the
names of her best friends. She did remember Zainab—if only from the
car ride—and the doctors agreed that Zainab could come and go as
she pleased with Jessie.
Zainab all but moved into Richard’s house. He
was incredibly grateful that she was able to reduce her class load
to help out with Jessie. "I don’t think I’d get through without
you," he said quietly after she’d brought some things over.
"Of course you would," she said, stroking his
cheek. "You are the most magnificent man I’ve ever met. You’re
generous and kind. I don’t know who else would have lasted this
long."
He kissed her hand. "I don’t either if they
didn’t have you."
~~~
Miranda and Emily called Zainab for constant
updates, and Miranda had constant suggestions, most welcome, about
how they should proceed. And Zainab patiently listened and reported
and told them everything they wanted to know. Miranda was grateful
to Zainab as well, but she was also burning with jealousy, which
made her feel worse.
Michael had wanted to visit but Richard had
to put his foot down. He could not, under any circumstances, visit
his home for the foreseeable future. Richard would be happy to see
Michael at his house or anywhere else of his choosing, but Michael
could not come there.
Thus, Miranda and Alex found themselves in
Michael’s frequent company again. He would show up, unannounced as
usual, for dinner, or demand their presence on very short notice.
Miranda, miserable, tried her best to make sure that she had other
plans, but between Jessie’s convalescence, Zainab’s caretaking and
Emily’s work and marriage, she often found herself sitting across
the table from him, not even trying to make conversation and just
waiting for the opportunity to make an exit. She’d look up at the
ceiling, trying to make patterns with the stucco, or see if she
could identify how many petals were on the flowers in the foyer.
And always, at least once per visit, she’d see Michael looking at
her, not glaring as he used to, but half-smiling as if they shared
a secret together.
"He makes me sick!" Miranda said, slamming
down her books when she met Emily for lunch one day in
November.
"What did he do this time?"
"Nothing unusual—he’s just being Michael.
Only now..." she scoffed at herself for what she was thinking.
"Only now I don’t have Jessie or Richard to share in my misery.
Lucky them!"
"I will once again introduce the concept of
your own place."
"Oh, don’t start," Miranda said wearily. "I
know you don’t approve, but it’s the way it is, alright?"
"No, it’s not. You’re miserable."
"I could just kill Michael."
"Yeah, well, I’ve got to assume that if you
haven’t done so yet, it’s not so likely to happen now."
"I don’t know, I think Richard might
understand at this point."
"As would I," Emily said with a smile, "but
let’s try to keep you from things that might get you thrown into
jail, because that slime ball isn’t worth it."
"I can’t stand him," Miranda said, stirring
her coffee.
"Miranda, what’s up?"
"He just—I don’t know. I feel like he’s
trying to undress me with his eyes all the time."
Emily shuddered. "Yeah, that’s pretty gross."
She paused. "Miranda, did he ever-"
"I already told you!" Miranda snapped. Emily
blinked. "I’m sorry. No, no, he didn’t. Alex would have killed
him."
"And Alex wouldn’t now?"
"Of course he would," Miranda said
off-handedly, thinking of something else. "But I think he thinks I
feel the same way."
Emily laughed so hard she had to wipe her
eyes. Miranda looked around, and started laughing too. "It’s
crazy!"
"Just—eww! Why would you?"
"He’s so repulsive!"
"Miranda..."
"So...gross," Miranda said, half to herself.
"It’s like you can’t stop looking at him."
"Alright, that’s it." Emily rifled through
her bag. "Here," she said. Before Miranda could say anything, she
took two keys off her key chain and handed it to her.
"Don’t you think your studio might get
names of her best friends. She did remember Zainab—if only from the
car ride—and the doctors agreed that Zainab could come and go as
she pleased with Jessie.
Zainab all but moved into Richard’s house. He
was incredibly grateful that she was able to reduce her class load
to help out with Jessie. "I don’t think I’d get through without
you," he said quietly after she’d brought some things over.
"Of course you would," she said, stroking his
cheek. "You are the most magnificent man I’ve ever met. You’re
generous and kind. I don’t know who else would have lasted this
long."
He kissed her hand. "I don’t either if they
didn’t have you."
~~~
Miranda and Emily called Zainab for constant
updates, and Miranda had constant suggestions, most welcome, about
how they should proceed. And Zainab patiently listened and reported
and told them everything they wanted to know. Miranda was grateful
to Zainab as well, but she was also burning with jealousy, which
made her feel worse.
Michael had wanted to visit but Richard had
to put his foot down. He could not, under any circumstances, visit
his home for the foreseeable future. Richard would be happy to see
Michael at his house or anywhere else of his choosing, but Michael
could not come there.
Thus, Miranda and Alex found themselves in
Michael’s frequent company again. He would show up, unannounced as
usual, for dinner, or demand their presence on very short notice.
Miranda, miserable, tried her best to make sure that she had other
plans, but between Jessie’s convalescence, Zainab’s caretaking and
Emily’s work and marriage, she often found herself sitting across
the table from him, not even trying to make conversation and just
waiting for the opportunity to make an exit. She’d look up at the
ceiling, trying to make patterns with the stucco, or see if she
could identify how many petals were on the flowers in the foyer.
And always, at least once per visit, she’d see Michael looking at
her, not glaring as he used to, but half-smiling as if they shared
a secret together.
"He makes me sick!" Miranda said, slamming
down her books when she met Emily for lunch one day in
November.
"What did he do this time?"
"Nothing unusual—he’s just being Michael.
Only now..." she scoffed at herself for what she was thinking.
"Only now I don’t have Jessie or Richard to share in my misery.
Lucky them!"
"I will once again introduce the concept of
your own place."
"Oh, don’t start," Miranda said wearily. "I
know you don’t approve, but it’s the way it is, alright?"
"No, it’s not. You’re miserable."
"I could just kill Michael."
"Yeah, well, I’ve got to assume that if you
haven’t done so yet, it’s not so likely to happen now."
"I don’t know, I think Richard might
understand at this point."
"As would I," Emily said with a smile, "but
let’s try to keep you from things that might get you thrown into
jail, because that slime ball isn’t worth it."
"I can’t stand him," Miranda said, stirring
her coffee.
"Miranda, what’s up?"
"He just—I don’t know. I feel like he’s
trying to undress me with his eyes all the time."
Emily shuddered. "Yeah, that’s pretty gross."
She paused. "Miranda, did he ever-"
"I already told you!" Miranda snapped. Emily
blinked. "I’m sorry. No, no, he didn’t. Alex would have killed
him."
"And Alex wouldn’t now?"
"Of course he would," Miranda said
off-handedly, thinking of something else. "But I think he thinks I
feel the same way."
Emily laughed so hard she had to wipe her
eyes. Miranda looked around, and started laughing too. "It’s
crazy!"
"Just—eww! Why would you?"
"He’s so repulsive!"
"Miranda..."
"So...gross," Miranda said, half to herself.
"It’s like you can’t stop looking at him."
"Alright, that’s it." Emily rifled through
her bag. "Here," she said. Before Miranda could say anything, she
took two keys off her key chain and handed it to her.
"Don’t you think your studio might get
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