And suddenly, everything goes back to normal. Teensie gets up. Barry makes room for Bobby next to him. Ryan leans over to Rainbow and whispers something in her ear.
I turn back to Cholly. “I think it’s fantastic.”
He seems interested, so I start telling him about my adventures. How I got kicked out of Peggy’s. And how I named Viktor Greene’s mustache Waldo. And how Bobby wants me to do a reading of my play when I haven’t even finished it yet. When I’m done, I have Cholly in stitches. There’s nothing better than a man who’s a good audience.
“You should come to a soiree at my house sometime,” he says. “I have this wonderful little publication called The New Review. We like to pretend it’s literary, but every so often it requires a party.”
I’m writing my phone number on a napkin for him when Teensie approaches. At first I think I’m her target, but it’s Cholly she’s after.
“Darling,” she says, aggressively inserting a chair between Cholly and me, therefore effectively cutting me off. “I’ve just met the most charming young writer. Ryan somebody. You ought to meet him.”
“Love to,” Cholly says. And with a wink, he leans around Teensie. “Have you met Carrie Bradshaw? She’s a writer too. She was just telling me—”
Teensie abruptly changes the subject. “Have you seen Bernard, lately?”
“Last week,” Cholly says dismissively, indicating he has no interest in talking about Bernard.
“I’m worried about him,” Teensie says.
“Why?” Cholly asks. Men are never concerned about each other the way women are.
“I heard he’s dating some young girl.”
My stomach clenches.
“Margie says Bernard’s a mess,” Teensie continues, with a sidelong glance my way. I try to keep my face disinterested, as if I hardly know who she’s talking about. “Margie said she met her. And frankly, she’s concerned. She thinks it’s a very bad sign that Bernard is seeing someone so young.”
I pour myself more wine while pretending to be fascinated by something at the other end of the table. But my hand is shaking.
“Why would Margie Shephard care? She’s the one who left him,” Cholly says.
“Is that what he told you?” Teensie asks slyly.
Cholly shrugs. “Everyone knows she cheated on him. With an actor in his play.”
Teensie snickers. “Sadly, the reverse is true. Bernard cheated on her.”
A wire wraps around my heart and squeezes tight.
“In fact, Bernard cheated on Margie several times. He’s a wonderful playwright, but a lousy husband.”
“Really, Teensie. What does it matter?” Cholly remarks.
Teensie puts a hand on his arm. “This party is giving me an awful headach
e. Could you ask Barry for some aspirin?”
I glare at her. Why can’t she ask Barry herself? Damn her and what she said about Bernard and me. “Colin has aspirin,” I interject helpfully. “Pican’s son?”
Teensie’s eyebrows rise in suspicion, but I give her an innocent smile.
“Well, thank you.” She gives me a sharp look and goes off to find Colin.
I hold my napkin to my face and laugh.
Cholly laughs along with me. “Teensie’s a very silly woman, isn’t she?”
I nod, speechless. The thought of the evil Teensie on one of Colin’s pills is just too funny.