Bayview Heights Trilogy (84 page)

“She’s turning eighteen. It’s a big
birthday.”

“Godiva chocolate, four books and a designer
handbag should be plenty.”

“One more store.” Zoe grasped his hand,
relishing the right to touch him openly, to tease him, just to
be
with him. The only drawback was that he was charming
her all over again, and she was falling hard and fast.

Which was why she had to keep things light.
She was scared to death of the man who hugged her as they walked
through the huge airy mall, of the man who held her hand as if she
belonged to him.

“Did you enjoy the play last night?” he
asked.

“Hmm. I think Jason Priestly’s a doll. He
looked so yummy in that bare-chested scene.”

“You have no shame, woman.” He drew her
closer.

“I’ll prove that to you right now.” She
dragged him to the store she’d been saving till last.

He gazed at the window and said, “No
way.”

“Uh-huh. We’re buying her something here. I
got Erica’s birthday present in this place. Eighteen-year-olds love
this store.”

“Zoe, I’m liberal, but hell, I’m not getting
something at Victoria’s Secret for my own kid. What kind of message
would that send?”

She rolled her eyes. “That you understand the
female teenage mind.”

“
That
I’ll never do.”

“Oh, I don’t know. These days Ashley, Julia
and even Shondra think you’re pretty cool.”

“Shondra’s totally succumbed to Johnny’s
charms and sees all of us as saints. Rachel, Julia and, of course,
Ashley are grateful that I helped her out.” He scowled but Zoe knew
he wasn’t really looking at the display of demi-cup bras in the
window. “Erica’s hit a plateau with me, though. We’re not making
any more progress.”

Zoe scowled. “Erica looks kind of pale and
thin. I took her out for breakfast this week, and she hardly ate
anything. I’m worried about her.”

“Can I do anything?”

“No. I got her to talk to the school
counselor, Barb Sherman, again, but Barb says she didn’t tell her
much. Just like the last time.” Zoe shrugged off the worry. “Come
on, no bad thoughts today. We’re supposed to be having fun. Let’s
go get Lauren some fancy pajamas.”

“Well, I can handle pajamas, I think.”

He was pretty good with women’s underwear,
too, Zoe remembered, but didn’t tease. She knew he wanted to make
love, and she wasn’t ready yet, so they steered clear of even the
slightest sexual innuendo.

They had fun in the store. He blushed
furiously at the assortment of female “unmentionables,” and groaned
at the thought of his daughter wearing the stuff. He took an
interest in the pajamas, though. He was particularly ensnared by a
hot-pink nightgown which wrapped around a mannequin like a second
skin. She saw him finger it, then check out the price.

“Megabucks, I bet,” Zoe said, sauntering over
to him.

“It’s pure silk.” He cleared his throat.
“Worth it, I think”

“It’s too old for Lauren.”

He stared at her. “I wasn’t thinking of it on
Lauren.”

Her heart thudded in her chest. “Kurt,
I—”

“Ms. C? Is that you?”

Zoe spun around, clutching the dark blue
satiny pajamas she’d picked out for Kurt’s daughter. “Shondra,
hi.”

Julia and Rachel came up behind her. “Hi, Ms.
C, Dr. Lansing.” Both girls smiled at her and Kurt. Ashley appeared
and greeted them with a smile, too.

Finally Erica came into view. She stared at
Zoe, then at Kurt’s hand, resting lightly on the hot-pink silk;
when she looked up, her eyes were a little wild.

She turned and walked away.

The girls exchanged long, soulful looks, and
Kurt frowned after Erica.

o0o

“MEN ARE ALL SLIME.” Erica was pissed off,
big time. Caufield’s Chicks sat in the food court, munching on junk
food. She toyed with a French fry, but didn’t eat it. It was greasy
and made her stomach turn. She tapped her fingernails on the table,
thinking.

“They can be,” Ashley added. “God knows, Evan
is.”

“Jules, you zoned out again,” Shondra
observed. “You been out of it all day. What’s wrong?”

Julia shrugged. “Nothing.”

“It isn’t about Dan ‘the Man’ Caruso, is it?”
Rachel asked.

“No, why?”

“I saw him last night. At Pepper’s.”

“Yeah? He usually doesn’t hang out
there.”

Rachel and Ashley shared a knowing look. “He
was with vivid Vivian.”

Erica scowled at Julia’s stricken look.
Freakin’ men!
“See, they all
are
slime. Thought
you had something going with him, didn’t you, Jules?”

“No, Erica, I didn’t.”

Erica shrugged and let the lie go. She rubbed
her temples; the headache, which came with regularity, was
returning. And her scalp was starting to itch. Again. It had been
happening a lot lately.

Shondra added, “Anyway, they aren’t all
slime. John Battaglia’s a doll.”

“Do you have any idea the hell he raised at
Bayview years ago when he was a student?” Erica asked. “I hear he
was a gang leader.” She giggled and did a poor imitation of a
motorcycle revving. “I wonder if he had a bike. I think they’re
sexy.”

Ashley frowned. “He was in my sister Mimi’s
class. She said he was nice but had a big chip on his
shoulder.”

“All guys got baggage.” Erica’s tone was
surly.

Julia sat up straight. “Erica, what’s with
you? These days you’re so negative. You still uptight about this
stuff with Ms. C and Dr. Lansing?”

“There’s nothing going on there.”

“If you believe that, then you’re blind,
girl.” Shondra rolled her eyes. “What do you think that Victoria’s
Secret thing was all about?”

“You said they told you they were buying his
daughter a present.”

“They were eatin’ each other up with their
eyes.”

“I think they might be getting back
together,” Julia observed.

Erica slapped her hand on the table so loudly
the people next to them turned and stared. She didn’t give a rat’s
ass. “No way. She wouldn’t forgive him.”

Ashley shrugged. “Maybe she would if he makes
up for what he did.”

“You’re not thinking about going back with
Evan, are you?” Erica was horrified at the thought. Spots swam
before her eyes and the headache became full- blown.

Ashley’s face was sad. “No, he wasn’t the man
I thought he was. I’m done with him, at least for now. But not with
all guys. My sisters’ husbands are great. Mr. Taylor and Captain
Lansing are pretty neat.” She eyed Erica. “Since when did you get
into this male-bashing, anyway?”

Erica stood. Now her skin was itchy all over.
“I’m not. I need to go to the ladies’ room.” She couldn’t get away
fast enough.

As she headed for the restroom, she searched
her purse and popped an upper in her mouth before she got there.
She’d been trying like hell to cut down and usually managed, until
things like this happened.

When she walked into the restroom, she felt
something crawling in her head.

“Oh, God, she yelled, and flew to the mirror.
Lice? She checked her hair, though her vision blurred.

Then she felt them crawl down her neck.

“Get them off me, somebody please!” She shook
her head, scratching it with her fingers, flailing wildly at her
shoulders and arms. “Get off me!” she yelled.

“Erica?” Julia walked in. “What are you
yelling about?”

“The bugs,” she screamed, backing up against
the wall. “In my hair. On my neck. Get them off me!”

Julia rushed to her and checked her head. She
froze for a minute, then said, “Erica, there aren’t any bugs in
your hair.”

Erica stared at Julia until she came into
focus. It took a while. Julia called her name several times. Oh,
God, what had happened? “Bugs?” she finally asked, stalling for
time.

“You said there were bugs in your hair. Then
you zoned out.”

“Um, I was kidding. Jerking your chain.” Her
hands shaking violently, she turned to the sink to throw cold water
on her face.

Julia said, “I don’t believe you.”

The water helped sober Erica. She pivoted
around. “All right, I’m just stressed. I haven’t been sleeping and
my dad’s really on my case.”

“But you’re seeing things? This is crazy. We
need to tell somebody. Ms. Caufield, maybe.”

Erica felt her face flush. “No! She’ll get my
father involved and he’ll keep me locked up so my grades won’t
suffer.” She stepped toward Julia and grasped her arm. “Please.
Jules. Say you won’t tell Ms. C. We always keep secrets for each
other. All six of us.”

Julia stared at Erica. After a moment, she
said, “All right, I won’t tell Ms. C. This time. But if something
else happens, I will.”

Relief flooded Erica as they left the
bathroom. That had been really close.

THANKSGIVING DAY had been everything Kurt had
hoped for. He and Lauren had spent the day with Mitch and Cassie.
The midday meal had been wonderful and Zoe’s presence had made
everything perfect.

Then the Taylors arrived for an evening meal
of leftovers and Kurt was filled again with a feeling of warmth.
Family, friends and good food. What more could anyone ask? Finally,
he’d come into the living room with Mitch to watch the Giants make
mincemeat out of the Oilers. His brother had been recruited
upstairs to put Camille to bed, while Cassie helped Lacey settle
the twins down in the guest room. Before he’d left to tend to his
daughter, Mitch had squeezed Kurt’s shoulder and commented that it
looked like things were working out between him and Zoe. As Kurt
half watched the football game from a big overstuffed chair, he
thought about his big brother’s advice last weekend...

“What are you doing here?” Kurt had asked
early Sunday morning when he’d opened the door to his town house
and found Mitch on the stoop.

“I decided go running with my brother.” Mitch
hopped from one foot to the other to stay warm. “Get dressed and
meet me out here. I’ll stretch while you’re gone.”

“Yes, sir, Captain,” Kurt had joked, but he
liked the idea of an impromptu run with Mitch. They hadn’t had much
time together.

After about five minutes of companionable
silence, Mitch asked, “What’s going on, buddy?”

“Going on?”

“Things are different between you and Zoe.
Cass and I could tell when we got back from New York.”

Kurt smiled in the cool morning air. “You
guys couldn’t tell
anything
when you got back from New
York. A weekend alone made you honeymooners again.”

“Yep, it did.” Mitch grinned. “God, I love
that woman.”

“I’m happy for you.” Kurt meant it.

“So spill it. You didn’t just come over to
help Zoe with the girls.”

“Actually, I did.” Kurt slowed somewhat when
they reached an incline. “But you’re right, Zoe’s decided to give
me another chance.”

Mitch stopped dead in his tracks. “I thought
something was going on. Alexandra said she saw ‘Aunt Zoe on top of
Uncle Kurt’ on Camille’s twin bed.”

Rather than take the bait, Kurt gibed him
back. “Yeah? She told us how you get in the tub with Cassie, too,
big brother.”

Both men chuckled. Kurt said, “I can’t
believe I’ve got another chance with her, Mitch.”

Clapping Kurt on the back, Mitch said, “Well,
don’t screw it up this time, buddy.”

“I’m trying not to, but she’s put a lot of
damn rules on the whole thing.”

“Sounds like Zoe. You’ll live through it,
though you won’t like it.”

“I already don’t...”

“Dad?” Kurt came back to the present to find
his daughter beside his chair. “You awake?”

He realized he must have dozed off. “Yeah.”
He reached out for her hand. “Did I tell you how much it means to
me having you here today, Lauren?”

“About a thousand times.” Light brown
hair—with new streaks of blond, he noticed—brushed her shoulders,
and her hazel eyes sparkled. She was dressed in typical college
garb of denims, boots and a gray Hartwick sweatshirt that matched
his. “It’s fun seeing Zoe again.” She perched on the arm of the big
chair and kept hold of his hand. “I really like her, Dad.”

“So do I, princess.”

She kissed his cheek. “You’re a lot happier
than you were last Thanksgiving.”

“I was just thinking that.”

Last year, they’d eaten a stilted meal at an
upscale restaurant with Elizabeth’s parents. Kurt had been
miserable already, after just months into the reconciliation, but
was too proud to admit he’d made a mistake.

Just then two boys appeared in the archway:
Joe Taylor, Seth’s son, and Johnny. They were roommates at Columbia
University, and Joe put in as many hours at the
Herald
as
Johnny did at the clinic. Again Kurt was struck by their contrast:
Joe had classic blond good looks and dressed like a kid in prep
school, whereas John wore his standard black and was always in need
of a haircut.

“Did you ask him yet?” Johnny teased
Lauren.

“No.”

Joe gave her a mock frown. “Well, do it,
girl.”

“Go away and I will.”

Laughing, Joe dragged Johnny from the
doorway.

“What was that all about?” Kurt asked.

“I know we don’t have a lot of time together,
Daddy, but I want to do something tonight.”

“
Daddy
, huh? Must be something
big.”

“I’d like to stay here tonight. While we were
watching
The Lion King
downstairs, the kids asked Johnny
if they could have a sleepover. Alexandra, little Philip, Josh,
Johnny, Joe and me in Johnny’s rooms.”

“Are you kidding? I’m surprised you didn’t
come screaming upstairs after two hours with those three little
ones.”

“Josh and Philip are angels.” She gave him a
Lansing grin. “Alexandra’s a handful. But she and Camille are the
only cousins I have. I’d like to spend time with them.”

He nodded to the doorway. “And those two
handsome hunks have nothing to do with it?”