Chapter Thirty-six

Madison stepped quickly inside and started shedding her winter accoutrements, chattering a mile a minute when Zoey opened the door to her Tribeca loft.  She was telling Zoey of her blind-date the night before.  Zoey just smiled, knowing her friend would chatter on incessantly until she felt that she had Zoey caught up on everything that had happened since the last time they saw each other. It had been a quite a while since she had spent any real time with Madison. After returning home from Europe, Zoey had been completely immersed in meetings with her publisher and editor. They constantly vacillated between which pictures would be included in the book and what part of the history of each church should be added.  After more time than Zoey had ever thought possible, the book was finally sent to the printers.  Now she could take a few days, turn off her cell phone and relax.  And she intended to do just that.

“And he didn’t even remember my name! It was absolutely the worst date in my entire life!”

Zoey snickered and received a glare from her friend in return. 

“I’m sorry, Maddy. It sounds dreadful,” she grinned. “At least, he didn’t pressure you to come inside.”

The look of horror that passed over Madison’s face completely did her in. She burst out laughing, unable to contain herself. After a short moment, Madison joined her.

“You just wait,” she said. “You’ll get yours soon enough. We’ll find you a real special guy.”

“Oh, no,” Zoey laughed. “We absolutely will not. There’s not a man in Manhattan that I am remotely interested in dating.”

“Aw, come on, I’m sure we can find you someone.  How about that guy…”

“No, no, no!”

“Really, now, Zoey,” her friend’s voice grew serious, “you can’t go on living on memories of this Alex guy.  It’s time you got back out there.”

Zoey’s smile faded. She had told her best friend about the man she met in Moscow.  She had only left out his last name.  Madison actually followed hockey.  She held season tickets for the New York Rangers games here at the Garden.  She would know who he was.  She had surely seen him play. Zoey wasn’t sure why she didn’t tell her really. Perhaps it would make it harder if Madison actually knew the man who broke her heart.  Or perhaps, Madison would hound her even more to go to a hockey game with her. 

“Come on. Are you ready for lunch?” Zoey asked, ignoring her friend.

“Yes, I’m starved!”

Zoey grabbed her coat.

“Oh wait, let me grab that suitcase while I’m here. You know I will forget it if I don’t.”

Zoey led her to the closet in the spare bedroom and retrieved the suitcase. Madison was going on a week long trip to visit her family in North Carolina. She has asked to borrow the luggage to carry gifts for her nieces and nephews.

“Zoey, there is something in here,” Madison said, shaking the suitcase. She opened it and discovered a Nesting Doll.

“You didn’t tell me you got some of these. This one is cute. It’s a bear.” 

Zoey had forgotten that she’d left them in the case.  Madison opened each doll like an excited child and exclaimed as reached the last.

“What’s this? I thought there were just dolls.”

“There are only dolls. The last one doesn’t open.”

Zoey took the tiny velvet bag from her friend, perplexed.  She shook the contents into her open palm.  It was a pair of tiny white swans, a hand-made glass figurine from St. Petersburg.  Madison dropped the doll she was holding as Zoey burst into tears.