is what they mean by a second childhood.”
“You still haven’t told me what kind of work you did.”
“I was a salesman, but I didn’t sell cars. I traveled a lot.”
“A traveling salesman? Sounds like the set-up for a dirty joke.”
“Right.”
“You don’t like talking about yourself, do you?”
“I’m not a very interesting subject.”
She smiled and asked, “What did you sell?”
“Computer software. For business information systems. Accounts payable, inventory, et cetera.”
“How old are you?”
“Fifty-three.”
“How long have you been retired?”
“A few years.”
“What’s a few? Three? Five? Twenty?”
“More than three, less than twenty.”
That’s not exactly what I told people in Pennington. That was careless.
“Retired so young? You must have a hell of a pension.”
“Enough to pay for an apartment in Pennington. This isn’t Hilton Head.”
Margot shook her head.
“You sound like someone who’s been practicing his answers,” she said.
For a moment, Lucas was off-balance.
“I’m not sure I understand you,” he said.
She sipped her beer, gesturing toward the dance floor, where Joey was pressed tightly to Jill.
“I didn’t want to go out tonight. Knowing Jill, I could imagine the kind of guy I’d end up with. Someone like him.”
She paused, then said, “You’re not like him. So far.”
She stretched and hunched her shoulders.
“I’m tired of dating,” she said. “I never thought sex was all that great and I’m tired of the song and dance leading up to it.”
She emptied the beer glass and poured a refill.
“I was married when I was twenty. I was s-o-o-o in love. After a few years, I got tired of him. He was too predictable. I decided to go back to school and get my degree. He didn’t want me to. I was already too smart for him. He was an accountant who couldn’t pass the CPA exam. I got my degree. And he left me for a much dumber woman. Prettier, but dumber.”
“You have no children?”
“I can’t have children.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m not the mother type. I may not be the wife type, either.”
“When did you get your divorce?”
“I didn’t. Catholics don’t get divorces. Besides, I’m enjoying the fact that he’s living in sin.”
“That’s not very Christian of you.”
“Granted.”
“If you didn’t want to go out tonight, why are you here?”
“Jill wouldn’t leave me alone. I work a few feet from her every day. It wasn’t worth arguing about.”
Joey and Jill returned to the table briefly, drank some beer, whispered to each other and returned to the dance floor.
“I’m not sorry I met you tonight,” Margot said. “So far. It’s too noisy in here. My ears hurt. Do you want to go for a walk, or something?”
“We came in separate cars. Joey insisted.”
She laughed.
“We can drive someplace, if you like,” Lucas said. “Someplace quiet. Or I can take you home.”
She thought about it for a minute.
“There’s a coffee house a few minutes from here. It’s not very fancy, but there’s no music. In fact, there are fake tapestries on the wall that absorb sound.”
“Let’s go.”
“After that, you can take me home.”
They waved to Joey and Jill on the way out. Joey smiled conspiratorially. Jill just smiled.
The coffee house was a tired relic of the Sixties. The pony-tailed proprietor and his wife were gray-haired Flower Children whose petals had faded long ago. But the place was quiet and they could talk without shouting, while they drank their espressos.
Lucas tried to relax, but he felt uneasy.
“You’re a college graduate. And you’re working as an executive assistant. Are you looking for something better?”
“Not at the moment,” she replied.
“What did you major in?”
“Economics.”
He grunted. “Difficult and boring. You’re a better man than I.”
Margot nodded, as if she agreed with him. Her eyes were dark blue and opaque, like the tinted windows of a limousine: a guarantee of privacy.
“Now back to questions,” she said. “So you retired early, but you said you didn’t make a fortune?”
“I don’t need much to get along.”
“That’s another packaged answer.”
Lucas tried to read her expression.
Aggressive, but not unpleasant. She’s playing with me. I should reciprocate.
“Lucas, would it be all right if I called you Luke?”
“I’ve been called worse.”
“Luke, I guess you’d rather not tell me much about yourself. But I’d like to see you again, anyway, even if you get to know all about me and you still remain a man of mystery.” She paused a moment and looked at him earnestly. “Since my marriage broke up, I’ve met a lot of men. I’m not the answer to anyone’s prayer. I’m not beautiful or sexy. Like I said, I’m not even that interested in sex. But most of the guys I’ve gone out with aren’t good enough for me. I suppose all the good ones go to Boston or New York.”
“Could be.”
“I used to be bitter about
