“On the plus side, you could let your eyebrows grow back.”
“There is nothing wrong with my eyebrows.”
“Whatever you say, Armando.”
“I’d have to ask Bella to find another place.”
“She can bunk with me again. Although she’ll need to establish her own address soon.”
“Why is that?”
“You’re going to love this-she’s talking about running for Congress against Brandon. Where on earth would she get a fool notion like that?”
“I can’t imagine. You said you were just getting warmed up. Is there anything else that you flew out here to tell me?”
“Ask you. And I have no right ask it. Not after everything I put you through. But I need to know the answer.”
“To what?”
“You once told me that elephants and Jewish men never forget.”
“Yeah, that sounds like me.”
She swallowed hard and said, “Do you forgive?”
He gazed at her, getting lost in her eyes for a long moment. “It’s too late, Des. What we had together in Dorset, that was something magical. But we can never get it back. It’s gone for good. You’re wasting your time here. I’m sorry.”
“So am I,” she said, her voice heavy with regret. “But, hey, thanks for an honest answer.”
His bedside phone rang, startling them both. It was the concierge again. “I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Berger, but there seems to be some confusion. There’s another young lady down here who claims to be Miss Naughton.”
“It’s true, she is. They’re sisters. Very long story. Would you… Oh, hell, I’ll be right down.” Mitch hung up, grabbed a Mets T-shirt from the dresser and dashed into the bathroom. Shucked his robe. Put on the shirt and the jeans that were hanging from the back of the door. Found his Pumas on the bedroom floor. Stepped into them and started out the door.
“Mitch, where are you going?” Des called after him.
“Downstairs to break up with Cecily. Des, I just tried lying to you and I can’t. I won’t. The truth is that I’m very good at forgiving. Forgiving is one of the things I do best. And I’m still so in love with you that I haven’t been able to breathe since you walked in this room. I’ll love you until the day I die. Hell, I’ll love you even after they’ve put me in the pine box and covered me over with dirt and grass and-and…” He came up for air, his hand gripping the door handle. “You’ll still be here when I get back, won’t you?”
“I guess Disneyland can wait. Mind if I call room service?”
“Not at all. What are you in the mood for?”
“The lumberjack special-with extra pancakes. I’m absolutely starving all of the sudden. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been so hungry in my whole life.”
