Page 30 of Private Pleasures

“It’ll have to come through the girls. I’ll talk to Carl Ulrich, and you speak to Sam Seligmann,” Rick suggested. “God, I hope Jeff doesn’t show up at graduation.”

“He’s got to be asked, or Kramer will say we’re turning the kid against his dad. Judges don’t like parents who play divide and conquer,” Joe noted.

“I’ll check with Carla, but knowing Nora, she’ll ask him, because she’s just that decent, even if it’s wasted on Jeff,” Rick answered.

And of course Nora did make certain that her husband was asked to their son’s graduation. She had stood over J. J. as he addressed the invitation to his graduation to his father’s office, since they had no idea where he was living. After receiving no response, Nora called her husband’s office two days before the graduation, but Jeff, according to Carol, his longtime assistant, was unavailable to speak with her.

“I just wanted to know if he’s coming to J. J.’s graduation, Carol,” Nora said. “We sent his invitation to the office. Maybe it didn’t arrive? But graduation is in two days. This weekend.”

“Oh, he got the invitation, Mrs. Buckley,” Carol said. “I opened it, and gave it to him myself. I can’t imagine J. J. graduating already. I came to work for Mr. Buckley the summer just before J. J. started kindergarten. It doesn’t seem possible that much time has passed. I’m sure he’ll be there in spite of everything.”

Nora laughed. “I don’t want to put you on the spot, Carol, but satisfy my curiosity. Just a yes or no will do. Does she work in the office?”

There was a long pause, and then Carol said, “Yes.” She lowered her voice. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Buckley!”

“Thank you,” Nora responded. “Tell Jeff I called, and I’d like to know one way or the other if he is or isn’t coming.”

“Of course, Mrs. Buckley. Good-bye.”

“Good-bye, Carol,” Nora said.

“I hope he doesn’t come,” Jill Buckley said. She had just arrived home that afternoon. “J. J. doesn’t want him there, and for once I agree with my brother.”

“He’s your father,” Nora said quietly.

“He’s a creep,” Jill replied. “Dumping you for another woman is bad enough, Ma, but trying to make you a homeless bag woman stinks.”

“It’s a negotiating tactic, Jill. Nothing more. You’ll learn that in law school. Do you have your summer course set up?”

“Yeah. If my college didn’t require those damned gym courses, I could have been through now,” Jill grumbled irritably. “At least it doesn’t screw up my waitress job.”

“If you had taken those gym courses in your first two years instead of waiting until the last minute, you wouldn’t have had to take them this year, and miss the other course you needed and will now have to take this summer,” Nora reminded her daughter.

“I hate that phys-ed stuff. I’m not an athlete like J. J.,” Jill replied.

“Honey, don’t you miss not having a graduation?” Nora asked.

“Nah. Lot of bother, Ma. I just want to go to law school, and get on with my life,” Jill responded. “And I’ve got to start thinking of an internship for next summer.”

Nora shook her head. “You’re your father’s daughter,” she said.

“Don’t say that!” Jill cried. “I’m nothing like him! I don’t want to be like him!”

“Honey, I only meant you were organized, and ambitious,” Nora soothed. She hated seeing her children so angry with their father. This problem wasn’t really theirs. It was hers and Jeff’s. Jill had always adored her father. “You have to be nice to your dad, Jill, when he comes. I don’t want him taking away your law school tuition this year. There is no way you could go to Duke without him this year, and he seems to be in an odd mood. Remember that.”

“Probably his teenybopper girlfriend has him on drugs. Drugs give you mood swings,” Jill said nastily.

“Jill! I have no idea how old or how young this woman is. Don’t say things like that,” Nora scolded.

“Ma, you know she’s got to be younger. When a man has enough money, and is happy in his job, the only thing he wants is red-hot sex. I learned that in psych. I don’t think you and Dad were having red-hot sex, if you were having sex at all.”

“Enough!” Nora said sharply. “Your father wants a divorce. I’m happy to give him one. Our only disagreement is money. Let it go, Jill. I don’t want to hear any more about this. Dad and I will both be happier apart.”

And it couldn’t all come soon enough, Nora thought to herself. She hadn’t seen her husband in several weeks, and to her surprise she wasn’t unhappy. In fact she was downright happy, and she was looking forward to starting her own life anew. Rick assured her that they would get a decent settlement out of Jeff eventually. He explained why Jeff couldn’t sell the house from under her, but he didn’t have the heart to tell her that in the end the house would be sold. That news would come later when there was no other choice. For now it was a huge burden off of her shoulders, as was the financial problem of J. J.’s college tuition.

Carla had come to her with a check for six thousand dollars, and when Nora had demurred, Carla had quietly explained that it wasn’t right for J. J. to lose his sports scholarship, and that it was a graduation gift to him from his neighbors on Ansley Court, who had watched him grow up with their kids. It would pay for his dorm room and his meal plan. Nora cried. There was no way she could deny her son this chance. And he was going to write thank-you notes to them all, or she’d kill him!

On graduation morning J. J. donned his kelly green gown and cap. The school’s colors were kelly green and white. Maureen Johnson was wearing a white cap and gown, like all the other girls graduating that day. The two families met on the lawns outside. Pictures were taken. Margo Edwards had come up from South Carolina in her gentleman friend Taylor’s private plane. They had flown in early this morning, and would be leaving almost immediately after graduation.