Final chapter in this saga... Important to read the previous chapter(s)
*****
"Aren't you being a little unfair?" Kerri asked when Nellie had finished relating her tale of woe. "I mean, just because you don't have to work for a living-"
Nellie stuck her tongue out at her sister.
"Must you spout logic at me when I'm being unreasonable? I know all that. I just wish that sometime, some man would say he'd rather fuck than work."
Kerri smiled tolerantly.
"Adam called while you were gone," she said. "There's a message on the answering machine."
"What does he want, as if I didn't know?"
"He wants you to go to a party with him this weekend. He's coming over tonight about eight o'clock to ask you in person."
"Oh no," Nellie groaned. "I can just imagine what kind of party it'll be. A bunch of grubby looking couples in dirty jeans guzzling beer and talking about football."
"What are you going to tell him?"
"How should-I know! God bless my sprained ankle. It gives me the perfect excuse."
"Not if all they're going to do is sit and discuss football," Kerri remarked tonelessly. "Does it still hurt?"
"A little, when I try to walk. The spa really helped it. At least now I can get around the apartment without having to crawl on my hands and knees. I should be able to walk even better by tomorrow."
Kerri said, "Speaking of spas, I think I'll go take a dip. My back is killing me tonight. Are you coming in?"
Nellie looked at the clock. It was almost eight. She shook her head.
"Adam will be here any minute. Wear a bathing suit. I'll bring him out and introduce him to you."
Kerri left to go soak in the spa.
Leaning back in her chair, Nellie thought glumly, A party sounds like such fun. Charlie is going to one too. Why ami so stubborn? Why can't I just accept Adam's invitation and enjoy myself without caring what he and his friends look like? Damn it, she decided angrily, that's exactly what I'll do. I'm tired of being such a snob about the way people dress. What the hell has it ever gotten me, anyway?
The doorbell rang. Having made up her mind what she was going to do, she resolutely hobbled across the room and pulled the door open.
"Well?" asked Adam. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"
Nellie numbly showed him into the living room. It was Adam, all right, but she hardly recognized him in his dark blue suit, and pinstriped shirt, and silk tie.
He was gazing mischievously down at her, waiting for her to speak.
She stammered,"I-my sister said you were coming over after work. I thought-I mean-"
"You were expecting a ditch digger in dirty jeans," he filled in, almost as if he was reading her mind.
Much to her embarrassment her face immediately turned bright red.
"Something like that," she admitted in a small voice.
She gazed up into his eyes. He looked so beautiful and so sexy, and she should have been thrilled to death to see him like this. Instead, all she seemed to feel was a sharp pain in the pit of her stomach. She sat down on the sofa and wearily motioned for him to join her.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
That was all Nellie's confused emotions could handle.
Adam looked so genuinely concerned. She wanted to tell him what was going through her mind but the words wouldn't come. She finally gave up and burst into frustrated tears.
He held her and rocked her, and in the end he persuaded her to tell him what was wrong.
He lifted her chin and gazed down into her big brown eyes.
"I have a confession to make," he told her solemnly. "I only wear the greasy jeans and T-shirt when I'm working around the house. I own General Services. That party I'm inviting you to is one I'm giving for my employees."
"You own-it is?" Nellie stammered.
"Uh-huh. My wife didn't leave me because I couldn't buy her all the fancy things she wanted. She left me because I wouldn't buy them. I'm a simple guy with simple tastes. I always have been. And I wasn't about to change just to suit her."
Nellie said, "Oh. But-what did she want?"
"Furs, jewelry, a mansion on a hill. You name it, she wanted it. I guess she married me with the idea of changing me. Anyway, it didn't work."
"Oh."