“She’s a lovely young woman.”
“Yes. Yes, she is.” For a moment, warmth surged through him…then ebbed back to be replaced by the faint chill that had descended upon him since their phone conversation.
“Well, why don’t we go grab something to eat—your place is closer. Let’s go over there and order a pizza. Or ribs. Or Chinese.” His eyes danced in their crinkled pockets.
Gideon raised his eyebrow. Pizza did sound good. “I’ll meet you there—why don’t you stop and get a couple of six packs?”
“Deal.”
Several hours later, Gideon Senior’s cell phone buzzed. Iva’s name came up on it and he reached across the coffee table littered with empty pizza boxes to grab the sleek black instrument.
His grandson watched in amusement, noticing that apparently Gideon Senior knew how to work his phone when his woman was calling.
From his casual position on the leather sofa, Gideon watched his grandfather’s face relax. “Hello, darling…. No, I’m at Gideon’s.” There was silence, then his attention flickered to Gideon and away. “No, no—they didn’t have any plans. I’m not imposing . . .What did I do for dinner? Uh…oh, nothing much—just some pasta and a big salad. Light dressing.”
Gideon raised his eyebrows and gave a short laugh, which he smothered into his beer. He was feeling pleasantly warm and buzzed, even relaxed—though his mind continued to wander to Fiona.
“On your way home? You’re taking a cab, I hope.” Gideon Senior was saying into his sleek black phone. “Well, I’m sure Gideon won’t mind.” He raised his eyebrows and his grandson nodded in affirmation. “How long…about ten minutes? That close? Well, all right—see you then.” He pushed the button to end the call, dropped the phone on the table, and leaped to his feet. “We’ve got ten minutes—really only five, considering how she’ll be egging on the cab driver. Come on!”
He scrabbled about, shuffling the pizza boxes together as his grandson watched in amusement. “Get those bottles out of here, will you?” he snapped at the younger man.
“It’s no use, Grandfather. She’ll smell the beer and cigars, and, besides, she knows you better than that.” He remained lounging on the sofa, tilting the beer bottle gently to his lips.
“You’re a whole lot of help,” Gideon Senior growled as he carried a tilted stack of pizza and garlic-bread boxes from the room.
He returned nary a moment too soon, for the doorbell pealed and the door swung open. “Hello in there!” came Iva’s cheery voice as she flowed into the room, carrying two large shopping bags.
‘Flowed’ was the right word, too, for she wore a brilliant blue caftan-like garment embroidered with silver and sapphire designs. A matching blue scarf that was tied around her face and over her ears embraced her silvery hair. Bracelets, earrings, and necklaces clanked and clinked as she bent to embrace her guilty-looking lover.
Gideon looked at her in askance. “I thought you weregoingto a psychic party—notbeingthe psychic, Iva. You look like a fortune-teller yourself.” Much as he loved her—truly he did—he sometimes couldn’t understand how his staid, conservative grandfather had become so besotted with her. She was just so…odd.
Iva came over to him, brushing her sweet, powdered cheek against his as they hugged, then kissing him just next to his lips. “Thank you my dear,” she said merrily.
He could smell the faintness of alcohol on her breath, and by the look in her starry eyes, surmised that she’d been having as good a time as he and Gideon Senior had. “I’ll take that as a compliment! Although there is no way I could even think to match Salton’s talents. She is absolutely wonderful.”
“What’s all that stuff?” the elder Nath asked, eyeing the two large bags she’d dropped on the floor next to him. “And where did you get that outfit? Christ, Iva, you look like a gypsy!”
Instead of being offended by his comments, she giggled at him and twirled around so that the gown spun in a whirlpool of rayon. “What, you don’t like it? Gideon, dear, do you have any more of that lovely Michigan Riesling you always have on hand? I’d like a glass while I show you two the wonderful things I got tonight.”
“I always keep some just for you, Iva, my love.” Grinning broadly, he pulled himself from the sofa and sauntered into the kitchen to do her bidding.
His grandfather’s words followed him out of the room: “I thought you were going to a party—not to the mall, Iva.”
When he returned, he found his apple-cheeked guest cozied up to his grandfather on the loveseat, and they both looked up guiltily as he came in the room.
“Did I interrupt something?” Gideon asked innocently. “I can go find something to do in the kitchen if you two would like to be alone.”
“Nonsense,” his grandfather blustered. “Iva, let’s get this over with.”
“Now, dear, don’t be so impatient. You know, Salton said that impatience is one of your greatest weaknesses…but then again, she said it was also one of your greatest strengths.” She gave him a huge smile and he settled back in his seat, abashed.
Gideon couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “So do you really believe all the stuff this Salton tells you?”
Iva turned to look at him, and the humor eased from her face, replaced by earnestness. “Ah, Gideon, darling.” She pursed her lips and reached over to touch his hand, patting it where it rested on the sofa next to him. “Salton says you’re trapped in the past, and afraid to—”
“What?” Gideon interrupted, sitting upright. She’d been talking to a fortune-teller about him? “That’s nonsense, Iva. I’m sorry, I don’t—”
“She says,” Iva continued, as though he’d never interrupted, “that you’ve been smothering your talents and that they’ll waste away if you don’t allow them to come forth.”
