Chapter One Nothing says "starting over" like sitting alone in an empty apartment. But here I sat on a borrowed couch in the middle of bare wood floors and naked white walls. The one-bedroom apartment, in a newly renovated brownstone, had a view out the living room window to other newly renovated brownstones across the street. And, if I craned my neck and strained hard, I could see a sliver of northern Central Park just a few blocks down from my building. Light green coated the trees. Spring had already arrived in the city. Nora Daniels helped me land this apartment, which had a long waiting list. But she had a client, who had a friend, who knew someone, who worked for a man, whose son did this remodel as well as others in Harlem.
So, after slipping an associate of the man two hundred fifty dollars for the man to give to his son, I found myself promoted to the head of the list. I craned my neck a little more to see how much of the park I could take in. Suddenly, the downstairs doorbell went off. I flinched. The ring tone on the high-tech system played a computerized version of "Stars and Stripes Forever," and I fully expected a band of tiny toy soldiers to emerge from underneath the couch and march across the living room floor. I went over to the small monitor sitting next to the front door and fumbled with a few buttons until the screen flashed on. "Meow. Meow.
" A cat''s face stared at me from the screen. Then a high-pitched, contrived voice came on behind it. "We just stopped by to say hello." Finally, Nora poked her head from behind the ball of white fur and waved. I found the right button to push. "Stars and Stripes" played again. I cringed. I opened the door before Nora got there so John Philip wouldn''t get going once more.
She turned the corner from the staircase with a wrapped package in one hand and Madame Meow at the end of a leash in the other. Nora had on jeans and a fitted sweater the same white as Madame Meow''s fur. "Hi," she said. She strolled in. "A house warming gift for you." She handed me the package. I closed the door behind her, and she let Madame Meow off the leash. The cat took one look at me, sniffed the air, then, claws skidding over wood, raced around the living room and disappeared down the hall.
"Apparently she''s not waiting for the cook''s tour," I said. "Well, I am," Nora said. She slowly turned her head around the living room. "Not bad. It''s got potential. Do you need help with decorating?" "If I do, I know where to call . your office. And I''ll tell Brendan that I have a 9-1-1 interior decorating emergency.
" Nora laughed easily. "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy?Home Makeover Edition .He''d love it." "First I need enough money to afford what Brendan would want me to buy." "His tastes are good . and expensive. Tucker paid you for that airport assignment, right?" "You mean the TSA guard who stole luggage then resold its contents?" "Uh-huh. And we paid you for both investigations?" "Uh-huh.
" "So you oughta have something left over to decorate with." "After a month''s rent, a month''s security deposit, an agency fee, a key fee, a utility deposit, a cable TV installation fee, and a telephone deposit, I had barely enough to buy a few pieces of furniture, and a television." "Sorry," Nora said. "I forgot all about those minor details of starting over." "The furniture won''t be delivered for a week." I pointed to the television. "The television will have to sit on top of its box until I get a stand. It''s kind of like camping out in the wilderness of my living room.
" "You could have stayed at my place longer." "I needed to be on my own. I needed a place for JJ and I to spend time together." "Has he seen your new digs yet?" "He should be here soon. Liz''s dropping him off for two weeks while she goes to a workshop somewhere upstate." "He''ll love it. His dad''s own place. It won''t matter to him if it''s furnished.
" Nora reached out with her arms, giving me a big hug and a little kiss, setting off a tiny spasm of longing. She walked over to the couch and sat down. "Truth is, it''s only been one day and already I miss coming home to an apartment where someone else lives," I said. Nora looked around. "Welcome to sex .I mean, being single . in the city." She smiled.
"Where, unlike on television, you spend a lot of time alone." She sat on the couch and pointed to the package. "Open it." I peeled off the wrapping paper to reveal a boxed bottle of California merlot'expensive, but one Nora and I both liked. "Would you like a glass now?" I asked. She waved me off. "No, I''ve got to go. I need to pack.
Tomorrow I leave for a week-long conference of public defenders in Phoenix. Let''s celebrate when I return." "That''s good," I said. "Because I only have paper cups. What do public defenders confer about for a whole week anyway?" "You know the joke about lawyers going away to a conference?" I winced and shook my head. "No." "All bar exams take place during happy hour. Cross-examina-tions are done behind closed doors.
Habeas corpus has a new meaning. And married or single, whatever lawyer you end up with will still bill you for their time at three hundred dollars an hour." "Habeas corpus?" I asked. She smiled. "Show me the body," Nora said. "In Latin." "I see .Drinking and sex," I said.
"For some," she said. "For most of us it''s a time to commiserate about the sorry state of affairs for the protection of civil liberties in the ?land of liberty.''" The doorbell rang. Nora grimaced. "Stars and Stripes?" she said. "Oh, that''s precious." From somewhere down the hall, Madame Meow meowed as though the sound caused her great pain. I shrugged and pointed to the wall.
"New high-tech security system." "Yuck. Change the ring tone," Nora said. "Or the Madame will never come back." I walked over to the security system panel. "Hey, Dad." JJ''s voice came over the speaker. He waved into the monitor.
Elizabeth, my soon-to-be ex-wife, stood somberly behind him. I buzzed them in, then I turned to Nora. "JJ''ll have his laptop with him. The instruction manual for the security system said that you could use a home computer to download other ringtones from the Internet. John Philip Sousa''s days are numbered." Nora sucked in a breath. "Maybe I should go." "Hell, Liz wanted to go through with the separation and divorce.
If she can''t handle seeing me with a friend, what will she do when I''m with a lover?" John Philip beat me to the front door, and Madame Meow let me know of her displeasure. JJ "hi-fived" me as he sauntered in, dropping his bags on the floor. He glanced around the living room. "Cool," he said. When Madame Meow came bounding down the hall, JJ went after her, then stooped down to pick her up. She jumped up into his arms. Liz stood outside the door, as though afraid to cross the threshold. "Please, come in," I said to her.
"Thanks," she said. Her smile seemed tortured. She handed me a wrapped package about the same size as Nora''s. "A housewarming gift." Liz had on a pair of jeans, too, though she wore a thin leather jacket over a vibrant yellow blouse. Apparently, she didn''t register Nora''s presence. "Hello Elizabeth," Nora said. Liz did a double take.
"Sorry, John. I didn''t mean to disturb anything," she said. The two eyed at each other. JJ looked up from Madame Meow and stared back and forth warily between his mother and Nora. Nora stood up and gathered Madame Meow from JJ''s arms. "Nothing to disturb," Nora said. "I was just leaving." I opened the door and Nora slid sideways past Liz.
She waved to me as she walked down the hall, raising one of Madame Meow''s paws to wave as well. I closed the door and stepped back inside my apartment. Liz stood near the couch staring out the window. I stood with my back against the front door. I searched for words amidst my anger and sadness. Liz turned toward me and spoke. "I''m sorry. I should have called first.
It won''t happen again." I reached out toward her. Her body stiffened, so I pulled back. "You don''t need to apologize," I said. "Nora just stopped by to bring me a bottle of wine." "Oh." Liz wrinkled her face. "So did I.
" She pointed to the package in my arms. I motioned to the couch. "Have a seat," I said. "No. It''s JJ''s time with you." She turned to leave, then stopped. "Here," she said. Liz handed me a multipage brochure.
"It''s the catalog for the Sigma Center." "The Sigma Center?" "It''s in upstate New York. I''m going there?" "Ah, yes. To find yourself." "For a two week yoga and meditation retreat." "To find yourself ? " Liz huffed. "There''s an emergency number in the brochure in case you need to call." She turned to JJ and held her arms out.
"Aren''t you going to say goodbye to your mother?" JJ sauntered over to Liz, then gave her a peck on the cheek. He closed the door behind her as she walked out. JJ leaned back against the door. "Got any food?" "Lemme see." JJ''s cell phone let out a funky, hip-hop ring tone. He raced for his backpack, which rested near the window. I walked into th.