Sex and Vanity

“It’s okay. I’m just cooling down from my run,” Lucie said, bending forward with her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve just been showing this delegation around the park, before our breakfast with the Dalai Lama.”

“You’re going to meet the Dalai Lama?”

“Yes. We always meet up when he’s in town.”

“Oh,” Lucie said, a little awed.

“Which reminds me, I got the most amusing email from Paloma Ortiz last night. You know the sisters are going to be in town next week?”

“Oh, really?”

Auden fished his phone out from his knitted hemp satchel. “Indeed they are! Paloma writes:

Mercedes and I have been luxuriating in Spain for the past two months. After Cissinghurst fell through, we were fortunate enough to rent the most wonderful villa in Tossa de Mar, on the Costa Brava, where we had a constant invasion of children and grandchildren. A big villa by the sea with the temptations of Barcelona nearby made for the perfect grandchild trap! So while it was not as relaxing as we would have liked, it was great fun nonetheless. Next week, we fly from Barcelona to New York, where we will be stocking up on provisions for our expedition to Mongolia! Yes, Mercedes and I are checking off a bucket-list dream of visiting Mongolia, where we intend to spend time with the eagle hunters, known as the burkitshi, and the reindeer people, also known as the Dukha. It is a four-day trek on horseback to the summer herding grounds of the Dukha, and I pray our old bones will be able to manage so much time in the saddle. (I’m told if all else fails we can charter a few helicopters and Cessnas to help.) We will be in Mongolia for three weeks, and if all goes well, we intend to fly from Ulaanbaatar to Urumqi in China, where our plan is to buy a big, comfortable Land Rover and drive along the Silk Route, journeying to such fabled cities as Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara, following in the footsteps of Marco Polo.

“Can you believe it? The sisters are going to do Mongolia on horseback, and then they are going to attempt driving four thousand miles along the Silk Road, across five countries! I really think they might make it all the way to Venice just like Marco Polo did!” Auden laughed.

“How fabulous! I hope I have as much of an adventurous spirit when I’m their age.” Lucie smiled.

“I trust you will, especially now that you’ve shaken things up.”

Lucie gave Auden a wary look. “What do you mean by that?”

Auden paused, realizing that he had perhaps said too much. “I hope I haven’t overstepped, but Freddie did tell me the news…about you and Cecil.”

“Did he tell you at your gong bath last night?” Lucie asked, rather annoyed.

“No, I ran into him at Serendipity. He was sharing this humongous banana split with a very pretty redhead.”

“So he was high on sugar and gossiping with everyone.”

“No, he told me in the strictest of confidence because he’s a bit worried about you. He feels you’ve been going through a great deal lately.”

“Really? Freddie said that?”

“Lucie, any ending of a relationship—no matter how right the decision might feel—is still extremely soul-wounding.”

Lucie bristled. “My soul feels fine. Never better, actually.”

“Fantastic! All the same, I would be glad to gift you a breath work and guided meditation session any time you want, Lucie. Just say the word. Your breath is an incredibly powerful healing tool, and moving the breath through your body is an amazing way to open up your chakras, clear blocks, and resolve any inner conflicts that you have.”

“Thank you so much, Auden, but I can tell you this is the first time in my life where I’ve truly felt like I am absolutely free of inner conflict. Breaking up with Cecil cleared up all the conflict in my life.”

Auden smiled. “It makes me so happy to hear that. And now you can start afresh with George!”

Lucie glared at Auden. “George? What does George have to do with any of this?”

“I’m sorry, I thought that you ended things with Cecil because—”

Lucie cut him off before he could finish. “Well, you thought wrong.”

Saying goodbye hastily, Lucie jogged off. What would possess Auden Beebe to think that she had any interest in George? She ran in a fury down to the Seventy-Ninth Street exit and headed straight back to the apartment, eager to scold Freddie. Entering the stately lobby of 999 Fifth Avenue, she barely nodded at the doormen and stewed in front of the slow elevator, jabbing the button repeatedly.

The left elevator door opened, and out stepped a woman with a perfect blond blowout accompanying a stylish Asian lady.

“Hi, Lucie!” the lady smiled warmly.