Page 511 - WhyAsInY

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large group of my partners and friends of Peter’s from Scarsdale. In advance of the party, she drives the Legend, handling the stick as if she were Al Unser Jr. (here I can’t resist pointing out that the Indy 500, of which Unser was a notable winner at the time, was won in 1928 by Louis Meyer, who started the tradition of chugging milk to celebrate the vic- tory). I am blown away.
Five weeks later than that, we are on a plane bound for Vail, Colo- rado, with both Peter and Rachel in tow. She has decided to go along on the ski trip against the unanimous advice of a group of her lady friends, friends who meet once a month to catch up and apparently advise one another on matters of cosmic importance. Her interest in me is further shown by the fact that she purchased an attractive ski outfit for the occa- sion—and that she was willing to ski with me, notwithstanding the fact that the sport, it transpires, apparently terrifies her. We go to Beaver Creek to take a “green” (very easy) trail from the top of the mountain, and she apparently admires the beauty of the surroundings so much that, as far as I can tell, she sets the Beaver Creek record, probably still standing, for the longest time to complete a continuous descent.
She has been brave, but she is clearly gritting her teeth to go along with the program. On the bus back to Vail, I tell her that she never has to ski with me again. This is an expression of real love, and she is exceed- ingly grateful. Hours later, I watch, entranced, as she swims countless laps in the outdoor pool, at all times employing a very beautiful and strong freestyle stroke. A few days later, she further seals the deal by taking my eleven-year-old daughter with her to a laundromat and somehow mustering the patience to stand quietly by and mask her astonishment as Rachel, who has been elected the coin depositor, slowly arranges the ten or so quarters in chronological order before consigning them to their fate in the slot. (Prior to all of this, I had been treated to the initial meeting with David at 7 Longview and engaged with him as he spent about fifteen minutes reading dinosaur jokes to me.)
Maybe a few weeks later, I meet her parents (and they meet me), when they have driven to Great Neck from Washington to see their daughter. This results in no incident that I can recall. Not so her meet-
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