The Millionaire of Love by David Leddick

Author:David Leddick
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780739464564
Publisher: White Lake Press

~18~

Radomir’s First Return

Nevis knew that Radomir was returning to Paris for a short visit in July to fulfill a plan made with his friend Savannah from California. They had long ago planned to meet in front of Notre Dame at noon on the Fourth of July.

Nevis guessed Radomir would arrive on a Monday, as he knew the rendezvous with Savannah was Tuesday the fourth. He told this to Minerva when she called on Saturday, asking when Radomir was expected.

On Sunday, in the middle of preparing brunch for Anthony Stuart and his wife, the phone rang. It was Radomir. He was in Paris. Had in fact arrived the previous day and was staying with Minerva. He sounded particularly sulky but was coming over and, yes, would have some brunch.

While Nevis was waiting for Radomir, several things happened. He let the scrambled eggs stay over the flame too long and they become too hard. As he served the eggs an acrid odor filled the apartment. Immediately his large gray Persian cat, Nada, jumped onto a dining room chair and exhibited little curlicue white-singed whiskers. Nevis snatched Nada up and found singed hair all over his body and concluded Nada had jumped onto the stove to investigate the smell of bacon and had found a gas ring still flaming that Nevis had forgotten to turn off. Anthony and his French wife, Alexandra, chatted amiably through the nervousness of the hard eggs and the singed cat. As they were finishing brunch Radomir arrived.

He was pleasant as he talked with the Stuarts, eating the second round of eggs and bacon that Nevis prepared for him. He explained he was late because after he’d called Nevis he’d called another friend, Lo De Coy, and had coffee with her. Anthony and Alexandra excused themselves when the chitchat had dwindled to nothing.

In the living room Nevis said, “You sounded very angry when I called you last to see when you were coming.”

“I was and I still am,” Radomir answered. “Because of your letters.”

“But you said you’d written,” Nevis answered back, “and nothing has ever arrived. Tell me what’s bothering you.”

“No, I’ve written you a letter. You’ll get it tomorrow.” Radomir smiled unpleasantly. He looked hulky, humpy, and handsome, but almost a cliché of the unattainable boyfriend, the guy who instinctively knows his hold on you is that he is unattainable and doesn’t care.

Across the room Nevis sat on the settee and said, “The awful thing about this is that when you’re about thirty-five you’re going to realize what was happening here, and by that time it will all be too late.” He felt the tears running down his face as he added, “By then I’ll be old, old. Really old.” But he wasn’t sobbing, just sort of leaking out the overflow of his sadness at the inevitability of his situation.

Radomir didn’t seem particularly uncomfortable but said, “I’ve got to be going. I promised Lo I’d meet her again to go to the movies.” Nevis didn’t protest. He saw his love disappearing down the circular staircase and thought, This is a real tragedy.

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