The Other Side of Midnight

"You bet your ass," he said. "You owe him your business. I owe him my job. Now we can't even sit down in a restaurant without Fraser's permission. Well, I'm sick of having him shoved down my throat every day." It was Larry's tone that shook Catherine even more than what he was saying. It was so filled with frustration and impotence that she realized for the first time how tormented he must be. And why not? He had come back from four years of fighting to find his wife in partnership with her former lover. And to make it worse, he himself had not even been able to get a job without the help of Fraser.

As she looked at Larry, Catherine knew that this was a turning point in their marriage. If she stayed with him, he would have to come first. Before her job, before everything. For the first time Catherine felt that she really understood Larry.

As though reading her mind Larry said contritely, "I'm sorry I acted like a shit-heel this evening. But when we couldn't get a table until you mentioned Fraser's magic name, I--I'd suddenly had it up to here."

"I'm sorry, Larry," Catherine said, "I'll never do that to you again."

And they were in each other's arms, and Larry said, "Please don't ever leave me, Cathy," and Catherine thought of how close she had come to it, and she held him tighter and said, "I won't leave you, darling, ever."

Larry's first assignment as a navigator was on Flight 147 from Washington to Paris. He stayed over in Paris for forty-eight hours after each flight, then returned home for three days before he flew out again.

One morning Larry called Catherine at her office, his voice excited. "Hey, I've got a great restaurant for us. Can you get away for lunch?"

Catherine looked at the pile of layouts that had to be finished and approved before noon. "Sure," she said, recklessly.

"I'll pick you up in fifteen minutes."

"You're not leaving me!" Lucia, her assistant, wailed. "Stuyvesant will have kittens if we don't get this campaign to him today."

"It will have to wait," Catherine said. "I'm going to have lunch with my husband."

Lucia shrugged. "I don't blame you. If you ever get tired of him, will you let me know?"

Catherine grinned. "You'll be too old."

Larry picked Catherine up in front of the office, and she got into the car.

"Did I screw up your day for you?" he asked mischievously.

"Of course not."

He laughed. "All those executive types are going to have a stroke."

Larry headed the car toward the airport.

"How far is the restaurant?" Catherine asked. She had five appointments in the afternoon, beginning at two o'clock.

"Not far...Do you have a busy afternoon?"

"No," she lied. "Nothing special."

"Good."

When they reached the airport turnoff, Larry swung the car into the entrance.

"Is the restaurant at the airport?"

"At the other end," Larry replied. He parked the car, took Catherine's arm and led her inside to the Pan-Am gate. The attractive girl behind the desk greeted Larry by name.

"This is my wife," Larry said proudly. "This is Amy Winston."

They exchanged hellos.

"Come on." Larry took Catherine's arm and they moved toward the departure ramp.

"Larry--" Catherine began. "Where...?"

"Hey, you're the nosiest girl I've ever taken to lunch."