“I saw her in the street and sketched her,”she told Nicki. “Now I’m told she’s the missing coed Sasha Perry.”
I just drew her, not the same as saying I saw a ghost. Carl and Paul were now goingon about blocked rodent receptor sites as Nicki leaned closer…gave the sketch adouble take.
“Wow, Sasha Perry, I recognize her from thenews,” she said in a low oh gee voice, and looked back up to Liddy. “You aregood - and you saw her?”
“Well, someone who apparently looks likeher.” Still deflecting, but feeling her heart lurch remembering the running blondgirl – it was Sasha - the Winnie the Pooh stud in her right ear, adetail Kerri said hadn’t been in any released photos. Too bad, Liddy decided,if no one else on Prince Street saw her; she wanted to jump up right now andcall Kerri, but she couldn’t. Paul had just glanced at her briefly and Nicki wasogling the sketch Liddy still held low – then seconds later the waiter returnedwith salads. Attention was diverted to ordering main courses and the waiter fillingthe four wine glasses, and Liddy hurried her sketchbook back to her purse. Angryor not, she’d suddenly felt uptight about having it out. Really, she toldherself: sleeping dogs, thin ice, keep the fragile peace, maybe take her phoneto the ladies room?
The Coke and air-conditioning had restored,and the glass of wine before her looked good. Liddy drank; let it go down,start to work. Ah, better. Nicki was sipping her wine too, listing in her chaira little.
“Finish my martini?” Nicki asked, pushingher half full glass to Liddy. “I had two at the bar before this one, I feeldizzy.”
Liddy thanked, finished Nicki’s martini,and slugged more wine. Paul gave her a slight frown. She gave him a go to helllook.
They were all digging into their salads whenNicki turned to Carl. “You knew Sasha Perry, didn’t you?”
Liddy’s fork stopped halfway to her mouth. Thelight-headedness from her wild chase was replaced by the effects of the booze, andshe wasn’t sure she’d heard right. Paul stared as Nicki dove into Liddy’s pursefor her sketchbook and pulled it up and pushed it at Carl, who looked quicklyaway from it and said no, he’d never laid eyes on the girl, and Nicki insisted,“But wasn’t she in your biochem class? No wait - she only audited – afriend of a friend knew her and said so.”
Liddy blinked as last night flashed - Paul stressingabout Carl’s pique, blaming her. He’d told Kerri he didn’t know Sasha.
Tension all around: Carl started to arguewith Nicki; Liddy stashed her sketchbook back while Paul helped bury the subjectunder a tide of thin witticisms about everyone seeing this girl’s ghost. Carlglared, Paul switched to shop talk, and Nicki was easily distracted; feltterrible hearing about adorable little white mice who’d been sacrificed intheir experiments – but they hadn’t felt a thing, promise. Just went to sleephigh and happy, not so good for us, ha.
Then Paul saw Liddy staring at Carl; caughther eye: Stop, means nothing. She looked away; Oh yeah?
“Can I join the fun?” she heard, and lookedup into the pale eyes of Ben Allen standing there, flushed and grinning expectantlyfrom Carl to Paul. “You tell yet?”
How relieved they both looked at thedistraction, trading grins that instantly forgot the last few minutes.
What now? Liddy thought.
“The surprise,” Paul said brightly, invitingBen to sit. Ben pulled up two chairs from a table just vacated as his datenamed Amber joined them. “Hi!” said Amber. “We’ve been at the bar!”
Then, as if announcing that they’d foundthe cure for cancer, Paul beamed again. “The boat,” he said, leaning to Liddy.“Carl and Ben are going to buy it. Joint venture.”
Amber started gushing about how thrilledshe was, she’d always wanted to learn sailing, and Ben said he was lookingforward to losing his New York pallor, get back out in the sun and the wind. Helooked excited until he saw Liddy’s expression; looked to Paul, then looked backto Liddy. “You didn’t know?”
Paul told her quickly that they’d just decidedyesterday. “Firmly, I mean. We’ve been talking about it for a while.”
They were all a blur. The last few minutes’chatter had been like white noise to Liddy, replaying instead what she’d heardabout Carl and Sasha. She didn’t care about the boat. “It’s Paul’s,” she toldBen after a beat. “I knew it would sell sooner or later.”
Paul reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Hey,we’re nearly flush. Is that a surprise or what? You happy?”
She smiled and nodded; pulled her handaway.
He was disappointed. “You don’t seemhappy.”
“It’s not that. My leg hurts.”
“We’ll cab home.”
“Fine.”
Ben leaned closer to Liddy, oblivious to someonesqueezing past behind his chair. “This changes nothing,” he said feelingly. Hisdark hair was slicked back, his pale eyes earnest. “We’ll still all ofus go out, have good times like always but this way” – his glance flicked toCarl, who smirked – “we won’t have to feel guilty about borrowing the boat somuch.”
He was more white noise, just babbling hispracticed sincerity.
Liddy was staring at Carl.
Barely joined the others saying ‘bye to Benas he rose, gave a slightly drunken salute – squint: Gilligan’s Island –then left with Amber, who waved amid lots of “Ship ahoy!” and “nice meetingyou!”
Carl’s watch seemed to startle him. “Thetime!” he said, and clapped Paul’s arm. “We gotta jet. Lab awaits.”
Paul looked back from sizing up Liddy, and shookhis head. “I think I’ve had too much to drink. I’ll catch up tomorrow.”
That started another fuss: But that still-alivemouse - they had to test her before she croaked!
While they were at it, Liddy subtly askedNicki
