A New York Love Story (16 page)

Her birthday party?! Fuck!
They didn't even wish her happy birthday. Her mother, as always, had brought some banal cookies. Forget a cake with candles!

She barely touched the food, but she drank a lot of wine – although she didn't feel as drunk as she had hoped.

“Clover, aren't you hungry? You hardly ate a thing…” at least Cade had noticed. She shrugged.

“How long will you be staying in New York?” Nadia asked.

“Not very long,” Cade answered laconically.

“Would anyone like dessert?” Clover was heading to the kitchen.

Her mother ignored her and kept on talking to Cade. “It was such a pleasure meeting you. You have made a huge difference to our evening – really quite unexpected!”

Thank you, Mom!
“So – do you all want dessert or should I eat it by myself? I can do it in a corner, on the kitchen floor, so I wouldn't disturb you!”

“Clover! Is that any way to treat a guest?”

“Mom, are you sure you want to be preaching to me at
this
moment?” She came over and placed her hand on Cade's shoulder.

“Clo, bring the dessert,” Patrick said, trying to calm the situation.

“Right away – ladies and gentlemen!”

At that point Cade stood up, excused himself, and explained he had to make some important phone calls. Clover ran back. “Where are you going?”

“I left my cell phone at home…”

She followed him to the door. “Please, don't go…” she whispered.

“I just have to make a couple of calls.”

Clover handed him her cell. “You can borrow mine…”

“No, I can't call from here,” he gently smiled at her.

“Please, pleeease… shall I kneel? I beg you!
She
might hurt me, if you leave now…”

Cade chuckled, trying to interrupt her torrent of words, but Clover kept going.

“Tell me what you want. I will do
anything
you want, if you stay. I will help with all your Christmas gifts – no charge!”

He put his hand on the door knob. “I will come to bed with you!”

He turned, looking at her with a suggestive expression. Then he took her chin, lifting her face. “Sweetheart, I'm just going to make a few calls. I will be back.”

“Why didn't you tell me this earlier?”

“I tried. You didn't give me a chance…” He laughed.

“Can you please hurry up?”

“I promise…” He stole a kiss from her – brief, but intense.

She watched him cross the street and forced herself to go back to the kitchen, leaving the door ajar.

As she returned, Nadia stood up. “You're really rude, Clover! How can you behave like that with a person like him?”

“Maybe I'm rude, Mom. But you are ridiculous. You were flirting with him!”

“How dare you?!”

“Listen Mom, you've monopolized the conversation all evening, you've ignored me every time I tried to say something…” Clover burst out. “What is bothering you? Is it that your poor, unattractive daughter has met a celebrity, while you haven't been able to, in spite of all your efforts? Are you afraid that Cade Harrison actually might be more interested in
me
than in
you
? Sorry to give you the bad news, but I think that's exactly what's happening this time!”

“Why? Are you sleeping with him?” Patrick asked with a serious tone.

“Not necessarily. It's because
she
's old enough to be his mother! And because Cade is sick of people's flattery and adulation…”

“Sometimes I wonder whose daughter you are – where did you get this personality?” Her mother mumbled, irritably. “And now you've made him leave! Are you satisfied?”

“Cade just left for a few minutes. He will be back. So – put your swords away and pull yourselves together!” Clover put the cookie tray on the table.

“I wonder why a movie star like him should want to have dinner with us – ordinary mortals.” Her brother was saying, with a perplexed tone. “Okay, so you helped him with his Christmas shopping, but it doesn't seem to me a good enough reason for him to join a small, boring family dinner party…”

“Well, evidently he finds me interesting enough to accept my dinner invitation – unlike your wife!”

Her last words silenced Patrick and the room became suddenly very quiet.

*

After about ten minutes and a few calls, Cade returned. He was happy with the idea that had occurred to him before he left her house.

Clover's birthday party had been a disaster. She hadn't had a good time at all, she had barely touched any food. Cade understood how she must have felt, although his own family was totally different – sometimes messy, but at least a very close family. They didn't fight for attention like that, nor were they so disrespectful of one another.

All evening he had been aware of Nadia O'Brian's sycophantic attitude towards him – not to mention her continuous flattery. Although he was used to adulation, at times he had felt frankly embarrassed. He had been kind and polite – it was his nature – plus they were Clover's relatives; yet it had been hard at times not to intervene to help Clover. He had tried more than once to bring the attention back to her – after all she was the birthday girl! – but without success. Clover had pulled away from the general conversation, except for a few funny, sarcastic responses to her mother that had almost made him laugh out loud.

When he came into the house, he found the O'Brian family shrouded in an obstinate silence. Clover was standing near the refrigerator, with her arms folded across her chest. She seemed relieved to see him back and he flashed her an encouraging smile.

“My apologies to you all, but I couldn't postpone some important calls. I hope I didn't make you wait too long…”

“Not at all! Please, don't worry; it was just a pleasant break before the dessert…” Nadia O'Brian seemed to come back to life.

“Simple cookies,” Clover said, sitting next to Cade. “It seems that birthday cakes have become obsolete. Did you know that?”

“Sweetie, you're not a child any more,” her mother said. “Soon, you'll stop even celebrating birthdays…” and she giggled.

Cade put a hand on Clover's knee under the table in a comforting gesture. When he felt her small hand on his, he squeezed her fingers with affection. Neither of them could wait for the end of that dinner.

It lasted only another half an hour, but to them it felt like an eternity. When they finally moved into the living room, Patrick looked around and then asked if she had changed something. Clover looked at Cade anxiously, and he shook his head as if to say
no details
… so, she simply answered, “It was about time!”

At last it was time to open the gifts. Clover didn't expect any surprises. In fact, from her mother she received the perfume that she had specified on her wish list and her brother gave her a book. Probably this too, Cade thought, was something Clover had requested… yet he couldn't help but think that her brother could have done something more. The coldness of the whole scene shocked him. Maybe it was because he came from a family where everyone showed affection for each other. He felt the sudden urge to hug Clover and shower her with gifts, to somehow make up for her sadness and disappointment.

Finally, the O'Brians left. Cade sighed with relief and took Clover in his arms. She buried her face in his chest, whispering, “It's finally over…”

“When you told me you had a difficult relationship with your family, I thought you were exaggerating… but Jesus! Anyway, my sweet Clover, now that the worst is over, what about going out – just the two of us?”

“Now? Seriously?”

“Isn't this what you usually do to forget your family get togethers? I'm not Zoe or Liberty, but I hope I could help you to…”

“I'm sure you can!” She flashed him a mysterious smile that suggested she might be entertaining other thoughts.

Her eyes were more luminous and suggestive than ever, maybe because of the joy of seeing the back of her relatives, or simply because of the wine. Looking at her, Cade felt his body waking up and a rush of desire went through him like a lightening.
Damn it! He had already organized everything, he couldn't change things at the last minute. Or could he?

Clover put her hands on his chest, caressing him slowly. “It's already a wonderful diversion that you're still here, after the horrible evening I put you through!”

“That's a good reason to get out of here – you'll feel less guilty.” Cade tried to focus on the present, trying to overcome the excitement and desire he felt at that moment. Maybe later they could return to
the subject
.

“Okay, take me out. Do I have to change or am I fine like this?”

Cade took hold of the edge of her t-shirt and took it off. There! Now you're perfect!”

“Such a rush! Confess – you too hate my poor t-shirt…”

“Right now I can't stand any of the clothes you're wearing.” He laughed. “But I'll behave until later…”

“
Later
?”

“Am I mistaken or did you promise me something?”

“Oh – that was before you told me that you were coming back anyway!”

Cade grasped her hips, pulling her against him. “So, did you change your mind?”

“Umm… I'm not reasoning very well right now. No food and a lot of wine, plus the feeling of gratitude for having you as an ally tonight… all these things are definitely working in your favor! But it's unfair – since they might play against my better judgement.”

“No worries! Since I want you sober, I won't take advantage of the situation.” He took her hand. “Let's go.”

When they stepped outside, the freezing air quickly cooled off any erotic fantasies they might have had.

“Where are we going?”

“To eat something… you need some food with all the wine you drank on an empty stomach!”

“And you? Will you watch me eat or do you still have some room?”

“There is always room for fat and fried food.”

“Fat and fried?! Oh – that sounds great to me…”

The pizzeria near the Village seemed like a quiet place. Cade had made only one request, some privacy in spite of the fact that it was a restaurant.

“Pizza?” Clover smiled, looking at the illuminated sign.

“Well, I understood that formal dinners are not your style…” Cade joked, taking her hand.

“It's almost eleven. Maybe they are closing soon…”

“Don't worry.” Cade opened the door for her.

“Surprise!” Zoe, Liberty and Eric shouted from a table at the end of the room.

The few people in the restaurant turned to look at them with curiosity. For a moment Cade regretted his idea. Perhaps he should have organized the party at his house. Anybody there could recognize him and spread the news. If the journalists found out, his peace would go up in smoke. But when he saw Clover's obvious delight at seeing the giant pizza and her friends, he thought that it was worth taking the risk. He wondered how many surprise parties had been organized for her before. Looking at her amazement and shining eyes, it was probably a sadly small number.

“Oh – my – god!” Clover said, coming over to the table. “This is definitely unexpected!”

Eric, Zoe and Liberty hugged and kissed her. Everyone had a little wrapped gift for her. Touched and confused, Clover thanked everybody. Then her eyes went to the huge pizza… “But the French fries spell out my name!” She looked at them bewildered.

Zoe nodded towards Cade, “His idea!”

Clover turned to look at him, speechless. He shrugged, saying, “I got this information from one of your tirades… I thought it was a great idea.”

“You're
great
,” she whispered, taking his face in her hands and passionately kissing him.

Cade felt immensely happy that it all turned out so well, and that the joy and surprise made her almost reckless. He hugged her and softly said in her ear, “Happy birthday, baby.”

He realized that dining with them was a completely different experience from the evening with the O'Brian family. They were Clover's oldest friends and seemed to be in perfect harmony. They immediately included Cade in their conversation. They were friendly and funny, but most of all not one of them treated him like a celebrity. It was refreshing.

Throughout the evening, he began to get to know them a little. Zoe wasn't the
femme fatale
she appeared to be. She was an interesting young woman, who used this persona as a defensive shield to hide her emotional insecurities. On the contrary, Liberty's serious and inflexible attitude could be hiding a deep sensitivity that she may somehow fear. And Eric – with his nerdy spectacles – beyond his indisputable intelligence and great sense of irony, had a big heart.

After almost two hours of chatting, and lots of pizza and fries, they were all cheerful and also the only customers left in the restaurant. A young waitress kept bringing water or wine to the table, and every time she used the opportunity to look at Cade. She had recognized the movie star, but Cade was too relaxed to pay much attention to her.

They left very late. Clover said goodnight to her friends and Liberty told her she could take it easy and come in to the store later in the morning.

Walking to the car, Clover said, “Cade, I don't know why you did all this and I don't know how to thank you. I
only
know that I won't ever forget it!”

He came closer to kiss her, when he noticed a movement all too familiar to him. A man in a white car looked like he wanted to take a picture with his cell phone.

Shit!
Cade got tense and sped up his pace. They got in the car. He got behind the wheel, but he kept checking the white car in the rear view mirror.