“Open it, Roz,” Grace said.
Roz opened it. It was a large, leather-bound, hardback book.
“Oh wow,” said a delighted Roz.
“A book?” asked Reno. “Who the fuck gets somebody a book for their birthday?”
“Intelligent people,” said Sal.
“Like who?”
“Like not you.”
Tommy laughed. Grace elbowed him. “What’s it about, Roz?” she asked.
Since his gift appeared to be under attack, Kelly decided to answer that. “It’s a special edition, autographed copy of the history of the black renaissance on Broadway. From shows likeIn DahomeytoShuffle Along, it demonstrates the evolution of black theater to the greatness it is today.”
“Ah Kelly,” said a very appreciative Roz, “it’s just wonderful. Thank you,” she said and hugged his neck again.
Mick’s jaw tightened again.
“Thank you,” Roz said as they stopped their embrace.
“No worries, no worries,” said a once againHappy-Camper Kelly, as Mick saw him.
Then there was the awkward pause. “Well,” said Kelly, “I’d better move along.” He turned to Roz again. “You have a great rest of your day, you hear me?”
Although Mick was offended by his insistence, Roz smiled. “Yes, sir, Boss,” she said.
Kelly laughed. “Everybody knows who’s running that show. And it ain’t me.” They all laughed. “Good day everyone,” Kelly added. Then he looked at his rival. “Mick.” And then he began leaving.
They all saw Roz watch Kelly with a kind of forlorn look on her face, as if she wanted to go with him.
Then she held onto her book and sat back down.
Jenay was about to get up from the seat beside Roz. “Let me move before Mick makes me move. We all know he doesn’t like anybody sitting next to Roz but him.”
“Don’t we know it,” said Trina.
But Roz disagreed. “He doesn’t care about that anymore,” she said. She remembered how he didn’t bothermaking Teddy move when he was seated next to her at that restaurant intervention meeting that blew up in their faces.
But Big Daddy, who was worried sick about their particular marriage, was concerned. “Why don’t he do it anymore?” he asked. He knew Mick was a stickler about Roz always sitting next to him at every gathering.
“He just doesn’t bother anymore,” said Roz.
“Oh,” said Jenay. “Okay.”
But Mick, who ignored Roz’s jab, nudged Jenay. “Move,” he ordered her.
Big Daddy didn’t like his tone, and neither did Jenay, but they both were glad Mick still had some fight for Roz left in him. She gladly obliged and got up and moved.
“See Roz, I told you,” Jenay said as she was moving to sit beside her own husband. “It never fails.”
Roz knew it had already failed that night in that restaurant, but she didn’t bother arguing the point. Mick sat next to her. That was all that mattered.
But she was still curious. She looked at him. “I thought you said you wasn’t coming down tonight.”
Mick didn’t like any shows of public affection, but he knew he had no choice. He came down to give it to her, and Kelly’s presence made it all the more urgent in his eyes. “I had to give you your gift,” he said, as he handed her a gift-wrapped narrow box that nobody realized he had in his hand until he presented it to Roz.
