her way through a knot of dancers fumbling through a vintage Sinatra recording. She kissed him on the cheek, nestled the small of her back into the bar and closed her eyes.
Kazakis placed his hand on her arm. “Tough day?”
She opened her eyes and smiled. “Yes, very. You?”
“Like any other day in Washington’s answer to Disneyland. Did you see the piece on the weighing of the Hope?”
“Yes. I looked for your name.”
He laughed. “I’m the silent force behind the scenes. What are you drinking?”
“White wine. Are we having dinner? I’m starved.”
“I’d planned on it.”
“Here?”
“Why not?”
She smiled. “Because I always feel like an extra in a Busby Berkeley movie in here.”
“Still watching old movies?”
“I like them. The new ones disappoint.”
She took her wine from the bar, tasted it, grimaced. “Bar wine.”
“We’re fresh out of Taittinger blanc de blanc…”
“Sorry, Connie,” she said. “I’m uptight—”
“About the other night?”
“Among other things.”
“I enjoyed it, watching the aging contingent of the Smithsonian hobble about on their canes.”
“Did you? Don’t answer, of course you did.”
“They do have their amusing sides.”
“There are also sides that are anything but amusing. Amusing… I hate that word. It’s too damn arch. Phony.”
“Pardon me, keeper of the language and all things pure. Look, if you’d rather go home. I’ll find something else to do.”
“Maybe you should. I’m not your typical date for the evening.”
“You’re not my date at all, Janis,” he said. “Youcalled me, remember? You suggested we get together and talk. Remember?”
“Let’s get a table.”
He ordered steak tartar, she had agnolotti in a rich cream sauce. They said little as they waited to be served. After the food arrived Constantine Kazakis said, “I have the impression that the cool and calm Miss Dewey might be on the verge of a collapse—”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“What’s bothering you, Janis? It was a pleasant get-together at Walter’s house. The pâté was good, the wine a cut above table variety and the conversation… well, the conversation was what it generally is, inside and competitive and—”
“You know I’m not referring to the usual chitchat, Connie. There are things Walter and Chloe said that bothered me.”
“Such as?”
“Do I have to repeat them? They applied to you, too.”
“You and I look at this whole thing differently, that’s all. Relax, it’ll blow over.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her lips together. He reached across the small table and took her hand. “Easy, Janis, you’re turning the molehill into a mountain.” Her beauty suddenly hit him—creamy skin, a mane of auburn-bordering-on-red hair reaching down her back, full, red lips and intense greenish eyes, a tall, lithe figure with full breasts.
She opened her eyes, pulled her hand free. “I’m
frightened
, Connie, and I think I have reason to be.”
“Frightened people make mistakes. All we have to do is not make mistakes and it’ll be a thing of the past… eat your pasta, it’ll get cold…
“Look Janis, you knew what you were getting into, and so did L Sometimes nice simple things get complicated,and the key to handling them is to get back to basics… that’s what Walter was saying. Remember? Lord, you should see yourself. You look like you’ve seen your mother’s ghost. Relax, pull yourself together and let’s get on with it.”
“I may leave.”
“Leave the museum?”
“Yes.”
“Bad move. Only invites questions… do you want your pasta heated?”
“No, I want to go home. I’m sorry Connie…”
Kazakis returned to the bar after Janis left. The young oriental woman was now alone. “Hi,” he said.
“Hello.”
“I’m embarrassed, your name is…”
“Tina. Your name is funny. Greek. Connie, right?”
“Right, for Constantine. Where’s your date?”
“How’ve you
Kazakis placed his hand on her arm. “Tough day?”
She opened her eyes and smiled. “Yes, very. You?”
“Like any other day in Washington’s answer to Disneyland. Did you see the piece on the weighing of the Hope?”
“Yes. I looked for your name.”
He laughed. “I’m the silent force behind the scenes. What are you drinking?”
“White wine. Are we having dinner? I’m starved.”
“I’d planned on it.”
“Here?”
“Why not?”
She smiled. “Because I always feel like an extra in a Busby Berkeley movie in here.”
“Still watching old movies?”
“I like them. The new ones disappoint.”
She took her wine from the bar, tasted it, grimaced. “Bar wine.”
“We’re fresh out of Taittinger blanc de blanc…”
“Sorry, Connie,” she said. “I’m uptight—”
“About the other night?”
“Among other things.”
“I enjoyed it, watching the aging contingent of the Smithsonian hobble about on their canes.”
“Did you? Don’t answer, of course you did.”
“They do have their amusing sides.”
“There are also sides that are anything but amusing. Amusing… I hate that word. It’s too damn arch. Phony.”
“Pardon me, keeper of the language and all things pure. Look, if you’d rather go home. I’ll find something else to do.”
“Maybe you should. I’m not your typical date for the evening.”
“You’re not my date at all, Janis,” he said. “Youcalled me, remember? You suggested we get together and talk. Remember?”
“Let’s get a table.”
He ordered steak tartar, she had agnolotti in a rich cream sauce. They said little as they waited to be served. After the food arrived Constantine Kazakis said, “I have the impression that the cool and calm Miss Dewey might be on the verge of a collapse—”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“What’s bothering you, Janis? It was a pleasant get-together at Walter’s house. The pâté was good, the wine a cut above table variety and the conversation… well, the conversation was what it generally is, inside and competitive and—”
“You know I’m not referring to the usual chitchat, Connie. There are things Walter and Chloe said that bothered me.”
“Such as?”
“Do I have to repeat them? They applied to you, too.”
“You and I look at this whole thing differently, that’s all. Relax, it’ll blow over.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her lips together. He reached across the small table and took her hand. “Easy, Janis, you’re turning the molehill into a mountain.” Her beauty suddenly hit him—creamy skin, a mane of auburn-bordering-on-red hair reaching down her back, full, red lips and intense greenish eyes, a tall, lithe figure with full breasts.
She opened her eyes, pulled her hand free. “I’m
frightened
, Connie, and I think I have reason to be.”
“Frightened people make mistakes. All we have to do is not make mistakes and it’ll be a thing of the past… eat your pasta, it’ll get cold…
“Look Janis, you knew what you were getting into, and so did L Sometimes nice simple things get complicated,and the key to handling them is to get back to basics… that’s what Walter was saying. Remember? Lord, you should see yourself. You look like you’ve seen your mother’s ghost. Relax, pull yourself together and let’s get on with it.”
“I may leave.”
“Leave the museum?”
“Yes.”
“Bad move. Only invites questions… do you want your pasta heated?”
“No, I want to go home. I’m sorry Connie…”
Kazakis returned to the bar after Janis left. The young oriental woman was now alone. “Hi,” he said.
“Hello.”
“I’m embarrassed, your name is…”
“Tina. Your name is funny. Greek. Connie, right?”
“Right, for Constantine. Where’s your date?”
“How’ve you
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