“Why?”
“I need him to call me, and when Paula answers, he needs to sound serious, like he has very important news to tell me. He has to sound concerned enough for her to be intrigued.”
“OK . . .”
“Evelyn, what are you up to?” Celia said, looking up at me.
When I get on the phone, he has to say exactly this,” I said, and I took a piece of paper and started scribbling.
Harry read it and then handed the paper to Celia. She looked at me.
There was a knock on the door, and without even being welcomed, Don came in.
“I’ve been looking all over for you,” he said. His voice showed neither anger nor affection. But I knew Don, and I knew that with him, there was no lukewarm. The
absence of warmth was a chill. “I assume you’ve read this bullshit?” He had the magazine in his hand.
“I have a plan,” I said.
“You’re goddamn right you have a plan. Somebody better have a plan. I’m not walking around this town looking like a henpecked asshole. Cameron, what happened here?”
“I’m dealing with it, Don.”
“Good.”
“But in the meantime, I think you should hear Evelyn’s plan. I think it’s important you’re on board before she moves forward.”
Don took a seat in the chair opposite Celia. He nodded at her. “Celia.”
“Don.”
“With all due respect, I feel like this is a matter for the three of us to discuss?” he said.
“Of course,” Celia said, stepping up from the chair.
“No,” I said, putting my hand out to stop her. “Stay.”
Don looked at me.
“She’s my friend.”
Don rolled his eyes and shrugged. “So what’s the plan, Evelyn?”
“I’m going to fake a miscarriage.”
“What on earth for?”
“They’ll hate me and probably lose respect for you if they think I won’t give you a baby,” I said, despite the fact that it was exactly what was going on between us. That was the elephant in the room, of course. This was all sort of true.
“But they’ll pity you both if they think she can’t,” Celia said.
“Pity? What are you talking about, pity? I don’t want to be pitied. There’s no power in pity. You can’t sell movies with pity.”
And then Harry spoke up and said, “Like hell you can’t.”
* * *
WHEN THE PHONE rang at ten after six, Paula answered and then rushed into the bedroom to tell me the doctor was calling.
