Chapter Two
She gave the cab driver his fare and a ten dollar tip. He was appreciative and helped her get her suitcases up the stairs to her door. She turned the key in the lock, flipped on the foyer light, and strode into her home.
It was an old townhouse that she had inherited from her Uncle Samuel. She had had it renovated and the plumbing and kitchen completely overhauled. The woodwork had been maintained and was all original. Reagan had decorated it herself instead of using her mother’s decorator. She had wanted her home to feel both cozy and luxurious and after being away from home for six weeks, she was again struck by how this was exactly how she felt when walking in the door.
She left her suitcases at the bottom of the stairs and deposited her carryon bag in her office on the chair. She returned to the staircase and hauled her bags up to her bedroom, leaving them stand in front of her walk-in closet. She washed her face and changed into a silk peignoir and climbed into the most comfortable bed on five continents.
She awoke the next day at noon. The jet-lag combined with her inability to sleep on the plane had combined to shortening her Saturday considerably. Reagan jumped in and out of the shower, washing the greasiness of the plane’s canned atmosphere out of her shoulder length blonde tresses. She donned a tee-shirt and an old cashmere sweater with her favorite pair of faded and ragged blue jeans, the ones that fit so well. She pulled on a pair of boots and her Navy pea coat, grabbed her purse, and headed out into the crisp but sunny October day.
The sun was warm and there was a slight breeze in the air blowing the leaves in the street in tiny devils. Reagan walked down two blocks and over three to her favorite local eatery, Rosenfrend’s Corner Deli. The Rosenfeld’s ran the deli but were also her next door neighbors so she knew the old couple well, since the days when she visited her uncle in his home. The tiny bell rang whimsically as she opened the door.
“Glory be! Look who it is! Miss Reagan, you look hale and whole. How was your trip?” The rosy cheeked Adam Rosenfrend beamed at Reagan like the loving grandfatherly character he had always been to her, since the day her Uncle Sam had introduced them.
“Hi, Mr. Rosenfrend. I got back last night late. The trip was…business. You know. I’m glad to be home. I missed my corner deli!”
“All that Frenchie food can be kind of heavy, I guess.” He winked. “I don’t know. I’ve never been to Grand Paree!” He smiled and doffed his imaginary beret at her. “What can I get you for lunch?”
“I have been dreaming of a corned beef sandwich and one of your perfect dill pickles for 18 days. However, I need that to-go because I need to spend the afternoon at my desk catching up.”
Just then, the doorbell tinkled again and a middle-aged non-descript man walked in.
“No problem Mrs. Johnson,” Mr. Rosenfrend continued giving Reagan a meaningful look. “How’s the mister?”
Reagan was used to Mr. Rosenfrend’s over-protectiveness and knew that he was trying to mislead the newcomer to the deli. Johnson wasn’t her last name and she had no husband. He was from a different generation of very chivalrous gentlemen and read too much about the perils a young girl in the city faces.
Reagan Alicia Rothwile smiled at her old friend. “Jeremy is fine, but has a touch of a cold. Do you have any of that great chicken noodle soup left? I’m sure he would love some.” It always kept her on her toes, bantering with Mr. Rosenfrend.
“I’ll be with you in just a moment sir.” Mr. Rosenfrend pretended to have just noticed the brown haired man in the grey suit. He finished packaging Reagan’s soup and sandwich, made change, and turned to help the man. “Have a nice day Mrs. Johnson,” He said as she walked out the door.
Reagan chuckled to herself as she walked back toward her home, anxiously awaiting her long-craved treat.
Reagan worked diligently through the afternoon catching up on correspondence, replying to emails, and updating her schedule with Megan’s additions and corrections to her calendar. She went to bed early that evening and fell asleep with her book.
