Скачать книгу

laughed and leaned back in my seat. “He really was awful, wasn’t he? From what little Kat has told me about him, I certainly wasn’t expecting Howard to be genial. But I also wasn’t expecting him to be so hostile. I got the feeling he resented our being there, and his having to play host.”

      “He spent the entire night trying to one-up me,” Todd said. “When I told him I play tennis, he claimed he was good enough to play for his college team. When I told him what I do, he said he’d thought about being an architect but decided he’d make more money in finance.”

      Todd’s tone was unusually bitter. I imagined I was not the only one who had been impressed by the size and scope of the Grants’ house, particularly against the backdrop of our current financial crisis. But that wasn’t something either one of us wanted to get into. And even if we had no choice but to discuss our money woes periodically, we rarely addressed Todd’s lack of career success directly. If he was frustrated by the lack of traction he’d gained in his field over the years, he dealt with it by whacking tennis balls. As for me, I didn’t think I was in any position to comment on Todd’s or anyone else’s career failures, considering how I’d unceremoniously left my cushy academic job.

      “Howard played tennis in college?”

      “No.” Todd laughed. “He just said they tried to recruit him, but he decided he didn’t want to play, which is such bullshit. I think he really just wanted to tell me he went to Yale. Jesus. You know how I feel about people who name-drop their alma maters.”

      “I know, you’ve always hated that. I guess future double dates are out of the question.”

      “I liked Kat,” he said. “I can see why the two of you hit it off. You’re very much alike.”

      This surprised me. “We are? How so?”

      “You’re both smart. You have similar senses of humor,” Todd said. He glanced over at me, the streetlights casting an odd green glow on his face. “Why? You don’t think you’re alike?”

      “I never really thought about it,” I said. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love Kat. But she’s so much more—” I faltered, trying to think of the right word “—poised than I am.”

      Todd let out an incredulous bark of laughter. “You can’t be serious.”

      “What?”

      “Alice, you are, without exception, the most poised person I have ever met.”

      It is not often that your spouse of over a decade can shock you. I’d seen my husband out of his mind with grief after the loss of our daughter. I’d washed out the bowl he threw up into for three days when he had food poisoning. I knew he hated eggplant but loved foul-looking peanut-butter-and-bacon sandwiches. But I never knew he, or anyone else, thought of me as poised. After all, I experienced myself through the maelstrom of my own swirling thoughts and emotions, through joy and grief, worry and hope. I had moments of peace, but I certainly never felt poised.

      I was quite pleased to know that I put up such a convincing front.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4R4mRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAOAAABAwABAAAACAcAAAEBAwABAAAAjAoAAAIBAwADAAAAtgAA AAMBAwABAAAABQAAAAYBAwABAAAAAgAAABIBAwABAAAAAQAAABUBAwABAAAAAwAAABoBBQABAAAA vAAAABsBBQABAAAAxAAAABwBAwABAAAAAQAAACgBAwABAAAAAgAAADEBAgAiAAAAzAAAADIBAgAU AAAA7gAAAGmHBAABAAAABAEAADABAAAIAAgACADAxi0AECcAAMDGLQAQJwAAQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9z aG9wIENDIDIwMTUgKFdpbmRvd3MpADIwMTg6MDI6MDggMTI6MjA6MTgAAAADAAGgAwABAAAA//8A AAKgBAABAAAA3AUAAAOgBAABAAAAyggAAAAAAAAAAAYAAwEDAAEAAAAGAAAAGgEFAAEAAAB+AQAA GwEFAAEAAACGAQAAKAEDAAEAAAACAAAAAQIEAAEAAACOAQAAAgIEAAEAAACQHAAAAAAAAEgAAAAB AAAASAAAAAEAAAD/2P/tAAxBZG9iZV9DTQAB/+4ADkFkb2JlAGSAAAAAAf/bAIQADAgICAkIDAkJ DBELCgsRFQ8MDA8VGBMTFRMTGBEMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAEN CwsNDg0QDg4QFA4ODhQUDg4ODhQRDAwMDAwREQwMDAwMDBEMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwM DAwMDAwM/8AAEQgAoABrAwEiAAIRAQMRAf/dAAQAB//EAT8AAAEFAQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAMAAQIE BQYHCAkKCwEAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAQACAwQFBgcICQoLEAABBAEDAgQCBQcGCAUDDDMBAAIR AwQhEjEFQVFhEyJxgTIGFJGhsUIjJBVSwWIzNHKC0UMHJZJT8OHxY3M1FqKygyZEk1RkRcKjdDYX 0lXiZfKzhMPTdePzRieUpIW0lcTU5PSltcXV5fVWZnaGlqa2xtbm9jdHV2d3h5ent8fX5/cRAAIC AQIEBAMEBQYHBwYFNQEAAhEDITESBEFRYXEiEwUygZEUobFCI8FS0fAzJGLhcoKSQ1MVY3M08SUG FqKygwcmNcLSRJNUoxdkRVU2dGXi8rOEw9N14/NGlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vYn N0dXZ3eHl6e3x//aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8A8tSSV3C6Y3LpNhyqKH+oKmVW2NY50te/1P0jmNZU2z0a fUs/0/qfzVF+xy1ptALgHGGk6kCYHwlqunp+KNxGfS5gmCNwJjdt9jwz+c2/+lvTRx0fCe2WdVxm kbQ4WbmyXW2436Pb6m5lddLct/qej+r31JX9FxK/R29Tx3G7JOO5s+6tnsjJv9N1tXp+/Y/07bKt 9f6K+6r9Kgmmn9loNPqjLq3Q0mohwdLiAW/R2/op/SIj+nVMc9pzceWmAASZ0k/RDmfS9n010mV9 Ycr9oYrjn4jrb+pMyn21te0UCnZi0eu6m/0LMb0d+5nrXWbK/wCmWV2V3PEeqX19Mtc3OwXsb0w4 YpAf67q7LWwx9b7fSbnu+0PyLX4/rMr9H9J+lStVPPPwqWssc3Mpeam7i0EgnXb+j3Rv/s/+T9N3 YWG15b9tYWhrnbg3uHBrGfS/Pad66LpnUbcUYlH2rpbxi4vptdkh1rCy53223FtG9zPVrd62FuZV V/TMn9J/2prlidTyBnY2H9t6YJxC2zKyWl9f6a5mZdj5NzX3/pvtbHZlV1X6Sn1/+0v8ziq1U80M Kk2vr+20AMAiz37XEt3+z9Hu9sbHJhh0al2XU1oaHg+4kyT7drR/ON2+5i6UdRf9ie4Z+C0/Y63b SbA6z7EKqsOssbkbbMnIr9uzKp/VLqLL8KnH/pl2f1rHpz+oDKPUMHdfezFd6TTU1rax9md1C2mv 1Kacez0PtH6B/wCk9X1PQp/RsSVTjZNFdLmtZc28kSXM+iPL97/ooK0/2NWZ2Z+M6DaNbGt1rbfY z6b/APtT9mayj+XkU/nolPQcWwVk9VxG79+5u6C3YJ92/wBOvbZ/g/0n+k/wnp13JVOQkkkih//Q 8tSSPC9D6XgfU+zrPRacjEcc12Pg1OwRt9DJdk49V7up3O+kz7NvyG5GP/2pyPsVn/clFD54rGDm Owrjcyqu0urfVttBc3bY01We1rme70nPZ/I/M/S7F1H1R+r/AE+7pVmX1d2PSzqj3YWHZlvFRYxr S6/qWILfT+0WY2a7Bp/Q2fQ+202I31W6ZXV07Iry6cCrP/atPTy7qlTrmAll/q4lfoNsdVd6tf0/ Uor/AO7FaVqp5zI+sGXk4luK+nHa26uqp7669jopc97LIa70nXu9T033vr9XZ/Xu9U1f1pza3Vub jYgNVlFjYpgH7N63ossaxzW2t/WN9vqfpbn1UepZ+jW10np+E63qWR0zpxtyq+pNx2YGVjPy7cPB eb/UyH9P3P8AtF1T2149vrev9n/4271k9fRaMbq/XRRiU9Q6niV0W9O6a2i30z9oNVmTa3p1r7L3 2YFV2z7DkOt9PfZ6tX6ukp5+j6w5lNfpinHdN92S5z690vvr+z+5m70nV4/89is9P9Fepj6z5zWh ooxg0HFkGvdIw2+nUx3qOf8Ao7/c/MZ/2ofbb++tqxmPhdc6M6/puLXn9SYGdU6VbQfSqNmQ6mq1 uLY/9UyMjE9O30Wen6P85XVV6zFjfW62p31hzqKcajEqwrrcWqvHrFbSyq2xjH2Nb9O7b9OxJSDE 69m4lLqWNreHeuS57SX+pk1/ZrMj1A5rvWqq/o/+i/nEsjruTfiXYfoY9VWR6O811w6MdvpUNa9z nub7P5z/AEv+E/PWv0XpnQ8noWDd1G84tz+qW0tczH9c2tFeE5tFrhdj+nUx1j/9J/OonUuh/aR9 YcbpWCb8vE6yGVVY1ZfZXjfr9ZaxlTXPbj+oyhv/AG0kp5LTwTrvcjpf1bb1T60svorrwMJuJQLK gScWyx9GLkZFIbv3vx8n1HX0N/pH6WrehWYeD0r63dE6WMPCy6c3GwcbKcWC6qw3WMbfnYlh/wAJ kMburyf9HYlaqeHSVzq2Z9szrLvs9GLHs9LGrFVY2ezd6YLve6PeqaKH/9Hy1PveHBwcdzYh0mRG jYP8lMknLVySQASSGiGg9hO7T+0nc9753uLtx3Okkyf3j/KUUklNzp9GVlZTrKrzTbW02OvLnB2p Ff02e/c/eiWdOfjEWMyW+o0gsLNwdun2lrvbtduVjDwMhvRPtzbqaGX5AqAteGvcGt9jqq/pOo3v t9W36H6NZxNzMgMskPDmy35goAqN93U6r9WczpnXndMzbxuaz7RdlAOMV7XXXXbXbXvsZsf+d+ku VvE+ovUMvoLfrD9rorw7G22bX+o60Cp7qXbtlbmOc57P9Itz/Gne+rrOY8AA5NdOICedlbjm3x/1 37Gsf/n5b/zSb9W2YNdeys0jJY90FjiX2OdQ8P8A09j3b/U9b0/+CSWi6GtnTVqUfVZ+QywU5zHm ljrhW0HUNj1Nm4/TaxZ/U8S/pOe6plz/AFNrHi4Etc5trPUdq0/ytjk3Tc92Pm1WF21mrH7joGvB rcf81yXUH5F9OPdc4v8ASDsYP0IIY71We5vt/wC1CHVcL720QXAEAkA8gcGPFOHPBa7cZbG0zqI4 2pkk5SkkkklP/9Ly1JJJOWqVrDx8d1VuXkviqgsaKRO+179xbW0/4OvbU/1rvzP69iqrUxGNu6Q/ FFQddbZbbTYB799DKX+lu/c+z2ZX6P8APt9H/RoS2U5+Te/ItdbZAJAAa0Q1rQNrGMaPosY1W+oe kerEMcXs3VAvMySG1h7vd/K+iqIa549oLu2nj/q1amdgvOfVbSWNptpovbZc4VAyxnrR9o9HfsvZ bX+j/sIdR5K6PUf433f5bxmf8G9/zL/T/wCppXBLtf8AGdfj5fVMPJbYf0mKHMG0kEOuyDq/2/R/ qLi4b+8PuKcdCQtxm4grLT9d+P0t2E17mDIcTa1pjdsabHsePpOa2z7N9L/DUWf6NDs6bkYePj59 rd1OSC7GcC0yGktL31tc5zNrm+xluxH6xjGrB6ZkvO2zLx3ObTGraxbbstsf+fbkfT/8F/wqaTqF 7k689vFJMnRQpJJJFT//0/LV2uL/AItm3dOw8+/rFGK3NpruY21m2PUY270w51rd+zcuKPC9T6v9 WMz6xfVT6v1Yt1NLsfFpe43lzQQ6ipvs2Ms/dWd8U5meE8uI5vu8Mk5RyZOGOThjGHFH0z/rL8UQ eLTiobOBk/4sc77M6/pfUMbqRZM1sO0kx9Bjw62r1P8AjH1LB6LjjKdbjWAh2Iy3MBDthArqc+1s n89r68e3b/wNjF2/1Y+q+f8AVX7Z1V9g6haaHVV4uCHWbjLLN+6wV7rG7P0dez/0muX6e192R1rM ezbdZjtd7RqH5Lqn31itzm+z0nXsf/hE3kOayZZZonNHmcePg4Mwj7UuKfzQl

Скачать книгу