Page 55 of The Husband Hour
“What are you doing here?” she said.
She hadn’t seen or heard from him since the day of the memorial. A conversation that haunted her.
“I need to talk to you,” Emerson said.
“Why?”
He looked older than she remembered. He was completely gray with deep lines under his eyes like his mother had. Lauren did the math; he was in his mid-forties. But he was still clearly in good shape, his shoulders broad and arms muscular under his T-shirt.
“You still wear your wedding band,” he said.
“I have nothing to say to you, Emerson.”
“This will take five minutes. Where can we talk?”
Lauren, feeling trapped, glanced around the packed restaurant.
“Sir, would you like a seat or are you looking for takeout?” Nora asked, holding menus. Nora obviously knew he was not there for food, that this was personal. Lauren thought of the first time Matt had shown up here and cornered her. That was a cakewalk compared to this.
“I’m so sorry, Nora. He’s a…family friend. Can I take five? Aside from the iced tea, everything else is in order. Just waiting on tickets.”
Nora gave her an Are you sure? look and Lauren nodded.
Lauren felt guilty that her personal drama kept showing up on Nora’s doorstep. But, well, for the past four years, Nora had been telling her she needed to have a life. And this was what Lauren had been afraid of; this was what her life looked like.
Emerson followed her outside and half a block down the street, safely out of earshot of the sidewalk tables.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“Remember a few years ago I warned you that someone was trying to make a documentary about Rory? Well, he’s still at it. I just found out he interviewed the Villanova coach last month. I want to make sure you’re not talking to him.”
“Your own mother spoke to him.”
He looked at her in disgust. “I can’t believe it. You are talking to him.”
“I didn’t say that. What I said was that your mother spoke to him.”
“My mother was extremely upset at the idea of some New York film guy exploiting Rory’s legacy. But since we had no legal recourse to stop him, she at least wanted to do her part to represent him in the way we want him represented.”
“You just have an answer for everything. As always.”
Emerson narrowed his eyes. Rarely, in all the years she’d known him, had she been anything less than respectful to the great and powerful Emerson, the man who could change her life with a single conversation. Had changed her life with a single conversation. Yes, there had been a time when she had seen him as a confidant, when she had sought his counsel. When she had bought into Rory’s reverence for him. Her mistake. A tragic, costly mistake.
“Lauren, I want your word that you won’t participate in this film.”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Are you trying to say my brother’s legacy isn’t my business? It isn’t your business. You were barely married by the end.”
She felt herself begin to shake. “We were married. And if I want to talk about my late husband, that’s my right.” The rage was more about a conversation that had taken place behind her back half a decade ago than about the one taking place in that moment.
“If you say one word against my brother, we’re going to have a big problem.”
“Are you threatening me, Emerson? Don’t bother. Rory’s gone. There’s nothing more you can take from me.”
“Take from you? That’s a joke. You ran away so fast, you left skid marks. The going got tough, and you sure as hell got going.”
“Fuck you, Emerson.” She walked toward the restaurant, but then turned back for a moment. “Oh, and if you want to know if I said anything on camera, you’ll have to buy a ticket to the movie.”
