Mary Anne Gruen - The House of Red

It was the fourth day since Wolf and Virginia had come to Manhattan. So far it had turned into a sort of mini-honeymoon. They hadn’t had much time to themselves since that afternoon they’d played hide and seek in the woods. It was a new experience to be alone and sharing a bed. Nights of passion, days of romance. Virginia had spent unknown hours since they’d arrived studying Wolf’s face, memorizing the smile lines around his eyes, tracing the outline of his lips, and enjoying the quirky way he raised his left eyebrow. She listened to his breathing as he slept and lost herself in the sound of his heartbeat. Why had she fought him so long? This is where she belonged.

Their old apartment was the same, only different. Her dad had told her about his misadventures with the magic wishing bean Wolf had given him. The head of the co-op and his family were still acting as her Dad’s devoted slaves.

The first morning after their arrival there had been a hesitant knock on the door. Wolf was still sleeping heavily so she’d answered it herself.

“Is the master in?” the head of the co-op asked. “I heard noises in here and I thought he might have returned.

“No,” Virginia said, tightening her robe around her. “It’s just me and my fiancé. Dad’s still away.”

“Oh,” the man said, looking truly disappointed. “Well, when you see him, you will tell him about the job we’ve done fixing up his apartment.”

Virginia, glanced back quickly into the room behind her. She’d only vaguely noticed the night before when they’d arrived. They’d had their minds on other things at that point and had just gone directly to her room. Now she realized how different things were. Most of the old furnishings were gone in the livingroom. There was a new couch and coffee table and an expensive new leather lounge chair. “Wow,” she said.

“You think he’ll like it?”

“How did you pay for all this?”

“The refrigerator. The old one that was in your apartment just before you went away, it seems to magically manufacture beer, already bottled. We tried taking the bottles out and stacking them around the apartment, but there just wasn’t enough room. So we rented a warehouse for the refrigerator and my wife is working full time now as a beer supplier for the area. We’re calling it, Magic Beer. People are buying it up like you wouldn’t believe. And since we don’t have any overhead except for licensing and of course the taxes, we’re making a tidy profit for the master.”

Virginia blinked hard. “You’re kidding.”

“Oh, no. I’ve been keeping all the books and depositing the money in the master’s name and yours.” He slipped an account book and a pile of bank statements through the door into Virginia’s hands. “We’ve also been keeping the building in shape and filling the new refrigerator we bought him with food on a regular basis in case of the master’s return.”

Virginia gaped at the numbers on the bank statements. She couldn’t believe how many zeros there were. “Well, that’s fine,” she said breathlessly.

“You think the master will approve?”

“Oh, I’m sure of it.”

She was sure he’d be thrilled. As soon as her father returned from starting King Wendell off on his industrial revolution, he’d probably dive right into his new business as the owner of Magic Beer. She knew his tongue would fall out when he saw the profits. If she needed ammunition to lure him back from his new titled position in the Fourth Kingdom, this might do it. She was a little afraid that he might decide to stay on the other side of the magic travel mirror.

On this fourth morning since their arrival, Virginia told Wolf that she wanted to go out. “I really should visit the Grill in the park,” she explained. “They’re probably wondering what happened to me.” She didn’t add that she was also wondering if she wanted to go back to work there. So much had happened. So much had changed.

“Why don’t we put it off till tomorrow,” he asked, pulling her back into bed.

“No,” she said firmly. “We’ve been putting it off. Besides, I’ve got to see my grandmother and tell her I’m all right. And I’ve got to tell her what happened to Mom. Not the whole story, of course. She wouldn’t understand. But the important part.”

“Oh, all right. If we must, we must. But I’d rather stay here,” he said nipping her playfully on the neck.

“The Grill has a nice brunch menu,” Virginia said temptingly. “You could order something with lots of bacon.”

“I’m up! I’m up!” he said bouncing out of bed. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”

As it happened, Virginia’s closest friend wasn’t on duty yet. She didn’t come in till the evening. But another young woman by the name of Amy recognized Virginia at once. She was a tiny blond with a dancer’s body. As a matter of fact, she was a dancer. But most of the jobs she’d gotten thus far in her short career had been on the road during the summer. When the weather got colder, she had to go back to waitressing at the Grill. Sometimes she worked nights, sometimes she worked days. Her schedule was always changing depending on when they needed her to cover or when she had an audition coming up.

“Hey, Girl!” Amy said giving Virginia a theatrical hug and kiss. “Where you been? Heard you just disappeared out of here. What happened?”

“It’s a long story,” Virginia said.

“A very long story,” Wolf echoed.

“I’m working section six,” Amy whispered in Virginia’s ear. “Get Old Man Herman to put you there.”

Old Man Herman was the maitre d’. He’d been there almost since the beginning of time, a constant fixture on almost all shifts, the Grill’s private version of an old retainer. He had a winning servile smile for the customers and a special disapproving sneer for the waiters and waitresses.

“Oops. Here he comes,” Amy said, tucking her tray under arm and hightailing it back toward her station. She ducked into a corner and busily started filling water glasses, hoping Herman hadn’t seen her.

“Good afternoon, Sir,” Herman said, approaching Wolf and Virginia with his supply of menus under his arm. His customer smile was in place and he looked up engagingly at Wolf. “Table for two?”

“Hi, Herman,” Virginia said.

Herman winced at the voice and looked down from Wolf to Virginia. He was obviously not pleased with what he saw. “Miss Lewis.” He stressed all the s’s in the two words and each one dripped with poisonous disapproval. “I suppose you’ve come for your check.”

“Not right now. First we’ve come to eat.”

Wolf nodded vigorously. The smell of bacon cooking in the kitchen was calling to him.

“I see,” Herman said. “You know we’ve replaced you.”

“I thought you might have.”

“We tried calling you at home.”

“We’ve been away, out of the country.”

The expression on Herman’s face said that he couldn’t imagine any country being foolish enough to allow her to cross its borders. After all, she was merely a passable waitress and was probably good for little else. “I see. Well, you might have given notice.”

“It was a last minute kind of thing.”

“You left during your shift.”

“Very last minute,” Wolf put in.

Herman gave Wolf the same disapproving look he’d given Virginia the moment before. He assumed Wolf was Virginia’s boyfriend. And in his book, the “significant others” of the wait staff were just as low as the wait staff, especially when they came in company with the wait staff or hung around the restaurant waiting for them to finish their shift.

“Very irresponsible,” Herman said.

“Well, it couldn’t be helped,” Virginia said. “But don’t worry, I won’t be coming back. We’ll just have lunch and then I’ll pick up my check.”

Herman sniffed.

“So just give us a couple of menus and we’ll go sit in Amy’s section.”

Herman surrendered the menus and quickly turned back toward the door. A couple of businessmen were just coming in. As soon as he saw them, Old Man Herman’s scowl turned into a servile smile.

“Did he give ya a hard time?” Amy asked as she brought two full glasses of water to Wolf and Virginia’s table.

“He tried,” Virginia said.

“But Virginia stood right up to him,” Wolf said. “He may be an ogre, but he’s not nearly as frightening as a troll. Does he own this place?”

“No, he just thinks he does,” Virginia said. “I don’t know why I ever put up with him and that attitude of his.”

“Listen to you,” Amy said. “When did you get so brave? You know if you wanna work here, you just gotta grin and bear it.”

“Well, I don’t work here anymore, so I don’t have to put up with it.”

A worried look crossed Amy’s face. If Virginia wasn’t gonna work there, where was she gonna work? The economy was supposed to be better, sure. But table waiting jobs at good places like the Grill went to men more often than not. It was supposed to be more classy to have men waiting on you than women. She knew Virginia would have a hard time finding another job where the tips were as good. It seemed best to change the subject. “So, tell me what happened,” she said.

“It’s a long story. Dad and I went out of the country for awhile.”

“And she met me,” Wolf put in.

“Yeah? So introduce us.” Amy gave Wolf a good checking out. Evidently she liked what she saw, because her smile got broader.

“Amy, this is Wolf,” Virginia said.

“Yeah? That’s quite a name, Wolf.”

“A pleasure,” Wolf said politely.

“Yeah. Could be,” Amy said, with a glint in her eye.

“We’re engaged,” Virginia said.

The light went out of Amy’s eye. Just her luck. In her world all the good ones were either taken or gay. “And you two just met? That was fast.”

“Not fast enough,” Wolf said. “The first time I saw her creamy countenance I knew it was love.”

“When ya gonna get married?”

“Soon as possible,” Wolf said. “Today if you like. Who does weddings here?”

Virginia nudged Wolf’s foot with her own. “My father’s still out of the country. We’ll wait till he gets back.”

“Yeah? Well, let us know when the big day is. We’ll throw you a shower or something.”

“That would be nice,” Virginia said.

“What a life! Travel, whirlwind romance. You got it made girl. Now what are you gonna eat?”

Wolf sat up sharply. “I’ll have three bacon sandwiches with extra bacon on the side,” he said eagerly.

Amy gave a tinkling little laugh. She thought he was joking. “OK, now. What do you really want?”

Wolf looked confused. “Three bacon sandwiches with extra bacon on the side,” he repeated.

It was Amy’s turn to look confused.

“No, he really means it,” Virginia said. “Where he comes from, that’s a normal breakfast. Better bring him three extra orders of bacon on the side.”

“That’s a whole lotta cholesterol!” Amy said.

“Don’t worry, he can handle it. As for me, I’ll just have a salad.”

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no,” Wolf said grabbing both of his intended’s hands. “In your condition you’ve got to have meat. I won’t take no for an answer. Amy, she’ll have a roast chicken with a salad on the side.”

“But, Wolf, I don’t want a whole chicken,” Virginia said.

“Don’t worry. Whatever you don’t eat, I will.”

Amy’s eyebrows flew up into her wispy blond bangs. She thought this Wolf guy was pretty good looking but he really had some strange eating habits. How did he stay so thin eating like that? Maybe it was part of that new non-carb diet everybody was talking about. “OK,” she said. “One roast chicken with a salad on the side and three bacon sandwiches with three extra orders of bacon on the side. What’d ya want to drink?”

“Water will be fine,” Virginia said.

After Amy disappeared into the kitchen, Virginia turned to Wolf and said, “You aren’t going to become the food police are you?”

“A growing cub needs meat,” Wolf insisted. “Vegetables are fine, but you need protein.”

“OK, OK. I guess this is something you know more about than I do.”

“Good. So when are we getting married, my succulent love?”

“When Dad gets back. I’m not getting married without him.”

“What if he stays there for months?” Wolf also had the feeling that Tony might decide to stay in the Nine Kingdoms permanently. But he didn’t say that because he was afraid it might upset Virginia.

“We’ll wait three weeks at least. If he’s not back by then, we’ll go ahead and get married. It’s a good thing they don’t require blood tests in the city anymore. There’s no telling what yours might reveal.”

Wolf looked away. A deep worried look flashed over his face.

“Really,” Virginia said. She put her hand on his arm. He had his shirt cuffs rolled up so she could rub the dark hair on his forearm. “We won’t wait any longer than that, I promise. Besides, we have to decide what we’re going to do next. Are we going to depend on Magic Beer for our support or what?”

Wolf didn’t have an answer. There was so much he didn’t know about this new Kingdom. He wondered why it didn’t have more trees.

They ate their meal in near silence, with Wolf looking frequently out the window toward the park. Thoughtfulness didn’t ruin his appetite, though. He ate his three sandwiches and bacon in record time and finished Virginia’s roast chicken.

When they went out on the street again, the day had turned cloudy. Virginia shivered and Wolf turned the collar of her jacket up around her throat. “Are we going to your grandmother’s next?” he asked.

“Yes. But you’d better wait for me downstairs. I don’t want to think what her reaction will be when she sees you again. She’s liable to call the police and have you arrested.”

“I couldn’t help it,” Wolf said. “There was just something about her.”

“Yeah, well, she’s got a short memory. You can meet her sometime after we get married. Maybe like in two or three or twelve years.”

“She reminded me a lot of the Evil Queen.”

“Look. What you did, isn’t as bad as what I did. I’ve just got to go and tell her Mom is dead. I owe them both that much.”

Wolf rang his fingers gently over her face. “You’re sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

“No. I’ve got to do this by myself.”

Wolf nodded. He understood, but he wished he could protect her.

Virginia knew her grandmother would be pretty excited by her sudden reappearance, so she was well prepared for the explosion of hysteria and hugs and kisses, followed by the long repetition of all the things she personally had suffered at the hands of that “horrid madman” who’d forced his way into her apartment.

“I reported the whole thing to the police,” Grandma said. “But they didn’t come right away because they were all caught up with some big bank robber they’d cornered in the park that day. I’ve looked at simply thousands of mug shots, but I still haven’t seen him. Someday, though, I’ll see him. These criminals always return to the scene of the crime, you know. Next time I’ll be ready for him. I’ve got a stun gun, don’t you know. And I’ll use it on him, don’t think I won’t. I didn’t want to get a real gun. They’re so heavy and unladylike. And there’s always the chance it could go off accidentally and break something or put a hole in the wall and ruin my wallpaper. With a stun gun, you just press the button and stick it onto the person you’re trying to defend yourself from. So much easier. And so much cleaner too.” From there Grandma went on into how difficult it would be to get blood stains out of her beige carpeting.

Virginia listened to her grandmother’s plans for Wolf quietly, but she couldn’t keep the horror out of her eyes. She’d never thought of her grandmother as a particularly bloodthirsty person. Strange, perhaps. Eccentric, certainly. But never bloodthirsty. She actually seemed to be enjoying this rundown of intended violence. Somehow Virginia would have to keep her from ever meeting Wolf.

“Your father might have called me and inquired as to how I was,” Grandma said at last. “I called him for days and days, but there was no answer.”

“We went out of the country.”

“Just like that? Without even saying goodbye or checking up on me?”

“Yes, we got word about Mom’s whereabouts.”

“You found her!” Virginia’s grandmother’s clapped her hands excitedly. “She became a great lady didn’t she? I knew that as soon as she got away from your father, she would do something really important with her life.”

“Well, you might say she had some big plans. But, Grandma. I’m afraid I have bad news.”

“Hmm?” Grandma had gone into an imaginary place where her daughter had become a great ady. She spun around the room clutching her white satin robe as if it were a ball gown.

“Grandma? Are you listening. I’m afraid I have bad news. Mom is dead.”

Somehow the word “dead” got through to the older woman’s fantasy. “What?” she asked, freezing in mid-dance.

Virginia put her arms around her grandmother, so she couldn’t see her face. So she wouldn’t see the truth in her eyes, that it had been her who had caused her mother’s death.

“No,” her grandmother said. A shudder racked her body and suddenly her full age fell upon her.

“It’s true. Daddy and I found her and she died suddenly.”

“Where is she?”

“She’s in another country, far away.”

“You didn’t bring her body back with you?”

“No. We thought it best to bury her there.”

The older woman pushed Virginia away with a coldness her granddaughter had never felt before. “You had no right to do that. She was my baby. I want her buried here.”

“We can’t do that.”

“I don’t believe you. I don’t believe any of it. This is some plot of your father’s.”

“No, Grandma. She really is dead.”

“I don’t believe it. If I don’t see her body, I just won’t believe it. That father of yours, it’s all his fault. He was always such a lowlife, almost subhuman. My Christine was just too good for him.”

There wasn’t much Virginia could do. No matter what she said, her grandmother insisted it was some plot of her father’s. She finally let herself out and returned to Wolf in the lobby. She didn’t have to say anything, he’d sensed her feelings before she’d even come into view. He was waiting with his arms open for her. She snuggled in against his chest, her face lost in the folds of his shirt and cried, long racking sobs.

The wound was open again.