Public Secrets

.
“We can lay over in New York a couple of days,” he continued, “see the play, raise some hell, then head back to London.”
“Do they really strip naked?” Stevie wanted to know.
“Right down to the buff, son. That should be worth the price of a ticket.”
“We should go.” Mellowed from the company and smoke, Brian rested his head on Bev’s knee. He’d already stayed in one place longer than he liked, and the idea of New York appealed. “For the music and the statement.”

“You go for the statement.” Stevie grinned. “I’ll go for the naked birds.”
“We’ll get Pete to fix it up. What do you say, Bev?”
She didn’t like New York, but she could see Brian’s mind was set. And she didn’t want to spoil the easy, peaceful mood of the last weeks. “It’ll be fun. Maybe we can take Darren and Emma to the zoo and through Central Park before we fly home.”

E MMA WAS THRILLED . She remembered her first trip to New York well, the big bed in the hotel room, the soaring thrill of standing on top of the world, the glorious rides on the carousel in Central Park. She wanted to share all of that with Darren.
She tried to explain all the wonders of it to him as they prepared for the trip. As Alice Wallingsford packed up the nursery, she kept Darren out of mischief with his favored farm.
“Moo cow,” he said, holding up the black spotted white piece from the set. “Want to see a moo cow.”
“I don’t think we’ll see a moo cow, but we’ll see lions at the zoo.” She made a roar that had him squealing.
“You’re getting him too excited, Emma,” Alice said automatically. “And it’s nearly bedtime.”
Emma just rolled her eyes as Darren danced around her. He was wearing his Oshkosh overalls and little red Keds. For Emma’s approval, he struggled to do a sloppy somersault.
“All that energy.” Alice clucked her tongue, though in truth she was charmed by the boy. “I don’t see how we’ll get him to sleep tonight.”
“Don’t pack Charlie,” Emma put in before Alice could drop the stuffed dog into a packing box. “He has to ride on the plane with me.”
With a sigh, Alice set the worn dog aside. “He needs a good washing. I don’t want you sneaking him into the baby’s crib anymore, Emma.”
“I love Charlie,” Darren announced and tried another somersault. He landed heavily on his Playskool tool bench, but instead of crying, picked up the wooden hammer to play a tattoo on the colored pegs. “I love Charlie,” he sang to his own rhythm.
“Be that as it may, sweet thing, he’s getting a bit smelly. I don’t want germs in the bed with my baby.”

Darren sent her a sunny smile. “I love germs.”
“It’s a heartbreaker you are.” Alice picked him up to bounce him on her hip. “Now Alice is going to give you a nice bath before bed, with bubbles. Emma, don’t leave, those pieces spread about,” she added as she paused in the doorway. “You can have your bath as soon as Darren’s finished. Then you can go down and say good night to your parents.”
“Yes, ma’am.” She waited until Alice was out of sight before she got up to get Charlie. He did not smell, she thought as she buried her face in his fur. And she would put him in Darren’s crib, because Charlie watched over him when she was sleeping.

“I REALLY WISH you hadn’t asked all those people over tonight.” Bev fluffed the pillows on the couch, though she knew such niceties were a waste of time.
“We have to say goodbye, don’t we?” He put on a Jimi Hendrix album because it reminded him that though the artist was dead, the music lived on. “Besides, once we’re back in London, we’re back to work in a big way. I want to relax while I can.”
“How can we relax with a hundred people milling about the house?”
“Bev. It’s our last night.”
She opened her mouth again, then closed it when Alice ushered the children in. “There’s my boy.” She scooped Darren up on the fly before she winked at Emma. “Is Charlie ready for his trip?” She knew and sympathized with Emma’s unease with planes and smoothed a hand over the girl’s hair.
“He’s just a little nervous. He’ll be all right with me.”
“Of course he will.” She pressed a kiss on the delicate area between Darren’s ear and throat. “Already bathed?” She’d wanted to take care of that evening chore herself. There was nothing Bev liked better than to play with Darren in the tub, smoothing the soapy cloth over his pale,