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support, making it difficult for Laura not to consider suing for
child support, something she was afraid to do since Clay had hinted that fight
her for Evan if he did. Now he'd outright said it and the thought filled her
with terror.
    Before
yesterday, she'd not thought he'd have much of a case. But now, as she stood
watching her son's bus disappear around the corner, she wasn't so sure. She had
used $1,000 that wasn't hers to pay her son's tuition, and had no way to pay it
back.
    She recalled Max
Greenway's conversation to his subordinate the day before. He was obviously a
strict man who didn't believe in people letting down their customers. In fact,
he'd been on the verge of firing a long-time employee for what had sounded like
a relatively minor infraction. What would he do to her? At the very least he'd
sue her. At the worst he'd call the police. Either way, her reputation as a
personal shopper was toast.
    Yet, she knew
she had no other choice but to tell him. If Clay had taught her anything, it
was that lying only compounded a problem. As much as it had hurt her to find
out her husband had been with other women, what hurt even more was finding out
later that he'd lied all those times he'd claimed to be working late or out
with a male friend.
    Laura decided
that the least she could do was purchase as many things on Max Greenway's gift
list as she could before telling him what had happened. She'd be completely
honest about everything. She wouldn't charge him for her services, or her gas.
If she was lucky, he'd let her pay him back the difference between her fee and
what she'd taken without prosecuting her.
    She threw
herself into her shopping with single-minded determination, vowing to please
him with her gifts as much as she'd disappoint him with her revelation. His
mother loved to read, he'd said, and she'd loved birds. Laura knew just what to
do. She headed down Walton Street to Shea Bros. Used and Rare Books. Back when
she'd had a little money, before the breakup, it was where Laura - also an avid
reader and book collector - would sometimes go to treat herself.
    Stooped little
Ben Shea had helped her find the perfect gift for Mrs. Greenway, a book by John
James Audubon signed by pre-eminent bird experts Roger Tory and Virginia
Peterson. She paid the $400 price in cash and carefully tucked the book and the
receipt in her bag.
    Next on the list
was Jean, and Laura was touched that Max Greenway obviously valued the women in
his life. It made her feel even worse for having spent his money on her son's
tuition.
    The Greenways
had an account at Simple Pleasures, a store featuring items for bath and body. Laura, remembering that Mr. Greenway's receptionist was about to
have surgery, purchased a cashmere throw, sheepskin lined bedroom slippers
before heading down to Fineman's Catering, where she
purchased gift certificates for six catered meals.
    As the afternoon
wore on, the crowds became a problem. But she was determined to finish. Laura
rang her neighbor, Tammy, who sometimes babysat for her, and asked her if she
would mind picking Evan up from school and keeping him for a few hours. Tammy,
who was between jobs as a nanny, said she'd be delighted.
    Laura continued
to shop, and soon her Jeep Cherokee began filling up with gifts. There was an
underwater camera for one of Max's younger brothers, who'd recently taken up
scuba diving. There was an antique map of Scotland and a tiny but expensive bit
of illuminated manuscript for another brother and a electronic grain mill and pasta machine for a sister with a passion for gourmet
cooking.
    Business
associates were easier; Laura had gotten their wine, cheese and cigar
preferences and matched them with gifts of to fit their tastes.
    It was 4:00 when
she pulled up in front of Mr. Greenway's building. She was about to start
pulling things out the back when he walked out the door.
    "Laura," he
said. "You must be psychic. I was just about to phone you to check in."
    She started at
the