Worthy Opponents(62)
On Sunday, she took Axel and Ben to meet Mike and Zack at the Chelsea Piers. The twins loved it, and ran alongside Zack’s wheelchair trying to make him guess which one was which, and were delighted when he got it wrong. They ate ice cream, and went out for pizza afterwards, and Zack promised to take them to the batting cages at the Pier when he got his casts off. They were very impressed that he’d been hit by a bus.
“I think that went very smoothly,” Mike said after dinner, as he and Spencer left the restaurant to join the boys waiting for them outside.
“The boys think Zack is a hero. He let them both sign his cast,” Spencer said. The twins had been starving for male companionship for so long that they basked in the warmth of Zack and Mike’s attention. Ben was the more outgoing of the two and had an affinity for Zack. Axel was quieter, talked to Mike all afternoon and stayed close to him, telling him all about his special reading classes at school. And Mike guessed correctly twice which twin was which, which impressed Spencer. Usually, no one could tell them apart except her.
“Ben’s smile is just a tiny bit bigger, and he has laughing eyes,” he said to her.
“You pay attention.”
“Yes, I do,” he said quietly, and gently touched her cheek. “I can’t wait for you to meet Jennifer too, she’ll be home in a few weeks. She’s already obsessed with you.”
“I haven’t forgotten her discount,” Spencer said, and he laughed. “Wait till she sees the new store.” There was going to be an open house for realtors at the old store the following Sunday. Their realtor was going to list it with international brokers all over the world.
There was so much to look forward to now. And so much to do.
The following week Mike rented a house in the Hamptons for two weeks in August, so they could all spend time together. He had checked it out with Maureen, who was going to Europe to meet friends in Capri, so the timing worked for her. He suspected there was a new man involved but didn’t ask her. They had almost settled the financial part of their divorce. It had been costly but well worth it. They were both happier and getting along better than they had in years, and he had been generous with her. She got the house in Connecticut, which she was going to sell, and the apartment in the city, most of the art, but not all, and a handsome settlement, and he was paying all the kids’ expenses, including college and apartments when they graduated. The divorce would be final at the end of the year.
Mike and Spencer went to the lawyer to sign their agreement together. It was a serious moment and Spencer almost cried when she signed it.
Spencer, Beau, and Marcy went to the house on Fifth Avenue almost daily, with the architect, the construction crew, a decorator, and a lighting specialist. Spencer was taking all the art from the old location and had already removed it and put it in storage so it didn’t get stolen, and they were building new cabinetry to show the merchandise to its best advantage. There were no windows on the street this time, but lots of display cases inside, and having the store in a mansion made it seem even more exclusive. She thought her grandparents would have loved it.
The following Sunday, they had dinner at Mike’s parents’ spectacular apartment. Beverly and Max invited Spencer to bring the twins with her, and Mike brought Zack to see his grandparents. They had a home theater, and Max put on a movie for the kids, and they loved it. And Beverly made popcorn for them. Overnight, Spencer and the twins had inherited a family, with older siblings and grandparents, and Max gave his son a thumbs-up of approval while Beverly was explaining to Spencer about her internet business, and how it had started, small at first, and mammoth now. Some of her best markets were in Asia.
It came as a shock to Spencer in July when the realtor emailed her and said they had a serious prospect for the store. He was willing to pay their full asking price. The prospective buyer was from Singapore and wanted to turn the building into an exclusive boutique hotel. He intended to add a large security staff and set up a night patrol, which would benefit the neighborhood and make it safer. And so far his financial references had checked out, and he had agreed to their terms and was going to buy all the fixtures they were willing to leave behind. Spencer wanted to keep the iconic, historical ones. She had mixed feelings about the sale as soon as she read the email. On the one hand, she wanted to sell it, and needed to, but on the other hand, it would be bittersweet when it sold.
In mid-July, Zack’s casts came off, and he had to do rehab for his wrists and his leg. He was stiff from being unable to use them. He was diligent about the rehab so he could play sports again. The five of them went to the park, and he threw a ball around with the twins, and Mike joined them while Spencer watched and lay on a blanket on the grass. They had brought a picnic with them and spent the day there before they went back downtown.
And it was cause for celebration when Jennifer finally came home in July and met Spencer. Spencer took her to see the new store in progress, and Jennifer was in awe when she saw it, and loved spending time with her. They went shopping together and Spencer took her to lunch. Mike loved to see them get along. He was doing better with Maureen these days, who was in a much better mood. She had a new boyfriend, and was happy about the divorce now. She had forgotten what it felt like to be happy, after years of being married to a man she didn’t love anymore.
And at the center of it all, Spencer and Mike were happy and in love. They were worthy opponents, lovers, partners, and friends. The relationship gave them each what they wanted and had given them a new life. And his clever structure of their association made it feel like a partnership from the start.