CHAPTER FIVE
New York City - the Law Offices of Farmer & Sheehan
December 14, 2000
4:30 PM
Half past four. Five minutes after the last time Ed checked the clock. He was fidgeting - anxious to get out of the office. He skimmed through the files on his desk again. Not that he had actually gotten that much done since Carol's visit. He was sure he could smell her perfume in the office. He made a note to ask the cleaning lady NOT to spray any air-freshener.
He had even thought about calling Mike and finding out what the deal was, but restrained himself.
Ed fiddled around for another 20 minutes before finally sighing and giving up. Who was he kidding, anyway? He put the files away and cleaned up his desk. At almost exactly five o'clock, Ed grabbed his coat, his briefcase - the one he bought because the other lawyers kept ribbing him about his backpack - and headed out of his office.
He walked over to Deloris' desk and said, "Okay, I'm out of here for the day. I'll see you tomorrow."
Deloris just stared at Ed for a moment, completely shocked. She shook her head and said, "Okay, whoever you are. Have a good night. If you see my boss, Ed Stevens, anywhere around, let him know that I'll be leaving at 5:30."
Ed stopped, turned around and looked at his secretary, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well," Deloris said, "my boss, Ed Stevens, would *never* leave at only five o'clock on a workday. Never. I think that maybe that Carol Vessey woman lured the real Ed Stevens away from here and replaced him with an evil twin. Well, maybe not an evil twin, more off a not-so-evil twin."
Ed chuckled impishly for a moment, then responded, "Okay. I know when I'm beat. I think I'll just get out of here before I continue to lose this argument. Have a good night."
"You too, Ed," Deloris said with a laugh. "Don't forget, you keep a change of clothes in your bathroom."
Ed's head whipped around. He raised his index finger as if he were about to lecture Deloris that he had absolutely no such expectations for this evening, but then he thought better of it and just shook his head and smiled. She *really* was incorrigible.
Ed headed home and stopped inside to quickly flip through the mail. Finding nothing of importance, he threw the stack of letters on the hallway table. Then he went into the bedroom. A small sigh escaped his lips as he spotted Liz's empty closet. Ed quickly showered and then towel dried his hair.
He looked into his closet, trying to figure out what to wear. He had said it was casual, so he grabbed a pair of jeans. 'Okay,' he thought, 'that part was easy. Now what do I wear as a shirt?'
Ed tried on a variety of tops: a button down Oxford shirt in blue that complements his eyes; a pullover sweater in tan; a green turtle neck, a red long sleeve t-shirt. Nothing seemed to be working for him. With a sigh, he finally went back to the Oxford shirt.
Taking a final look at himself in the mirror, Ed then grabbed his coat and headed out to pick up one Carol Vessey.
***
New York City - Room 426, the DoubleTree Hotel
December 14, 2000
4:52 PM
For the better part of the last two hours, Carol Vessey alternated between jotting down notes for stories and staring off into space. Eventually she decided she needed to get a breath of fresh air before getting ready for her evening with Ed. She headed downstairs and out to the street, wrapping her coat tightly around herself in the cold, late afternoon wind. She took a walk around the block, looking around at the sites and at various people.
As she got back to the hotel entrance, she found herself getting excited about the upcoming evening. Despite her best efforts, she had been thinking about Ed all afternoon. He just seemed so down-to-earth, so "real". It surprised her that he was here in New York City - he seemed like he would fit in so well back in Stuckeyville. Which, as she thought about it, really wasn't all that unusual. After all, he was FROM Stuckeyville.
She took the elevator up, mentally reviewing her available wardrobe and trying to decide what to wear. 'Ed,' Carol thought, 'had said it was casual. I guess I'll throw on a pair of jeans. That part was easy, now what do I wear as a top?'
Carol unlocked the door to her room, still thinking about what to wear. She walked over to the dresser and took out several pair of jeans. She alternated them against various tops and tried to find the outfit that she thought would look nice.
Then she happened to see that the message light was blinking on the phone. 'Well,' Carol thought, 'I wonder who called?'
She followed the directions on retrieving messages and suddenly heard Nick's voice saying, "Carol, its Nick. I got your number from Molly. I told her it was really important. I heard that you were talking to Knight Publishing."
Carol gave a little gasp. 'How did he find out?' she thought.
The message continued, "I just figured I would give you some advice. You have to be firm with these guys, otherwise they'll roll right over you. Also, I wouldn't try to submit 'The Decision'. I think we talked about this before and I think the character development isn't your best."
Carol ground her teeth. That wasn't true. SHE had always liked that story. It was NICK who constantly trashed it. He didn't even sound sincere to her anymore. It was the same tone of voice he'd always used, but now Carol saw through him.
Nick continued, "If you want, we can talk some more about this when you get back ... Well, I'll talk to then. Goodbye, Carol."
She was about to put down the receiver, when she heard a female giggle.
Carol slammed the phone down, "That pompous, arrogant, son of a ...!"
She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. Then sat back down on her bed. Her excitement about this evening had completed dissipated. Hearing Nick's voice was like ducking her head in a bucket of cold water. She wanted ... no, she NEEDED this trip to be a separation from him. She had lied a little to Molly, she WAS running away.
'How dare he! How dare he ruin my trip! Its not fair! This was supposed to be about me, not him. ME!' she thought.
Carol took another deep breath, letting her anger out. But as the anger faded, the tears came. She was so upset about this. 'It wasn't supposed to be like this!' she thought. Carol sat on the bed, tears rolling down her face.
She must have lost track of time, because she was startled to hear a knock at the door. Then another knock. Finally she heard someone saying, "Carol? Its me, Ed."
She looked over at the clock, realizing that it was 6:30! She grabbed a couple of tissues and wiped her eyes. Then she walked over to the mirror, she saw that some of her mascara had run, giving her a little bit of the "raccoon" look.
Another knock on the door and Ed's voice again, tentative this time, "Carol? Are you in there?"
With a sigh, Carol went to the door and opened it.
Ed started to say, "Oh, hey, there you are. Ready to." but stopped, realizing that Carol has been crying.
"Hey," Ed said, concern echoing in his voice, "Are you okay? Is everything all right?"
Carol nodded at Ed and said, "Yeah. Everything is okay." She looked back over her shoulder - indicating the telephone on the night-stand. "I just got a message I didn't like."
"It's not about your contract is it?" Ed asked.
"No, no," Carol said, "its just ..." Her voice trailed off. She felt awkward about telling Ed about Nick Stanton. But as she looked into his eyes, those big blue eyes, she saw the warmth reflected in them. The concern for her - even though they'd really just met a few hours earlier. She decided that she could trust him.
"Come on in," Carol said and waved Ed inside.
She walked and sat on the couch. Ed, unsure of what was going on, sat in the armchair.
Carol asked, "Do you remember Nick Stanton?"
"Mr. Stanton," Ed asked, "from high school?"
"Yeah," Carol said sadly, "Mr. Stanton. Well, for the last seven years I was dating him."
Ed's eyebrows rose, but he said nothing. His heart had done a flip-flop when she mentioned that she and Nick were a couple, but he had caught the 'was dating' portion of her statement.
"I, uh," Carol continued, "I broke up with him a few weeks ago. It was ... Well it seemed like it was for a trivial reason, but it went a lot deeper than that."
"Okay ..."
Carol nibbled at her bottom lip for a moment and then continued, "The morning we broke up I was getting breakfast ready for the two of us. When Nick saw that I was having waffles, he said he would have some too. I went to ... This is going to sound stupid ..." She hesitated.
Ed reassured her, "Carol, you can tell me. Really. Go on."
She smiled, "Well, I went to throw a waffle to him. You know just toss it to him. But he looked at me and told me I was behaving like a child and that I should just put the waffle on a plate and hand it to him. I stopped. Right then and there, I realized that Nick was not the kind of guy I could be myself with. Someone I could just toss a waffle to."
"And you need a guy you can toss a waffle to," Ed asked, his voice perfectly serious.
"Yeah," Carol replied, "Crazy isn't it?"
"Not at all. I think it makes perfect sense."
"You do?"
"Of course. You want someone you can relax around. Someone with whom you can just be yourself. Deep down we all want that Carol."
Carol stifled a sniffle. She couldn't believe it, but that was exactly what she was talking about. How was it possible that this person whom she only really met a few hours ago knew her so well?
"But that doesn't exactly explain the tears or the message."
"Oh, right. Well," Carol said, "he called while I was out taking a walk - which was a good thing all in all. He left a message ... It was ... There was ... Oh! I'm getting upset just thinking about it."
"Then don't."
"What?"
"Don't think about it."
"I don't understand ..."
"Okay ... I'll be more direct. Your ex-boyfriend is a jackass. He was a jackass back when we were in high school. And he's a jackass now. The only thing that remains unresolved is whether you're going to let him ruin your trip - or tonight."
Carol was surprised and said, "Actually, Ed, I'm not sure how much of a date I'm going to be tonight. I'm feeling a little upset and."
Ed cut her off, "Tut-tut! First off all, who said anything about a 'date?' Tonight was just about me showing you the city. Two old friends ... well, two FRIENDS (he smiles at Carol) out in the big city, painting the town red, partying til the cows come home, shaking our groove thing, rockin' the casbah.um...I seem to have run out of hyperbole."
"Getting jiggy with it?" Carol asked tentatively.
Ed jumped up, smiled, pointed at Carol, and exclaimed, "Exactly! That's perfect! You and I are going to go out into the city, prowl the streets, see the sites, and get jiggy with it!"
Carol started laughing. She began to forget about Nick's message and started to enjoy herself again.
"So," Ed asked with a smile, "how long will it take you to get ready?"
Carol stood and walked towards the bedroom, "Give me ten minutes to look beautiful again, okay?"
Ed just looked at her, smiled, and with perfect sincerity stated "You don't need ten minutes, Carol."
But Carol had already disappeared behind the door. Which was a good thing because she *had* heard Ed's reply and she melted. 'Could that man get any MORE adorable?' she thought.
She heard Ed call out "I'll just wait out here for you then."
Carol quickly changed into her jeans, threw on a more comfortable pair of shoes, pulled on a dark green turtle neck and tan blazer. She fixed her make-up, grabbed her coat and opened the door to find Ed sitting patiently on the couch. When he saw her, he stood up, but didn't say anything.
This went on for several seconds, before Carol finally asked - not that she really needed to. "Aren't you going to say something? How do I look?"
His eyes never leaving her face, Ed replied, "Words fail me."
"I'll take that." She smiled. She walked over to Ed and took his left arm. "Shall we go?"
"Miss Vessey, we most certainly shall." The two headed out of the hotel room and towards the elevator.
"So," Ed said, determined to keep Carol's mind occupied on thoughts other than Nick Stanton. "How do you know Mike and Nancy?"
"Oh," Carol said, as she hit the 'Down' button for the elevator, "its just one of those Stuckeyville things. We were all in the same class and are all still in Stuckeyville. We just kind of gravitated towards one another. The four of us go out for dinner every now and then - at the Smiling Goat. Do you remember the Smiling Goat?"
They both walked on to the elevator.
Ed simply smiled, "I do. I went out with Mike and Nancy there the last time I was back in Stuckeyville." Ed paused, remembering that Liz had also been with them that time. He pushed the button for the lobby and asked, "You said the four of you, anyone else I know?"
"Yeah," Carol said with no trace of pain in her voice, "Molly Hudson."
"Molly Hudson. I remember her. We didn't hang out in the same circles but I remember she was really nice, not to mention funny." The elevator reached the bottom floor quickly and Ed and Carol exited. They started to head for the hotel exit.
"She still is. Molls is a teacher at Stuckeyville High, too," Carol said. "Science.""
Ed laughed and said, "I guess its now her turn to catch the fainting football players?"
Carol laughed too. "Yeah," she said, "but she tends to just slap them with the frog until they wake up rather than use smelling salts."
They laughed at that image for a moment. Heads were turning as they crossed the lobby. The men were of course, automatically drawn to Carol. And Ed got more than his share of stares from the ladies. But neither Ed nor Carol noticed the attention. Just before they got to the lobby doors, Ed's cell phone rang.
He stopped, pulled it out of his coat pocket, looked at the number and sighed. He looked at Carol and said, "I'm sorry. I told them not to call. It must be REALLY important. Excuse me for just a minute." He moved off for a moment. As he walked away, Carol heard Ed say, "Miranda? I told everyone at the office that I was not ...."
He turned back to look at Carol. He indicated that it would just be a minute more. Carol looked around while she was waiting and saw an elderly woman sitting in a chair very close by. The woman smiled at Carol and Carol smiled back and said, "Hi."
"Hello, yourself, sweetie," the older woman said. "Isn't it the men that are supposed to be waiting for the women?" the woman asked with a glance at Ed.
Carol laughed, "Well, that's what the men say."
"Well," the woman said with a return laugh, "if my husband ever makes it down here, we can get off to our anniversary dinner. We've been married 60 years!"
"Congratulations! That's terrific. What your secret?"
"Tsk," the woman said. "The most important thing for a successful relationship is one thing, sweetie ... Love! If you've got love, everything else - patience, understanding - will be there as well."
"I'll remember that," Carol said thoughtfully and for some reason found herself looking back at Ed.
"No, I don't care. What? Nope, still don't care. The files? Jerry has them. Yes, I'm sure .... "
"So," the woman asked, "how long have you and he been together?"
Carol was caught off guard by the question and said, "Hunh?"
"Your gentleman," the woman said pointing at Ed, "how long have you two been together?"
"Oh, um," Carol said, "we're not a couple. We actually only really met just today."
"Really, " the woman said, surprise written in her face and eyes, "you could have fooled me. I watched you two crossing the lobby and all I could think was how much you reminded me of my husband and I."
"I'm hanging up now. Yes. I am. Goodbye...."
As Ed walked back toward them, the older woman was watching the look on Carol's face change - confusion, excitement, and maybe a little fear.
"Of course, you'd never know I was a blond knockout in my day!" the woman finished with a laugh.
"Speaking of blond knockouts," Ed said as he walked up to them, "which one of you lovely ladies am I supposed to be taking out tonight?"
The older woman laughed, but blushed like a teenager. Carol laughed also, but gave Ed a warm look, a silent thank you for making the woman's night. "Trouble at the office...?"
"No, just someone looking for some files. I told them it could wait till morning." Carol smiled, then explained that the woman and her husband were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary that night. Ed congratulated the woman.
As Ed and Carol went to leave once again, the woman asked, "Excuse me, but maybe you can help me. Do you know where Tad's is? My husband and I have reservations there for dinner, but we're not sure how to get there."
Ed smiled and said, "Actually, I know *exactly* where it is." He gave the woman directions and then, with a sudden thought, reached for his wallet. Carol and the woman were momentarily confused.
"When you get there, ask for Philip Croft and give him this," Ed said as he handed one of his business cards to the woman. "He'll get you a good table, trust me."
The woman beamed at Ed and Carol and said, "Thank you!"
"You're welcome," Ed said with a smile, "and have a great anniversary!"
Ed and Carol headed out onto the street.
"Okay," Ed said, "this way."
"Ed?" Carol said softly and took his arm again.
"Hmm?" Ed replied.
"That was sweet. You didn't have to do that."
"I really didn't do anything. Philip at Tad's knows me - Farmer & Sheehan uses the restaurant all the time for lunch and dinner meetings."
Carol just smiled at him as they continued to walk. Ed would stop every few minutes and point out buildings or stores.
Suddenly, Ed stopped. Carol almost stumbled.
"Oops! I, uh forgot to ask you something? Do you, uh... are you a ... uh, vegetarian?"
"No," Carol said, "why?"
"Because," Ed said with relief, "the place I picked for dinner is famous, but not for its vegetarian dishes. I just suddenly didn't know if I had goofed or not."
"You're okay," Carol said, "no goofs."
With a sly grin, Carol continued, "At least ... not yet."
Ed just looked at her and then resumed his role as tour guide. Carol was completely lost in his voice, the pointing of his hand, the feel of his arm in hers. They turned down another street, a delicious aroma drifted down the street and made Carol's mouth water. Ed noted her reaction - he had planned it that way. He knew that the wind blew this way and would carry the smells from the restaurant.
As they got further down the street, Ed swung them through a doorway and into a restaurant.
"Well," Ed said, "here's dinner."
Carol looked around. The name of the place was Burger Heaven.
"Um," Carol said, "no offense, but of all the restaurants in New York City you brought me to .... Burger Heaven?"
"Yes," Ed said. "You haven't really had a burger until you've had a burger from this place. None better anywhere else."
Ed saw the look on her face and said, "Oh, come one. This is supposed to be an evening of sight seeing and experiencing New York."
"And Burger Heaven is part of the experience?" Carol asked doubtfully.
"Of course," Ed said. He was floundering and started to talk really fast. "Bet you didn't know that New York City is famous for its burgers. Nope, didn't think so. Most people don't. You know, they call New York City the Big Apple, but they should really consider calling it the Big Burger."
She took one look at Ed's face, so sincere and trying so hard, and burst out laughing. She put her hand on his arm and said, "Ed, I'm just kidding. This is fine. I'm not one for big flashy restaurants ..."
Ed kind of deflated, not realizing that he was holding his breath and waiting for approval. Then with a grin, he leaned in and said, "They really do have great burgers here!"
"Wonderful", Carol said. "Although I won't complain if you find a moment to take me to Windows on the World."
Without hesitation, Ed replied. "I can definitely find time for you and Windows on the World." Carol blushed slightly, suddenly realizing that she just invited herself to dinner at a very expensive restaurant with Ed, who didn't seem the type to let her pay half.
"I wasn't serious about Windows on the World. I was only kidding," she added.
"I wasn't." He looked at her and smiled.
They walked over to a table and started to review the menu.
The rest of the evening was like a blur. Carol and Ed got their dinner - Carol did admit that her burger was the best she'd ever had, which earned her a relieved smile from Ed. After dinner, they continued the tour of downtown. For her part, Carol couldn't think about anything but Ed's voice and the stories he was telling. He was a surprising wealth of knowledge on New York City. Either that or he was making it all up. But somehow she couldn't imagine that he would lie to her.
'Why was that?' she asked herself.
They spent the next several hours walking around the city. Telling each other jokes, sharing stories, goofing around - completely oblivious to the passage of time around them. They were lost in the company of each other. The rest of the world, tomorrow - seemed very, very far away.
That is until one of them glanced down at their watch and noticed that it was almost three o'clock in the morning.
Ed walked Carol back to the hotel and up to Carol's room. They stood outside looking at one another - neither wanted to be the one to break the spell.
Finally, it was Carol who broke the silence, "I should let you go. I'm sure you have to get to work in the morning."
"Yeah, I'd better get going", Ed replied, but somehow he couldn't seem to get his legs to move. They looked at one another for a moment, and then both started to talk at the same time.
"Ed, I had a great ti.," Carol said.
"I hope I didn't bore yo.," Ed said.
They both stopped and laughed.
With a nod, Ed said, "Ladies first."
"Okay," Carol said. "I had a great time tonight. Thank you for showing me the City..." She bit her lower lip.
"I told you. It was my pleasure." He smiled. "Well, I should let you get some sleep ..."
"Good night, Carol," Ed said.
"Good night, Ed," Carol said. She wondered if Ed was going to try and kiss her - not that she had ANY problem with that.
When she realized that he wasn't making a move, she acted on her own and kissed him. Not a long kiss, but not just a peck either.
Ed looked surprised, pleasantly, and smiled at her.
"Maybe," Ed said, "We could try this again tomorrow night?"
Realizing that he was being vague, he quickly continued, "Um, you know dinner and sightseeing."
Carol caught the slip this time, smiled and said, "I'd like that. How about the same time?"
"Okay," Ed said, "same time. Let's make it a little more formal - not black tie, but I know a great Italian place a little further uptown. Nice place, but jeans are frowned upon."
"Mmm," Carol said. "Sounds good. Um, dinner that is."
Ed smiled at her slip and said, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow night then. Good night, Carol."
"Okay," Carol said and opened the door to her room. "Good night, Ed."
Ed turned back towards the elevators. Carol watched him walk down the hallway from the doorway.
Once Ed turned the corner for the elevators, she quietly closed the door. She quickly got ready for bed, but found that she was too keyed up to sleep. She thought about watching some television, but wasn't really interested. 'Probably nothing but infomercials at this time of night, anyway,' she thought.
She pulled out her journal and began writing.
'December 15, 2000. I met a guy named Ed Stevens today. We went to high school together but I didn't know him then. What a shame! Turns out he's one of the good ones. No, better than good.he's amazing actually!'
New York City - the Law Offices of Farmer & Sheehan
December 14, 2000
4:30 PM
Half past four. Five minutes after the last time Ed checked the clock. He was fidgeting - anxious to get out of the office. He skimmed through the files on his desk again. Not that he had actually gotten that much done since Carol's visit. He was sure he could smell her perfume in the office. He made a note to ask the cleaning lady NOT to spray any air-freshener.
He had even thought about calling Mike and finding out what the deal was, but restrained himself.
Ed fiddled around for another 20 minutes before finally sighing and giving up. Who was he kidding, anyway? He put the files away and cleaned up his desk. At almost exactly five o'clock, Ed grabbed his coat, his briefcase - the one he bought because the other lawyers kept ribbing him about his backpack - and headed out of his office.
He walked over to Deloris' desk and said, "Okay, I'm out of here for the day. I'll see you tomorrow."
Deloris just stared at Ed for a moment, completely shocked. She shook her head and said, "Okay, whoever you are. Have a good night. If you see my boss, Ed Stevens, anywhere around, let him know that I'll be leaving at 5:30."
Ed stopped, turned around and looked at his secretary, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well," Deloris said, "my boss, Ed Stevens, would *never* leave at only five o'clock on a workday. Never. I think that maybe that Carol Vessey woman lured the real Ed Stevens away from here and replaced him with an evil twin. Well, maybe not an evil twin, more off a not-so-evil twin."
Ed chuckled impishly for a moment, then responded, "Okay. I know when I'm beat. I think I'll just get out of here before I continue to lose this argument. Have a good night."
"You too, Ed," Deloris said with a laugh. "Don't forget, you keep a change of clothes in your bathroom."
Ed's head whipped around. He raised his index finger as if he were about to lecture Deloris that he had absolutely no such expectations for this evening, but then he thought better of it and just shook his head and smiled. She *really* was incorrigible.
Ed headed home and stopped inside to quickly flip through the mail. Finding nothing of importance, he threw the stack of letters on the hallway table. Then he went into the bedroom. A small sigh escaped his lips as he spotted Liz's empty closet. Ed quickly showered and then towel dried his hair.
He looked into his closet, trying to figure out what to wear. He had said it was casual, so he grabbed a pair of jeans. 'Okay,' he thought, 'that part was easy. Now what do I wear as a shirt?'
Ed tried on a variety of tops: a button down Oxford shirt in blue that complements his eyes; a pullover sweater in tan; a green turtle neck, a red long sleeve t-shirt. Nothing seemed to be working for him. With a sigh, he finally went back to the Oxford shirt.
Taking a final look at himself in the mirror, Ed then grabbed his coat and headed out to pick up one Carol Vessey.
***
New York City - Room 426, the DoubleTree Hotel
December 14, 2000
4:52 PM
For the better part of the last two hours, Carol Vessey alternated between jotting down notes for stories and staring off into space. Eventually she decided she needed to get a breath of fresh air before getting ready for her evening with Ed. She headed downstairs and out to the street, wrapping her coat tightly around herself in the cold, late afternoon wind. She took a walk around the block, looking around at the sites and at various people.
As she got back to the hotel entrance, she found herself getting excited about the upcoming evening. Despite her best efforts, she had been thinking about Ed all afternoon. He just seemed so down-to-earth, so "real". It surprised her that he was here in New York City - he seemed like he would fit in so well back in Stuckeyville. Which, as she thought about it, really wasn't all that unusual. After all, he was FROM Stuckeyville.
She took the elevator up, mentally reviewing her available wardrobe and trying to decide what to wear. 'Ed,' Carol thought, 'had said it was casual. I guess I'll throw on a pair of jeans. That part was easy, now what do I wear as a top?'
Carol unlocked the door to her room, still thinking about what to wear. She walked over to the dresser and took out several pair of jeans. She alternated them against various tops and tried to find the outfit that she thought would look nice.
Then she happened to see that the message light was blinking on the phone. 'Well,' Carol thought, 'I wonder who called?'
She followed the directions on retrieving messages and suddenly heard Nick's voice saying, "Carol, its Nick. I got your number from Molly. I told her it was really important. I heard that you were talking to Knight Publishing."
Carol gave a little gasp. 'How did he find out?' she thought.
The message continued, "I just figured I would give you some advice. You have to be firm with these guys, otherwise they'll roll right over you. Also, I wouldn't try to submit 'The Decision'. I think we talked about this before and I think the character development isn't your best."
Carol ground her teeth. That wasn't true. SHE had always liked that story. It was NICK who constantly trashed it. He didn't even sound sincere to her anymore. It was the same tone of voice he'd always used, but now Carol saw through him.
Nick continued, "If you want, we can talk some more about this when you get back ... Well, I'll talk to then. Goodbye, Carol."
She was about to put down the receiver, when she heard a female giggle.
Carol slammed the phone down, "That pompous, arrogant, son of a ...!"
She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. Then sat back down on her bed. Her excitement about this evening had completed dissipated. Hearing Nick's voice was like ducking her head in a bucket of cold water. She wanted ... no, she NEEDED this trip to be a separation from him. She had lied a little to Molly, she WAS running away.
'How dare he! How dare he ruin my trip! Its not fair! This was supposed to be about me, not him. ME!' she thought.
Carol took another deep breath, letting her anger out. But as the anger faded, the tears came. She was so upset about this. 'It wasn't supposed to be like this!' she thought. Carol sat on the bed, tears rolling down her face.
She must have lost track of time, because she was startled to hear a knock at the door. Then another knock. Finally she heard someone saying, "Carol? Its me, Ed."
She looked over at the clock, realizing that it was 6:30! She grabbed a couple of tissues and wiped her eyes. Then she walked over to the mirror, she saw that some of her mascara had run, giving her a little bit of the "raccoon" look.
Another knock on the door and Ed's voice again, tentative this time, "Carol? Are you in there?"
With a sigh, Carol went to the door and opened it.
Ed started to say, "Oh, hey, there you are. Ready to." but stopped, realizing that Carol has been crying.
"Hey," Ed said, concern echoing in his voice, "Are you okay? Is everything all right?"
Carol nodded at Ed and said, "Yeah. Everything is okay." She looked back over her shoulder - indicating the telephone on the night-stand. "I just got a message I didn't like."
"It's not about your contract is it?" Ed asked.
"No, no," Carol said, "its just ..." Her voice trailed off. She felt awkward about telling Ed about Nick Stanton. But as she looked into his eyes, those big blue eyes, she saw the warmth reflected in them. The concern for her - even though they'd really just met a few hours earlier. She decided that she could trust him.
"Come on in," Carol said and waved Ed inside.
She walked and sat on the couch. Ed, unsure of what was going on, sat in the armchair.
Carol asked, "Do you remember Nick Stanton?"
"Mr. Stanton," Ed asked, "from high school?"
"Yeah," Carol said sadly, "Mr. Stanton. Well, for the last seven years I was dating him."
Ed's eyebrows rose, but he said nothing. His heart had done a flip-flop when she mentioned that she and Nick were a couple, but he had caught the 'was dating' portion of her statement.
"I, uh," Carol continued, "I broke up with him a few weeks ago. It was ... Well it seemed like it was for a trivial reason, but it went a lot deeper than that."
"Okay ..."
Carol nibbled at her bottom lip for a moment and then continued, "The morning we broke up I was getting breakfast ready for the two of us. When Nick saw that I was having waffles, he said he would have some too. I went to ... This is going to sound stupid ..." She hesitated.
Ed reassured her, "Carol, you can tell me. Really. Go on."
She smiled, "Well, I went to throw a waffle to him. You know just toss it to him. But he looked at me and told me I was behaving like a child and that I should just put the waffle on a plate and hand it to him. I stopped. Right then and there, I realized that Nick was not the kind of guy I could be myself with. Someone I could just toss a waffle to."
"And you need a guy you can toss a waffle to," Ed asked, his voice perfectly serious.
"Yeah," Carol replied, "Crazy isn't it?"
"Not at all. I think it makes perfect sense."
"You do?"
"Of course. You want someone you can relax around. Someone with whom you can just be yourself. Deep down we all want that Carol."
Carol stifled a sniffle. She couldn't believe it, but that was exactly what she was talking about. How was it possible that this person whom she only really met a few hours ago knew her so well?
"But that doesn't exactly explain the tears or the message."
"Oh, right. Well," Carol said, "he called while I was out taking a walk - which was a good thing all in all. He left a message ... It was ... There was ... Oh! I'm getting upset just thinking about it."
"Then don't."
"What?"
"Don't think about it."
"I don't understand ..."
"Okay ... I'll be more direct. Your ex-boyfriend is a jackass. He was a jackass back when we were in high school. And he's a jackass now. The only thing that remains unresolved is whether you're going to let him ruin your trip - or tonight."
Carol was surprised and said, "Actually, Ed, I'm not sure how much of a date I'm going to be tonight. I'm feeling a little upset and."
Ed cut her off, "Tut-tut! First off all, who said anything about a 'date?' Tonight was just about me showing you the city. Two old friends ... well, two FRIENDS (he smiles at Carol) out in the big city, painting the town red, partying til the cows come home, shaking our groove thing, rockin' the casbah.um...I seem to have run out of hyperbole."
"Getting jiggy with it?" Carol asked tentatively.
Ed jumped up, smiled, pointed at Carol, and exclaimed, "Exactly! That's perfect! You and I are going to go out into the city, prowl the streets, see the sites, and get jiggy with it!"
Carol started laughing. She began to forget about Nick's message and started to enjoy herself again.
"So," Ed asked with a smile, "how long will it take you to get ready?"
Carol stood and walked towards the bedroom, "Give me ten minutes to look beautiful again, okay?"
Ed just looked at her, smiled, and with perfect sincerity stated "You don't need ten minutes, Carol."
But Carol had already disappeared behind the door. Which was a good thing because she *had* heard Ed's reply and she melted. 'Could that man get any MORE adorable?' she thought.
She heard Ed call out "I'll just wait out here for you then."
Carol quickly changed into her jeans, threw on a more comfortable pair of shoes, pulled on a dark green turtle neck and tan blazer. She fixed her make-up, grabbed her coat and opened the door to find Ed sitting patiently on the couch. When he saw her, he stood up, but didn't say anything.
This went on for several seconds, before Carol finally asked - not that she really needed to. "Aren't you going to say something? How do I look?"
His eyes never leaving her face, Ed replied, "Words fail me."
"I'll take that." She smiled. She walked over to Ed and took his left arm. "Shall we go?"
"Miss Vessey, we most certainly shall." The two headed out of the hotel room and towards the elevator.
"So," Ed said, determined to keep Carol's mind occupied on thoughts other than Nick Stanton. "How do you know Mike and Nancy?"
"Oh," Carol said, as she hit the 'Down' button for the elevator, "its just one of those Stuckeyville things. We were all in the same class and are all still in Stuckeyville. We just kind of gravitated towards one another. The four of us go out for dinner every now and then - at the Smiling Goat. Do you remember the Smiling Goat?"
They both walked on to the elevator.
Ed simply smiled, "I do. I went out with Mike and Nancy there the last time I was back in Stuckeyville." Ed paused, remembering that Liz had also been with them that time. He pushed the button for the lobby and asked, "You said the four of you, anyone else I know?"
"Yeah," Carol said with no trace of pain in her voice, "Molly Hudson."
"Molly Hudson. I remember her. We didn't hang out in the same circles but I remember she was really nice, not to mention funny." The elevator reached the bottom floor quickly and Ed and Carol exited. They started to head for the hotel exit.
"She still is. Molls is a teacher at Stuckeyville High, too," Carol said. "Science.""
Ed laughed and said, "I guess its now her turn to catch the fainting football players?"
Carol laughed too. "Yeah," she said, "but she tends to just slap them with the frog until they wake up rather than use smelling salts."
They laughed at that image for a moment. Heads were turning as they crossed the lobby. The men were of course, automatically drawn to Carol. And Ed got more than his share of stares from the ladies. But neither Ed nor Carol noticed the attention. Just before they got to the lobby doors, Ed's cell phone rang.
He stopped, pulled it out of his coat pocket, looked at the number and sighed. He looked at Carol and said, "I'm sorry. I told them not to call. It must be REALLY important. Excuse me for just a minute." He moved off for a moment. As he walked away, Carol heard Ed say, "Miranda? I told everyone at the office that I was not ...."
He turned back to look at Carol. He indicated that it would just be a minute more. Carol looked around while she was waiting and saw an elderly woman sitting in a chair very close by. The woman smiled at Carol and Carol smiled back and said, "Hi."
"Hello, yourself, sweetie," the older woman said. "Isn't it the men that are supposed to be waiting for the women?" the woman asked with a glance at Ed.
Carol laughed, "Well, that's what the men say."
"Well," the woman said with a return laugh, "if my husband ever makes it down here, we can get off to our anniversary dinner. We've been married 60 years!"
"Congratulations! That's terrific. What your secret?"
"Tsk," the woman said. "The most important thing for a successful relationship is one thing, sweetie ... Love! If you've got love, everything else - patience, understanding - will be there as well."
"I'll remember that," Carol said thoughtfully and for some reason found herself looking back at Ed.
"No, I don't care. What? Nope, still don't care. The files? Jerry has them. Yes, I'm sure .... "
"So," the woman asked, "how long have you and he been together?"
Carol was caught off guard by the question and said, "Hunh?"
"Your gentleman," the woman said pointing at Ed, "how long have you two been together?"
"Oh, um," Carol said, "we're not a couple. We actually only really met just today."
"Really, " the woman said, surprise written in her face and eyes, "you could have fooled me. I watched you two crossing the lobby and all I could think was how much you reminded me of my husband and I."
"I'm hanging up now. Yes. I am. Goodbye...."
As Ed walked back toward them, the older woman was watching the look on Carol's face change - confusion, excitement, and maybe a little fear.
"Of course, you'd never know I was a blond knockout in my day!" the woman finished with a laugh.
"Speaking of blond knockouts," Ed said as he walked up to them, "which one of you lovely ladies am I supposed to be taking out tonight?"
The older woman laughed, but blushed like a teenager. Carol laughed also, but gave Ed a warm look, a silent thank you for making the woman's night. "Trouble at the office...?"
"No, just someone looking for some files. I told them it could wait till morning." Carol smiled, then explained that the woman and her husband were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary that night. Ed congratulated the woman.
As Ed and Carol went to leave once again, the woman asked, "Excuse me, but maybe you can help me. Do you know where Tad's is? My husband and I have reservations there for dinner, but we're not sure how to get there."
Ed smiled and said, "Actually, I know *exactly* where it is." He gave the woman directions and then, with a sudden thought, reached for his wallet. Carol and the woman were momentarily confused.
"When you get there, ask for Philip Croft and give him this," Ed said as he handed one of his business cards to the woman. "He'll get you a good table, trust me."
The woman beamed at Ed and Carol and said, "Thank you!"
"You're welcome," Ed said with a smile, "and have a great anniversary!"
Ed and Carol headed out onto the street.
"Okay," Ed said, "this way."
"Ed?" Carol said softly and took his arm again.
"Hmm?" Ed replied.
"That was sweet. You didn't have to do that."
"I really didn't do anything. Philip at Tad's knows me - Farmer & Sheehan uses the restaurant all the time for lunch and dinner meetings."
Carol just smiled at him as they continued to walk. Ed would stop every few minutes and point out buildings or stores.
Suddenly, Ed stopped. Carol almost stumbled.
"Oops! I, uh forgot to ask you something? Do you, uh... are you a ... uh, vegetarian?"
"No," Carol said, "why?"
"Because," Ed said with relief, "the place I picked for dinner is famous, but not for its vegetarian dishes. I just suddenly didn't know if I had goofed or not."
"You're okay," Carol said, "no goofs."
With a sly grin, Carol continued, "At least ... not yet."
Ed just looked at her and then resumed his role as tour guide. Carol was completely lost in his voice, the pointing of his hand, the feel of his arm in hers. They turned down another street, a delicious aroma drifted down the street and made Carol's mouth water. Ed noted her reaction - he had planned it that way. He knew that the wind blew this way and would carry the smells from the restaurant.
As they got further down the street, Ed swung them through a doorway and into a restaurant.
"Well," Ed said, "here's dinner."
Carol looked around. The name of the place was Burger Heaven.
"Um," Carol said, "no offense, but of all the restaurants in New York City you brought me to .... Burger Heaven?"
"Yes," Ed said. "You haven't really had a burger until you've had a burger from this place. None better anywhere else."
Ed saw the look on her face and said, "Oh, come one. This is supposed to be an evening of sight seeing and experiencing New York."
"And Burger Heaven is part of the experience?" Carol asked doubtfully.
"Of course," Ed said. He was floundering and started to talk really fast. "Bet you didn't know that New York City is famous for its burgers. Nope, didn't think so. Most people don't. You know, they call New York City the Big Apple, but they should really consider calling it the Big Burger."
She took one look at Ed's face, so sincere and trying so hard, and burst out laughing. She put her hand on his arm and said, "Ed, I'm just kidding. This is fine. I'm not one for big flashy restaurants ..."
Ed kind of deflated, not realizing that he was holding his breath and waiting for approval. Then with a grin, he leaned in and said, "They really do have great burgers here!"
"Wonderful", Carol said. "Although I won't complain if you find a moment to take me to Windows on the World."
Without hesitation, Ed replied. "I can definitely find time for you and Windows on the World." Carol blushed slightly, suddenly realizing that she just invited herself to dinner at a very expensive restaurant with Ed, who didn't seem the type to let her pay half.
"I wasn't serious about Windows on the World. I was only kidding," she added.
"I wasn't." He looked at her and smiled.
They walked over to a table and started to review the menu.
The rest of the evening was like a blur. Carol and Ed got their dinner - Carol did admit that her burger was the best she'd ever had, which earned her a relieved smile from Ed. After dinner, they continued the tour of downtown. For her part, Carol couldn't think about anything but Ed's voice and the stories he was telling. He was a surprising wealth of knowledge on New York City. Either that or he was making it all up. But somehow she couldn't imagine that he would lie to her.
'Why was that?' she asked herself.
They spent the next several hours walking around the city. Telling each other jokes, sharing stories, goofing around - completely oblivious to the passage of time around them. They were lost in the company of each other. The rest of the world, tomorrow - seemed very, very far away.
That is until one of them glanced down at their watch and noticed that it was almost three o'clock in the morning.
Ed walked Carol back to the hotel and up to Carol's room. They stood outside looking at one another - neither wanted to be the one to break the spell.
Finally, it was Carol who broke the silence, "I should let you go. I'm sure you have to get to work in the morning."
"Yeah, I'd better get going", Ed replied, but somehow he couldn't seem to get his legs to move. They looked at one another for a moment, and then both started to talk at the same time.
"Ed, I had a great ti.," Carol said.
"I hope I didn't bore yo.," Ed said.
They both stopped and laughed.
With a nod, Ed said, "Ladies first."
"Okay," Carol said. "I had a great time tonight. Thank you for showing me the City..." She bit her lower lip.
"I told you. It was my pleasure." He smiled. "Well, I should let you get some sleep ..."
"Good night, Carol," Ed said.
"Good night, Ed," Carol said. She wondered if Ed was going to try and kiss her - not that she had ANY problem with that.
When she realized that he wasn't making a move, she acted on her own and kissed him. Not a long kiss, but not just a peck either.
Ed looked surprised, pleasantly, and smiled at her.
"Maybe," Ed said, "We could try this again tomorrow night?"
Realizing that he was being vague, he quickly continued, "Um, you know dinner and sightseeing."
Carol caught the slip this time, smiled and said, "I'd like that. How about the same time?"
"Okay," Ed said, "same time. Let's make it a little more formal - not black tie, but I know a great Italian place a little further uptown. Nice place, but jeans are frowned upon."
"Mmm," Carol said. "Sounds good. Um, dinner that is."
Ed smiled at her slip and said, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow night then. Good night, Carol."
"Okay," Carol said and opened the door to her room. "Good night, Ed."
Ed turned back towards the elevators. Carol watched him walk down the hallway from the doorway.
Once Ed turned the corner for the elevators, she quietly closed the door. She quickly got ready for bed, but found that she was too keyed up to sleep. She thought about watching some television, but wasn't really interested. 'Probably nothing but infomercials at this time of night, anyway,' she thought.
She pulled out her journal and began writing.
'December 15, 2000. I met a guy named Ed Stevens today. We went to high school together but I didn't know him then. What a shame! Turns out he's one of the good ones. No, better than good.he's amazing actually!'