behind her, and noticed that she was dressed in her regular pink slacks with a pink-and-white polka-dot shirt.
“I must say, Aggie, that shirt’s really nice. It suits you.”
She touched the shirt. “This old thing. I picked it up at Harrods in London in the sixties. A cheapie. But nice. They used good fabrics back then.” She lowered herself onto her favorite chair, which looked more like a cane throne.
“Can I get you a drink?” I asked.
“Of course. It’s that hour. I’ve been a good girl today. I only had a glass of wine with my lunch.”
“I slept well last night. I had a long beautiful dream. An old love of mine came to visit.” She raised a brow, making it seem as though it had actually happened.
When I returned with her martini, Aggie looked disappointed. “You’re not having one?”
“I might abstain for now. Maybe later,” I responded.
“What’s happened to you? There’s been a change. It’s for the better. I can see that.”
“Are you aware that you’re clairvoyant, Aggie?” I said, surprising myself, for my tone was forthright and not the usual wavering one I used around her.
“I’m not normally. But for some reason, you’re very familiar to me. You’re easy to read, Ava.”
My eyebrows contracted. “How so?”
She ignored my question. “Okay, so there’s a change. Tell me, have you left that joyless boyfriend of yours?”
Aggie’s sardonic tone made me grin.
“I have.”
“Good. There’s another, though. Because I see color in those cheeks of yours. That doesn’t happen after a break-up.”
For some reason, I ended up telling Aggie everything that had happened. She even grimaced when I described how Justin had pushed me against the wall.
“So, this tall, dark and handsome man saved you. How gallant. Very romantic.” She lit a cigarette and looked out into the distance.
“I suppose. Only, he’s just gotten out of prison.”
Her head turned sharply to study me again. “It wasn’t murder, though.”
The conviction in her tone made my spine stiffen. “No. How did you guess?”
“By the way… you described him.” That falter in her voice struck me as odd. “He reminds me of Monty.”
“He does?” My brow lowered.
“Tell me then. Continue. What was he in for?”
I took a deep breath. “Drugs, I’m told. Cocaine.”
“Oh, is that all. Mm…” She sat back and sipped her martini. “I used to have the odd sniff at parties. Around here, it was all the rage. That and marijuana. I enjoyed cocaine. It made the blood boil. Great for sex. But I knew a few that fell into the grip of it. It’s a demon drug, that’s for sure. It didn’t do that to me, though. Cigarettes and martinis are my only weaknesses.”
As usual with Aggie’s raves, my jaw dropped. Possessing the type of genes that addicts would have given a kidney to possess, Aggie wore her hedonism with pride.
“Why are you looking at me like that,” she asked.
“I guess I’m awestruck by your…”
“My wild ways?” She raised her eyebrows. “Darling, life is to be had. None of that herbal-tea-and-yoga nonsense for me. I got my exercise from sex and shopping. My nourishment came from eating out at some of Manhattan’s finest restaurants, and of course, I kept myself happy by not worrying about my bad habits.” She laughed.
“These are such different times, I suppose. We’re all reminded to care for ourselves. That our bodies are temples.”
“I’m an atheist, darling.” Her low drawl made me giggle. “Okay, so this sexy man was in prison, and that has put you off him. Am I right?”
I nodded. “I hate to admit it. But yeah. I suppose. His eyes…” I drifted off as I saw them in front of me again.
“Describe them for me.”
“They’re dark brown, sometimes even black. There’s something deep that wants to erupt… a kind of hidden fury. He often reverts to a remote stare when no one’s watching. But then when he looks at me, his eyes soften just a little, even though there’s an element of mistrust or even shame in there. He does seem a little messed up, I suppose,” I said, looking at Aggie with a tight smile.
“My, you do like him.” A dreamy expression coated her stare. “Monty had dark eyes that turned black. He rarely smiled. The brooding type, you know? He loved and hated with equal intensity. In many ways, Monty’s passion frightened me. But oh, how I couldn’t do without him either. Time stood still whenever we were together.”