Five for Forever (13 page)

“The doctor said that there will be a day when he’ll get away from the lab table, away from his books, and start creating something amazing. She expects it to be in his late teens, when creativity peaks and knowledge starts to level.”

“And what will he create?”

“According to her, this is where Charles’s trauma of having lost his mother very early comes in, he will not simply invent something to become the richest man in the world, he will try to better humanity. And she is right, he is amazing. Maybe he will cure cancer, find a way to sail to Mars, bend gravity, write the poem of all poems, or all of the above.”

“And you believe this?”

“He is my son. Of course I believe it!”

“Before you start crying again, tell me about Dana.”

“I can cry endlessly over her. She is the last kid and the only kid. Playing with Barbies, Legos, and pink dragons.” Rick looked out over the sea, then at Louise. “If there is any purpose in my life, it is seeing these four kids grow up.”

Louise suddenly felt very small and insignificant.
I could live a hundred years and never do enough to deserve this family.
And she did not dare to climb over the picnic basket and kiss Rick all over.

twelve

The Ledge

Rick felt like he was walking on clouds and his stomach was filled with butterflies as he arrived at the shipyard for the contract signing with Josh Hancock.

Take that grin off your face, or you will look like an idiot for the rest of the day,
he thought as he waved to the crew, who were busy with their various tasks. Hal and Josh were talking about movies. Rick fetched a coffee and walked over to the table.

“Great scene when you head-butted that guy who had slept with your wife,” Hal said. “I tell you, the whole audience was cheering you on.”

“Yeah, that was a good scene. Excellent buildup.” Josh shook Rick’s hand. “Let’s get to it. My lawyers and your lawyer cleared the contract, the bank confirmed the advance. After you signed you will have access to the account.”

Rick and Hal put down their names under the agreement and all shook hands. A big weight was lifted of Rick’s shoulder, the contract was there, finally!

“Good to go for wood hunting?” Josh asked.

“I already have my visa and my ticket and will leave tomorrow morning for Surinam,” Hal confirmed. “We’ve already had contact with some brokers, and they’ve arranged for some visits with wood resellers.”

Josh looked happy. “Then I wish you all the best. Things are in motion, finally.”

“There is one more thing we would like to talk about,” Rick said. “Hal and I have discussed it, and it would make the whole process and restoration of the boat much easier.”

“Shoot,” Josh said.

“Could we make an investigation into the past of the boat? Asking the family, checking some boating archives. Inquiring with old-time builders.”

“What would be the purpose of that?”

“We think it is more important than ever. Your coach’s family didn’t know about the boat, and there were no documents about it in his possessions. But to have the original calculations and design of the boat would make things easier,” Hal explained.

“And cheaper!” Rick chimed in. “We can only reengineer so much, and without drawings or even photos we have no idea about the dimensions of the upper deck, the mast, or the sails.”

“Think about it this way,” Hal explained. “We are currently putting effort into restoring the chassis of a car, to make sure it runs. But we can’t see the form of the car, which is an essential part, don’t you think?”

To demonstrate, Rick had prepared three drawings, which he put on the meeting table side by side. “A little quiz. Which one is your boat?” The drawings were quick coal sketches of three different sailing vessels. All sported the same familiar lean hull but showed different cabin deck formats and sail rigging.

“Can’t you tell me?” Josh said. “Which one is . . . ” His voice trailed off. “Oh, I see what you mean now.”

“And I did not cheat,” Rick said. “All three designs are probable. The left one is optimized for racing, the middle one toward cruising, and the right one you can consider simply beautiful for its looks.”

Josh nodded in eventual agreement. “All right, I trust you guys, start digging. Keep me updated.”

Then came the point of no return. They’d had three dates so far, two alone and one with the kids that had gone really well: a hiking trip. Rick had seemingly become more confident around Louise; there had been a level of comfort on the third and fourth dates that Louise longed for with all her heart.

It just feels right, so right to be with him. Hope he feels the same! Dear God, let him feel the same about me!
Then she felt bad because she had asked for God’s intervention for her own benefit. But this was the chance for both of them to make a new start in their lives.

Fifth date, Saturday night. Two weeks after the first one. They were going to an LA comedy club to watch a young female comedian perform; she was supposed to play the funny sidekick to the leading actor in the next movie coproduced by Louise. Louise put on her Ivana disguise, this time toning it down, style-wise. With Converses, Levi’s, and an Abercrombie top and jacket, she looked like a UCLA student.

“Like a UCLA student going out with her father,” Rick commented as they stood in line for the first set, which was due to start at seven.

“Father or sugar daddy?” Louise-Ivana teased him, talking in a broad, smoky Brooklyn accent to throw off listeners.

“You wish. You’re too expensive for me.”

Louise felt happy, and daring. She stood on her toes and gave Rick a kiss, the first real kiss, full on the mouth. And as if he had had the same idea, Rick embraced her, and they melted into each other’s arms.

“Guys, stop slobbering, get a move on!” was the comment from the people lining up behind them. Breathlessly they came apart, orienting themselves, then laughing and moving the five yards farther toward the door of the club.

For the rest of the wait, they stood side by side, arms around each other, stealing glances now and then, as if neither of them could believe what had happened. They both knew that this was the next step in their relationship. Winning over was done; this was now serious necking business.

“Ticket?” the gorilla at the door said.

Louise bent toward the doorkeeper. “We are on the guest list. Ivana Voda plus one.”

And sure enough, Ivana Voda held a place, and they were waved through.

“I thought the Ivana thing was a joke you used for our first date,” Rick said.

“Oh no, she is my current alter ego, to give me basic privacy. I change it every few months or so, as the identity slowly leaks. With Instagrammers and Snapchatters everywhere, your secret identity is only as good as the first random shot.” Louise steered them to the side bar, where they could look over the stage but were somewhat hidden behind some columns.

“Ivana Voda?”

“
Voda
means water in Ukrainian. I like to be creative and consistent in detail when it comes to my disguises.”

“What will you hide behind in a few months? A fierce red wig?”

“Probably pixie style, short red, bob cut. The long, red, curly look, we did that little over a year ago.”

“Sexy, looking forward to that.”

“Sexy? You haven’t seen anything yet.” And Louise leaned over and they kissed again, endlessly, like teenagers, not caring about the amused glances of bystanders.

They came up for air when the first act was about to go onstage. It was like bursting out of water after holding one’s breath for a long, long, long time, lungs aching, heart pounding in your rib cage, head dizzy. And desperate to repeat.

The only time even close was the first time Bella and I kissed, Rick thought. But this here is beyond everything ever. She is so light and small. And smells so good. And that tongue, how does that work with her little mouth?

The announcer praised the first act as “the funniest girl west of LA, Laura Gold!”

Whether Laura was worth her material was left up to the audience, but not for Rick. His head did not stop spinning all through her set. He had kissed Louise. Rick felt great! Rick felt bad! Rick didn’t know what to feel!

They stayed on for the following act, a lame Jay Leno look-alike without the chin and the punch, had some soft drinks, and then strolled along La Cienega Boulevard, arm in arm. Floris a short distance behind.

“Want to have a drink in one of the bars nearby?” Louise asked. “Or want to come to my place?”

“This is the craziest night ever. First the kiss, then this comedy lady, and now . . .” Rick got no further, as Louise gave him another kiss, full of longing and passion.

The drive back to Louise’s Bel Air home took twenty minutes in Rick’s car. Louise typed something on her phone, and Floris overtook them and sped off ahead.

“You sent him off?” Rick asked.

“Paparazzi check. Otherwise, you’ll find your face on TMZ tonight.”

They passed the Bel Air Country Club and drove up the winding streets overlooking the golf course. Bellagio Road turned into Chalon Road turned into Chantilly Road, which became Somera Road. It was already dark, and here and there you could see some homes holding summer parties in gardens or on terraces, some of them with improvised valet parking, not to annoy the neighbors.

“Posh spot you picked,” Rick remarked.

“You’ll see in a minute why,” Louise said, and her phone gave a ping. “We’re clear.”

“What would have been Plan B?”

“A cheap rundown motel in Westwood,” Louise admitted

“Never had that experience.”

They drove the length of Somera Road, a long cul-de-sac on top of the ridge. Two big properties with fences ended the road, and Floris parked on the side, motor still running. Louise pressed something on her phone and the nine-foot wooden gate of the left property opened automatically. Rick and then Floris drove into the parking lot of the driveway, and lights switched on automatically in the front yard.

Rick switched off the car. “Your bodyguard stays with us?”

Louise leaned over from the passenger seat and kissed Rick. “Floris lives here, too. But don’t worry, he’s out of sight and out of earshot.”

“That is a first. I remember college dorm times with a girl when there was a party going on outside.”

“Right, very similar, just in Bel Air.” She jumped out of the minivan and ran around to the driver’s door and opened it for Rick, leaned over, stole another kiss and unlatched his safety belt.

“Lady, you want to carry me over the threshold, or what?”

“If that’s what it will take!” Louise took his left hand and gently pulled him out of the car. They walked over to the door that Floris had already opened.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Rick pulled back. “Did you even see what just happened?”

Louise looked around, not getting his point. “What?”

“Someone opened the front door of the house and went inside.”

“That is standard procedure, a quick check of the main security panel before Floris declares the house clear.”

“Louise.” Rick stopped at the front door, Louise already inside. “Stop!”

“Come in,” she said and hugged Rick. “Don’t be afraid. Let’s have a fantastic fifth date.”

“Louise, I can’t do it. I feel bad saying this, but I’d feel even worse not saying anything and letting you do whatever you are trying to do right now.”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” Louise said, her face showing uncertainty and disappointment.

“I’ve been meaning to say this to you since our third date,” Rick said, still standing in the doorway. “When Hal asked me how I felt about you and me, guess what I answered?”

“Lucky?”

“Scared.” Rick had to close his eyes. “And now
scared
has become
truly terrified
. It feels like stepping toward an infinite cliff and looking down. The abyss pulling me down, even though I know that I am still one step away.”

“That’s crazy, Rick. We are dating. Maybe . . . hopefully more will develop. If you need more time, if you need things to go slower, tell me. I know that I’m intimidating, or that the idea of Louise Waters is intimidating.”

“But then, why am I more scared now, instead of getting used to you date after date? Louise, you are not intimidating—you are a funny, lively woman, great to be with. It’s everything else. I’ve seen most of your movies, I’ve seen you in magazine ads, in TV spots, and in TV reruns. Dammit, I’ve had sexual fantasies with you in the center. But look at you! You are wearing a wig and sunglasses to have an unmolested walk on the street. Your bodyguard checked the house for intruders so that we could have undisturbed sex! What kind of life am I getting into? You have paparazzi at your heels, and I have four kids at home. If these two worlds were to collide, it would be messy beyond compare.”

Louise leaned against the doorjamb, arms folded. She unfolded them, put her hands into the pockets of her jeans, took them out again, and let them hang at her sides. “Are you breaking it off?”

Rick got up his courage and held her by the shoulders, the electric current charging both of them. “Louise, I can’t go to extremes. I am a normal guy with normal problems. Four kids at home without a mother, my company on the brink. I may
want
the next base, but I don’t think I
should
reach the next base.”

Louise closed her eyes, no words left, so she gave a small nod, her lip starting to quiver.
I won’t cry!
she said to herself, folding her arms tighter.

He gave her a short peck on the cheek, turned, and went to the car.

Louise kept standing in her doorway, watching Rick drive away. Her tears flowed freely now. The red lights of the minivan vanished around the corner. “Dammit, Rick Flint! Can’t beat normal!” She went inside and closed the door.

To underscore everything, it started to rain.

Afterward, Rick couldn’t say how he had made the drive back home. It was all a blur, and he was replaying the conversation with Louise in his head over and over.
You must be crazy, Richard Flint, for breaking up with Louise Waters on the night of going for the home run. When I’m in my eighties, the other geezers at the retirement home won’t believe this one.