Woman Read Free

one," she
told him. "I can hardly afford to fall asleep at the show."
     
         "No," he muttered.
     
          "What?" she asked.
     
         "I said, no, you can't
afford to fall asleep at the show."
     
         "That's all I'd
need," she said.
     
         He went into the kitchen and
opened the oven door. The heat was on the warm setting. Reaching into the oven
he picked up one of the crab-stuffed cakes and put it in his mouth, making
puffing noises at the heat of it. He chewed it then. Good, he thought.
     
         "They're fine!" he called.
     
         "Well, take them out of
the oven then!" she said impatiently.
     
         God, I hope you win the
goddamn Emmy tonight, he thought. It's going to be a miserable weekend if you
don't.
     
         He put on an oven mitt and
lifted out the pan of hors d'ouvres, setting them on the counter.
     
         He was starting to transfer
them to a serving platter when the doorbell rang.
     
          "Oh, yeah," Liz said in the dressing room, "You can bet your
life that's Charlie. Always the first. What time is it?"
     
         "A few minutes past
six," he answered. "You want me to let him in?"
     
         "Unless you want me to let him in wearing my brassiere and
panties."
     
         "I'm sure he wouldn't
mind," he said to himself.
     
         "What did you
say?" she asked
     
         "Nothing," he
answered, walking toward the door. The doorbell rang again.
     
          "Anybody
home?" he heard Charlie's muffled voice in the
corridor.
     
         "On my way," David
murmured.
     
         He reacted with abrupt
surprise as he opened the door.
     
         Standing next to Charlie was
Ganine. Still wearing the same dress and jacket.
     
         Charlie thrust out his beefy
right hand. "Doctor! How ya doin'?" he said, his tone loud and
hearty. He was a heavy-set man in his fifties with a bushy bandit's mustache, a
flushed complexion.
     
         Charlie made a courtly
ushering gesture to her, "After you, my dear," he said.
     
         David knew that he should
tell Ganine she wasn't coming in, that she'd have to leave. Before he could act
though, she entered with a timid smile, glancing worriedly at David.
     
         "Met this lovely little
lady on your doorstep," Charlie said. He pointed at Ganine.
"Ganine?" he said. "Jeanine," she corrected.
"Ah," said Charlie. He grinned at David. "Must be from your side
of the tracks."
     
         David couldn't decide
whether or not to close the door. If he closed it, it would be as much as
inviting Ganine to stay. If he left it open—
     
         "Delighted you're going
to be with us," Charlie told Ganine, patting her back affectionately.
"Touch of youth. We can use it." He beamed at her, then chuckled.
"Doubly delighted for that matter. For once, I'm not the first to arrive.
Dreadful habit."
     
         "Ganine isn't—"
David started, then broke off as Charlie took a step into the living room.
"Where's that Emmy-winning producer of mine?!" he called.
     
         Liz answered from the
dressing room. "Will you stop it?" she scolded.
     
         David stepped in close to
speak to Ganine. "I'm sorry but this—"
     
         "I know I shouldn't do
it," she said.
     
         "No such animal!"
Charlie was booming. "We all win tonight! It's in the bag!"
     
         "Have a drink,
Charlie," Liz called.
     
         "You twisted my
arm," he answered, starting for the bar.
     
         "Ganine, this is really
out of the question," David told her sternly.
     
         "I won't get in
anyone's way," she said.
     
          "That
isn't the point.'" His voice rose uncontrollably.
"We simply—"
     
         "Are the hors d'oevres
out yet, David?" Liz called.
     
         "Almost!" he
called back. Jesus, he thought, if Liz saw Ganine here again—inside the
apartment. The notion made his teeth clench.
     
         "Well, get them
out!" Liz told