Genuine Lies

decor of anchors and fishnetting she might have expected, she entered a sleek, elegant living area of low-slung sofas in vibrant tones of peach and mint. There was the warmth of teak and cherrywood and what was surely a gloriously faded Aubusson carpet. An entire wall was taken over by shelves of varying widths that were overflowing with books. Circular stairs wound tightly upward and bisected an overhanging balcony. The sun played through the mermaid and danced in rainbow colors on the pale walls.
    “It’s lovely,” Julia said, and the astonishment as well as the appreciation in her voice made Kenneth smile.
    “Thank you. One prefers to be comfortable after all. Please, sit down, Miss Summers. I was just making some iced tea.”
    “That would be nice, thanks.” She hadn’t expected to feel so at ease, but sitting on the cushy sofa, surrounded by books and
Carmen
, it was impossible to be otherwise. It wasn’t until Kenneth had moved into the adjoining kitchen that she realized she had yet to put her shoes on again.
    “I was sorry to miss Eve’s little extravaganza recently,” he told her, raising his voice to be heard over the music. I’d taken a little trip down to Cozumél for some scuba diving.” He came back in carrying an enameled tray with two green-hued glasses and a fat pitcher. Lemon slices and ice swam in the golden tea. “Eve always throws an unusual party.”
    Not Miss Benedict or even Miss B., Julia noted. “Are you still in touch with Eve?”
    He settled the tray, handing her a glass before taking a seat across from her. “What you’re asking, quite politely, is if Eve and I still speak. After all, in the strictest sense of the word, she did fire me.”
    “I was under the impression there was a disagreement.”
    His smile radiated good heath and good humor. “With Eve life was filled with disagreements. In actual fact, it’s much simpler to be associated with her now that I’m not in her employ.”
    “Do you mind if I record this?”
    “No, not at all.” He watched as she took out her tape recorder and set it on the table between them. “I was surprised to hear that Eve had instigated this book. Over the years the handful of unauthorized biographies annoyed her.”
    “That may be your answer. A woman like Eve would want to have the major part in the telling of her own story.”
    Kenneth lifted a silver eyebrow. “And the control of the telling.”
    “Yes,” Julia said. “Tell me how you came to work for her.”
    “Eve’s offer came at a time when I was considering changing jobs. She hired me away from Miss Miller and their competition forced Eve to offer me more money—a tidy bit more. There was the added incentive of having my own quarters. I must say I doubted Eve would be tedious, but I also knew her reputation with men. So I hesitated. It was vulgar, I suppose, to bring the fact up to her, and to state my requirements for a purely nonphysical relationship.” He smiled again, fondly, a man cherishing memories. “She laughed, that big, lusty laugh of hers. She had a glass in her hand, I recall, a champagne flute. We were standing in the kitchen of Miss Miller’s home where Eve had sought me out during a party. She picked another glass off the table, handed it to me, and then clinked crystal to crystal in a toast.
    “Tell you what, Kenneth,′ she said, ‘you stay out of mybed, and I’ll stay out of yours.’” He lifted his hand, palm out, fingers spread. “How could I resist?”
    “And you both kept the bargain?”
    If the question offended or surprised, he gave no sign. “Yes, we kept the bargain. I came to love her, Miss Summers, but I was never infatuated. In our own way, we forged a friendship, and sex was never involved to complicate matters. It would be dishonest to say that there weren’t moments during the decade I worked for Eve that I didn’t regret the bargain.” He cleared his throat. “And, risking immodesty, I believe there were moments she regretted it as well. But it was a bargain we kept.”
    “You would have started as Eve’s assistant about the time she married Rory Winthrop.”
    “That’s right. A pity the marriage didn’t work out. It seemed they were better friends than partners. Then there was the boy. Eve was devoted to him from the first. And though many would find the image difficult to focus, she made an excellent mother. I grew quite attached to Paul myself, watching him grow up.”
    “Did you? What was he like …”