Stay close

16

Under the strobe of Ray ’s flash, the woman looked like the proverbial deer in the headlights.

“Who’s the lucky girl, George?” Ray called out.

George Queller, perhaps Fester’s most frequent client, put a protective arm around his date. “This is Alexandra Saperstein.”

Flash, snap, flash, snap. “How did you two meet?”

“On JDate. com. It’s a Web site for Jewish singles.”

“Sounds like destiny.”

Ray didn’t point out the obvious-George was not Jewish. This was a job. His mind couldn’t be further away, but really who wanted to be present when you did work like this?

Alexandra Saperstein seemed to shrink under the attention. She was pretty enough in a mousy sort of way, but she had that cower ’n’ blink that Ray often associated with past abuse. The flashbulbs weren’t helping. Ray turned it off, kept snapping, took a step back to give the terrified young lady space. George noticed and gave him a funny look.

As they neared the restaurant, Maurice, the maitre d’ with the heavy French accent-real name: Manny Schwartz, who probably should be on JDate-came to the bistro door, opened his arms wide, and cried, “Monsieur George, welcome. I have your favorite table all ready for you!”

George glanced over at Ray, waiting for Ray to deliver the line. Keeping his face behind the camera worked here because Ray could hide his shame as he shouted it, “Will you two be releasing what you ate to the press?”

A little piece of Ray died.

“We’ll see,” George said in a haughty tone.

The new couple entered. Ray pretended to want to follow them, and Maurice pretended to push him out. A waiter came up to Alexandra and handed her red roses. Ray snapped pictures through the window. George pulled out the chair for Alexandra. She sat, settled in, finally looking comfortable for the first time.

It wouldn’t last.

Ray had the camera on her face. He couldn’t help it. Part of him knew that he should look away-like slowing down to view a car accident-but the artist part of him wanted to record the moment of dawning horror. As Alexandra looked down at the menu, Ray felt his cell phone buzz. He ignored it, adjusting the focus. He waited. First, a look of confusion crossed Alexandra Saperstein’s face. She squinted to make sure she read it right. Ray knew that George had upped his crazy ante-that the headline on top of the menu now read:

George and Alexandra’s First Date

Tasting Menu

Let’s Save This to Show Our Grandkids!

The realization dawned on Alexandra now. Her eyes opened wider, but the rest of her face fell. She put her hands to her cheeks. Ray snapped away. This could very well be his own version of Munch’s The Scream.

Champagne was poured. The new script called for Ray to barge in and take a table photograph of the toast. He started toward the door. The phone buzzed again. Ray took a quick glance and saw it was a photograph from Fester. Bizarre. Why the hell would Fester be sending him a photograph?

Still moving inside the bistro, Ray scrolled down and hit the open attachment feature. He lifted his camera as George lifted his glass. Alexandra looked to Ray for rescue. Ray took a quick peek at the incoming photograph and felt his heart stop.

The camera dropped to his side.

George said, “Ray?”

Ray stared down at his cell phone. Tears started brimming in his eyes. He started shaking his head. It couldn’t be. So many emotions ricocheted through him, threatened to overwhelm him.

Cassie.

It was a mind game, someone who looked like her, but, no, there was no doubt in his mind. She had changed in seventeen years, but there was no way he’d forget anything about that face.

Why? How? After all the years, how…

He reached out and tentatively caressed the image with his finger.

“Ray?”

Ray kept his eyes on the photograph. “Alexandra?”

He heard her shift in her chair.

“It’s okay. You can go.”

He didn’t have to tell her twice. She was up and out the door. George stood and followed her. Ray got in his way. “Don’t.”

“I don’t understand, Ray.”

Alexandra fled. George collapsed back into his chair. Ray stared at the photograph. Why had Fester taken it? He tried to calm down enough to gather clues. They were at a bar. Probably the Weak Signal. The old Bogie line about of all the gin joints in all the world came to him, but of course, she hadn’t walked into his. She had walked into Fester’s. And there was no way this was a coincidence.

“Why, Ray?”

“One second,” he told George.

He pressed Fester’s speed dial-pathetically, Ray thought, Fester, his boss, was the only person he had on speed dial-and heard it ring.

“I don’t get it, Ray,” George said. “This girl, Alexandra? Online she’s telling me that her last boyfriend treated her like crap and ignored her and never took her out. Here I am, going the extra mile, and she freaks out on me. Why?”

Ray held up a one-second finger. Fester’s voice mail kicked in. His message said, “Fester. Beep.”

Ray said, “What the hell is going on with that picture? Call me now.”

He hung up and started heading out.

“Ray?”

It was George again.

“I don’t get it. I’m just trying to make the night special for them. Don’t they see that? Online they all say they want romance.”

“First off,” Ray said, “there’s a fine line between romance and restraining order. You got that?”

George nodded slowly. “I guess so. But they all say-”

“Second, what women say is crap. They say they want romance and to be treated like a princess, but all empirical evidence says otherwise. They always choose the guy who treats them like dirt.”

“So what should I do?” George asked, clearly confused. “Should I treat them like dirt too?”

Ray thought about it. He was about to launch into a long spiel of advice but now, looking at George’s face, he said, “Don’t change a thing.”

“What?”

“I’d hate to live in a world without guys like you. So don’t change. You be the romantic instead of the asshole.”

“You really think so?”

“Well, not if you want to score. If you want to score, you’re hopeless.”

George gave a half-smile at that. “I don’t just want to score. I want to find a true companion.”

“Good answer. Then don’t change. Stick to your guns.” Ray took another step, stopped, turned back. “Well, maybe back off a little. The personalized menus are way over the top.”

“Really? You think? Maybe it’s just the font.”

Ray’s cell phone rang. It was Fester. He quickly picked it up.

“Fester?”

“So you know the girl in the picture, I assume,” Fester said.

“Yes, what does she want?”

“What do you think she wants? She wants to talk to you.”

Ray could actually feel his heart beating in his chest. “Is she still at the Weak Signal? I’m on my way.”

“She just left.”

“Damn.”

“But she left a message.”

“What?”

“She said to meet her at Lucy at eleven.”