The Old Man(25)

“Oh?”

“Yes. Dresses aren’t what’s uncomfortable. It’s all the gear you wear under them.” She lifted the hem of her dress so he could see her thigh-high stockings. She lifted it higher, so he saw that she had nothing else under the dress. “I thought this might be better.”

“I agree,” he said. He scooped her up and began to carry her to his bed.

“Careful,” she said. “This is an expensive dress, and I’ve never worn it before.”

He set her on her feet, reached around her, and unzipped the dress. She let it slide down and stepped out of it, and then draped it on the nearest chair. He went to the door, reopened it, and said, “Carol. Dave. Out.”

The two dogs jumped to the floor and trotted out. He closed the door and locked it.

Peter and Zoe came together in an embrace, and kissed gently. She unbuttoned his shirt, and he shed the rest of his clothes. In a moment they were on his bed, making love. He was conscious and premeditated, trying to be the most thoughtful and considerate lover possible. He knew this was a chance to make her feel more attached to him, and he tried to work his way into her mind, to manipulate her into feeling pleasure at the thought of him, to make her feel safe and secure, and yet agitated and impatient for each touch. When it was over, they lay together on the cool sheet, the rest of the bedding pushed off the end of the bed. Their hands were clasped, but they didn’t speak.

Suddenly, there was a jarring sound, an insistent beep. They both sat up.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“Oh, crap,” said Zoe. “It’s my watch. I set the alarm so I could be sure Sarah wouldn’t catch us.” She held up her wrist and pressed a button for silence.

“Kids her age don’t come home at ten,” he said.

She looked at him, her face concerned and apologetic. “She gets up very early to study. Haven’t you noticed?”

“Sure. But the dogs will warn us if anyone comes to the door of the apartment.”

“I know you’re probably right. But there’s a hypocrisy factor that you’re not taking into account. I’m doing what mothers tell their daughters not to do. I can make a case in my own mind for fooling around with you, but I don’t particularly want to talk to her about it.” She slipped the dress over her head. “Thanks for tonight.”

“I was going to thank you,” he said. “Wait a minute and I’ll walk you home to your room.”

“That’s idiotic,” she said. “I wish I’d met you years ago.”

“Me too.”

When the time came for Sarah McDonald to go back to law school, Peter drove her and her mother to the airport so Zoe could see her off without parking and taking the shuttle back to the terminal. Caldwell was prepared for the melancholy that would descend on Zoe once Sarah was through security and no longer visible. He had seen this with Anna every time Emily had gone back to school.

This was going to be another chance for him to manipulate Zoe’s feelings and make himself safer. He needed her to trust him, even to come to depend on him. But the first steps had to be small. First he had to be useful and thoughtful.

He wasn’t prepared for the fact that he felt a little bereft too. During the vacation he and Sarah had been the ones up early and in the kitchen every morning, while Zoe slept. He and Sarah would exchange a few wry observations about each other before he took the dogs out and she went back to studying. But after a week, the exchanges weren’t falsely cynical anymore. The two early risers were like workers on the same shift. They spoke quietly, respected each other’s space, and went about their duties.

Zoe chattered while he was driving them to the airport, the same energetic and empty cheerfulness that Anna had managed years ago, and like his own daughter Sarah was mostly quiet. They did that he remembered. Their minds began to leave early, moving ahead of their bodies to the next place, the next phase.

When they pulled to the white curb, Peter got out to lift the suitcase out of the trunk and set it on the sidewalk. He said to Zoe, “I’ll wait in the cell phone lot. Call when you’re ready.”

Sarah said, “Not so fast, bud.” She bounced upward and kissed his cheek. “See you.”

“See you. Learn a lot so you can sue their asses off.”

“Evildoers will fear my wrath.”

The two women went into the terminal, the daughter wheeling the big suitcase while her mother carried the shoulder bag with the laptop. Caldwell pulled out and drove into the loop of the airport, but then his phone rang. Zoe said, “I’m ready.” Her voice sounded sad.

He completed his circle and pulled up again. Zoe jumped in and fastened her seat belt. He pulled out again.

After a few seconds he noticed Zoe was staring at him. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Did I forget to shave?”

“I’m sorry to see her go, of course. Ignore it.” After a few seconds she said, “Why did she kiss you like that?”

“Yeah, why do you all do that?”

“Come on.”

“I don’t know. When I’m reincarnated as a girl I won’t kiss an old bastard like me. You never know where he’s been. You could get diseases you don’t know the names for.”

“If you’ve got any I’m sure I’ll know their names before long.”