walls of the Pool Room. There were also beautiful live trees. It was like being in a midcentury modern palace.
After turning to look at the paintings, Sarah turned to Kevin again.
“What a lovely place,” she said. “I’ve never been here before.”
“Neither have I,” he told her. “That’s why I thought it was time we tried it.” He broke off a piece of the bread on his bread plate. Then he looked around the room. “It really is lovely, isn’t it?”
The way Kevin was acting made Sarah feel he had something on his mind. He was often like this: He didn’t like to just come out and say things; he liked to build up to them.
He smiled at her. “I’m glad you liked my
Faust
.”
“I have to admit, it was a bit frightening. Seeing you condemned to hell.”
He laughed. “Don’t worry. It’s only an opera.”
“Your aria, ‘Salut, demeure chaste et pure.’ It was gorgeous.”
“It means a lot to me that you liked it. Now tell me about your quartet.”
It was her turn to smile. “We’re performing at Merkin Hall at the end of next month.”
“Congratulations.”
“I hope you’ll be able to come.”
“If I’ve got the night off, I wouldn’t miss it. You know that.”
“I know.”
He reached across the table for her hand and took it in his. “I have something to tell you, Sarah.”
So she was right; he did have something on his mind. She felt the warmth of his hand holding hers and smiled at him again. “Tell me.”
“This is even harder for me than I thought it would be—”
Sarah had never seen him look so worried. “What is it?”
It took him a long time to speak. “When you turned down my proposal,” he said finally, “I thought I’d never find anybody else …”
Sarah felt herself tense up, but she didn’t say anything. She just kept looking at Kevin and trying to act as if she didn’t feel the earth was about to give way right under her.
“But I have found someone. Lisa Golden, the soprano who’s singing Marguerite.”
Sarah willed herself to keep letting Kevin hold her hand. “I’m happy for you, Kevin.”
“I know it’s a bit of a shock. There’s never really been anyone that either of us has been close to except each other. I don’t know how wise it was that we kept sleeping together after, well, you know …”
“We never made each other any promises,” she said, trying to continue looking into his eyes, knowing that this would be the last time they would ever have a dinner alone together, or at least the last time that she could ever dream on the way to dinner that they would always be having dinners together alone. “I’m happy for you,” she repeated.
“Thank you, Sarah.”
She waited as long as she could and then withdrew her hand from his. “Excuse me. I have to go to the ladies’ room.”
As she got to her feet, Kevin rose from his chair, too. “Are you all right?”
She laughed. “Of course I’m all right. I’ll be right back.”
She smiled just long enough to turn away from him. As she took her first step toward the restrooms, she was already silently crying.
Kelly, an apron over a white silk blouse and jeans, her long hair fastened into a ponytail with a barrette, stood at the kitchen counter, cutting fresh basil for her favorite tomato sauce. It was a recipe she’d concocted when Jeff and Julie were little. Fortunately, she had all the ingredients in the house. Her eyes were still wet from peeling onions, and she dried them with a tissue before picking up another piece of basil.
Emma hovered over her shoulder. “I wish you’d let me do thatfor you before I go. No need to tire yourself out doing all this for the photographer.”
“His name is Chris, and I’m not tiring myself out, and you’re going to be late for the movie.”
Emma sighed. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Kelly turned to her and looked into her kind gray eyes. “Yes, I’m sure.”
Emma’s face was still filled with concern.
Kelly couldn’t
After turning to look at the paintings, Sarah turned to Kevin again.
“What a lovely place,” she said. “I’ve never been here before.”
“Neither have I,” he told her. “That’s why I thought it was time we tried it.” He broke off a piece of the bread on his bread plate. Then he looked around the room. “It really is lovely, isn’t it?”
The way Kevin was acting made Sarah feel he had something on his mind. He was often like this: He didn’t like to just come out and say things; he liked to build up to them.
He smiled at her. “I’m glad you liked my
Faust
.”
“I have to admit, it was a bit frightening. Seeing you condemned to hell.”
He laughed. “Don’t worry. It’s only an opera.”
“Your aria, ‘Salut, demeure chaste et pure.’ It was gorgeous.”
“It means a lot to me that you liked it. Now tell me about your quartet.”
It was her turn to smile. “We’re performing at Merkin Hall at the end of next month.”
“Congratulations.”
“I hope you’ll be able to come.”
“If I’ve got the night off, I wouldn’t miss it. You know that.”
“I know.”
He reached across the table for her hand and took it in his. “I have something to tell you, Sarah.”
So she was right; he did have something on his mind. She felt the warmth of his hand holding hers and smiled at him again. “Tell me.”
“This is even harder for me than I thought it would be—”
Sarah had never seen him look so worried. “What is it?”
It took him a long time to speak. “When you turned down my proposal,” he said finally, “I thought I’d never find anybody else …”
Sarah felt herself tense up, but she didn’t say anything. She just kept looking at Kevin and trying to act as if she didn’t feel the earth was about to give way right under her.
“But I have found someone. Lisa Golden, the soprano who’s singing Marguerite.”
Sarah willed herself to keep letting Kevin hold her hand. “I’m happy for you, Kevin.”
“I know it’s a bit of a shock. There’s never really been anyone that either of us has been close to except each other. I don’t know how wise it was that we kept sleeping together after, well, you know …”
“We never made each other any promises,” she said, trying to continue looking into his eyes, knowing that this would be the last time they would ever have a dinner alone together, or at least the last time that she could ever dream on the way to dinner that they would always be having dinners together alone. “I’m happy for you,” she repeated.
“Thank you, Sarah.”
She waited as long as she could and then withdrew her hand from his. “Excuse me. I have to go to the ladies’ room.”
As she got to her feet, Kevin rose from his chair, too. “Are you all right?”
She laughed. “Of course I’m all right. I’ll be right back.”
She smiled just long enough to turn away from him. As she took her first step toward the restrooms, she was already silently crying.
Kelly, an apron over a white silk blouse and jeans, her long hair fastened into a ponytail with a barrette, stood at the kitchen counter, cutting fresh basil for her favorite tomato sauce. It was a recipe she’d concocted when Jeff and Julie were little. Fortunately, she had all the ingredients in the house. Her eyes were still wet from peeling onions, and she dried them with a tissue before picking up another piece of basil.
Emma hovered over her shoulder. “I wish you’d let me do thatfor you before I go. No need to tire yourself out doing all this for the photographer.”
“His name is Chris, and I’m not tiring myself out, and you’re going to be late for the movie.”
Emma sighed. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Kelly turned to her and looked into her kind gray eyes. “Yes, I’m sure.”
Emma’s face was still filled with concern.
Kelly couldn’t
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