“Why did you come stay here during your divorce?” I asked.
“Well, they do run the cleanest temporary housing, and I won’t deny that Mrs. McGruder is an excellent cook. I certainly wasn’t going to stay in some depressing hotel and have the staff gossiping about me daily. It is so unfair the way a divorced woman is discriminated against, don’t you think? For a man, it’s almost a mark of accomplishment to have married and divorced. People always look at a divorced woman as though it was somehow all her fault. She failed the marriage by being too cold or self-centered or stubborn. I didn’t cheat on my husband; he cheated on me, but again, in this male-oriented society, he gets a pat on the back and licentious smiles in some men’s club or the men’s lavatory at work, and I get the pitiful looks of other women.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t go off on all this the first time we have a chance to be together alone. Besides, you’re too young yet to appreciate the unfairness, I imagine.”
“No, no, I understand. And I don’t see you at all as someone to pity. You seem very strong.”
“Well, thank you, darling. That’s so sweet to hear, especially from someone who has just met me and has no built-in prejudices against me. Actually, I am strong, and I hope I’m still attractive enough to win the heart of someone new.”
“You’re very attractive, Naomi.”
“You sound sincere.”
“I am. I don’t need to tell people what they want to hear in order to win their friendship. That’s not a real friendship anyway,” I said.
“How wise.”
“My father taught me that many years ago.”
“Not too many. You’re too young,” she said, smiling. Then she lost her smile and paused so we’d stop walking. “Let me tell you the problem for someone like me, because I can see you’re a very, very bright young woman who will quickly understand. I’m not one of those divorced women who swear off all men or something stupid. I’m not even down on marriage just because I was in a bad one.
“But,” she continued, “eligible men around my age are not so common, because the ones who haven’t been married a
re, as I said, somewhat prejudiced against divorcées. Used goods and that sort of thing, as well as the stigma of having failed a man. Few have the sympathy to appreciate that I might be the one who was failed. No, my best hope for a new relationship is with someone who, like me, was disappointed in a relationship. We have something in common, understand?”
I nodded. I knew where she was going, but I didn’t show it. I knew that wouldn’t discourage her from pushing on.
“Now, someone like your boss is absolutely perfect for someone like me, and I’d be perfect for him. And it’s not because of his wealth. I’m very comfortable financially. Frankly, I thought Mrs. Winston would see the obvious advantages for her nephew to involve himself with a stable and attractive woman eager to succeed in a relationship, but she has done little, if anything, to encourage it. Sometimes I think she might even discourage it. She can be very cagey when she wants to be, so be careful with her. Anyway, as time goes by and you become closer and a more trusted personal secretary for Mr. Dolan, perhaps you could, from time to time, drop a hint about me, maybe mention how serious a woman I am and how sympathetic I am to his own dreadful relationship. Frankly, I wish I had started my divorce years ago so I could help Ken with his son, perhaps. His daughter is fine, but I know that all his boy needs is someone to show that she sincerely cares about him. Those floozies I hear he sees from time to time wouldn’t care one iota about his children. I regret so much that I didn’t have any.”
I nodded and started walking again.
“You understand what I’m saying, don’t you?”
“Oh, yes, but I don’t think I could have much influence on him when it comes to his personal relationships, Naomi.”
“You never know. You’re there. Opportunities often just pop up.”
“Maybe. Oh, is that the strip mall over to the right?”
“Yes, yes.”
“I do need some things at the drugstore.”
“You were wise not to take Martin up on his offer of that toothbrush. Once you accept something from someone like that, you’re indebted forever to him. He’ll annoy the hell out of you, and he’s not above trying to offer you more than his dental surgical instruments. I speak from experience,” she added.
“No worries there,” I told her.
“Now, Jim Lamb is obviously already smitten with you,” she continued. “He’s a nice boy, but what are his prospects? Someday he might become the headmaster? Wow, what an achievement. You’re too beautiful to settle for anything less than a really successful businessman or politician. Besides,” she said, nudging me with her shoulder, “I think you are so much more sophisticated than Jim, you wouldn’t be able to think of him as anything but a simple young man. Am I right?”
“Only time will tell,” I said.
She laughed, but I could see from the way her eyes caught the streetlight illumination that she was very unsure of me. She even looked a little afraid, I thought.
On the way back, she talked more about the city, shopping, and restaurants. She thought it might be fun for the two of us, despite the differences in our ages, to hang out a little, go to the finer restaurants where we could meet “the proper people.” I made it clear to her that I wanted to get myself established first, get a firm footing on my new life, before venturing out too much.
“How sensible you sound,” she said. “I know I’m right about you. There’s something very mature about you, something that suggests you know a lot more than most girls your age about . . . everything.”
Was I that transparent?