A Changed Man by Francine Prose

Author:Francine Prose [Prose, Francine]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: General Fiction
ISBN: 0060560037
Publisher: Harper
Published: 2005-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

THE MINUTE BONNIE SPOTS Elliot Green among the onlookers watching Vincent regain consciousness in her arms, she knows she can count on a visit to the emergency room. For liability reasons. Bonnie wonders what Elliot is whispering to Meyer. Could he be suggesting that Vincent is going to sue them?

Meyer comes over to Bonnie and says, “Let’s take Vincent to Lenox Hill. Elliot thinks it’s a good idea.”

“Fine,” says Bonnie. In fact, she’s relieved. She wants a nice young intern to promise that some delayed reaction won’t kick in eight hours from now—in her house—and kill Vincent in his sleep.

Vincent gingerly sits up. Careful, everyone move back, give the guy some air. Bonnie could, in theory, get off the floor. But whatever message her brain is trying to send to her feet is returning unanswered. Maybe her legs have fallen asleep, maybe she’s still wobbly. Maybe she was even more scared than she knew. For a moment she thinks she might pass out and really make everyone’s evening.

There’s no question but that the Ticknors’ car will lead the shiny black convoy that streaks away from the museum, diagonals across Fifth Avenue, and veers east toward the hospital. Larry won’t hear of anything else. The hero who gave Vincent mouth to mouth is not about to walk out at intermission.

Laura Ticknor rides up front with the driver, and Larry gets in back, where he and Bonnie sandwich Vincent between them. Bonnie’s trying not to think about what all this might mean for the foundation. The only thing that counts is that Vincent is okay. And yet she can’t help noting that the Ticknors’ hands-on involvement augurs well for the future. How could they not support an organization after they’ve saved its poster boy’s life?

“Don’t I get dessert?” Vincent says. Everyone chuckles madly.

“Forget it,” says Bonnie. “The way things have been going tonight, it’s probably pecan pie.”

“I’m sorry,” says Vincent. “I fucked up.”

The Ticknors will have to understand that Vincent wouldn’t be saying fuck if he hadn’t just passed out. Among the brain cells he must have lost are the ones that modulate self-presentation. At first, Bonnie mistook Vincent’s adaptable chameleon quality for sneakiness, but that was before she realized that he simply wants things to go well. As she does. Anyway, why should Bonnie care if Vincent says fuck around the Ticknors?

“The caterers fucked up,” says Larry. “That’s who fucked up.”

Finally, Bonnie gets it. Vincent’s a movie star. Larry Ticknor is trying to speak the star’s own language. Vincent’s not just some white-supremacist creep, not just some upstate loser. He’s a serious guy who nearly died in order to finish his speech. How much more could he have done to prove the strength of his convictions, the sincerity of his conversion? It was brave in every way, and Larry Ticknor knows that.

“It’s my fault,” Bonnie says. “I should have double-checked the menu. I’m sure I told the caterers, but—”

“Turn left,” Laura tells the driver.

“Got it,” the driver says.

“Oh, why am I telling you, Enrique? We’ve done this route a million times.

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