Читать книгу Tempting Taylor - Joan Elizabeth Lloyd - Страница 9

The next two weeks were given over to moving. It took Tay a while to go through all her stuff. As she told Lissa during one of their long phone calls, she had both an apartment sale and a throwing-away party and she’d gotten rid of tons of junk. At last her hoard was whittled down to just a few things, and eventually the final boxes were stowed, filling the backseat and trunk of Lissa’s Toyota, the one that Tay would be using while she was living on Maple Court. Tay was behind the wheel so she could get her driving legs, as Lissa had put it. Living in New York City, Tay had had little need for a car, so although she’d driven in high school and early in college, she’d done little since.

As they drove up the Saw Mill River Parkway, Tay inhaled deeply. Yes, spring was imminent and she became aware of it more here than she had ever been in the city. It was the beginning of April, and although the forsythia was a little behind that in Brooklyn Heights, what bright yellow there was stood out among the still-bare trees. “I love this time of year,” Tay said, cracking open the driver’s side window so she could try to smell the country. Although she thought of herself as a city girl, having grown up in Jersey she found that she really missed the open spaces, too.

“Me too,” Lissa said. “The forsythia is almost there. Three-cythia, my dad calls it. You’ll love watching things bloom. The backyard will delight you with something different every day.”

“You can stop selling now,” Tay said with a chuckle. “I’m here, with all my stuff in the car. I’m not going to go back on you now.”

Lissa grinned. “I’m just so happy the way this has all worked out that I’m afraid something will go wrong.”

“Nothing can go wrong.”

“Can go wrong, can go wrong, can go wrong,” Lissa said, chuckling at the punch line of the old joke.

“So has your dad set the date for the embarkation?”

“Next Tuesday.”

Tay felt herself start to panic. “So soon? I have so much to learn about taking care of your house.”

“Nonsense. Marta will come in every Tuesday and clean. She’ll even change the sheets and do your laundry.”

Tay didn’t like the thought of someone going through her dirty clothes. “Not my laundry, she won’t.”

“Okay, we’ll tell her to leave your stuff alone. The pool guy comes on Wednesday and he’ll take care of both the pool and the spas. The garden guys come every Thursday to do the lawn and they know what’s to be done with the flowers and all that. Payments have already been arranged, but if you have any trouble or questions you can always e-mail.”

“Sounds like it takes an army to keep the house running.”

“I guess it does.” Lissa sat back in the passenger seat and let out a long breath. “I couldn’t have done this without you, Tay, and it means everything to me.”

Tay reached out and patted her friend’s thigh. “No sweat, hon. It will be my pleasure.”

“I know it will, but sometimes I think it’s a big imposition.”

Tay glanced over and raised an eyebrow. “Now she tells me.” Then she burst out laughing, soon joined by Lissa.

They turned off the Parkway and made the few turns onto Maple Court. The first time Tay had visited she’d been awed by the affluence of the neighborhood, and she found that now that she was going to be living there, she was even more overwhelmed. What would a girl from a middle-class neighborhood in New Jersey do every weekend in this palatial house?

The cul-de-sac contained six houses, although most could not be seen from the road. Tay knew that the builder had had to create some oddly shaped parcels to conform to the local zoning laws and wetlands ordinances, so although each house had a narrow frontage on the court, the driveways were long and the houses sat far back among the carefully arranged landscaping.

The Bonner house was the second on the right. Tay drove up the long driveway and pulled to a stop in front of the doors to the four-car garage. “We’re leaving the Mercedes and Daddy’s Corvette. You can keep the Toyota on this side,” Lissa said, using the remote button to open the leftmost of the two double doors.

Tay gazed again at the huge house. She was going to be house-sitting in this mansion, she thought. Amazing. The grass in the front yard was as slick as a putting green and several flowering trees were getting ready to bloom. The foundation of the house was concealed with azaleas, rhododendrons and mountain laurels, with several trellises covered with vining roses, none of it yet blooming. Tay knew that the backyard was as carefully manicured as the front and the area around the pool would be a riot of color from now until late into the fall, with flowers blooming everywhere.

“You might not meet any of the neighbors,” Lissa said, pulling Tay back to reality. “Everyone around here pretty much sticks to his or her own business, but as the weather gets warmer and dogs need to be walked, occasionally you’ll see some of the folks.”

Tay climbed out of the car and stared down the long driveway, then back at the house.

“You’re getting that deer-in-the-headlights look,” Lissa said.

Tay did feel like someone totally out of her element. Was she really sure she wanted to do this? Yes, she told herself. Lissa needs me and it’s only for six months. And there’s always the pool.

She’d arranged to telecommute every Tuesday and Thursday, starting in a week or two when she could get organized, but the other three days, and when her job needed her, she’d take the train into Grand Central. But what was she going to do on the weekends? Well, she’d have a train ticket and a car and she could go into the city on Saturday or Sunday and do what she always had. Movies, museums, visits with her few friends; she’d find things. And the Internet got her anywhere and everywhere.

She stared up at the three-story, white clapboard house with black shutters. “I guess I had forgotten how big this thing is.”

“It’s nothing so special,” Lissa said lightly, gazing at her friend.

“You’ve lived here since your dad bought this thing in 2004. I can remember back that far and I seem to recall you being very impressed at the time.”

Lissa smiled ruefully. “I guess you’re right. I had forgotten.” She took Tay’s hand and squeezed. “It really is just a house.” She giggled. “A big motherfucker, but a house nonetheless.”

Tension broken, the two women laughed easily as they began to lift cardboard boxes from the trunk. “That’s Pam DePalma,” Lissa said as a Lexus pulled into the cul-de-sac. “She lives in that one.” Lissa pointed to the driveway at the end of the circle. From her vantage point, Tay could just make out a cream-colored convertible as it pulled into the driveway. “She’s a delightful woman who throws parties for a living. I’ve seen a few famous faces coming and going, and when she’s entertaining, the street is full of limos. My father went to a few of her galas. A good-looking man with a worldwide reputation like Daddy is always welcome at any function.”

Dave Bonner certainly would be an asset to any gathering, Tay realized—broad shouldered, rugged looking, with bedroom eyes and the perpetual five o’clock shadow that seemed so in fashion. Sexy, actually. She’d never discuss this with Lissa, of course. Finding a friend’s father sexy was just too weird. “Is your dad around?”

“Nope. He’s in the city meeting with his agent. They’re going to some gallery opening. He’ll pick up some lovely woman, go to dinner and stuff, then adjourn to her place for ‘a nightcap.’” Lissa make quote marks in the air. “Ahh, the life. ‘I’m going to be on location in Africa for six to nine months,’ he’ll say. ‘Just me, my daughter and the wild animals.’ The women melt, thinking they’ll be the last sex he’ll have for all that time.” She giggled. “So he probably won’t be home until tomorrow, or maybe Monday.”

“You seem to know his routine pretty well.”

“Oh, I’ve watched him operate for many years, so I’m used to it. That was why I was so sure he’d never take me along. Now I guess he thinks I’m old enough not to cramp his style. Well, Daddy, I’m old enough to develop my own ‘style.’”

“It’s more difficult for us girls,” Tay said. “Guys have it pretty good. They can pick up women whenever they want.” She thought about Steve. “And toss them when they’re done.”

Catching the edge in Tay’s voice, Lissa said, “You’re sounding very jaundiced.”

“Sorry. A little of my ex-boyfriend crept into my thinking.”

“Well, toss him,” Lissa said, opening the front door and punching the security code into the keypad. “You’re starting all over.”

“True enough.” She put down the box she’d been carrying. “Okay, show me the security stuff I need to know.”

As Lissa showed her the code for the alarm system and told her the password for the alarm company, two cats, Ginger and Honey, arrived to spec out the visitor. Once they sniffed and ascertained that they knew Tay, they rubbed against her legs and snaked around her ankles. Precious stood in the doorway. If a cat could glare at an intruder, Precious was doing just that. However, she couldn’t be bothered enough to take any overt action.

“The dogs are in their area in the side yard,” Lissa said. “I’ll show you where everything is, including the vet’s number just in case. Come on out back.”

Tay knew that the dogs were perfectly happy in their partially covered enclosure with executive doghouses, but they did like to get walked and have a ball thrown for them from time to time. Lissa continued. “There is a pooper-scooper for weekly cleanups. The yard people try to do it, but at least one of them is scared to death of Mopp. Food is inside. I’ll show you where.”

The dogs were delighted to see the two women, and when they opened the gate to their enclosure both jumped and barked joyfully. Tay and Lissa picked up toys and played with the dogs until they were panting with exertion.

Finally they went back inside, picked up the boxes they’d set down in the hall and carried them up to the largest guest room. “I thought you’d prefer your own space, but please feel free to use any of my stuff,” Lissa said, then sized Tay up. “Looks like we still wear the same size, so go for it, and don’t worry about anything. You know how I enjoy buying more stuff, so if anything gets messed up, don’t sweat it.”

They made two more trips to the car and dumped the boxes in the large closet in the guest room. When the two women walked into Lissa’s room, Tay’s eyes widened. There were clothes everywhere, folded, dumped, draped and piled on every conceivable surface. “Lissa…”

“Okay, I know. But I can’t decide what to pack.”

Amazed but not surprised, Tay said, “You’re going to be dressed in grubbies for the duration, so what’s the big issue?” Then she grinned. “Okay, okay. In case of emergencies, right?” Despite the piles of clothing, Tay glanced into Lissa’s closet, which was still full.

“Oh, Tay, you know me so well. Just in case I need something for a dinner somewhere, I want to have something I can dress up in.”

Tay gave her what they both called the “hairy eyeball.”

“Okay, I get the point.” Changing the subject, Lissa said, “Why don’t you wait to unpack until later? I’m ready for the pool.”

The day hadn’t been particularly warm, but they’d been wrestling with boxes and dogs for over an hour, so Tay was ready for a swim. “Love to.”

Together, arm in arm like the dearest friends they were, they headed for the back of the house and opened the sliding door that led to the picturesque backyard. In the rear, a copse of willow trees was just beginning to get its green spring haze, and on the sides of the yard privacy was insured by an eight-foot fence covered with canes of the dozens of rose bushes planted there. In another month or two the yard would be filled with the scent of wild roses. Two dogwood trees stood in the center of the back lawn, flanking the heated pool, which had tendrils of steam wafting above it. “I’m really bad. I keep the heater on all the time and I swim almost every day when I’m here. God,” she said with a long sigh, “I’ll miss that. In the wilds of China I don’t know whether I’ll even get a shower.”

To the left, out of sight behind the side of the house, was the dog run, and to the right, at the rear of the property, was the guesthouse, a one-story replica of the main building. Tay had stayed there on one visit and knew that it contained a small bedroom, living room, bath and a tiny kitchen area. It was small but comfortable and Dave often had friends stay over there for weekends.

Since it was late in the afternoon, the air had chilled, so the two women changed their clothes in one of the cabanas and, now dressed in two of the bathing suits that were kept there for guests, dashed across the putting green–like lawn and jumped into the warm water. “Laps?” Lissa said as she surfaced. They each did fifty laps, starting slowly and building to a blistering pace, each trying to outrace the other, and ended, laughing, barely winded. They splashed each other and played like kids.

After half an hour of that, they climbed out, rushed over to the hot tub and climbed in. “That was awesome,” Lissa said.

“It will be great to be able to swim every day, without having to go anywhere.”

“Don’t rub it in,” Lissa said, splashing her friend with hot water. “I still can’t believe it’s all working out. Plane tickets are booked, first class, mind you. Daddy won’t have it any other way.”

“I’ll miss you,” Tay said, getting slightly teary. She was becoming overwhelmed with the tasks she figured she’d have to do to keep up the house. Take out the garbage, laundry, the dogs, cats, rabbit, ferrets…. She’d be able to stay in touchwith Lissa and her father by e-mail if she had questions or problems, of course, but it was quite a responsibility and Tay had always taken her responsibilities very seriously. This one was a doozie.

“You’ll be fine, Tay,” Lissa said. “I know you well enough to know you’re in a bit of a panic right now, trying to figure it all out in advance. Just relax and roll with it. I promise it will all work out.”

“I know you’re right.” Tay sat back, her head resting on the edge of the spa. She would overlay her anxiety with pleasure for her friend. “How are you dealing with being away for all that time? Excited?”

“Delirious. I can’t wait. Daddy helped me pick out the most souped-up laptop we could find and I’ve been putting editing software on it so I won’t have to disturb him. If we can get an Internet connection we’ll be logging in to the setup here. By the way, don’t turn the downstairs computer off, just leave it on all the time. And please feel free to use it and the network for whatever. There are some fantastic games and I’ve got lots of puzzle and game sites bookmarked. And, of course, there’ll be e-mail. Write to me lots and I’ll write to you from wherever whenever I can.”

“You can really log in to to your computer system from wherever you’ll be?” Lissa was a computer sophisticate, but from some remote outpost in China?

“Daddy says we probably can.”

Later Tay dried off and changed upstairs. She did love the whole Bonner house, but as she pulled on a T-shirt, she thought about the things she particularly looked forward to having to herself.

There was the pool, of course, and the master bath. Once she was by herself she’d use that one exclusively. She remembered when Dave had had it redone. He’d just returned from a photo shoot in some South American country or other and had fallen in love with the tile bathrooms there. He’d had the walls of his bathroom covered with Spanish-style light brown tiles with hand-painted lizards embedded here and there, making it look like a jungle watering hole. The shower had been redone with jungle plants everywhere, kept green with recessed grow-lights, and the shower sprayed from three different angles. The floor was some kind of warm cork, and the sink was lined with more hand-painted tiles—florals, done in orange, red and green. Heat lamps and fans could be turned on to dry you without ever having to use a towel.

The other thing she loved was the fireplace. The wall dividing the living room from the den was constructed with a two-sided gas-log fireplace with glass doors that could be opened from either side and floor-level hearths fronted with fluffy rugs. Although she would be there during the summer, she knew she could, if she wanted, turn up the air conditioner and have a fire. Lying on the rug with a book, or better still a guy, if she could find one, was definitely in her future.

Dave Bonner arrived home on Sunday afternoon and they spent a wonderful dinner listening to him tell fabulous tales about his travels. At almost fifty, Dave was charming and good looking with a deeply tanned face that sported white laugh wrinkles around his surprisingly deep blue eyes. As she climbed into bed that night, Tay thought about how different he was from Steve. Maybe I need to get acquainted with some older men. Steve was such a baby. Then she shook her head as she listened to herself thinking, and almost laughed out loud. Tay, you sound like such an age-snob. Face it, girl. You miss having a man in your life.

She had taken the day off from work on Monday so she could finish unpacking, but Tuesday morning she said goodbye to Dave and Lissa over a quick breakfast and drove to the train station in Chappaqua. She had already gotten a train schedule from the Internet, so she arrived with just enough time to park and purchase a ten-trip ticket in the station. Since she would be using the railroad only three times a week, she’d calculated that this would be cheaper than a monthly commuter pass.

As she gazed out the window of the train, Tay realized that in the middle of the afternoon father and daughter would be off from Newark Airport for the beginning of an adventure the likes of which she’d never even imagined.

The train to Chappaqua that evening was relatively painless and as she drove back to Maple Court she realized that the entire routine really wasn’t bad. Since there was no subway hassle involved, the whole thing added less than an hour to her workday.

As she parked in the driveway and let herself into the empty house, she felt a twinge of loneliness, so she microwaved a can of beef ravioli, did twenty-five laps in the pool, watched a little television and went to bed. “Have a great trip, guys,” she said out loud as she turned out the bedroom light.