Chapter 13
Dvora Schacter, consulting choreographer and former prima ballerina, looked down at the man she had nearly fallen in love with. She seldom took men, they were normally so weak, but this one had shone like a bright light. It was as if he was a member of some other species. She had watched him move through the crowd at the fund-raiser, dressed in a tuxedo. His movement reminded her of someone and at first she couldn’t place it. Then she remembered and laughed aloud at the incongruity of the image. The quality of his movement reminded her of film she had seen of Fred Astaire. Imagine a 220 pound Fred Astaire! Even across the room he projected such a sweet combination of sadness and strength, whimsy and focus. And, he was so very handsome.
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She had volunteered to be auctioned off at the charity willingly, without worry or remorse. She knew she was beautiful and the children’s ballet needed the money. Everyone in the City who was of any importance knew her preferences. Many of the bidders were what she thought of as bull dykes. Not at all her type. The few men who bid probably would go out with her from a sense of duty to the charity. She could be quite charming when she chose to be. Jack stood and watched the early bidding, amused, but not patronizing. She made eye contact with him. She smiled her number three smile and mouthed Bid On Me!
The bidding was up to $6500, much too much for a whim. One of the women still in the bidding would have been horrible dinner company. She had inherited her money and had not been taught properly to understand the duties of wealth. The last man dropped out and the woman smiled, if a movement underneath that much plastic surgery and Botox could be called a smile. The bid was at $7500.
“Going once, going twice….”
“Ten thousand.” Jack hadn’t spoken loudly yet his voice carried the room and held command.
A swarm of excited chatter flew about the room.
The harpy said, “Ten thousand five hundred!”
The man smiled again a little more broadly and said, “Eleven thousand.”
The harpy screeched “Twelve thousand!” with a look of triumph.
The man smiled like a mischievous boy, and said softly and clearly into the hushed room, “Twenty thousand.”
The glitterati roared and applauded. The harpy turned and flounced from the room. The auctioneer smiled and said, “Twenty thousand going once, going twice, sold to… Your name, Sir?”
“Jack McDonald.”
She had been surprised often during their first date. She had not anticipated it being so much…fun! He was knowledgeable, educated and traveled with that kind of self-deprecating sense of humor that she liked most. She was very attracted to him and she knew what effect she had on men and women and was sure of the effect that she had on him. They were on their fourth date, both knowing what was sure to happen that night without speaking of it. She was quite excited and eager-like a young girl.
A striking redhead in her early twenties, thin, with the liquid walk of someone who spent much time in a Yoga studio walked in the door and stopped scanning the room. She waved and walked toward their table. Jack waved, stood and hugged her and introduced Meghan to her. Meghan was on her way to an investor meeting held over dinner and had stopped to say hi to Jack. Dvora was smitten. And, she was positive Meghan was smitten as well.
She and Jack finished the date. He didn’t understand what happened when Dvora met his sister. At first he looked confused and then was a little upset. But, very quickly he accepted the fact and made a gallant effort to enjoy the rest of the evening. She soon found that quality of acceptance was second nature to both Jack and Meghan. They very quickly accepted facts, no matter how distasteful or frustrating, and moved on.
The next day she and Meghan had gone for a walk on the beach. It lasted four hours. They had been together since.
Jack had known Dvora loved Meghan and had graciously stepped out of the way.
Dvora reached down and brushed Jack’s cheek as he slept. He was such a man. She hoped this new woman was good enough for him. He was so very sad. It was time that he found love.
Then she thought about the love of her life lying in the ICU only feet away and thought:
I am going to kill one of the motherfuckers myself.