Carroll pushed him firmly away.
“Not now: later Here, make yourself useful,” and leaving him, standing dazed, she waltzed to the refrigerator and produced a bottle of champagne. “Open this. Dinner in a moment.”
Lepski gaped at the bottle and nearly dropped it.
“But, baby...”
“Open it.” She returned to the stove and turned two enormous steaks, shifting a mass of frying onions, then stirring the crisping potatoes.
“Sure... sure.” Lepski wrestled with the wire, then with brute strength, wrenched out the cork which flew across the kitchen. The wine began to bubble out, and Carroll thrust two glasses at him. He filled the glasses, still in a daze.
“To us!” Carroll cried dramatically, taking a glass from him. “The loveliest people on earth!”
“Yeah,” Lepski said, and began to wonder if any of his Cutty Sark Scotch was left.
“Come on, let’s eat!” Carroll exclaimed and emptied her glass. “Open the wine. It’s on the table.”
“Sure.” Lepski walked flat-footed into their little dining room.
The table had been set, there was a bowl of roses as a centre piece and a bottle of the best Californian red wine waiting his attention.
He began doing sums in his head. The champagne... the wine... the roses! Jesus! She must have spent all the housekeeping money!
Carroll came in carrying two plates, loaded with the steaks, fried onions and potato chips.
“Enjoy it!” she said, sitting down. “I’ll pour the wine.”
Hunger overcame Lepski’s fears. He hadn’t eaten a better steak within memory. He began to wolf.
“Marvellous!” he exclaimed, his mouth full. Then a thought struck him. “A steak like this must have cost a fortune.”
“It did,” Carroll said, looking smug. “It came from Eddies.”
Lepski paused in his eating, feeling a chill run through him. Eddies was the most expensive steakhouse in the city. He had often peered through their windows at the tempting, juicy looking meat, then seeing the prices, had hurried away in horror.
“Eddies, huh?”
“The best.”
“Yeah.” He began to eat more slowly. “I see you cut the lawn, honey. Looks nice. I could have done it.”
“I got Jack to do it. I didn’t want you to have to do it in this heat.”
“Jack? The little fink next door? He did it?”
“For five dollars he would shoot his father.”
“Five dollars? You gave that little bastard five dollars?”
“He wanted ten but I talked him around.”
Lepski closed his eyes.
“Eat up, darling. Don’t sit there looking like a street accident.” Carroll giggled. “It’s all right. I’ll let you into a secret.”
Lepski eyed her.
“Look, baby, is this some goddamn anniversary I’ve forgotten? You’ve been spending money like crazy. You know we haven’t any money.”
“I know you haven’t any money, but I have.”
Lepski’s eyes narrowed.
“Since when?”
“Since this morning. You remember Mr Ben Isaacs, my special client when I worked at the American Express?”
“Sure. The old fink who had his hand up your skirt every time he came into the office.”
“Lepski! Don’t be coarse! Mr Isaacs never did such a thing!”
Lepski leered.
“Maybe, but it was in his mind... the same thing.”
“Let me tell you, Lepski, Mr Isaacs was a nice, decent old gentleman with a heart of gold.”
Lepski pointed like a gun dog.
“You mean he’s croaked?”
“He died, and he remembered me in his will. What do you think of that?”
Lepski laid down his knife and fork.
“How much?”
“Never mind how much. Wasn’t he kind? After all, I was only doing my job and...”
“How much?” Lepski bawled in his cop voice.
“Don’t shout at me, Lepski.” Carroll began to eat again. “Don’t let your dinner get cold.”
“HOW MUCH?” Lepski bawled.
Carroll sighed, but there was laughter in her eyes.
“If you must know: thirty thousand dollars.”
“THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS?” Lepski screamed, starting to his feet.
Carroll smiled at him.
“Isn’t it wonderful? Do sit down and eat. Try to act civilized.”
Lepski sat down, but he had lost his appetite.
Thirty thousand dollars! A goddamn fortune! He thought of all his debts. To think an old fink like Ben Isaacs would leave them all that money!
“You really mean we are worth thirty thousand dollars?” he asked huskily.
“I didn’t say that.”
Lepski stared.
“Now, hold it. You’ve just said...”
“I know what I said. I told you I was now worth thirty thousand dollars. I didn’t say anything about us being worth thirty thousand dollars,” Carroll said firmly.
Lepski gave her his sexy smile.
“The same thing, baby. We’re partners... remember? We are married. We share and share alike.”
“We do nothing of the kind.” Carroll finished her steak, then sat back. “Now listen to me,” she went on in her bossy voice. “We have been married for five years. Every year we have gone off on some crummy vacation and you’ve grumbled about the expense. You spent most of our vacation time writing figures and telling me we can’t afford lobster or even a coke! I am now going on a real vacation, Lepski! I am arranging it all myself. I am going to spend my money. If I want champagne for breakfast, I am going to have champagne for breakfast! I am going to Europe. I am going to Paris. I am going to Monte Carlo. I am going to Switzerland to see the mountains. I am staying at the best hotels. I am eating at the best restaurants. I intend to have a vacation of a life time: all paid by dear Mr Ben Isaacs, bless his kind, thoughtful heart!”
Lepski gaped at her.
“Now, wait a minute...”
“Quiet! You are invited. You will be my guest. You can either accept or you can stay at home, but I am going!”
“But, honey, let’s be sensible. We owe money. This will cost a fortune.”
“Lepski! You owe money! I don’t! Are you coming with me or aren’t you? If you come with me, we fly to Paris next Thursday. If you don’t accept my invitation, I fly alone. What’s it to be?”
Lepski accepted the inevitable.
“Try and stop me, baby,” he said and jumping up, he ran around the table to kiss her.
She hugged him.
“Isn’t it wonderful! Oh, Tom, it’s going to be something we’ll talk about all the rest of our days! I’m going to buy a camera. Imagine how the neighbours will gape when I show them the photos!”
Lepski brightened. There was nothing he liked better than to impress his neighbours.
“Yeah. Paris, huh? Monte Carlo, huh? Switzerland? Jesus, won’t I bend Max’s ears back tomorrow!”
“I am going to be busy,” Carroll said dreamily. “First, I’m going to talk to Miranda. I want her to lay on the trip. She and I worked at the American Express and she knows her stuff. Then I’m going to buy clothes! Imagine! I haven’t a decent rag to my back!”
Lepski flinched.
“Now, look, baby, don’t get too extravagant. We don’t want to over-spend.”
“Quiet! And I’ll tell you something, Lepski. I am going to buy you some clothes. I’m not travelling with you looking like a bum.”
Lepski stiffened.
“Are you calling me a bum? What’s the matter with the way I look? I don’t need a thing! Bum? What do you mean?”
Carroll sighed.