Drive Me Wild

Smiling broadly, the handsome restaurant owner approached Justin with open arms. “Hey, man. You’ve been scarce. What’s up?”

“I need a carry out. Lasagna, a nice mesclun salad and a small bottle of red wine.”

“You taking this to a woman, I gather.” Justin nodded. “Trust me, friend, I’ll make it nice for you.”

Meal in hand, Justin hurried back two blocks to Gina’s office. “Let’s see what we have here,” he said, eager to see delight in her eyes. He opened the package and found a large white napkin, a heavy, white, plastic plate and transparent plastic dinnerware. So far, so good. He opened the wine, poured a glass for her, said, “bon appetit” and went back to his desk.

He looked up to see her rim her lips with the tip of her tongue and inhale deeply. “Justin, if it wouldn’t be in poor taste, I’d walk over there and hug you,” she said, and savored the first bite of what he knew was the best lasagna in town.

“You may think it would be in bad taste,” he said under his breath. Aloud he said, “I’m glad you’re enjoying it. What time are the movers going to your place tomorrow?”

“Nine o’clock. You can have the day off.”

“You sure?” He needed the time because he’d done nothing on his project, and he had to sort out the information he’d collected so far. Once he did that, he’d know what he needed from Gina. He had already decided not to mention her name or the Lloyd estate.

“I’d appreciate the time,” he told her. It wouldn’t hurt to be away from her for at least one day, either. In the short time he’d known her, he’d already gotten used to her, and it occurred to him that her calming presence did wonders for him. The only stress she generated had to do with his libido, and he didn’t have much hope of that getting better.

“How do you go home?” Justin asked her at five o’clock when they closed the office.

“I usually take the bus up to Forty-second Street and change to the Amsterdam Avenue bus. It takes me right to my door.” When he stared down at her with an expression of disbelief, she felt uncomfortable, almost as if Miles were censoring her. “What is it, Justin?”

His shrug didn’t fool her. “I don’t know. In this traffic, it’ll take you almost an hour to get home, and you may have to stand all the way.” He paused and looked into the distance. “Gina, you have to get used to taking a taxi when you’re by yourself. Someone could kidnap you. You can afford a twenty-five dollar cab ride.”

Without thinking, she put her hand on his arm. “I know, Justin, but it’s not easy reordering my life. I’m sophisticated in many ways, and I like to be independent, but I’m used to a simple life, and I like it. I never asked for all of this money, but I’m delighted that I can use Heddy’s money for the betterment of others. But you’re right. I should take a taxi.” A grin floated over her face. “But mainly because my shoes are too tight.”

She laughed aloud at the look of amazement on his face. “See you day after tomorrow.”

“Right,” he said, “and don’t forget we pick up the car that afternoon.”

“I’ll remember. You have a good day tomorrow.” He hailed a cruising taxi, opened the door for her, and when she got in, he closed it and walked on up the street. “This won’t do,” she said aloud.

“What’s that, ma’am?” the driver asked.

“Just thinking aloud.” She gave him the address, sat back and mused over the day. When she got home, Gina prepared to spend her last night as a middle-class woman. She wasn’t going to stress about her new neighbors or wonder about Heddy’s reason for insisting that she live in the building for at least three years. After all, Heddy hadn’t spent much time with those neighbors, at least not in the last six years of her life. She pinched her arm. Yes, she was alive and sane, and her new life was real.

At home, she phoned her aunt Elsa. “Auntie, I’m moving tomorrow, and here’s my new address and phone number. As soon as you can, come to see me, we’ll shop for some really nice fabrics.”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing where you live, but I can’t get up there right away. I have a backlog of orders, and you know I don’t turn my work in late. How you making out?” She told her aunt what she had accomplished so far.

“Looks to me as if you either got a prize in that chauffeur or you made the mistake of a lifetime.”

Chills coursed through her veins. “What do you mean by that, Auntie?”

“So far, he’s a blessing, and it looks as if he’s a good man, though looks can be deceiving. He may be the kinda man you fall for, and if you do, you’ll rue the day. Never go for a man who works under or over you, and for goodness’ sake, don’t go to bed with him. If you do, you gotta swing to their rhythm and play the hand that they deal.”

“But, Auntie, I have this strange feeling that his role in my life was preordained. If you were around us, you’d probably think the same. We don’t seem to be controlling this.”

“No? Well, child, you’d better control it. Human beings are not saints, so no matter how good he is or what you think of him, remember that every cowboy wears spurs on his boots, and only one perfect man ever walked this earth. You get my meaning?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be careful,” she said, but if she didn’t stop fantasizing about the man, she wouldn’t want to be careful. She still felt his arms around her and the gentle caress of his fingers when they stroked her shoulder.

She kicked the carpet until her toe ached. If he only knew how badly I need him, she thought. He’s the most decent man I’ve ever known. It would be easier if he didn’t want me. But he does.

Chapter 3

The following morning, Gina walked out of her upper Broadway apartment for the last time, took a taxi to a building on Park Avenue three blocks from the famed Guggenheim Museum, smiled at the doorman and introduced herself.

“I’m Ms. Harkness and, as you know, I’m moving into 17-G this morning. My mover should be here any minute.” Gina looked him in the eye as she spoke to him. “I assume the management has informed you.”

She couldn’t figure out whether he was looking at a tenant or a woman he liked, so she stared at him until he said, “Yes, ma’am. I’ve been informed that you were moving in today, and I must say it’s good to have the owner living here. In the past that has meant we workers get a fair shake, and the building is well managed.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I assure you that there’ll be no change in those respects. Your name is?”

“Carver, Ma’am.”

“How many vacant apartments do we have, Carver?” She wanted to know whether he connected her with Heddy Lloyd.

“Just one, but I’m told there’re five applicants. We rarely get a vacancy, and an apartment doesn’t remain empty any longer than an ad is posted.”

“Thank you, Carver.”

“You’re welcome, ma’am. I hope you’ll be happy here.”

She introduced herself to the concierge and went to her apartment. Some thoughtful person had placed a chair near the door, and she put her pocketbook and briefcase on the chair and decided to check on the work she ordered. To her delight, the walls and floors in all the rooms and the kitchen were as she requested. She looked out of the living-room window across the avenue and could hardly believe the beauty that her eyes beheld.

Green trees and the plethora of daffodils, tulips and primroses in a myriad of colors and in well-tended patches brought a gasp from her. The avenue’s parklike center sparkled in its beauty. This was a New York she’d never known. She took a deep breath and went to get her cell phone, hoping that she could capture what she saw in a photograph. She stopped. She hadn’t seen the tiniest shred of paper since she left 125th Street. Her door buzzer rang, and she found it quickly and answered.

“Your movers have arrived. May I send them up?”

“Yes. Of course. Thank you.”

“We have your floor plans, miss. So if you’ll give us some room, we’ll have everything in place shortly.”

She took the chair and her personal things into the kitchen, sat down and took out her cell phone. Her fingers itched to dial Justin’s number, and she had to work hard at restraining them. Why should she miss him so much? At the sound of her cell phone ringing, she nearly sprang from her chair.

“Hello.”

“This is Justin. How’s it going, ma’am? Do you need any help?”

“Hello, Justin. Thanks, but I don’t think so. The movers are putting things in place, and there isn’t much. The bedroom furniture will be delivered this afternoon. I haven’t bought dining-room furnishings and additional things for the living room yet. This place is so big.”

“Do you think you’ll like it?”

“Oh, yes, the avenue is beautiful, and I have a glimpse of Central Park.”

“It’s beautiful after a snowfall, too. Well, I just wanted to know how you’re getting on. I won’t keep you. See you tomorrow at the office. ’Bye.”

“’Bye, Justin, and thanks for calling.”