moneyin the bank after selling the apartment, but it wouldn’t last forever, not the way Alana liked to live. And they had the monthly rental money from the house in the Hamptons. But it was slim pickings compared to what they’d been used to. She had made an easy lateral move when she moved to her father’s in L.A., and Gary was delighted to pick up all their bills, which Peter hated. He wanted to support his own wife and kids.
He had let Alana know when he was coming, and her father’s car and driver picked him up at the airport. He was pleasant to Peter and put his suitcase in the trunk of the Rolls, and they headed toward Bel Air. The weather was warm and balmy, and it was a far cry from the freezing cold in New York when he left. It felt like spring in L.A. They wouldn’t have weather like that in New York until May or June.
Alana was out when he got to the house—the maid told him she was at a luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel—and the boys were still in school. They got home before she did, and both boys threw their arms around his neck as he hugged them, and they shouted in excitement and delight. Ben looked as though he had grown a foot since his father had seen him, and Ryan looked suddenly more mature. Not seeing them for five weeks made him more aware of changes than usual. And he thought Ryan looked very serious once the excitement over his arrival abated.
“Everything okay?” Peter asked him as they headed to the kitchen for a snack. Ryan nodded with a smile.
“Yeah, it’s fine.”
“I thought maybe we could get some skiing in during your break,” Peter suggested as they both made sandwiches. Ben had gone to his room to watch TV.
“Grampa is taking us to Aspen,” Ryan said noncommittally, andPeter noticed that he didn’t look thrilled about it. And Peter would feel like a freeloader going along with them on his father-in-law’s tab.
“That sounds like fun,” Peter said as they sat down at the table.
“Yeah, I guess,” Ryan said, taking a bite out of his sandwich, as his mother walked into the kitchen and saw her husband for the first time in five weeks. She looked considerably less excited about it than the boys. She kissed Peter on the cheek, and she looked nervous when he put his arms around her and kissed her on the mouth. She was quick to move away, and asked Ryan how school had been that day.
“It was fine. My chemistry teacher is a jerk,” he said grumpily as he finished his sandwich and put the plate in the sink. Peter was watching him and thought he looked unhappy, and a minute later Ryan walked out of the kitchen, saying he had some homework to do.
“I missed you,” Peter said, smiling at Alana. He put his own plate in the sink and followed Alana out of the kitchen, as she chatted about lunch. Her circle of friends seemed to have widened since he left. She was hanging out with an assortment of celebrities and Hollywood wives. She looked as beautiful as ever in a tight white silk dress and high heels. She was looking very L.A. these days, without a trace of New York. “Did your clothes get here?” he asked her, and she nodded.
“I put it all away. I can’t wear that stuff here. I put your things in the closet too.”
They were in their bedroom by then, and Peter looked at her as though seeing her for the first time. He had a sudden, overwhelmingdesire to make love to her. She looked so beautiful, he had missed her, and it would be so comforting to be in bed with her again. And then he saw how strangely she was looking at him from across the room, and he remembered how distant they had felt from each other when he last saw her. And she’d been cool on the phone, or out.
“Something wrong?” he asked, picking up on an odd new vibe, as though she had turned into someone else while he was gone.
She looked at him endlessly from across the room and nodded, and then she said the words he never thought he’d hear from her and nearly stopped his heart. “I want a
He had let Alana know when he was coming, and her father’s car and driver picked him up at the airport. He was pleasant to Peter and put his suitcase in the trunk of the Rolls, and they headed toward Bel Air. The weather was warm and balmy, and it was a far cry from the freezing cold in New York when he left. It felt like spring in L.A. They wouldn’t have weather like that in New York until May or June.
Alana was out when he got to the house—the maid told him she was at a luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel—and the boys were still in school. They got home before she did, and both boys threw their arms around his neck as he hugged them, and they shouted in excitement and delight. Ben looked as though he had grown a foot since his father had seen him, and Ryan looked suddenly more mature. Not seeing them for five weeks made him more aware of changes than usual. And he thought Ryan looked very serious once the excitement over his arrival abated.
“Everything okay?” Peter asked him as they headed to the kitchen for a snack. Ryan nodded with a smile.
“Yeah, it’s fine.”
“I thought maybe we could get some skiing in during your break,” Peter suggested as they both made sandwiches. Ben had gone to his room to watch TV.
“Grampa is taking us to Aspen,” Ryan said noncommittally, andPeter noticed that he didn’t look thrilled about it. And Peter would feel like a freeloader going along with them on his father-in-law’s tab.
“That sounds like fun,” Peter said as they sat down at the table.
“Yeah, I guess,” Ryan said, taking a bite out of his sandwich, as his mother walked into the kitchen and saw her husband for the first time in five weeks. She looked considerably less excited about it than the boys. She kissed Peter on the cheek, and she looked nervous when he put his arms around her and kissed her on the mouth. She was quick to move away, and asked Ryan how school had been that day.
“It was fine. My chemistry teacher is a jerk,” he said grumpily as he finished his sandwich and put the plate in the sink. Peter was watching him and thought he looked unhappy, and a minute later Ryan walked out of the kitchen, saying he had some homework to do.
“I missed you,” Peter said, smiling at Alana. He put his own plate in the sink and followed Alana out of the kitchen, as she chatted about lunch. Her circle of friends seemed to have widened since he left. She was hanging out with an assortment of celebrities and Hollywood wives. She looked as beautiful as ever in a tight white silk dress and high heels. She was looking very L.A. these days, without a trace of New York. “Did your clothes get here?” he asked her, and she nodded.
“I put it all away. I can’t wear that stuff here. I put your things in the closet too.”
They were in their bedroom by then, and Peter looked at her as though seeing her for the first time. He had a sudden, overwhelmingdesire to make love to her. She looked so beautiful, he had missed her, and it would be so comforting to be in bed with her again. And then he saw how strangely she was looking at him from across the room, and he remembered how distant they had felt from each other when he last saw her. And she’d been cool on the phone, or out.
“Something wrong?” he asked, picking up on an odd new vibe, as though she had turned into someone else while he was gone.
She looked at him endlessly from across the room and nodded, and then she said the words he never thought he’d hear from her and nearly stopped his heart. “I want a
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