Urge to Kill

“To Mitzi at twenty-five,” he said. “May you always remain so young.”

She grinned and sipped champagne from the delicate stemmed glass. “If only that were possible.”

“Maybe it is,” he said, “if you believe hard enough.”

“No,” Mitzi said. “Mother Nature’s a joker, just like me.”

“Then you and Mother Nature should be friends.”

“We are,” Mitzi said, “but she’s a bitch sometimes. Like most of my other friends. She seems to get a laugh out of women growing old and men getting tired of them. Look around. You see it happen all the time.”

“You don’t have to worry about that with me, Mitzi. I promise.”

She stared hard into his deep dark eyes and rested her hand gently on his. “For some reason,” she said, “I believe you. More importantly, I think you believe you. But don’t you see that’s the joke? You’ll change your mind. Lovers do. They honestly think they won’t, but they do.”

“Not me,” Rob said. “I’ll love you for the rest of your life.”

With the polished toe of his wingtip shoe he nudged the blue canvas bag beneath the table.

Mitzi sipped champagne and continued gazing into his eyes. Despite the mystery there she decided to believe him with every beating cell of her heart, at least for tonight. If he wanted to make tonight her night—their night—it was fine with her.

How many Robs were there?

How many nights like this were there?

Carpe diem. Seize the day. Like in the Robin Williams movie. How would you say seize the night in Latin?

There had to be a joke in there somewhere. Maybe even in Latin. Latin could be a terrifically funny language.

71

When they left the restaurant after dinner, Mitzi knew she was a little drunk. During the coziness of the cab ride to her apartment, she tried to tease Rob, get him to reveal what was in the blue bag.

Instead of telling her, he teased back, sitting close and keeping the bag well on the other side of him on the back seat. Some of the teasing became sexual, but Mitzi didn’t mind. The cabbie was from some Middle Eastern country, listening to low-volume but insistent Arabic music. He seemed uninterested in what his passengers were doing and might not understand much English.

Rob didn’t direct the cabbie to stop in front of her building. Instead, they got out at the corner, leaving a short walk. That was okay. The night was still warm, but pleasant because of a slight breeze. As the cab drove away, Mitzi hoped she’d be able to walk all right after all the mixed drinks and wine she’d consumed.

She leaned in close to Rob and he put his arm around her, supporting her. Her legs felt all right, but there was an alcohol-induced numbness in her cheeks. And the sidewalk seemed to be moving around a bit on her, like a funhouse floor. She wasn’t sure if she could navigate a straight line without his help. Mitzi walked with her head resting against his shoulder until they had to climb the steps to her building’s entrance.

No one had passed them on the sidewalk, and they rode the elevator by themselves up to her floor. Just before the door slid open, he leaned over and kissed the side of her neck.

Mitzi did have trouble finding her apartment key in her purse, and when she did finally close her fingers on the key chain, it slipped from her grasp. Maybe she was drunker than she thought.

Rob helped her, fishing the key from her purse and placing it in her hand so she had a firm grip on it. He was smiling down at her as she fumbled to insert the key in the lock.

She did manage to do that without his help. She unlocked the brass knob lock, then the deadbolt above, and pushed the door open.

To blinding, flashing brilliance winking from cameras.

Behind the flaring lights she could glimpse figures of at least a dozen people, all facing her. Most of them held cameras high in front of them or in tight to their faces so they could use viewfinders.

Mitzi was stunned. She felt Rob’s grip tighten on her arm so she wouldn’t fall.

“Surprise!” everyone shouted in imperfect unison.

Still stunned, but grinning, Mitzi looked up at Rob. “You! Did you know about this?”

Rob was smiling, yet he did seem genuinely surprised.

“I didn’t,” he said. “I swear it!”

“He’s telling the truth, Mitz.” Jackie’s voice from somewhere over by the sofa. “We didn’t have a chance to tell him. You haven’t been around the club lately, Rob, and Mitzi’s the only one with your phone number, so we had no choice but to surprise you both.”

“More fun that way, anyway,” Ted Tack’s voice said.

Rob’s grip tightened again on Mitzi’s arm, but this time in a gentle signal to gain her attention.

“See, darling,” he said. “I’m honest to a fault.”

“Get them some champagne,” Jackie said. “It’s time for a toast!”

“More champagne,” Mitzi said. “Yeah, I could use that.”

72