The Room-Mating Season by Rona Jaffe

Author:Rona Jaffe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2014-02-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Cady moved in with Steven and replaced Paul’s missing photographs in their silver frames with pictures of herself. She and Steven were both neat people, luckily, so they got along. They ate at home most nights and he did the cooking, she did the washing up. They never argued. It was still such a new relationship that they went out of their way to be kind to each other, and she hoped it would stay that way forever. She was very happy. It was good to be able to have great sex whenever she wanted it, to talk, to be silent, to have all the time in the world.

He bought her an ugly ring. Cady was shocked when she saw it, but Steven seemed so pleased with his choice that she didn’t dare complain. She had assumed that he would give her a traditionally-set diamond, and that she would go with him to choose it, but instead he appeared with the box. He said a friend of his in Greenwich Village, who was an artisan, had designed and made the ring. It looked like a lump of dark-yellow gold, which perhaps could be a gnarled tree branch. There was an oddly shaped, dark gray-blue pearl set in it. She didn’t even want to wear the thing, but she didn’t see how she could refuse without hurting his feelings.

It was clear that there were things she did not know yet about his taste. The engagement ring was probably cheap, as well as something for a hippie, but she didn’t want to fault him for not having money. That would make Paul win. Still, Cady couldn’t help being jealous of the ring David had given Leigh. As always, Leigh had what she wanted.

“Don’t worry,” Cady’s mother said cheerfully when Cady told her. “People aren’t wearing traditional diamonds anymore; they’re old-fashioned. They aren’t buying engagement rings at all. You’re marrying a young man, get with the times.”

Yes, she thought, David is old. Leigh’s life isn’t that perfect. She concentrated on looking at wedding rings she would like, and determined that she would pick this one out herself.

They hadn’t set a date. When Cady mentioned that she would like to know if Steven wanted to get married in the summer so they could take a trip, he said he didn’t know yet. He suggested they get to know each other better first, since marriage was difficult at best, even for dreamers.

“Ours will be different from your first one,” Cady said.

“That certainly is what I had in mind.”

“If you want a big wedding,” her mother said, “it will take me a long time to plan it.”

“I want a small wedding,” Cady said. “I just want a wedding, to tell you the truth.”

Leigh and Vanessa were pleased for her. Leigh had no more criticisms, or, if she did, she kept them to herself.

Cady never heard from Paul. She thought about him from time to time, as how could she not after he had been so

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