“Oh, no, you don’t!” Shekeya said. “The Christmas party on for another hour. Go get you own.”
“If I had time for that, I’d be in there partying with everyone else,” Melanie said.
“That your own problem. Don’t expect me to share. I ain’t missin’ no meals for nobody.”
Melanie raised her hands in front of her, stuck out her tongue, and started begging like a dog.
“Don’t think you cute, because you ain’t!” Shekeya insisted, but Melanie kept on panting. “Girl, wasn’t you on some diet anyway?…Oh, all right, take some. You lucky I lost my appetite watchin’ you act like a fool.”
“Really? Oh, thank you, thank you!” Melanie exclaimed.
“Yeah, you better hurry up before I change my mind.”
Melanie plucked a napkin off the desk and loaded it with cheese and shrimp, which still left plenty on the groaning plate for Shekeya.
“You should check out the party anyway. Judge Warner runnin’ around in a Santa suit. Quite a sight,” Shekeya remarked.
“That’s what they call ironic,” Melanie said, sticking a shrimp in her mouth. It tasted unpleasantly of ammonia, but she was too starved to care. “I don’t know why everyone thinks I’m on a diet. I’m not,” she said, mouth full.
“The way you chowin’ down, obviously not.”
“I need to keep my strength up to talk to the boss. She in?”
“Yes, she is, but you don’t wanna be goin’ in there. She bustin’ on poor Joe Williams for some shit he did when Susan be gone. I brang in some paperwork for her to sign, and he sittin’ there with his head in his hands like he gonna faint. I love the boy to death, but I swear he the timidest black man on God’s earth, let a woman treat him like that.”
“Joe’s not timid, he’s sensitive. Besides, you know what she’s like.”
“Yes, I do, which is why one of these days y’all gonna be bailin’ me out after I commit justifiable homicide.”
“So how’s the working late going?” Melanie asked, finishing the food and wiping her hands with the napkin. She had a bad taste in her mouth now.
“Sucks. I miss my kids.”
Didn’t she know it! Melanie looked at her watch again. The minutes were ticking away, and every one that passed made it less likely she’d see Maya tonight. Third night in a row she’d miss bedtime. Melanie visualized her daughter’s chubby face and imagined sitting in the glider rocker swaying gently back and forth with Maya in her lap. God, she was about to make herself cry. And if this was how she felt, what must Maya feel? Maya couldn’t even understand why her mommy was gone or when she’d be coming home. Melanie had a sudden powerful impulse to rush into Bernadette’s office and resign. But then what would she do for money?
“Do you ever worry about what it does to your kids? This working-late stuff?” Melanie wondered aloud.
“I don’t let myself go nowhere near that one. What the use? Less I hit Powerball, I gotta work.”
“This OD case I’m working on now? Never would’ve happened if the parents were around more.”
“Shut up, girl, you depressin’ me.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Shekeya. It’s just, I’m really blue about it tonight.”
“And now you goin’ to Puerto Rico and all. Girl, I feel for you. Oh, that reminds me, I gotta get your seat assignment. You prefer window or aisle?”
“What?”
The door to Bernadette’s inner sanctum flew open, and Joe Williams sprinted through the anteroom with his head down, looking extremely upset. Bernadette appeared in the doorway, her color high, a smug expression on her face.
“Oh, there you are, Melanie. Come on in,” Bernadette said.
Melanie walked in and stood facing her boss. Between the shrimp cocktail and what Shekeya had just told her, she felt like throwing up. “Bernadette, what’s this about me going to Puerto Rico?”
“Yes. I’m so pleased about this Esposito wiretap. I had a long talk with Vito Albano about what a unique investigative opportunity this is.”
Melanie had spoken to Albano privately about convincing Bernadette to start supporting their investigation instead of interfering with it. Apparently he’d done his job too well. Now Bernadette was so enthusiastic that she was sending Melanie traveling with no notice.
“You know,” Bernadette was saying, “Vito really changed my mind about some of the angles you’re pursuing. And guess what?” Bernadette giggled girlishly. “He asked me out. We’re having dinner at this cute little place he knows in Bensonhurst. Do you think he’s attractive?”
“Uh…”
“I do! You know what they say. Power is the great aphrodisiac. Anyway, Vito and I decided to send you and some of the agents down to San Juan to monitor the drug shipment. Isn’t that fabulous? It’ll be great for the case. I want to take some time now to go over strategy. Then you can run home and pack a bag.”
MELANIE THANKED her lucky stars that her current baby-sitter was flexible. Sandy was originally from Trinidad, tall, stately, and quiet, twenty-seven, recently married. She was trying to pull together a down payment for a two-bedroom in Crown Heights, so she didn’t mind working overtime to earn some extra money. When Melanie got home on the nights Sandy stayed late, she always found Maya sleeping, the kitchen spotless, and Sandy sitting quietly reading her Bible. Overall an excellent situation, as good as Melanie could ever wish for. But it hardly made her feel better as she headed back to her office after a lengthy meeting with Bernadette. Melanie didn’t know what upset her more-the fact that she was being told to fly to Puerto Rico with no notice or the fact that it was now almost nine o’clock, meaning Maya was fast asleep.
The stress was catching up with her. Melanie walked through her office door, swept her coat and briefcase to the floor and collapsed into her swivel chair in a total funk. The very next second, her phone rang. Just as well. She wasn’t cut out to be a drama queen. Dwelling on your problems did nothing to solve them.
“Melanie Vargas,” she answered, trying to sound composed.
The person on the other end of the line drew a sharp breath but said nothing.
“Who is this?” Melanie demanded. It was creepy enough around the office at night without some heavy breather harassing her.
“What’s up?” Dan O’Reilly said sheepishly.
“Oh, it’s you,” she said, relieved. “Making obscene phone calls now?”
“You took me by surprise, is all.”
“I took you by surprise? I tell you never to speak to me again, and you call the same night and start breathing into the telephone?”
“Jeez, I was just trying to leave a voice mail. I didn’t think you’d be there this late.”
“Some people work hard.”
“I shoulda known. You’re like the Energizer Bunny,” he said, and she could almost hear him smile. He sounded so normal, so himself, with that deep, sexy voice, that she felt herself relaxing. Wanting to forgive him. But she’d fight that temptation to the death. Those terrible things he’d said about her! Who the hell did he think he was?
“For your information, I don’t love being here this late, so get to the point.”
“Whaddaya, there by yourself? Didn’t I tell you to be more careful, with Expo’s goons running around?”
“Please, spare me the phony concern for my safety.”
He sighed. “Fine, I give up. Forget we ever had this conversation. I’ll call back and talk to your machine.”
“Fine,” she said, and hung up.
A moment later her phone rang. Melanie let it roll over to voice mail. But she couldn’t help feeling curious: Dan was leaving a long message. An apology, perhaps? Maybe if he apologized profusely enough…But no way, José, she’d never forgive him. When the little red light finally came on, though, she grabbed the receiver and retrieved the message so eagerly that she felt embarrassed for herself.