I wasn't sure I liked being spied upon, so I was silent.
"Of course, I knew it was you immediately. I can tell a lot about someone from the way she walks, holds her head. You looked like you didn't belong here, and I said to myself, Ami, there's a girl who will appreciate what you can give her."
"Thank you," I said, even though it sounded more like she was patting herself on the back than patting me on mine.
"Anyway, our house could use some youth and excitement in it. As you heard, we have been married for over four years. Wade works with his father, but they are like water and oil. You know what that means?"
"Yes," I said, smiling.
"I bet you're very, very smart. I mean, I heard about your grades, but getting good grades in school doesn't mean you're necessarily really smart, worldly smart," she said. "I was an average student, but I knew where it was at. Especially," she said, leaning so close I thought she would kiss my ear, "when it comes to men. Do you have a boyfriend?"
She looked pleased.
"Did you have one, break up or anything?"
I shook my head.
"Good. Are you a virgin? It's all right. You can tell me things," she quickly followed before I could react. "I want us to be like lifelong friends right from the start. I know you haven't had anyone here in whom you could confide your deepest secrets, right? Of course I'm right," she added before I could even think of an answer.
I had to laugh.
"Yes," I said. "I am a virgin."
"That's so great. I was a virgin when I was your age, too. All I hear these days is young girls are losing their virginity at earlier and earlier ages. Not that I'm saying I'm old-fashioned and believe in the golden treasure or anything. I just think sex is something you have to take very, very seriously. If you're smart, you'll use it like a weapon, a tool. That's what I did, and look where I am. We'll talk about all that later. We have lots of time.
"So," she said before I could make any comment or question what she meant by such a statement, "what we'll do first is go shopping for new clothes for you. This Monday, I'll get you enrolled in the school. Don't expect Wade to do much. I'm not saying he wasn't all for this," she added quickly. "He was. He's just . . . a little narrow," she concluded. "Not that I don't love him. I do. I just think it's important to recognize your husband's strengths and weaknesses and not be like some of these women I know who have their heads buried in mud baths a
t spas. Why, they could see their husbands with a beautiful woman on their arms and pretend it was a business associate. See no evil; hear no evil; as long as you give me my allowance. Some women are like children instead of wives, but not yours truly, and that's what I'm going to teach you: how to hold your own with any man you meet.
"Oh, it's just going to be a wonderful time," she declared.
We stopped walking. She looked out at the road, and then she took a deep breath.
"So, now tell me about all this nonsense about your coming from a crazy family."
I tilted my head slightly and looked at her. She laughed.
"You were brought up by a boy who turned out to be a girl?"
"I wasn't brought up by him," I said sharply.
"Don't worry. I don't believe a word of any of that," she said, flicking her hand as if to dismiss someone. "Whatever happened, it obviously hasn't done you any great harm. I've spoken to your teachers, and I've read the nice reports people have made on you. Wade has no idea how much time I've already spent on you."
"You've spoken to my teachers?" I asked, very surprised.
"Yes, yes," she said, waving it off. "Anyway, the truth is," she said, now whispering, "our family is the crazy family. Wade's mother died at the age of forty-eight. She had heart failure, but I can tell you now it wasn't exactly heart failure. It was more like a broken heart. Wade's father is a true womanizer, and his mother was confronted with evidence of one extramarital affair after another. It embarrassed her to death. She got so she hated going out in public because she thought everyone was laughing at her. Some days she didn't even get dressed, didn't even get out of bed. Wade's told me all about it, but he never talks about it in front of his father.
"Wade's father is still quite the man about town. admit he's handsome and doesn't look his age, but you'd think he'd settle down, especially after losing his wife.
"Wade's sister Bethany has refused to have anything to do with him since their mother's death. She's married and lives in Washington, D.C. Her husband works for a United States senator. If anyone's a snob in this family, it's Bethany, but Wade would never say anything against her. He doesn't say anything about any-one, and he hates gossip. I can't even talk about movie stars!" she exclaimed. "If I start, he slaps his hands over his ears and cries, `Turn it off,' as if I was playing something horrible on the music system."
We walked along.
"But all that's gong to stop," she said. "I mean, I'll have you. Of course Wade will, too, but I'm warning you now, Wade's a workaholic. Even his father, who built the business, criticizes him. The truth is," she said, pausing again, "I'm often lonely. Oh, I could have gotten involved in the business, but who wants that? And I wasn't going to go out and become one of these career women. I don't need the money or the prestige. I come from a wealthy family myself. I was an only child, and so of course Wade calls me spoiled.
"So what? I'm spoiled. A woman, women like us, should be spoiled. We're made to be spoiled, and their job is to spoil us. Oh," she said suddenly, turning to hug me. "We'll really be like sisters. I mean that," she said, pulling back and looking firm. "Don't ever think of me as a mother, even though that's what I'm claiming I'll be. I couldn't stand the thought of it. I mean. . . a mother to someone as old as you? Really, how ridiculous I would look to anyone I told such a thing."
I stared at her. I had never seen or spoken to anyone quite like her, someone so full of energy and excitement. It was as if she had been kept under lock and key for years and was finally permitted to go out and meet people. I'm sure my look of curiosity and amazement confused her.