buyer, she a stereotypical housewife in Ohio. Both of them were stereotypes, Ralph thought. It wasn’t so bad.
“Why are you smiling?” Venus asked.
“I still love you more than I can express.”
She smiled back and started toward him, the fading light from the window catching a glint of tears in her eyes.
There was a knock on the door. Venus went to it and opened it.
“Hey, your room’s bigger’n ours!” Pattie exclaimed in mock outrage, as soon as she and George were inside.
Ralph and Venus glanced at each other. Ralph knew what her look meant: we’ll take up later where we left off.
“No phone in the bathroom, though,” Ralph said, though he wasn’t sure about that.
“Ah!” George said. “It’s all fair then.” He was a big man with sandy hair and horsey yellowed teeth that showed too much when he smiled.
Pattie had gone to the window and was looking out. “Where’s that place where you can line up and get cheap play tickets, Ralph?”
“Just a few blocks away. TKTS.”
“Why don’t we walk over there and see what we can get for tonight?”
Ralph would have preferred going to a theater box office, or calling Telecharge, but he knew Pattie and George were watching their pennies. “Tell you what, why don’t Venus and I walk over while you two unpack? Then we can meet downstairs for a drink.”
“That wouldn’t be right,” Pattie said. “We can all go.”
“You two oughta unpack,” Ralph said. He couldn’t think of why they should unpack first; he simply wanted to be alone with Venus, so they could choose the play. Pattie would want to see something serious and sappy that would put them all in a somber mood, and he knew Venus would prefer a big musical. Then, tonight when they returned from the theater …
“
“Ralph’s the only one knows right where the place is,” George reminded her.
“So let’s flip a coin,” Venus said.
Pattie was thinking it over, but Ralph already had a quarter out of his pocket.
“Heads we go,” George said.
Wishing there were some way he could cheat, Ralph flipped the coin high so it would land on the bed. It bounced twice before settling on the taut spread.
“Good,” he said. “We’ll go. That’s how it should be. You’re sort of our guests. You two unpack and we’ll phone up to you from the lobby when we get back with the tickets.”
The Nevertons agreed, Pattie reluctantly, and went back to their room.
When the door was shut, Venus kissed Ralph on the lips and stroked his chest. “Our lucky night,” she said.
He smiled down at her and kissed her forehead.
They left the suitcases where the bellhop had placed them; then they left to get play tickets.
For a musical, Ralph hoped. They’d enjoy a good dinner, then a loud, colorful musical with lots of dancing; then they’d have drinks with their best friends and talk about the show. Then it would be back to the hotel and to bed.
He followed Venus out and made sure the door was locked behind them.
11
Zoe Brady watched the balding guy in the produce department as he fingered some arugula. He was in his late thirties, a little overweight, nice clothes and an expensive-looking ring that wasn’t a wedding band on his left hand. He’d be fairly good looking without his glasses-if he ever was without them.
Maybe a keeper.
As he examined a pyramid of apples, he glanced her way. He was aware she’d been staring at him.
Zoe had picked up men before in her neighborhood grocery store. What better place to troll for men, to snare them unaware while they were thinking about food? Of course, they thought they’d picked up her. It was a game she knew and played very well.
She went to the zucchinis and touched one, then another, leaning forward so her skirt rose slightly in back. Give the guy a leg show. When she straightened up, she shook her head helplessly and approached him.
“I’m really sorry I have to ask,” she said, “but do you know what arugula is? I think it’s like a lettuce.”
He smiled, a little shy, and not quite believing his luck. “Sure. It’s right over there.” He pointed. “The ruffly- looking stuff.”
“Ruffly. That’s just what it looks like. Are you a writer?”
He laughed. Nice teeth. “No, I’m an accountant.”
“Oh. I thought, the way you knew about and described arugula, maybe you wrote advertising.” She gave him her best hesitant smile. She could play shy, too. “Thanks.”
“Thanks?”
“I mean, for knowing about the arrugla. I’ve got to buy this stuff to take to a dinner party where we’re all supposed to bring something. I’m bringing salad, and the host asked specifically for arugula.”
“She can keep it. It’s kind of bitter.”
“Really? Maybe she wants it because of her religion or something. Or for her health.” Zoe doing naive now. “I don’t know her well.”
“I don’t know you well, either,” he said, “but I’d like to.”
“You don’t know me at all.”
“True, but I want to change that.” He reached into a wallet he carried inside his sport jacket instead of on his hip-sometimes a sign of wealth-and handed her his business card. It said he was Herb Closeman and confirmed that he was an accountant, for a firm Zoe had never heard of.
“Mr. Closeman-”
“It’s Herb.”
“Okay, Herb.” She slid his card into a pocket. “It’s funny,” she said, “your name’s Herb and we met when I asked you about a herb.”
“Clearly it’s fate.”
“Clearly. I wouldn’t want you to think-”
“I’m not even going to ask for your name and phone number,” he said. “You have mine. Think about it, and if you’re at all interested, call me.”
She grinned and shrugged. “Well, that’s a safe enough proposition.”
“I’m a safe enough guy. Really.”
She held out her hand and they shook. “I’m Zoe.”
“A nice name for a nice woman.” He seemed to catch himself;
“So now we know each other,” Zoe said, “however slightly. But I have to buy my arugula and get out of here or I’ll be late for that dinner party.”
“Wouldn’t want that,” Closeman said. “Take a chance and call me, Zoe.”
“Okay, Zoe,” she said with a big grin.
Herb appeared confused for a moment, then grinned back.
She favored him with her brightest smile, chose a plastic container of arugala, and left the store.
On the way to her apartment, she tossed the stuff in a trash receptacle.
An hour later she sat, brushing her hair and getting ready to meet some friends at a restaurant for dinner and
