lately.” As each whining word leaves my mouth, I want to take it back.
“Do I guess right when I say you are referring toMichelle? A siren, not a mermaid?” He actually smiles. He finds it amusing.
“Could be.”
“It doesn’t matter to me what she is. Michelle was eight years ago. In the past. Over. Done with. It was all about timing. I was lonely after Faye died. I went to Europe and lived a brief fantasy.”
“Your fantasy seems to want to take another shot at you.”
Jack laughs out loud and hugs me.
“Let’s be honest here,” he says. “Michelle wasn’t really all that interested in me. She was playacting. Probably bored. Let’s have fun with the old guy tourist. I realized that when I got home.”
“Something is bothering me about her. I can’t quite get it yet.”
“Come on, eat.” He jokes, “The potato salad will get hot.” He hands me a plastic container. “You know, we’ve never had this conversation. Young kids, when they plan to marry, get into that—Should we tell each other about our past affairs? Or not?”
I feel myself tearing up. He’s hitting a nerve. I look a few feet away where a young couple, probably in their twenties, lie entangled in each other’s arms.
Jack continues. “So, I confess. Before I met Faye, I was randy all right. Lots of girlfriends and good times. I married at an older age than usual. I wasforty. But once I settled in with Faye, that was it. I was committed. I’m a simple man. I believe in family and I believe in honesty.”
Now my tears are flowing.
Jack takes my plastic dish from me and covers my hands with his. “You’re adding salt to your salad and salt’s no good for us old folks. Forgive me for being so insensitive. You were widowed at such an early age and in such a tragic way. I just assumed that somewhere over so long a period of time you fell in love with someone else.”
I say sadly, “You assumed wrong.”
He gently wipes the tears away. “You’re a beauty even now. But I’ve seen photos of you when you were younger. You were a knockout. I can’t believe some eligible suitor didn’t grab you off the market.”
“Yes, of course I dated. But I never met anyone who was as good and as kind and as loving as you are.”
Grinning, he pretends to swell his chest and open his arms akimbo. “Here I am. Better late than never.”
I lean into him and I’m crying again. “I can’t bear losing another man I love.”
He rocks me in his arms. “And you actually think Michelle is going to steal me away?”
I nod through my bleary eyes. “Something like that.”
“First of all, that can never happen. Second, as soon as Colette is able to travel, they’ll be going back to France, probably never to be seen on these shores again. So I won’t be spending any more time with her.”
I sit up, indignant now. “She was flirting with you.”
He smiles. “And I was properly flattered. What red-blooded male wouldn’t be?”
“I think she has an agenda. What does she want from you?”
“But our meeting was pure coincidence. Turned out she needed help and there I was. After all, she really didn’t know anyone in America. What happened before isn’t going to repeat itself.”
Now I have an appetite. I chew on my hummus-on-pita-bread sandwich. Even the group dancing salsa, playing their Latin song at ear-piercing decibels, no longer bothers me. “As long as you don’t see her again.”
Jack is suddenly silent.
“What?” I ask.
“Well, I did promise to take her out to a farewell dinner.”
“When?”
“Actually tonight. I was about to tell you.”
“Oh, really?”
“Look, I’d rather just say good-bye on the phone, but I don’t want to hurt her feelings.”
Now I’m silent. Her feelings? What feelings are those? It’s his turn to talk himself out of this sticky predicament. Finally his face lights
“Maybe it’s because you haven’t been around much lately.” As each whining word leaves my mouth, I want to take it back.
“Do I guess right when I say you are referring toMichelle? A siren, not a mermaid?” He actually smiles. He finds it amusing.
“Could be.”
“It doesn’t matter to me what she is. Michelle was eight years ago. In the past. Over. Done with. It was all about timing. I was lonely after Faye died. I went to Europe and lived a brief fantasy.”
“Your fantasy seems to want to take another shot at you.”
Jack laughs out loud and hugs me.
“Let’s be honest here,” he says. “Michelle wasn’t really all that interested in me. She was playacting. Probably bored. Let’s have fun with the old guy tourist. I realized that when I got home.”
“Something is bothering me about her. I can’t quite get it yet.”
“Come on, eat.” He jokes, “The potato salad will get hot.” He hands me a plastic container. “You know, we’ve never had this conversation. Young kids, when they plan to marry, get into that—Should we tell each other about our past affairs? Or not?”
I feel myself tearing up. He’s hitting a nerve. I look a few feet away where a young couple, probably in their twenties, lie entangled in each other’s arms.
Jack continues. “So, I confess. Before I met Faye, I was randy all right. Lots of girlfriends and good times. I married at an older age than usual. I wasforty. But once I settled in with Faye, that was it. I was committed. I’m a simple man. I believe in family and I believe in honesty.”
Now my tears are flowing.
Jack takes my plastic dish from me and covers my hands with his. “You’re adding salt to your salad and salt’s no good for us old folks. Forgive me for being so insensitive. You were widowed at such an early age and in such a tragic way. I just assumed that somewhere over so long a period of time you fell in love with someone else.”
I say sadly, “You assumed wrong.”
He gently wipes the tears away. “You’re a beauty even now. But I’ve seen photos of you when you were younger. You were a knockout. I can’t believe some eligible suitor didn’t grab you off the market.”
“Yes, of course I dated. But I never met anyone who was as good and as kind and as loving as you are.”
Grinning, he pretends to swell his chest and open his arms akimbo. “Here I am. Better late than never.”
I lean into him and I’m crying again. “I can’t bear losing another man I love.”
He rocks me in his arms. “And you actually think Michelle is going to steal me away?”
I nod through my bleary eyes. “Something like that.”
“First of all, that can never happen. Second, as soon as Colette is able to travel, they’ll be going back to France, probably never to be seen on these shores again. So I won’t be spending any more time with her.”
I sit up, indignant now. “She was flirting with you.”
He smiles. “And I was properly flattered. What red-blooded male wouldn’t be?”
“I think she has an agenda. What does she want from you?”
“But our meeting was pure coincidence. Turned out she needed help and there I was. After all, she really didn’t know anyone in America. What happened before isn’t going to repeat itself.”
Now I have an appetite. I chew on my hummus-on-pita-bread sandwich. Even the group dancing salsa, playing their Latin song at ear-piercing decibels, no longer bothers me. “As long as you don’t see her again.”
Jack is suddenly silent.
“What?” I ask.
“Well, I did promise to take her out to a farewell dinner.”
“When?”
“Actually tonight. I was about to tell you.”
“Oh, really?”
“Look, I’d rather just say good-bye on the phone, but I don’t want to hurt her feelings.”
Now I’m silent. Her feelings? What feelings are those? It’s his turn to talk himself out of this sticky predicament. Finally his face lights
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