A Half Dozen Fools (16 page)

The young man thanked his customer and spun over to the printer jettisoning copies out its side.

"Sure," he called over to Elyse, "I'll let him know."

She thanked him and turned to go. She was surprised at how disappointed she felt not wishing Keb a Merry Christmas, or Happy Holiday, or anything.

When she pulled the door back to leave, it stuck, as usual. But today the bells lacked their typically merry sound. Instead of a musical tinkle, they only clanged noisily.

* * * *

After New Year's Day all celebratory charm evaporated, and the post-holiday blues enveloped the city. At the Make-Up Place, Rod grew especially irritable, particularly whenever returns came in. Elyse had the impression he was blaming her when he implied that she'd pushed too hard just to make sales and ended up selling the wrong items to the wrong customers.

Damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

The weather turned bitter cold, which served to plummet the city deeper into a bleaker mood. Rod was so irascible one morning his very breath seemed to infect the whole place with its sourness. Elyse was grateful when he finally slithered back to his office lair and closed the door on the world. Hoping to shake the bad vibe left by his negativity, she decided to step out for coffee. When Carla agreed to watch the front counter, she bundled up and ventured into the bone-chilling weather for an attitude adjustment.

Her mind cleared in the cold, along with an overpowering curiosity to know what had become of Keb. She thought back on the time he'd bought her a coffee that bleak morning after Rick had punched a hole in her living room wall, recalling how he'd comforted her then. The way he'd listened without judgment and assured her she was still a wonderful girl now seemed like an impossibly kind reaction to the stupidity of her drama. Holding her scarf around her throat, she veered over to the copy shop to offer Keb a cup of java, too.

The sight of the same sandy-haired young man she'd seen at Christmastime again filled her with disappointment. She forced a smile, introduced herself, and met Malcolm, the new store manager.

"Congratulations, Malcolm. But what happened to Keb? Doesn't he work here anymore?"

"I guess once he got things in order, he went to the upper West Side store. Getting things in shape there, too, for when his uncle gets back."

"His uncle?"

"The owner. Keb's uncle. He owns the copy shops."

"Oh? Here and uptown?"

"Yeah. Well, the whole chain actually."

"What whole chain?"

"In the tri-state area. Forty altogether, I think."

"Wow. I didn't know that. So what's Keb's position?"

"His position...Don't know about that exactly. See, his uncle's been out of commission since his surgery. Keb took over as a favor 'til his uncle got better. But the Manhattan stores were a big concern. The manager here quit right before Mr. Rotheim went in the hospital. And nobody replaced him, so Keb came on board. To kind of reel things in, I guess. Keep them in the black."

"Geez. Who knew? Good thing he did, I guess."

"It sure is! I let him know I always dreamed of moving to the city. So he promoted me from my Jersey store to this one."

"Wow," she said, shaking her head in wonder. "Well, what do you know about that?"

Elyse considered how she'd assumed Keb was a mere employee--the copy guy, she'd called him. Of course, she'd always thought he had an awful lot on the ball, just for being a clerk. Only now she regretted never having asked him more about himself. Apparently there'd been a lot more going on behind those black-framed glasses than she'd ever realized.

While she was castigating herself for missing signs of life in Keb, Malcolm continued tooting his horn.

"Yeah, Keb's a great guy, all right. One of the best. Super smart, too."

"Where's the uptown store?"

"Up on Broadway. At Ninety-Sixth, I think."

Elyse nodded absently, thinking how she ought to go up there for a visit. Then she wondered how appropriate it was to seek out a guy she'd only ...ed with from time to time, and had shared a coffee with once. The more she stopped and thought about it, the clearer it seemed there was no particular reason to go and visit him, beyond curiosity.

What am I doing? I ought to drop this. If I run into him again, I can find out what's up. If not, well, then--whatever!

But, the desire to know what Keb was up to pressed on her. In fact, she
needed
to know. She thanked Malcolm and left the store.

En route to the coffee shop, the chill air sharpened her thoughts, and she wondered how deep Keb's waters ran. She was amazed at how he'd simply concentrated on work without bragging about his real position. She found it curious that he'd never explained how he was only temporarily in a menial position. Was he that secure within himself that he'd felt no need to impress whatsoever?

Okay, some of his dry but witty comebacks had left her feeling a bit uneasy at times. But she now realized he was mentally sharp as a tack and had been teasing her. This made her miss him all the more. She longed to hear just one more quip and feel the intensity of his gaze. She cursed herself for a profound lack of judgment in not getting to know him better. Then she realized it had all been in the timing, because when Bobby had entered the picture, he'd usurped all her attention--just as he did now.

Inside the coffee shop she thought excitedly about how Bobby would be back tomorrow from his holiday away. Finally! He'd been gone three weeks visiting his family in Florida. She anticipated how good it would feel to have him back in town and couldn't wait to see him. Now she would hopefully move forward quickly with her career as a television makeup artist.

Ever since Bobby had come back from Florida, Elyse noticed a shift in his behavior. He'd be incredibly attentive toward her one minute, then close off the next and recede inside his own thoughts. Whenever she tried to get him to share what was on his mind, he'd shrug and basically ignore her. Later he'd act as if nothing was wrong, annoyed if she continued prodding. She wondered if his weekly appointments with his shrink were for schizophrenia or another serious mental disorder. He'd never discuss it with her though. Just had a lot on his mind was his facile explanation.

Over dinner, Elyse didn't press Bobby to explain his sullenness. She'd asked once already, when the oysters had arrived. After tasting only one, he told her she could have all the rest. When he insisted nothing was wrong, Elyse let it go and cheerfully downed them, one by one. Even though he grew crankier as the night wore on, she forced herself to enjoy her meal, alone even in his presence.

Over cappuccinos, she mentioned the upcoming holiday. "So, my love," she said in her sweetest voice, "we haven't made plans for next Tuesday."

"Tuesday? What's Tuesday?"

"You know, the day when chubby little angels shoot arrows into lovers' butts?"

"Huh?"

"Valentine's Day, Bobby. It's Tuesday."

"Oh."

"Are we doing anything special? Or would you like me to cook dinner for you? I can, you know. I'm pretty darn good at it, when I try. Of course, living alone, I don't do so much of it. It'd be fun to cook for you."

He grunted without enthusiasm. "I don't know, Elyse. I haven't thought about it much. I'm getting pulled every which way here. I don't know which end is up, right now."

Elyse tried not to feel hurt by his lack of enthusiasm. "Does this have to do with work, Bobby--or what?"

"Everything. Just--everything."

They sat in silence a moment before Elyse asked brightly, "Well, so! Any word from Lennie yet on letting me apprentice him?"

An irritated expression crossed Bobby's face, but he said nothing. Elyse frowned in consternation.

"Hello--Bobby? You did ask Lennie if he'd take me on as his apprentice, didn't you?"

"I told you I'm working on it, Elyse. It's all good. These things take time."

"Okay, sweetie. Not trying to bug you. Just asking."

Bobby motioned the waiter for the check. Elyse sat back in her chair. She burned with hurt at his lousy treatment, but said nothing. He finally noticed and apologized.

"I've got a lot on my mind these days, Elyse, that's all."

"It's okay, Bobby. I'm sure it'll all work out."

But when he looked at her, she wondered if this was really true.

* * * *

Elyse bumped smack into Keb on his way out of the coffee shop.

"Whoa! Hey, there, Elyse! How are you, girl?"

"Keb! I'm fine. How about you? I've been wondering where in heck you've been!"

A quick catch-up informed Elyse of what she'd already learned from Malcolm.

"I didn't realize you were such a big cheese before," she exclaimed. "Manager over all forty stores--wow, I'm impressed!"

"I'm not the manager, per se. If anything, more like a temporary director, overseeing business. Just doing my uncle a favor, really. But what about you? How's the job going?"

"I'm still underpaid and underappreciated, at the Make-Up Place. But good things are on the horizon."

"Oh?"

"Yes! I have this friend... Well, I guess you'd call him that. Anyway, he's on a really successful television show, and he's helping me break in to do makeup for TV."

"Well, good for you!"

"Yeah! He's a great connection."

"Which show is it?"

"
New York's Finest
."

Keb nodded. "That
is
a successful show. Who do you know on it?"

"Bobby Kressner."

Keb shot her a look. "Bobby Kressner?"

Keb's sudden shift in energy took Elyse completely by surprise, and his excitement vanished.

"So," he began with what sounded like suspicion, "how do you know Bobby Kressner?"

"I met him by accident at Gotham's Comedy Club, a few months back. Through another friend, this stand-up I knew performing there."

Intensity kindled behind Keb's eyes as their chocolaty color darkened to black. Elyse recognized this reaction as similar to the one she'd seen the first day they'd met. Quickly, she tried to remember what she'd said to him, then... Ah, yes! She'd mentioned the movie shoot outside, on Fifty-Fifth Street, something about the director. Now, however, she couldn't recall the details of their conversation.

Keb asked, "You dating this guy?"

Elyse thought he sounded accusatory. "Who, Bobby?"

He shot her a look that said, "Yeah."

"Um, yes," she said meekly."Why? Do you know him?"

Keb drew in a breath and slowly exhaled. "Not really." Quickly, he added, "Hey, I hope it all works out for you, Elyse."

Elyse felt as if an emotional door had just closed, but wasn't sure why.

"I, uh, thank you, Keb. I--I, me, too."

"Say, look--I've got to run now. You take care. Hope you grab that star you're aiming for." His gloveless hand squeezed hers in its velvet glove.

"Thanks, Keb." She'd barely squeezed his hand back when he slipped past her. "Great seeing you again!"

She stood mutely on the sidewalk, watching him jog back to the copy shop. Heaviness loomed large around her, and her thoughts grew foggy with the confusion of his sudden departure. When a couple of businessmen bumped into her on their way out of the coffee shop, she shook herself out of it and went inside.

* * * *

Elyse became frustrated with the rate at which Bobby wasn't moving on his promise to help her get work on television. At the same time, she was growing increasingly unhappy at the Make-Up Place. Between trying to sell outmoded products and the owners' lack of effort at bringing in new business, she was having a rough time making enough money.

She'd mentioned the importance of keeping up with the latest trends several times, to both Rod and Judy. They seemed to think their products were timeless, however, and showed no interest in updating or creating new ones.

Carla tried to set Elyse straight.

"You never gonna make them see,
preciosa
. They don't want to spend no money on advertising, products, whatever. They never did! They buy everything juss like you see it, and esspect that they should keep on making money."

And on the rare occasions when Elyse managed to snare new customers, there was no denying the place's shabby appearance. Any suggestions she made to the Hoffenzimmers about refurbishing it, however, also fell on deaf ears.

She knew she'd have to make a change one day, but was avoiding pounding the pavement in search of new employment. And while the Fifth Avenue stores were better than the Make-Up Place, they were less desirable than breaking into television.

She finally decided to push Bobby harder. She planned on urging him to at least introduce her to Lennie, if nothing else, and let her prove herself.

On her day off, she decided to surprise Bobby and stop by his place after she'd gone to the gym. She figured he was studying a script, since that's what he usually did late mornings when he wasn't working on
New York's Finest
. She happened to know he had a big shoot at the end of the week and would, therefore, be home learning his lines. So she popped over without calling ahead and, at the lobby desk, told the doorman she was going up to surprise him.

This doorman didn't know Elyse, however, having recently transferred from another building. He insisted on calling before she went up.

Elyse shrugged and waited while he dialed and held the receiver an inch from his ear. She was surprised to hear a woman's voice on the other end of Bobby's line, although she couldn't make out her words. The doorman listened, nodded and hung up. In a professional tone, he informed Elyse that Bobby wasn't there, but would be back in half an hour.

Elyse's temper flared. "'Scuse me?"

"Sorry," the doorman said. "You can wait in the lobby if you like."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Elyse said hotly. "Who is that up in his place?"

The doorman shrugged. "I couldn't tell ya, miss. It's my first day at this building."

Luckily, before Elyse burst a mental gasket, the older doorman recognized her and came over to see what was up.