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props, and calling boisterously to each other as they headed for their cars. I saw Angela, the third bridesmaid, departing with Barney the Dinosaur. She had her pregnancy-pillow under her arm and her nun’s habit in black billows around her, and she was laughing. A good time was had by almost all.
Corinne got help, but it was almost too late, I kept thinking. If only I’d helped earlier. Whether she was drunk and lost her balance or was distraught enough to jump, as her words suggested, surely I could have hung on to her in the ladies’ room for a heart-to-heart talk. I said as much to Aaron as he accompanied me on my final walk-through of the Aquarium. The grottos were empty, the corridors dim, and our footsteps echoed on the decking.
“She was taking this breakup much too seriously,” I said as we passed the marine mammal tanks. The wavering upward light sent little rings of brightness and shadow chasing across our faces. “There are lots of men who’d be interested in Corinne. I should have warned her about Boris in the first place. He’s strictly good times and no strings. I should have—”
“Carnegie, you can’t take charge of this, too,” Aaron exclaimed.
“What do you mean, too?”
“I mean you’re always stepping in, taking charge, knowing best. You can’t manage everybody’s life for them.”
“I don’t manage people’s lives! Just their weddings. If I happen to have an opinion—”
He snorted. “You always have an opinion.”
“Aaron, is this about Corinne or about us? It’s not my opinion that smoking can kill you. It’s a fact. But you won’t even try to quit—”
“Why the hell should I?” He reached reflexively for a cigarette, remembered the no-smoking rule, and smacked the railing instead. His mouth was tight with anger. “You keep me at arm’s length, and then you want to dictate my behavior. We might as well be married!”
“What?! Is that your idea of marriage?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Well, what are you saying? If I sleep with you, then you’ll stop smoking? Is that the price tag on the deal?”
“There’s no deal, Stretch.” He sighed and stared down into the tank, tired and discouraged. His dashing black costume was damp and smudged and his hat, along with mine, lay forgotten somewhere back on the pier. A harbor seal, huge and sleek, cut a sudden arc on the illuminated surface just below us, but Aaron didn’t seem to notice.
“I’m sorry,” he said at last. “The truth is I’m mad at myself, not you. Corinne was my date, I knew she was depressed, I should have stayed with her instead of wandering off with you. Christ, if she’d killed herself—”
“Well, she didn’t,” I said, pushing away the image of her pale, pale face. “We don’t even know if she meant to. She could have just fallen. Either way, blaming yourself won’t do anyone any good. Look, why don’t you go on home? I’ll be here for another hour at least; I’ve got a cleaning crew coming.”
“You don’t need a ride?”
“Nope. Lily took Donald home in a cab, so I’ve still got Vanna White.” That was my aging but faithful white van.
“All right, Stretch. I’ll call you.” No good-night kiss, not tonight.
The moment Aaron left, I wished he had offered to stay. I was tired and discouraged myself, and we’d left so much unsaid. Well, I’d be home in bed soon enough. I went through the exhibits on automatic pilot, making mental notes for the cleaners. The Aquarium contract requires only that the floors be vacuumed, but I like to leave my venues spotless—you never know when you’ll need a last-minute reservation somewhere, or just a good word on the grapevine. And after a fiasco like Corinne’s fall, the word would not be good, for the Aquarium or for me.
I was determined to call it a fall.
Busily fretting for my reputation and checking for damage, I inspected the length of A Watershed Journey, starting with the artificial marsh, whose hollow plastic log had earlier sheltered Florence Nightingale, giggling madly, and a remarkably vocal mime. It was empty now, I was happy to see, with no bits of nursing apparel left behind. Along the artificial stream, wire mesh had prevented a blob of carpaccio and a couple of caviar blini from joining the ecosystem. So far so good.
I checked the river otters’ playground near the artificial waterfall, then stood by the cascading water, staring into its endless foaming descent, while my troubled mind went blank and still. I even