Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go. (Oscar Wilde)

“What about you? What miserable activities are you up to?”

“I’m living in the Palisades and I’ve been doing a lot of flying lately. I’m looking into buying a bigger plane. Something I could take my family around in. You know one of those little ones with the bar and the leather seats facing one another. That might be nice. Maybe we can go for a ride someday, you know, when you’re not busy with all your movies.”

“I’d rather go to hell than get in a plane with you.”

He was an attractive guy, I even liked the temper, but this attitude was off-putting. When did he get so jaded and angry?

The driver stopped at Nicky’s apartment. He had been nervously looking back at us in the rearview mirror all the while. He wasn’t a Nicky fan and I didn’t blame him. If I had just met Nicky I wouldn’t have liked him either. Hell, if I had been objective I wouldn’t have liked him then but there was a time when I cared about Nicky, loved him even.

I knew he blamed me for William’s death and I was okay with that. I blamed me for William’s death. I respected his anger, I understood it. Maybe that was why I peeled myself off the leather seat and followed him into his apartment at his less-than-romantic request.