When Whitney went out to the kitchen to pay the caterers, Annie slipped quietly into her room, took off her clothes and makeup, slid into bed, and turned off the light. And all she wanted was, not a man, but to turn the clock back to when her nieces and nephew were young. They had had such happy times, drinking ginger ale, and staying up till midnight on New Year’s Eve, and falling asleep with all three of them in her bed. Those were the New Years she missed. Not dates like Bob Graham. As she drifted off to sleep, she wished she were at home. She was much lonelier here, with Whitney and her friends, than she would have been alone.

Ted’s New Year’s Eve with Pattie was tender and sweet. They cooked dinner at her apartment, and she had dropped the kids off at their father’s, who had just gotten back to town. They toasted each other with champagne, and their lovemaking was alternately wild and gentle, and at midnight they turned on the TV and watched the ball in Times Square come down, and then they made love again. It was a silly, funny evening, full of the passion he had discovered with her in the past month. And she startled him by asking him if he would ever move in with her.

“What would your kids think?” he asked, looking surprised. He had never lived with a woman, just roommates, and his sisters and aunt. He wasn’t sure he was ready to move in with a woman, and he felt awkward about her kids.

“They would think we love each other,” Pattie said in answer to his question, but he was well aware that it would be a heavy responsibility to bear. What if it didn’t work out? What would it do to her kids? They had already been through a divorce. He didn’t want to jeopardize them, and he said as much to her, but she wouldn’t listen. She was oblivious to his concerns. “Why wouldn’t it work out?”

“We need more time,” he said sensibly, and she just smiled, as though she knew all the secrets of the world. She told him she loved him a thousand times that night, and he made love to her again and again. It was the most exciting New Year’s Eve he’d ever had. They both got drunk on champagne and eventually fell asleep in each other’s arms, as the sun came up on a new year.

Paul and Katie spent New Year’s Eve at Annie’s apartment. She had spent the night at his place before. His roommate had a girlfriend who had her own apartment, and conveniently, he was gone most of the time with her. But this time, Paul stayed with Katie. They made dinner in the comfortable kitchen, watched movies, and kissed at midnight, and they made love in her bed. He was gentle, loving, and respectful, and she knew that everything Annie was concerned about with different cultures didn’t apply to him. He was as American as she was, no matter where he’d been born. And he was the kindest man in the world, and Katie was deeply and totally in love for the first time in her life.

Paul was terrified that Annie might come home in the middle of the night, and Katie kept reassuring him that she wouldn’t be back till the next day. He made Katie lock her bedroom door anyway. He didn’t want anyone to walk in on them. And Katie lay peacefully in his arms as they talked late into the night, about all the things they cared about, their hopes and fears and dreams. He said he wanted to take her to Tehran one day to visit his family there. He wanted to go back to see it again himself. He had so many memories there, and his family, but he wanted to live in the States. He just wanted her to see his country one day, and Katie wanted that too. She wanted to know everything about him and see where he lived as a child.

Paul had introduced her to his parents, who had been extremely polite to her, although a little chilly at first. Paul had explained to her that they always hoped he would eventually marry a Persian girl. But he assured Katie that they would fall in love with her in time, when they got to know her better. It was the same thing that Katie had said about Annie, that she needed to get used to their relationship, and especially the fact that Katie had grown up.

But Katie didn’t think about her aunt at all that night. Her heart and mind were full of Paul, and the life they were going to share. It was a new year, a new world, a new life with him. And the differences their families were concerned about didn’t exist for them. The only world they cared about was their own.

Chapter 10

Annie could hardly wait to leave Far Hills the next day. She didn’t want to be rude and leave before Whitney and Fred woke up. She was up and dressed by nine A.M., and it was ten when Whitney and Fred appeared. She joined them in the kitchen for breakfast, for a recap of the night before. And they both looked painfully hung over. Annie had had very little to drink and felt fine.

“So what did you think of Bob?” Whitney asked hopefully as Fred read the paper. He didn’t seem to care about the ill-fated blind date either way. That was Whitney’s deal, not his.

“He’s a very interesting man,” Annie said diplomatically, not wanting to hurt Whitney’s feelings by saying what she really thought, that he was an egomaniac and a pompous ass and a crashing bore. “He told me all about his safari in Kenya over Christmas, the ranch in Montana, his boat, the house he’s building in the Cayman Islands and the one he just sold in St. Barts. He has a lot to say.” But only about himself.

Whitney was getting the picture and looked cautiously at her friend. She realized that there was a lot Annie wasn’t saying and she was being polite. Listening to their conversation, Fred got up and walked into the other room. It sounded like girl talk to him. “I’ll admit, he’s a little full of himself, but he’s really a great guy. He gave his wife a fortune in the divorce.” Annie wasn’t sure that made him such a great guy, unless all you wanted was money and a divorce. If you wanted conversation and a real human being, he wouldn’t be an option.

“That’s nice for her,” Annie said vaguely as she sipped her coffee.

“She left him for the golf pro at the club. It was a terrible blow to his ego, and he’s been going out with a lot of young women. They’re just after his money. What he needs is a real person.”

“Is that his assessment or yours? He’s probably having fun with the young women,” Annie said sensibly. She really didn’t care.

“They’re all gold diggers, I’ve met them. He deserves someone better.” Annie wanted to tell her that he didn’t. He deserved whatever he got, and wearing his wallet on his sleeve, he was going to find women who were after that. Maybe all he wanted now was to buy one. But he was of no interest whatsoever to her. It was obvious from everything she didn’t say. She had found him utterly revolting. “I’m sorry,” Whitney said-she could tell what Annie had thought of him from the look on her face. “I guess he’s not really your style. I just hoped he would be. He’s the only single guy I know. Everyone out here is married.” And Annie wouldn’t have wanted any of them either, from what she’d seen the night before. She had never seen a more unattractive group of men in her life, and their wives hadn’t been much better. All they had talked about all night was money. “Did you tell him you’re an architect?” Whitney asked her, and Annie laughed.

“He never asked. He talked about all his houses and possessions. I just let him talk. He wasn’t interested in me, and I wasn’t interested in him. It’s awfully hard to fix people up. I think if it happens, it just has to fall on you. I’ve never had a blind date that worked,” she said to Whitney with a forgiving look. She knew her intentions had been good, even if she was delusional about Bob.

“Maybe you should try Internet dating,” Whitney said forlornly. She really wanted to help. She hated knowing that Annie was alone, especially now with the children gone. She knew how hard that was for her and what a void it had left.

“I’m not looking for a date, or a man, or a husband. I’m fine the way I am,” Annie said. “And I don’t have time anyway. I have ten major jobs backed up right now. Honest, Whit, I’m fine. It’s not a high priority for me right now.” And Whitney knew it hadn’t been, for too long.

“It hasn’t been for sixteen years,” Whitney reminded her. “You have to think of your future. You’re not going to be young and beautiful forever, and you don’t want to wind up alone.” It didn’t sound bad to Annie, if the alternative was Bob Graham.

“Alone isn’t so bad.” Annie smiled at her. “I’m not unhappy. I just miss the kids. But that’s going to happen to you one of these days too. They all grow up and leave sooner or later.”

“I’m dreading it,” Whitney confessed, as Fred walked back into the kitchen and heard what she said.

“I’m not,” he said with a grin. “As soon as the last one leaves, we can start traveling, and doing everything we couldn’t do for the last twenty years. We’ll be able to go away without worrying if they’re totaling the car, or getting alcohol poisoning playing beer pong, or will burn down the house. I can’t wait until we’re done,” he said happily.

“I don’t think women see it that way,” Annie told him. “It’s a huge loss to us when they leave. The kids were my best job for all these years. And suddenly I’m obsolete. Thank God I never gave up my day job, or I’d really be lost now.” Whitney understood perfectly, which was why she kept trying to find her a man.

Annie got up from the table then and went to get her things. She said goodbye to Fred and thanked Whitney for a nice time and got into her car with a sigh of relief. She couldn’t wait to get home. She felt stupid for having come out at all and for thinking that this blind date would be different. She reminded herself, as she had before, never to do it again. But in a couple of years she knew she’d forget and let someone sucker her into another blind date. She hoped that this time she’d remember just how bad it had been.