Free Still Life by Joy Fielding Page B

about you, as a matter of fact,” Gail said.
    “About me? What do you mean? What kind of questions?”
    “About your relationship with Casey, how upset you were when she opted out of your partnership, if you were jealous or resentful of her success….”
    “That moron. What’d you tell him?”
    “The same thing I told him about Warren—that he was completely off base.”
    Casey could feel Janine shaking her head in anger and realized she was almost enjoying Janine’s discomfort. It served her right for the reservations she’d expressed about Warren.
    “What a jerk. Did you happen to remind him I was with you at the time Casey was run down?”
    “He said you had plenty of time to drop me off and get back to the parking garage.”
    “Did he also have an explanation for how I was able to turn my little red Nissan into a silver Ford SUV? Does he think I’m David Copperfield, for Christ’s sake?”
    “You could have hired someone,” Gail said, echoing Janine’s earlier remark.
    “Very funny. Anyway, let’s talk about something more pleasant. How was your date last night?”
    Gail had had a date? With whom?
    “It was nice,” Gail said shyly, soft giggles bracketing her reply.
    “Define the word ‘nice.’”
    “It was just nice. You know.”
    “I don’t know. ‘Nice’ is not part of my vocabulary.”
    “It was okay.”
    “Just okay? Did you have a good time?”
    “Yes, I had a good time. You’re worse than Detective Spi-netti.”
    “How good a time?” Janine pressed.
    “It was really nice.” Gail sighed. “God, I feel like such a traitor.”
    “Why would you feel like a traitor?”
    “Because our best friend is lying here in a coma….”
    “You think Casey would want us to stay at home and do nothing?”
    “No, I guess not.”
    “You don’t have to guess. I’m telling you,” Janine said, as if she were privy to Casey’s most secret thoughts. “The last thing Casey would want is for us to sit around moping. If nothing else, what happened to Casey proves that we never know how long we’ve got on this earth, and that we have a duty to enjoy ourselves when we have the chance.”
    Is that what it proved? Casey wondered, before deciding Janine was probably right.
    “So, tell me about this guy. What’s he like?”
    “He’s just a guy.”
    “Does he have a name?”
    “Does it matter? You don’t know him.”
    “I know everybody.”
    “You don’t know him,” Gail repeated, without any accompanying laughter.
    “You’re being very opaque.”
    Janine was right, Casey thought, her own curiosity piqued. It was unlike Gail to be so circumspect.
    “Did you meet him at work?”
    “No.”
    “How did you meet?”
    Casey felt Gail shrug, her nervous giggle returning.
    “Why won’t you tell me who he is?”
    “Because …”
    “Because you like him, don’t you?” Janine pounced.
    Casey felt the burn in Gail’s cheeks as if she herself were the one blushing. “I don’t know. It’s way too early. We’ve only been on one date. He probably won’t even call me again.”
    “Why wouldn’t he call you again? Were you too easy? Did you sleep with him already?”
    “Of course not. Honestly, Janine. Can we talk about something else?”
    “You’re such a prude sometimes,” Janine said.
    “I’m not a prude.”
    “Are too,” Janine said.
    “Am not.”
    Both women laughed, the tension in the room immediately dissipating.
    “Anyway, I should get going,” Janine said, jumping to her feet. “Maybe next time I come, I’ll bring a book so I can read to Casey.”
    “That’s a good idea.”
    “Well, it’ll be better than that damn TV all the time. Think I’ll bring Middlemarch . She hated that book in college.”
    “Then why on earth would you bring it?” Gail asked logically.
    “Because maybe if she has to listen to it again, she’ll wake up, just so she can tell me to shut up.”
    “You’re crazy.”
    “No argument there. Anyway, I’m off. I’ll see you tomorrow,