Page 107 of Just One Look
“I’ve only seen a bit of it,” Elizabeth said. “Mostly, it just looked like guys running around and tackling each other.”
“Well,” Nils said, “that, too.” And smiled. “Maybe the two of you would like to join my wife and me for dinner, one night soon. It would give me a chance to pick Luka’s brain. So to speak. Say … a week from Saturday, tentatively? He’ll be anxious to get out and about by then.”
She had her mouth open to say her usual thing.I can’t promise to show up.He’d know that, though. She wanted to say,Everybody I’ve met in this country has invited me to do social things. Is that normal?Instead, she said, “Of course. That would be wonderful. Oh—if it works for Luka, of course.”
Wasn’t he going to think it was strange, though, to be invited out with her like this, as if they were a couple? Not to mention his possibly not-burning desire to hang out with neurosurgeons.
“Of course,” Nils said. “My wife, Candy, will be in touch. I look forward to it.”
* * *
She did not rushup to Luka’s bedside to breathlessly relay the invitation to him and inform him that he was now her official plus-one. It didn’t seem like a good idea. Anyway, she’d checked on him once more during the day, and he’d been fine. Watching cricket and looking bored, or possibly annoyed. He hadn’t exactly been effusive. In fact, he’d told her, “I’m OK. Catching up on my sleep. You’re busy. Go.”
If she’d been a different woman, she’d have gotten dinner for both of them and eaten it with him in a casual and self-assured manner. Everything in her, though, shrank from the idea that he’d wish her gone instead. So she left the hospital, but she didn’t go home. She drove to a glass-and-concrete structure in the heart of the business district instead, found parking, and headed inside.
Five minutes to five. She was in time, hopefully, but she’d better not use the elevator. She’d be going up while everybody else was coming down. She’d wait here.
Wait. What if there was an underground parking garage? She should check. Out the revolving door, on the sidewalk again, then realizing that she didn’t have time to run around the block to find out. Right. She’d try this, and if it didn’t work, she’d try something else next time she got off at four-thirty on a weekday. In other words: a long time from now.
Back in the lobby, where she was the only person hanging around besides the security guard. Maybe they got off earlier than five and were already gone. She should ask.
Wait. She should have dressed better. Looking good inspired confidence, right? Especially for this. She should come back another day, once she’d finally had a chance to do that clothes shopping. She’d just—
She actually made it out the doors again and was standing on the sidewalk when she realized,You’re running. Stop running.She went back through the doors, and the guy behind the security desk looked up and asked, “Can I help you?” He was huge, Maori or Samoan or something like that. Now, see,helooked like a rugby player.
“No,” she said. “No, I’m just … waiting for somebody.”
He gave her another speculative glance, like he was about to call the bomb squad, and then the elevator doors opened with a chime and people started coming out.
Two minutes, then five, while more elevator cars arrived and more end-of-day workers piled out, chatting and laughing. People reallydidleave at five o’clock, then. Then the security guard was beside her, looking even bulkier and not exactly pleased, asking, “Can I help you find something?”
“Oh,” she said. “No. The person I’m waiting for isn’t here yet, that’s all.”
The elevator doors opened again, and somebody came out. Somebody in a sleeveless paisley shirt with a ruffle down the front, a kicky little skirt, and heeled sandals. Elizabeth told the guard, “There she is,” and started to head over.
The security guard stepped to one side in a smooth move and blocked her. She thought,What?for about the fourth time today—it was a very confusing day—waved her arm overhead, and shouted, “Piper!”
“Oh.” Piper stopped, and Elizabeth honestly thought she might run right back into the elevator. Her face changed for an instant, then she smiled with her usual glorious abandon and said, “Elizabeth! Hi!” like it was the treat of her lifetime.
The security guard turned without losing sight of Elizabeth, and asked Piper, “Do you know this lady?”
“Yes,” Piper said. “She’s my sister. Sorry, Birdie. Stepsister.”
Ouch. Elizabeth reallyhadbeen a horrible stepsister, insisting on never being called a sister. Why had she done that? Actively pushed Piper away?
The security guard stood back, but didn’t walk away, because Elizabeth apparently still looked wild-eyed and dangerous, and Piper said, “What have you been doing down here? Threatening Tourism New Zealand? Most people just write a nasty email.”
“I’m shifty, apparently,” Elizabeth said. She tried to be free and easy, but it wouldn’t come. “But so you know, you don’t have to be all … all perfect for me. All sweet and happy. If you’re still mad at me, you can be mad. I just wanted to talk to you. Maybe catch up. If you wanted to.”
Piper looked startled, and no wonder. Why could men be blunt, though, and women not? Was it so terrible to be straightforward? Elizabeth said, “If you have time, of course. Sorry. I didn’t know your number, but I looked you up and found that you worked here, so I took a chance. Tourism New Zealand, huh? Sounds good. Room for advancement. Interesting work.”
All right, now she was just babbling. Piper said, “I need to get home to my daughter.”
“Oh,” Elizabeth said. “OK, then. Maybe we could …” And tried to think what.
“No,” Piper said. “If you’d like to come along, it’s fine. I’ll have to give her dinner, but …”
“Sure,” Elizabeth said. “Maybe I could pick something up for everybody’s dinner and come over, wherever it is. My car’s outside.”
