Chapter 35

In the morning Wendy threw her robe on and went to the kitchen where she reheated the coffee they never drank. She sat at the kitchen table mulling over what happened the night before. She didn’t know what to expect when Elliott called. With a swift move, she sat upright. An idea hit her, she wouldn’t use the weed around Elliott, a compromise. Yes, she’d talk to him about it when he called.

Although she planned to go to the Cove that night she decided to return to Cat and Mouse, where no one knew her. She arrived at five.

As she entered the bar area Matt was singing, “Smile.” Charlie Chaplin composed the music and Nat King Cole wrote the lyrics. Wendy loved his voice. The message is about even if you’re sad, you should smile, since life moves on. Matt played the piano softly as he sang in his sweet baritone voice.

Wendy sat at a small table across from the piano bar. The waitress came over and Wendy ordered a screwdriver. She looked around. She imagined the almost full room had to do with people coming from work.

It didn’t take long for Wendy to mellow. She became enamored with Matt. He displayed a mild demeanor whether at the piano or when he walked around. She scanned the room again. It gratified her to be in such a calming and isolated space. It was clear to Wendy she would enjoy her new go to place, her escape from everything upsetting her. For the first time in days her eyes twinkled.

Wendy checked her watch. The time slipped away, it was six-thirty and she needed to leave. As she stood and walked past the piano bar Matt smiled at her and nodded his head like he knew her. Wendy smiled back.

She grabbed a TV dinner from the freezer and watched the news. She flipped the channel from the ugliness of the news and found Mash. Now, this show made her laugh a lot. The characters, Hawkeye and Trapper, were so clever with their pranks especially against Charles, the doctor with no sense of humor. The show also became serious as it demonstrated the ugliness of the Korean War…of war in general.

Elliott called a little before seven-thirty.

“Before you say anything about last night let me ask you about an idea, more like a compromise.”

“Okay, go ahead.” His voice was solemn.

“What if I don’t smoke weed when we’re together?”

Elliott cleared his throat. “I’m worried about your need for it.”

“I understand, but it isn’t addicting, and my use will just disappear over time like peoples’ idiosyncrasies do.”

A second of silence followed. Wendy held her breath.

“All right, but I don’t want to smell it on you.”

“It’s a deal. So, how was your day, Ellie?”

“Where did that come from?” he asked sounding shocked.

“I thought it would be my private name for you, if it’s okay?”

“I’ll have to get used to it, but I guess so.”

“Great.”

She decided not to say anything about her time at Cat and Mouse. “I had a good day, how ‘bout you?”

“I’ve been busy working on a new painting of a young couple as they watch the sunset on the top of a mountain. I haven’t seen a view like this before in quite the way I’m expressing it. There are a lot of paintings at the beach, but on a mountain top, not so many.”

Wendy lowered her voice, “Sounds very romantic. I’m sure I’ll love it. In her regular voice she asked, “Do you think it will take a long time to finish?”

“As I said, no way to know. I like the process and how this painting is slowly evolving.”

“Sounds a lot like how I visualized the nursery before I put it together…it’s all about the creative process.”

“It is, and you and I share that love. Listen, I hate to interrupt but I haven’t eaten yet and I’m exhausted. Want to go to the Cove tomorrow night? I can pick you up at five and we can grab a bite first.”

“Sure, thanks. Have a good dinner,” Wendy added.

She was pleased he went for the compromise. She wanted Elliott in her life, and yet he couldn’t be there all the time, but the weed was, and it gave her comfort when no one was around. She knew he must really care about her to go along with the compromise.