An Interview with Superman

Finally he told me he had to get home in order to get ready for work on Monday. As he left, he gave me a little kiss and said, "I'll call you." I hoped he meant it, but that was the same thing my last date had said, and I never heard from him again. I was really hoping Alex was sincere, especially since in a lot of ways this had been the best weekend of my life. I wasn't ready for this to be over.

Terri came home a little later and gave me a careful look. "Well, I'll give you this: he's definitely eye candy." When I didn't say anything, she looked at me intently. "You've really got it bad, haven't you? I've never seen you act this way about a guy."

"He really is special," I admitted, "but I still have lots of doubts. It's so weird: I'm happier than I've ever been, but at the same time I'm scared to death."

She just shook her head. "If he hurts you, I'll put a contract out on him." I knew she was joking, but I really did appreciate her concern. She started down the hall, but then turned back. "Oh, and next time, be sure to use an air freshener – this place stinks!" I turned crimson.

On Monday evening when I got home, I had no sooner closed the door than my phone rang. It was Alex, and he was so excited I could hardly understand him. "Elle, you won't believe what happened today! Some people from CBS called – I'm going to be on The Letterman Show tomorrow night!"

He went on about how he'd been a big fan of David for years, and that he couldn't believe he was going to be a guest on his idol's show.

"Is your being on Letterman going to be a problem with Mrs. Grissom?" I asked, but Alex assured me there would be no problem with the publishing house. "As far as they're concerned, this is great publicity for them," he enthused.

I promised him I would watch – as if I could have done anything else! – but after I'd hung up I began to have mixed feelings. On the one hand I was so pleased for Alex's sudden good fortune and so glad he'd wanted to call me to share the news. On the other hand, a nagging voice was asking if I liked the real Alex or just the man in the suit. Now that I thought about it, I realized I'd never seen him without it – except when we'd been in bed together. Then I suddenly began to wonder if the costume had become a crutch, something he needed to get through life. I tried to brush my doubts aside, but they wouldn't go away so easily. That's so like me to worry about good news.

Needless to say, Tuesday night Terri and I were ensconced in front of the tv in time for the Letterman Show. David's first guest was a pretty young pop singer in a very short skirt who performed her latest hit and then sat down on the couch for some banter with the host. Then, after a commercial break, David introduced the "man everyone in New York is talking about, the City's latest hero: Superman!"

The audience cheered as Alex came on, waving to the crowd, then shaking hands with David and the pop star. I found myself holding my breath, hoping Alex wouldn't do anything to make himself appear ridiculous, but I needn't have worried. Despite his hero-worship for Letterman, Alex proved relaxed and at ease in conversation. He told the story about why he began wearing the suit, and then went on to recount his confrontation with the biker in the bar. That story got an appreciative response from the audience. In response to several leading questions from David, Alex deftly made self-deprecating answers that brought laughter and a round of applause. I could tell that even Letterman was impressed.

The pop star, on the other hand, couldn't resist rubbing Alex's biceps and making suggestive comments about his being the "man of steel." "Show us your super strength," she persisted, even after Alex demurred. But after she begged for the third time, he winked at Letterman, then stood up, bent over and grabbed the shrieking young woman under her arms, easily whirling her around in a large circle and, in the process, revealing that she was wearing a thong. When he deftly deposited her back on the couch, she gasped out, "Oh my god, that was awesome!!" and the audience burst into more laughter and applause.

Never one to miss a cue, Letterman shouted, "Ladies and gentlemen: Superman!" and the applause turned into an ovation. Alex turned and bowed to the singer, shook hands again with Letterman, and left the stage, waving as the audience continued to applaud.

Terri turned to me in amazement. "What a performance! Are you sure he's never been on tv before?"

"I don't think so," I said, but I too was blown away with how well Alex's appearance had gone. I was beginning to be convinced the suit really was magic.

The next day at work I checked some of the blogs from the overnight critics and saw that Alex's appearance had drawn a raft of favorable comments. I tried to call him to congratulate him, but every time his line was busy, so I left him a voice mail.

It wasn't until that afternoon that he called back. "I'm sorry not to get back to you sooner, Elle," he said, "but my phone has been ringing off the hook all day. And listen to this: I had a call from the William Morris Agency. They want to represent me -- they think I have show business potential!"

"Really? That's incredible, Alex," I said. "What did you tell them?"

"Well, I told them I wanted to think about it. It would mean I'd have to quit my job here. But the guy said he thought they could book me into a lot of shows and speaking engagements, and that could mean a lot of money. He even hinted that they might be able to work out something with Hollywood for a film deal!"

That nagging voice I'd heard before was now shouting at me, but I tried not to let my fears come through in my voice. "Oh, Alex, I'm so glad for you. It sounds like everything is really turning your way."

"I know," he said, "but I don't want to rush into this and make a decision I'll come to regret." He gave a wry laugh. "I already did that once with Glenda."

I offered to help him any way I could, but then another call came in for him and he had to ring off. "I'll talk to you tomorrow," he promised.

When I went home that evening I felt oddly depressed. I was glad for the success coming Alex's way, but all I could see was him wearing that Superman suit for years to come. What kind of future could he and I have if he was headed out on the talk show circuit, or even worse, to Hollywood? I felt like he cared for me, but I saw myself becoming nothing more than a footnote in his story.

The hopeful side of me kept imploring me not to get ahead of myself, but the pessimist in me said that trouble was already here and piling up on my doorstep. Writing is one of the ways I relax, but that night I couldn't find it in myself even to do that.

Terri poked her head in the door and demanded to know what was troubling me, and I broke down and tearfully told her my fears.

"If you ask me," Terri said, "the real problem is that Glenda woman. She's his kryptonite: he can't stop wearing the suit because she still has the power to hurt him. You want me to put out a contract on her?"

I laughed and shooed her out of my room.

Two days later I was working on a routine assignment at my office when a colleague came over and caught my attention. "Hey, Elle, aren't you the one dating Superman?"

When I blushed and admitted that we'd gone out together, he pointed to my computer and said, "Well, take a look at Gawker today, because there's an article that mentions him."

The first time I checked the news and gossip blog, I didn't see the story because I was looking for a picture of Alex, but on second look I found it. Underneath the headline "The Woman Who Broke Superman's Heart" was a picture of a woman stalking angrily down the street trying to fend off the camera. I suddenly realized that it was Glenda Preston, Alex's ex-wife.

According to the reporter, who was clearly sympathetic to Alex, "Everyone in New York is asking who hurt Superman so badly." She then went on to reveal "in a Gawker exclusive" the whole story about how Glenda had been cheating on Alex with attorney Connor James for months before finally leaving Alex. There were enough juicy details to make it clear that someone in the know had ratted Glenda out.

I immediately tried to call Alex but once again couldn't get through. He didn't call me that night either, which made me a little more apprehensive, and I decided not to bug him. Maybe it was my imagination, but I felt a distance growing between us, and the courage I'd begun to feel when I was with him seemed to dissipate.

One of the things we do regularly at the newspaper is to check to see what stories our competitors are running. Of course, we at the Times don't admit that we have any competition, but we check the other news media anyway, just in case. To make it worse, on this day I was checking out the Daily News, which people at the Times don't even admit is a legitimate newspaper.

Nevertheless, when I scanned the New York section my eye was caught by a story under the headline, "Superman's Ex Gets Axe." Sure enough, the story recounted in breathless terms how Glenda Preston had been relieved of her responsibilities at the law firm of Denison and Lowser, and that Connor James, whom the story dubbed "her paramour," had also left under a cloud. A senior partner at Denison and Lowser was quoted as saying their behavior on company time had brought disrepute on the firm's good name – as if any law firm has a good name! But I remembered how she'd acted toward me at the cocktail party and was glad that there was some justice in the world after all.

This time when I called Alex I was surprised to get through to him. When I started to tell him about the article in the Daily News, he interrupted me. "Oh, yes," he said, "I've heard every word of it, because Glenda herself called to tell me about it. She roasted me up one side and down the other, accusing me of planting the story. Even when I pointed out details that I couldn't have known, she still refused to believe I wasn't behind it."

"So how do you feel about it," I asked.

"I guess I'm still processing it all," he said. "Everything has happened so fast, and I'm not sure what to make of it." He paused like he was trying to make a decision. Finally, he went on, "Elle, this week has been the craziest of my life, and there are some things I need to talk about with you. Could you possibly meet me Saturday afternoon at the Central Park Zoo?" When I agreed, we set a time and then he rang off.

As I hung up, I felt encouraged that he wanted to talk with me about his life. But in a little while my doubts began to grow, and by that evening I needed to talk them over with Terri. She understood my concerns about Alex, and she even suggested more reasons that I should be extra cautious. "I just don't want to see you get hurt," she said.

"The thing I want to know," I told her, "is why he wants to meet me at the Zoo? What's up with that?"

She was on it in a flash. "It's the kids," she said. "That place is always swarming with kids, and I bet he wants to do his Superman thing with them. Maybe he's even got some media lined up to film him in action."

My heart sank; it all made sense now. This was going to be the unveiling of his new career in show business. I hoped it would turn out the way he wanted, but I knew that it wasn't going to turn out for me at all. I wanted to be his girlfriend, not a prop in the Alex/Superman show.

I hate to admit it but I shed a few tears that night after I went to bed.

The next afternoon I almost didn't go, but Terri insisted. "Look, at least he had the decency to want to tell you to your face. Give him the courtesy of listening to his story, even if it may not be the one you want to hear. Who knows – it might be something completely different."

I knew she was right, so I did my best to calm my fears and headed uptown to the Park. I caught the F train to 57th and 6th, then walked around The Pond and up the East Drive till I came to the entrance of the zoo. There was a cluster of children laughing and playing near the ticket booth, and I fully expected to see Alex entertaining them. But there was no sign of his red and blue costume anywhere.

I bought a ticket and wandered up to the main entrance, but still couldn't spot him, so I found a shady place to wait. As I sat there thinking about all that happened, I idly noted a man in jeans and a t-shirt walking in my direction. When he stopped directly in front of me, I was startled. "Alex," I squeaked in surprise, "is that you?" I hadn't even recognized him.

I'd planned out a whole conversation in my mind, and now that he'd shown up in "civvies" I couldn't think what to say. As we ambled along toward the center of the zoo, I babbled, "I don't think I've ever seen you when you weren't wearing the Superman costume."

"Are you disappointed?" he asked, and his voice had an anxious note in it that surprised me.

"No, it's not that," I said. "It's just that I expected to find you playing with the kids and being your alter ego."

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk with you about," he said, as we came up to the sea lion pool. We paused at the railing to watch the playful creatures swimming and barking for a minute, then he led me over to a bench. He stayed silent so long that I couldn't take the suspense any more.

"So what's going on, Alex?" I asked, trying not to sound too anxious. "Why aren't you wearing the costume?"

He turned to look at me, and I thought I spied apprehension in his eyes again.

"You know I started wearing the suit because of Glenda. I was devastated by her leaving and humiliated that she had made me into a cuckold. I know it was a crazy thing to do, but the thing is, the suit seemed to help. I didn't feel so vulnerable when I was wearing it, and that helped me get a little self-confidence back. I started working out and stopped drinking, and that was good too."

"Then came all that publicity, and things started happening really fast. I got a promotion at work when I took that manuscript to my boss, then I went on Letterman, and now I've got people who want me to go to Hollywood."

He reached down and took my hand. "But the best thing that happened to me out of all this was meeting you," he said quietly. My breath caught in my throat and my hopes started to rise, but he dashed them with his next words.

"But now I've got a problem, and I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you."

"I don't understand, Alex."

"The thing is, I started wearing that suit to protect me from humiliation. But now that everybody knows the real story, she's the one who's been humiliated. She can't hurt me anymore, and now she has to suffer the consequences of her actions. As a result, now I don't really feel the need to wear the suit anymore."

I was encouraged to hear what he was saying, yet I couldn't help pointing out the implications. "But Alex, if you stop wearing the suit it means passing up those opportunities that agent was talking about. You could be giving up real fame and fortune."

"Maybe," he said, "but that's not who I am, not who I want to be. And that's what scares me." He stared into my eyes. "Are you going to be disappointed if I give all that up? Would you still be interested in me if I'm not Superman anymore?"

"Oh, Alex!" I cried, and flung myself into his arms, kissing him wildly and crying at the same time. When I finally calmed down, he held me at arm's length and gave me that great smile. "I guess that means you're okay with it." Behind us the seals started barking and clapping, and we both had to laugh.

As we began to head back to the subway, I tried to tell him how happy I was about his decision and how impressed I was with all the changes he'd made since Glenda walked out on him. "Wearing the suit was kinda weird," I admitted, "but it was what you needed to get you to where you are today, and I'm good with that."

When we got to my apartment, Terri was waiting with her hands on her hips and a stern expression on her face. But when she saw the two of us together, she relaxed and smiled. "So I guess things went okay after all," she said, and came over to give me a little hug. Then she turned to Alex. "You better treat her right, Superman, or I'll be looking for you." But she said it with a pleased smile, and Alex leaned over, gave her a hug and promised her he would.

"Okay," Terri said, "I've got to go meet some friends, and you two look like you could use a little privacy." As she reached the door, she turned back to look at me. "Don't forget," she said, "the air freshener is in the cupboard." With that she walked out, leaving me blushing.

Alex came over to put his arms around me. "She really does care about you, doesn't she?" he said.

"Like I said, she's been more like my guardian angel than my roommate," I told him. "She can be a little pushy sometimes, but it's nice to know she's got my back."

As the two young people retreated to Elle's bedroom, Terri walked along the sun-splashed sidewalk until she came to a little sidewalk cafe. Spotting her two friends waiting at a table, she waved and asked the waiter for a drink as she sat down.

"Well," one of the women said, "don't keep us in suspense. Did it work out like you hoped?"

"Yes!" Terri exulted, pumping her fist in triumph. "I finally got Alex out of that Superman costume and the two of them together. They're back at the apartment now, and judging by the way they were looking at each other, they're going to be together for a long time!"

The other woman shook her head in admiration. "I have to hand it to you, Terri: you've got the touch."

Terri lowered her eyes with obvious false modesty. "It was nothing," she said. "Of course for a while I wasn't too sure about the boy. When I first saw him wearing that costume I thought he was a crazy man, a meshugener. But Elle was obviously entranced by him, and after I learned more about him I realized he was a good man who'd been badly hurt by the bitch he'd married. Even though they were divorced, it was obvious to me that she still had an evil influence over him. I figured that if I was going to get Elle and him together I'd have to do something to break that curse."

The second friend leaned forward. "So how did you do it?"

"Well," Terri went on, "I did have a little help. My sister works at the same law firm as the bitch, and she gave me the inside scoop on what was going on there. All I had to do then was call a blogger I know at Gawker and give her the juicy stuff. When the story broke, that was all it took to expose the ex-wife and give her what she deserved. Once that happened, Alex was freed from her curse, just like I figured."

"Perfect!" her friend exclaimed.

"You think that's good?" Terri went on smugly. "Wait till you hear what else I've done for Elle."

"Well" the second woman said, "come on. What have you done now?"

Terri reached into her voluminous handbag and pulled out a sheaf of papers.

"What is it?" the first woman asked.

"It's a book contract for Elle!" Terri said triumphantly. "She's never believed she was good enough, but I knew better. So I took a copy of her manuscript, pretended to be her agent and sent it off to a publisher. Sure enough, they've offered her a contract."

She winked at the other ladies. "Maybe it will turn out to be my wedding present to her!"

The second woman shook her head in admiration and raised her glass. "I nominate Terri Feldman for Yenta of the Year!"

The three women laughed and drained their glasses. Terri looked at her friends and smiled. "I don't know about that, but I do know one thing," she said. "If you want to get something done, it doesn't take a costume or super powers. All you need is a little chutzpah."