“Oh, Alex!” I cried, and flung myself into his arms, kissing him wildly and crying at the same time. When I finally calmed down, he held me at arm’s length and gave me that great smile. “I guess that means you’re okay with it.” Behind us the seals started barking and clapping, and we both had to laugh.
As we began to head back to the subway, I tried to tell him how happy I was about his decision and how impressed I was with all the changes he’d made since Glenda walked out on him. “Wearing the suit was kinda weird,” I admitted, “but it was what you needed to get you to where you are today, and I’m good with that.”
When we got to my apartment, Terri was waiting with her hands on her hips and a stern expression on her face. But when she saw the two of us together, she relaxed and smiled. “So I guess things went okay after all,” she said, and came over to give me a little hug. Then she turned to Alex. “You better treat her right, Superman, or I’ll be looking for you.” But she said it with a pleased smile, and Alex leaned over, gave her a hug and promised her he would.
“Okay,” Terri said, “I’ve got to go meet some friends, and you two look like you could use a little privacy.” As she reached the door, she turned back to look at me. “Don’t forget,” she said, “the air freshener is in the cupboard.” With that she walked out, leaving me blushing.
Alex came over to put his arms around me. “She really does care about you, doesn’t she?” he said.
“Like I said, she’s been more like my guardian angel than my roommate,” I told him. “She can be a little pushy sometimes, but it’s nice to know she’s got my back.”
As the two young people retreated to Elle’s bedroom, Terri walked along the sun-splashed sidewalk until she came to a little sidewalk cafe. Spotting her two friends waiting at a table, she waved and asked the waiter for a drink as she sat down.
“Well,” one of the women said, “don’t keep us in suspense. Did it work out like you hoped?”
“Yes!” Terri exulted, pumping her fist in triumph. “I finally got Alex out of that Superman costume and the two of them together. They’re back at the apartment now, and judging by the way they were looking at each other, they’re going to be together for a long time!”
The other woman shook her head in admiration. “I have to hand it to you, Terri: you’ve got the touch.”
Terri lowered her eyes with obvious false modesty. “It was nothing,” she said. “Of course for a while I wasn’t too sure about the boy. When I first saw him wearing that costume I thought he was a crazy man, a meshugener. But Elle was obviously entranced by him, and after I learned more about him I realized he was a good man who’d been badly hurt by the bitch he’d married. Even though they were divorced, it was obvious to me that she still had an evil influence over him. I figured that if I was going to get Elle and him together I’d have to do something to break that curse.”
The second friend leaned forward. “So how did you do it?”
“Well,” Terri went on, “I did have a little help. My sister works at the same law firm as the bitch, and she gave me the inside scoop on what was going on there. All I had to do then was call a blogger I know at Gawker and give her the juicy stuff. When the story broke, that was all it took to expose the ex-wife and give her what she deserved. Once that happened, Alex was freed from her curse, just like I figured.”