Wife and Ex-Wife Ch. 13

"Oh, come on, Amelia! I don't own Larry, and I don't own you. You two can do whatever you want."

"I know we can, but that's not what I'm asking. I want to know if it would upset you if we got married."

"Why should I be upset?" Nina said, but the rising inflection in her voice betrayed her words once again.

"I know," Amelia said, choosing her words carefully, "that it's a little strange: Patrick's ex-wife and your ex-husband marrying. But we have a strange situation here already, don't we? Do you know anyone else who lives the way we do?"

"No," Nina said in a small voice.

"Don't get me wrong: I love the way we live, and even if Larry and I did get married, nothing would change—I hope. We still want to be with you in this house, doing all the things we, um, do. And yet . . . I don't know about you, but it just feels different to be married, don't you think?"

"Yes."

"I mean, I want to be someone's wife, not just his girlfriend."

"So do I."

"And I love Larry, and he loves me."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. You must know how close we've become over these past few months."

"Yes. I do."

"God knows I love Patrick, but I can't marry him! And, now that I see what a wonderful couple you two make, I'm not sure I want to. Larry and I have really bonded—and of course I don't have the kind of past that you have with him, so I don't have the mixed feelings you might have."

"I can see that."

"So"—Amelia breathed a big sigh out of sheer nervousness—"is it okay?"

"Of course it is."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. But what about Patrick? Have you discussed this with him?"

"No, but I don't think he'd care. I mean, I'm his ex, and he's come to like Larry a lot."

"What do you mean?"

"They've bonded in a weird way."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"Well, okay, but I think Patrick takes things pretty easily—"

"Are you saying I don't?"—a bit hotly.

"No, no, Nina! I didn't mean that. It's just that, given that you were married to Larry, and that your marriage didn't end so well—"

"That's an understatement!"

"—I thought you might be a little, you know, conflicted."

"Well, I won't lie to you—I am conflicted. But not much, really. I'm not angry with Larry anymore—I mean, for God's sake, I wouldn't be in his bed every other night if I was! But really, I think it's great that you two want to marry. And I'm sure Patrick will feel the same way."

He did. His patented slap on Larry's back conveyed to everyone that he too was prepared to let bygones be bygones.

The couple decided on a simple service at a little private chapel off Aurora Avenue, where a kind of New Age "priest" conducted the service. It was over in about fifteen minutes, and the quartet retired to a quiet Italian restaurant for a sumptuous dinner. There would be a reception in about a week for whatever friends and family wanted to show up; but Nina insisted that the couple take at least a token honeymoon to cement their new relationship, and the classic destination of Bermuda was chosen for the event.

At the reception, Nina was cornered by her friend Teresa, who had been kept abreast—although in a somewhat expurgated manner—on the comings and goings of Nina's household. Now, as she saw the newly married couple chatting volubly with some friends at a nearby table, Teresa said:

"So let me get this straight. She"—gesturing at Amelia—"is your current husband's ex-wife. And he"—nodding at Larry—"is your ex-husband." Of course she knew that, since she had been so instrumental in comforting Nina during the trauma of her divorce. "And now they've married."

"Yes," was all Nina could manage to say.

"And on top of that, you're all living together."

"Uh-huh," Nina said with a broken smile.

Teresa looked at her friend as if she had stepped out of the pages of one of the novels of the Marquis de Sade.

"Just one big happy family, eh?" she said, using exactly the same phrase that Larry had used when he was first brought to Nina's (and his) old house.

"I suppose."

Teresa just shook her head. "Isn't that a little—weird?"

"Maybe," Nina said defensively, "but you don't have any right to pass judgment on the way I live!"

Teresa was taken aback at the hostility in her friend's voice. "Hey, hey, I'm not doing anything like that. I'm just trying to get things clear here."

"Well, this is how we want to do things—and it works for us."

"Glad to hear it. I don't really have an opinion on the matter."

Teresa gazed keenly, but not unsympathetically, at Nina.

"You sleep with him too, don't you?" she said quietly.

"Who?" Nina responded evasively.

"Larry."

Nina flushed, gazing at Teresa like a deer caught in the headlights. "So what if I do?" she said.

"So you do."

"Yes!"

"And Patrick sleeps with Amelia."

"Yes."

"And maybe you all, um, sleep together sometimes?"

"Sometimes." Nina stuck out her chin defiantly.

Teresa sighed heavily and shook her head. "Okay, well, it's not the way I care to lead my life, but—"

"You've never met a couple you'd, um, want to do that with?"

"I can't say that I have," Teresa said drily. "Maybe the couples I know aren't as . . . interesting as the ones you know."

"Well, that's a shame." Then, impishly: "If you ever want to join us—"

"Thanks," Teresa said quickly, "but I'll take a rain check on that."

"Okay, but it's your loss."

Teresa looked over at her own husband. "I have a feeling Frank might be inclined."

"Yes, I think he might."

And Nina walked away, leaving Teresa to her own devices.