Open and Shut - By David Rosenfelt Page 0,8

my friend, and the time with her at Charlie's is comforting. She drives me home, pulling up in front of my house at around nine. I live in Franklin Lakes, an upscale suburban community about a half-hour northeast of New York City. Each house, including mine, has manicured lawns and perfectly maintained flowers, none of which are maintained by those of us who live here. I've never checked, but Franklin Lakes must have the highest number of gardeners per capita in the United States.

What it doesn't have is the feel of a neighborhood, at least not the ones I remember. I am on a waving relationship with my neighbors; it is the suburban equivalent of a nodding, elevator relationship for those who live in high-rise apartments.

“You want to come in?” I ask.

“I don't think I should. I think you might need some time alone.”

I don't argue, because we both know she's right; her staying over tonight wouldn't feel right for either of us.

It's just as well that Laurie doesn't come in, because when I go into the house Nicole is sitting on the leather sofa in the den, petting Tara and waiting for me.

“Hello, Andy.”

“Nicole …” is the cleverest retort I can come up with.

“I heard about Nelson … I was in Seattle visiting my grandmother … I got here as fast as I could … oh, Andy …”

She comes over and hugs me, though it makes me feel awkward. I wonder if she feels the same, but there's no sign of it. Actually, I don't think “awkward” is something Nicole ever allows herself to feel. Feeling awkward would just make her feel awkward, so she simply avoids it.

“He was really crazy about you,” I say, driven by a sudden need to make her feel better.

“And I felt the same way about him. Are you okay?”

“I'm hanging in. I'm not sure it's totally hit me yet.”

She still has her arms around me, it's one of the longest hugs I've ever experienced. And there's no sign of it ending anytime soon.

“Andy, I've been thinking … even before this … I don't want to just give up on us.”

I'm at a loss for words, not an everyday occurrence for me, which goes on for quite a while. The uncomfortable silence is enough to get her to break the hug.

“It's your turn to say something,” she says, though I already knew that.

I give it my best shot. “Nicole, we've been separated for six months. In that time I have not become a big-time corporate attorney, nor have I decided to run for Congress.”

“Andy …”

“And I still represent people who think Beef Wellington is a wrestler. In short, I'm not what you seem to want anymore.”

“So maybe I can try and change. It's worth a try, isn't it?”

I'm not sure and I tell her so. She takes that as a qualified yes.

“So I was thinking we could start dating … have dinner or something?”

“You want to start dating?” I ask. “What's the matter, you can't find anybody to take you to the prom?” This is meant to sound tough; it comes off as cutesy.

“Andy, let's start over.” She renews the hug again, this time with certain body parts rubbing against certain other body parts.

“Am I going to have to get you a corsage?” I have now openly switched to cutesy. Even Tara looks disgusted.

Nobody's ever accused me of being a tower of strength, least of all Nicole. I think we're going to try. This would have been a good day for my father.

THE HOUSEOF MY FIRST EIGHTEEN YEARS WAS ON 42nd Street in Paterson, New Jersey. This is of considerable significance because of the manner in which Paterson has developed. There is a downtown area, economically poor and overwhelmingly African-American. Then there are the numbered streets, 1 through 42, ending at the Passaic River. The river is where 43rd Street would be.

The higher the street number, the more expensive and desirable the houses. For years, almost all of the people living in the streets above 20 were white. Gradually, though, African-Americans started moving “upward” to the mid-20s, then the early 30s, and on toward the heavenly 40s. The whites would then move further up, fearful that the mixing of the neighborhood was driving their home values down.

Looking at the big picture, it was as if the whites were being driven to the sea, in this case the river, and that it eventually would part and allow them to flee to the suburbs. This they