Turning Point(65)

They had a lecture on terrorism, and another on natural disasters at the Emergency Operations Center that afternoon. An earthquake was the greatest potential threat to San Francisco, and the statistics and expected damage were terrifying if they had a big one.

Stephanie texted Andy after the lectures and told him they had a night meeting, and she went back to the hotel with Gabriel. He had hounded her all day, and she wanted to be with him too. She felt pulled by her responsibilities and her children, and her desire for him. She tried to explain it to Gabriel, but he was too hungry for her and their passion engulfed them as soon as they walked into the room. There was no time for conversation or reassurance, there was a sense of urgency now whenever they were together. It was starting to make her feel anxious. But after they made love, she was more relaxed and she tried not to think of the job and hospital she was giving up for him. There was too much to consider, too much to absorb. She didn’t even realize how worried her friends were about her, or how stressed she looked. And Gabriel didn’t see it either. All he saw was the woman he was so in love with, and wanted to take back to France, no matter what she had to give up to be with him.

    She was exhausted when she went home that night, after arguing with Gabriel for an hour when he wanted her to stay.

The house was silent when she got home. Everyone was asleep. It was a relief not to have to talk to anyone. She felt peaceful in the silence.



* * *



—

They watched earthquake preparedness training films for all of the next day. And then a representative from the Fire Department explained NERT drills to them. They were Neighborhood Emergency Response Teams, which provided an ongoing framework for the city to deal with disasters, conduct rescue and medical triage, and transport victims to medical treatment facilities.

It gave them a break from on-site hospital tours, and they had the mayor’s reception for them that night at seven. Stephanie wanted to be home at five to get dressed.

“How are you getting there?” Bill asked Wendy as they left the Emergency Operations Center.

“I told Marie-Laure I’d get dressed with her at her hotel and we’d go together, so I don’t have to go back to Palo Alto. I think Paul is meeting us at City Hall. He’s having a drink with some woman he met the other night.” She smiled at Bill. Paul was the lovable bad boy in their midst now, and acted like a kid. It was a role Tom said he had played for twenty years, and had recently given up for more adult pursuits. But at thirty-four, Paul was a long way from there, and entitled to some fun.

“I’ll pick you and Marie-Laure up at the hotel,” Bill volunteered. He offered Gabriel a ride too, since Stephanie had to go with Andy. Bill could see that Gabriel was unhappy about it. He and Stephanie had argued about it that afternoon and she said there was nothing she could do. Her husband had seen the invitation and announced he was coming, and for now, they were still married, as far as he knew anyway. So she couldn’t tell Andy not to come. Gabriel said it would spoil the evening for him, which was a heavy weight on her.

    Bill picked them up at the hotel at a quarter to seven. He and Gabriel were wearing suits, and Wendy and Marie-Laure were wearing short black cocktail dresses that showed off their figures. They were both pretty women.

They chatted on the way to City Hall, and Bill said he felt differently about the city having just seen the earthquake films. They reminded him of science fiction, but they were real. Some of the films were simulated, others were of real earthquakes in other parts of the world.

“I’m expecting the dome to fall in on us tonight,” he said and the others laughed.

“I wouldn’t like to be here in an earthquake,” Marie-Laure admitted, and Gabriel sat staring out the window, brooding, thinking about Stephanie arriving with Andy.

Bill gave his car up to a valet parker, and they walked into the rotunda of City Hall. Three hundred people were expected at the reception, politicians, members of city government, and anyone involved in trauma and emergency services. And the mayor.



* * *



—

“Are you ready?” Andy asked Stephanie, as he walked into their bedroom. He’d been dressed for half an hour and was wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and navy tie. His hair was neat, he was freshly shaved, his shoes were shined, and she was startled for a minute. She had forgotten how handsome he was, or could be, when he made an effort. She hadn’t seen him dressed that way in several years. She always saw him in jeans and sweatshirts or Tshirts now, with running shoes and five days of beard stubble on his face. But not tonight. He looked terrific and like the man she’d married and remembered from when he had a job.

    She had tried on three dresses and didn’t like any of them. Her hair was smoothed back in a long neat ponytail. She had makeup on, and she was wearing a white silk dress with a wide satin collar and a low back. It was sexy and elegant at the same time. She had on high heels and knew her feet would be killing her before the end of the evening, but the shoes looked great. She wanted to knock Gabriel’s socks off when she walked into the room. And standing next to Andy, they made a dazzling couple as she caught sight of them in the mirror.

“We look pretty good together.” She smiled at him, and he nodded. He hardly ever smiled these days. Even if she hadn’t told him, he knew what was coming. Their marriage was in shambles, they never talked to each other, and divorce seemed inevitable, but he wanted to be there for her tonight. He was making the effort for her. He didn’t care about her French friends. Their housekeeper had agreed to stay late, and they got in the car at ten to seven. They would only be a few minutes late. She was wearing a black fur jacket that was a hand-me-down from her mother over the white dress. Stephanie would never have bought it for herself.