The Surrogate

“I would be worried if you did not.”

Esther cleared the cutting board in front of her and set on the new batch of vegetables as she asked, “What possessed you to get them?”

“Well, I have been to those gardens several times, so it’s a nice memory. The value will only go up as the years pass so it just a good investment, but I remember how much you loved Monet.”

“I just like how if you get close it’s blurry, but when you step back the image becomes clear. It feels like life.”

“I know,” Archie added softly, looking at Esther with a certain small smile playing at his lips. “It was those two paintings that also set me on having a child.”

Esther furrowed her brow, and stopped what she was doing to meet his eyes. He had never explained where he decision had come from. Archie only ever said that he set himself upon starting a family. She did not have to ask before he continued to explain himself.

“I got them on an impulse, going to the auction just to pick up some investments to put away with the rest of our art collection. I did get those because they made me think of you, but when I started going over the family collection they started valuing it all. Somebody asked me if I was going to start a museum one day. Apparently, I do have enough pieces to leave that legacy, but nobody had ever asked me that before. For the first time, I began to think about what comes after me. I knew after some careful thought that I should at the very least try to carry on the Macarthur torch.”

Esther felt choked up at the sentimentality of his words, but managed to ask, “What would you have done otherwise?”

“I’d donate most of it to charity such as the art and the books in the country home in France. I’ve got a large collection of first-editions there. I would probably have a council of family replace me at the company, but leave a large portion of my personal wealth to you.”

Esther felt breathless, and hardly felt able to reply, “Really? After all those years?”

He put his hand tenderly on her shoulder. “Our mother’s were like sisters. You were the first love of my life. My father’s family doesn’t deserve another damn dime because they mostly suck, but I know you would do great things with that opportunity. You aren’t selfish.”

Tears welled at the corner of Esther’s eyes, but she quickly wiped them away and blamed it on the onions she had just quartered. It meant she was also change the subject. Steering the subject away from

“I am getting the carrots and potatoes peeled for tomorrow. I have to wait for my water to come to a boil, so it seems just a good a time as any.”

 “I have some homemade Bolognese sauce in the freezer. I like to make it on Sundays, while I look over possible real estate ventures and plan for the week. It gives me something to do with my hands while I mull things over.”

“You cook?” Esther asked, while at the same time a bit baffled at Archie’s statement.”

“Essie, I do some things besides work. You’re not the only one who is handy in the kitchen.” Archie chuckled. “It’s been useful impressing other girls in the past too.”

“When did you even learn?”

“I deferred from my university for a year. I spent some time in Italy and took some cooking classes. It seemed like a useful hobby. I helped that the instructor was exceptionally pretty, but not quite as stunning as you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” Esther scolded him playfully, hitting his right arm with the kitchen towel in her hand and ignoring the flirtatious compliment.

Archie laughed. “Nobody wants to cook for me anymore when they find out!”

“Oh, I see! You play dumb and butter people up to get what you want. I guess that is that is what men have done for centuries. You all can secretly cook, but you still ask women to do it for you.”

He shrugged, saying, “It’s only because you’re so good at it.”

Archie batted his eyes with a puppy-like expression, leaving Esther to scoff at his cheeky behavior. When the kettle began to whistle, Archie assisted her by turning off the heat and fixing two cups of floral white tea for Esther and Roberta. Setting them on a tray with cookies from the tin on the counter and some fruit from his crisper, Archibald made a nice little spread for the two of them to catch up.

Coming back to where Esther cleaned the last of the carrots, Archie got close to her. She could smell the scent of paper and hot Chinese spices looming off him. The heat of Sichuan peppers was only second to the heat that came from Archie’s body growing closer and closer. Esther could swear that she heard his heartbeat. She certainly heard the rise and fall of his broad chest as he breathed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him smiling.

“I have to go make a phone call to California, but before I go would you mind if I stole a kiss from your cheek? I won’t try anything else. I cross my heart and hope to die.”

“I hope you don’t die,” Esther joked back.

“But will you let me have one small kiss? Friends can kiss their friend’s cheeks, right?”

“All right, all right. I’ll let you since it is a holiday tomorrow.”

“Maybe I should save it for tomorrow then?” Archie teased.

“Nope! It is now or never.”

Esther held out her cheek for a brief and boyish peck of a kiss. The moment felt sweet and charming. It was much like the kisses he used to steal when they were little and barely old enough for school. The recollection made her laugh as she watched him disappear out the swinging kitchen door.