“Why don’t you go for a few weeks? Maybe I can find a hotel room and come for Christmas? I bet the desert would be fun for the holiday.”
“I don’t know….” She shifts in her seat, seeming nervous. “There’s something to be said about Union Square in December.”
Union Square is San Francisco’s shopping mecca. Each winter, there’s a giant tree and menorah in the center, surrounded by high-end stores that showcase the fanciest holiday gifts.
“I know what you mean,” I tell her. “After tea, I’m going to do some shopping and then meet Henry for drinks.”
“Why don’t you move in with him?” she asks.
I cringe at the thought. “I don’t need to live with anyone, Mom. And anyway, I’d be putting a serious crimp in Henry’s plans. He has a new girl who’s crazy about him.”
She shakes her head. “I’m sorry I ruined Thanksgiving dinner with Dr. McGrath.”
I pat her hand as our first course of sandwiches is placed in front of us. I love them all—cucumber, egg salad, salmon.Yum. “I left my number for him,” I assure her. “If he’s interested, he’ll call.”
We dive in on the tower of sandwiches, and Mom catches me up on what’s happening with her friends—women I’ve known my whole life. She seems to relax as she settles into the conversation.
“You’d be okay if I went down to Palm Springs?” she asks after the scones and petits fours. She fidgets with the napkin in her lap.
“Of course, Mom. Don’t worry about me. I’ll go wherever you want to go for Christmas, and if you decide you want to go to China and see Charles, I’ll do that too.”
She wrinkles her nose. “I think being with Bitsy would be good for December, and then I can decide if I want to stay longer.”
“That sounds perfect. Figure out when you might want to go down, and I’ll drive you. We can take Highway One and stop at that great place in Carmel and see Dottie. We’ll spend the night at Mindy’s winery in their bed-and-breakfast and then finish the drive to Palm Springs.”
Mom sits up straighter and nods. “I like that idea. I’ll talk to Bitsy and find out what works for her.”
“Do you want to join me for shopping in Union Square today? I have a few things to find for Henry, and I need to get some things for Charles so I can get them in the mail if I want them to have a halfway decent chance of making it on time.”
“What are you going to send him?” Mom asks.
“A Bourdain sourdough loaf, which will probably be cardboard by the time it arrives, but I’ll wrap it up tight and cross my fingers. I’m also thinking about sending him peanut butter and salsa and corn chips. But I’m looking for something nice, other than food.”
“A tie?” she suggests
“I don’t think he wears ties. Every time I see him, his collar is open.”
Mom nods. “I know you’ll find something.”
“I hope so. I’m buying Henry a new set of cufflinks. And I already know what I’m getting you, too.”
Her eyes light up. “I can’t wait.”
When we’ve finished, I kiss her goodbye and take a cab over to Union Square. I end up finding a lot of good things, and tomorrow, I’ll hit the grocery store before I put my box together for Charles. Next on the agenda—drinks with Henry. But I need to drop this stuff at home first.
Henry rises from his seat as I enter the bar. I wave as I make my way over.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he says as he kisses my cheek.
“It was fine. We just hid out in the lodge and waited. We were very lucky.” I signal the server and order a glass of red wine.
He shakes his head. “I can’t believe how scary that must have been. You rode up in the chairlift with the guy and ended up holing up all night with him. He was a stranger. What would you have done if he was some kind of crazy?”
“Well… We’d already been skiing together, and we had actually met before.” I tell Henry all about Mom running into the wayward elbow and how Clay went into doctor mode.
His eyes grow wide. “That’s pretty lucky.”
I nod. “I totally agree.” My wine appears, and after a sip, I continue. “I saw him again that night after the Bob Mackie show. I went by myself because Mom wasn’t feeling it. We hung out a bit, and he was great. Then the next day I ran into him boarding the bus to Paradise Valley, and we skied most of the afternoon.”