«I don't care, Ivan.
«What — you want to, uh, cast her in a
«Maybe.»
«You're gonna make her a
Both men sat down on the front entryway's limestone pavers and watched the late afternoon's solar aureoles around the plants and birds and insects of Ivan's garden.
«Where were you coming from just now?» John asked.
«Temple, temple, temple.»
«Three times a week still?»
«I'm in …
«Where'd you meet?»
«The Ivy. Today.»
«Lunch? Today?» He whistled. «
«A half-year ago in Cedars when I, you know —
Ivan's body locked upon hearing this. «Now,
«Over
Ivan was both worried that John was relapsing back into his despondency of the months before, and slightly excited at the idea his friend might be making an emotional connection, something he'd never done before. «What do you know about her, John-O?»
«That's what I've been asking
«I think her agent's Adam Norwitz. She was with Larry Mortimer until a few years ago. An ugly split. She stalked him. And I don't think she's worked since the grunge era. Say, 1994. A slasher flick? No, wait, it's some new one —
«Ivan, you ought to know not to slag somebody's loved one to his face.»
«
«Word games.»
They heard steps behind them — Nylla, holding a silent baby. «Having our funzies out here on the front steps, are we, boys?»
«Hey, Nylla.»
«John, hello. Will you be eating with us in the big house tonight?»
«Nah. Thanks. I'm having Metrecal and celery with Ma down at the house.»
«Congratulations on the French numbers over the weekend. Ooh-lah-
«We did okay over there?»
«John-O, I tried to tell you back when I picked you up at Gretna Green. Hey Nylla, guess what — John-O's in love! Lovesy-dovesy. Susan Colgate.»
«Susan Colgate!» said Nylla. «Oh John, that's so weird. So exciting. I used to love her in that old show of hers,
John's face confirmed the truth.
«Well, I must say,» smiled Nylla, «nature works in mysterious ways to get us to propagate the species.»
«They met at Ivy today at lunch.» Ivan couldn't contain himself.
She's the woman I saw in my out of body experience when I was laid up in Cedars.»
The smile muscles on Nylla's face changed like a tide, ebbing from real into phony. «Well then.
«I'm in. You, John-O?»
«Nah. I'm going to go phone Adam Norwitz.»
«Adam — » said Nylla. «Say hello for me. He represented me for about six minutes a few years ago.»
«Hey. I was talking to his agency today,» said Ivan. «His number's still in my cell's memory.» He pulled out his cell phone and punched some digits. Two seconds later he said, «Adam Norwitz, please. John Johnson calling.» He handed the phone to John. «Here.»
John gave Ivan the hairy eyebrow and took the phone. «Hello, Adam?»
Adam was on: «John
«Yeah, yeah, thanks. Hey, Adam, I need a home number from you. Susan's.»
Adam hemmed and hawed as though his morals were in serious conflict.
«Adam, don't give me that discretion routine. I need Susan's phone number.»
«I'm not sure if I can …»
«It's personal, not business. Call and ask her if it's okay if you want. And I'll owe you a big favor.»
«Of course I'll give you her number. But it's not» — he rustled some papers into the phone's receiver — «right here right now. Give me five minutes, okay?»
«Five minutes or no deal.»
They hung up. Adam immediately called Susan's line and got her machine, where he left a message: «Susan! Swimming with the big fish now, are we? None other than your strolling companion John Johnson just phoned asking me for your number. He says it's personal.
Adam called back John and gave him Susan's number, which John wrote on the back of one of Ivan's business cards. He hung up. Ivan and Nylla stared at him.
«Yes?» said John.
«Call her,» said Nylla.
«What, with you guys here?»
«
John dialed and got Susan's answering machine. He whispered the words «answering machine» to Ivan and Nylla. And then he left a message: «Susan, it's John — Johnson. I hope you got home okay. Man, was it ever hot today and — oh jeez, I'm stuttering into your machine.» He paused to gather his thoughts. «Well, you know what I feel like today? It's like this: the last little while I've been feeling as if — as if I've come back from a long trip away — and I've been continuing on with my life again, but it's only today that I realized something went missing while I was gone. And I think it's you, and I want to see you again so badly I think I'm going blind. So call me.» He left his number.
Nylla's eyes were beginning to tear. «Come inside and eat with us,» Nylla asked. «Please,» she added. The baby woke up and screamed. «I'll ask Doris, too.»
And so John went inside to eat with Ivan and Nylla.
Half a year ago, just as John left the city and became a dharma bum, the couple had had a daughter, MacKenzie. She wailed like a crack baby and had a cluster of medical firestorms that had left Ivan and Nylla frazzled, but especially Nylla. Sleepless nights and worries had made her a soccer mom, and Ivan was converting into a soccer dad. Their kitchen was a shambles and all the more pleasant for it. «Watch where you sit,» said Nylla. «I think Mac might have had a minor exorcism on that seat.»
«Help us choose a name for the next one,» said Ivan.
