Crazy For You (42 page)

“The tape,” he said. “Do you want to watch the video
of our wedding?”

“There’s a video?” she asked, hopeful.

“Come on.” Frank latched onto her hand and pulled
her to her feet. “Let’s go watch it together.”

Downstairs, he put the tape in the VCR and took a
seat beside her on the couch. He laid his arm along the back of the
couch. He used his free hand to snag the remote off the coffee
table and then pressed play.

Roxanne watched anxiously as Glenna descended the
stairs first, then Candy escorted by Rich. She wondered why Rich
was with Candy, then remembered what they’d said about Candy being
blind at the time.

All shots of Frank in the video weren’t exactly
complimentary. He’d been standing around with a sullen look on his
face. It looked as if he couldn’t care less about what was going on
and it seemed the quicker it was over the happier he’d be. But that
all ceased when he saw Roxanne at the top of the landing. A genuine
smile crossed his face, if only for a moment, as he watched her
make her way down the stairs. Yet he was wearing sunglasses.

Roxanne watched as they both exchanged vows and were
pronounced husband and wife. She blushed, seeing Frank wrap his
arms around her and kiss her. The reception was small and informal.
And the camera’s eye followed Roxanne, Candy, and Glenna into the
backyard. The camera didn’t go out with them, just filmed them from
inside. They smoked a joint. It was clear they were laughing and
carrying on, but whatever the details of the conversation were, the
camera was at as much of a loss as Roxanne was.

The tape ended and the screen went black. She
remained still for a time, trying to calm her pounding heart.
Finally, she turned to Frank. “Was there any time at all during
that day, when you were the least bit happy about us getting
married?” She begged for the truth. “Was there even a single moment
that you were happy about us being together?”

“Deep down inside, I guess I was.” He didn’t want to
lie or mislead her. “I was determined not to let it show
though.”

“Is that why you refused to take off your
sunglasses?”

“Pretty much,” he said. “But I was so consumed with
my anger...I overlooked the fact that all I ever really wanted was
just to have you back in my life.”

“I have a better idea about what
you
were
thinking on our wedding day, than what was running through my own
mind.”

“Maybe it’s better that you’ll never know.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well I think it’s safe to say—” He had to wonder if
his bid for complete disclosure would ultimately do more harm than
good. “—you were probably wishing that our marriage was the real
thing.” Even though he had his reservations, he kept talking. “But
all the while you knew, deep down inside, that something wasn’t
quite right about the whole thing. You could sense things that
way.”

“So…you married me for the sole purpose of getting
me to sign the papers legalizing your parental relationship with
Frankie.” She paused in thought. “And then you wanted to distance
me from the two of you.” She looked at him. “Looks like you got
what you wanted...because right now, considering that I have
amnesia, I couldn’t be further from either of you.”

“While I’ll admit I do deserve that,” he said. “I do
regret that Frankie is no longer in your memories.”

“You know what’s really ironic?” she said. “I robbed
you of the first four years of Frankie’s life. And now, I don’t
have any recollection of those years either.” She laughed
helplessly. “Guess that kind of makes us even.”

“I would trade my life for you to have those
memories of Frankie back where they belong.”

“Don’t say that.” She placed her finger against his
lips to silence him. “I don’t want to lose you now.”

Frank grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him.
He’d promised not to impose himself on her, but he couldn’t help it
anymore. He had to kiss her and he had to do it now. “I will love
you forever,” he said and brushed a sweet, sensuous kiss against
her lips.

C
hristmas morning, Frankie
was up early and very eager to open his presents. Frank and Roxanne
had as much fun watching him as Frankie had opening his packaged
surprises.

“Have no fear.” Frank sat down beside her on the
couch. “Santa didn’t forget about you,” he said, handing her a
gift-wrapped box.

“For me?”

“For you.”

Roxanne ripped into the present and found a bottle
of Dom Perignon. She looked at Frank. What was he trying to tell
her?

“No pressure,” he said. “I’m just making good on my
promise, but it’s entirely up to you if and when we ever use
it.”

“I have something for you too,” she said, still
holding onto the bottle of champagne.

“Really?”

“Frankie,” Roxanne said to her son. “Why don’t you
get Daddy’s present from behind the tree?”

Frankie struggled to drag out the huge, oblong
package from its hiding place.

Jesus
. Frank got up to help him.
What the
hell is this
?

Halfway unwrapped, he realized it was a guitar case.
He opened it with reluctance, feeling a mixture of remorse and joy
when he saw the Les Paul inside. Frank snapped at his emotions and
closed the lid with finality. “This was a really nice gesture—” He
tried to play it off. “—but you shouldn’t have done it. I don’t
play anymore.”

“Yes, you do.” She boldly met his eyes. “In your
heart you’ll always play.”

“I don’t play anymore,” he said calmly, yet more
forceful this time.

“But why?” She knew Frank had destroyed his guitar.
But she was back now, and she thought he’d naturally want to play
again.

“The music came between us, Roxanne.” He gave her a
look that seemed to beg her to see his side. “I can’t let that
happen again,” he said, more defiantly now. “No more music!”

L
ater that morning, Candy,
Rich, Glen, and Glenna arrived at Roxanne and Frank’s place.
Roxanne had already put the turkey in the oven and now she, Candy,
and Glenna continued with the preparations for their yuletide
feast.

“So how are things going with you and Frank?” Candy
asked Roxanne while peeling sweet potatoes.

Roxanne hesitated a second, and then pleasure
crossed her face and she smiled slyly.

“Okay.” Candy knew she was hiding something and
she’d willingly bet that it was pretty juicy. “Out with it. What’s
happened?”

“Well … he kissed me the other day,” she said
bashfully.

“What kind of kiss?”

“Passionate.” Her breath caught in her throat,
shaking her voice. “Very passionate.”

“Have you guys slept together yet?” Candy dared to
ask.

“No!” Roxanne said sharply. “Of course not.”

“Why not?” Candy looked at Roxanne like she was
crazy.

“Well I really don’t want to look like a slut.”

“Rocky—” Candy scolded her. “—nobody’s going to
think you’re a slut for sleeping with your husband.”

“Oh, yeah.” The light bulb turned on. “He is my
husband, huh? I keep forgetting about that.”

“Are you in love with him?” Candy asked as if she
already knew the answer.

Just as the realization formed in Roxanne’s mind,
she blurted it out, “Yes.”

Glenna had been quiet, listening attentively.
Finally, she spoke up, “You know what I think?”

“If it’s encouraging.” Roxanne laughed softly.

“Girl, it’s time for you to go out there and claim
your man.”

“Huh?” Roxanne asked, anxious.

“Oh, no.” Candy shook her head. “I’ve seen that look
before. He’s your husband. He loves you. He’s not going to reject
you, or turn you away, saying, ‘Oh sorry, Roxie. But I really don’t
want to sleep with you!’…I mean, really, please....”

“He did give me a bottle of Dom Perignon,” Roxanne
said. “But he said it was totally up to me when or if we ever used
it.”

Candy knew what that meant but Glenna didn’t, so
Candy decided to shed a little light. “The first time they had some
cheap champagne. Whatever Frank could afford back then,” she said
to Glenna. “But he promised her one day they’d do it again with Dom
Perignon.”

“Oh, how sweet.” Glenna smiled at Roxanne. “He wants
to recreate the first time with you again. Has he told you exactly
how it happened?”

“Yes.” Roxanne’s cheeks burned.

“Oh…yes!” Candy’s voice was full of animation. “The
first time they had sex was in the bathtub in the condo.”

Glenna replied only with sharp laughter.

“Come on...” Roxanne pleaded in a whisper. “The
guys’ll hear you.”

“I know exactly what you need to do,” Glenna said
with a deliberate nod. “And you should do it on New Year’s
Eve.”

R
oxanne’s long-time tenants
had recently vacated the condo. So the next few days, Candy and
Glenna schemed and plotted to recreate Frank and Roxanne’s first
time together.

Finally, New Year’s Eve came. Using the pretense of
a party at Glen and Glenna’s house, they managed to separate Frank
from Roxanne for the day.

Glenna had asked Frank to come over and help Glen
and Rich with the preparations for the evening. At first, he tried
to back out saying he didn’t want to leave Roxanne alone. But she’d
quickly said that she and Candy had to meet the tenants vacating
the condo to return their deposit if the conditions of the condo
were acceptable.

That wasn’t a total lie. They were going to the
condo, just not for the reason she’d given Frank.

Roxanne and Candy entered the condo through the
front door. All kinds of memories flooded Candy’s mind, but there
was nothing for Roxanne. When she went upstairs and into the master
bathroom she stared at the tub, wishing she could remember
anything. Some little something. She could only try to imagine what
it must have been like making love with Frank for the first
time.

“No memories?” Candy asked, as if she already knew
answer.

Roxanne didn’t say anything. She just shook her head
slowly.

“Don’t get discouraged,” Candy said. “You’ll have
some memories after tonight.”

A
little later in the
afternoon, Glenna sat near the telephone, watching and waiting. No
one seemed to realize that she was watching for anything, much less
waiting for it either. For that she was thankful.

Finally, the telephone rang. Quickly, she answered
the call. She listened intently for a few seconds, looking in
Frank’s direction. “Okay…I’ll tell him,” she said. “I’ll see you
tonight,” she added for good measure.

“Who was on the phone, Babe?” Glen asked.

“It was Roxanne,” she said. “Frank, she needs you to
come over to the condo as soon as you can.”

“Is anything wrong?” Frank asked anxiously.

Glenna gave a one-sided shrug. “She didn’t sound
like anything was wrong. She just said she needs you to come over
there. Now.”

“Okay,” he said, standing. “Say listen, I’ll see you
guys later tonight,” he said and headed for the door.

“Well,” Glen said, watching Frank leave. “I guess we
can find out what that’s about when they come back tonight.”

“They’re not coming back tonight,” Glenna said, like
it was a silly notion.

“What do you mean they’re not coming back?”

“Oh never mind. I’ll explain it to you later.”

F
rank headed across town,
anxious over what might be happening at the condo. Maybe Roxanne
had gone over there and found out the people had trashed the place
before they left. He parked his car in a familiar parking space and
prayed nothing was wrong.

Walking up the sidewalk toward the building reminded
him of such a long time ago. He unlocked the door and went inside,
seeing one of her shoes lying on the floor just inside the
doorway.

What the hell...
He closed the door, looking
around. In the corner of his eye, he saw her other shoe at the
bottom of the stairs. A little further up, one of her stockings was
laid out strategically on the steps.

Intrigue pushed Frank up the stairs. Halfway up, he
found her blouse and then he saw her skirt lying at the top of the
stairs. The possibilities lured him up. Inside the empty bedroom he
found her pink silk panties lying on the floor. Suspecting that she
might be in the bathroom, he thought about what that could mean.
Then he saw her bra hanging on the bathroom doorknob.

A year ago, anger would have consumed him as he
entered the room. The place where it had all ended. But now, those
bad memories were trivial, insignificant. The only thing he could
think of right now was that Roxanne was in the bathroom, and he was
one hundred percent certain that she was naked and in the
bathtub.

“Roxie...” He opened the door slightly.

“You found me.” She laughed softly as he came into
the room. “Come on in,” she said. “The water’s great.”

Roxanne was lounging in the bubbled water. The Dom
Perignon was chilling in a bucket of ice sitting next to the tub.
Two champagne glasses sitting on the rim of the bathtub didn’t
escape Frank’s notice.

“I’ve been doing a little research,” she said. “But
I keep hitting a snag.”

“Anything I can do to help?” He sat down on the edge
of the tub.

“Why don’t you bring yourself in here with me...and
let’s reminisce.”

“Well,” he teased. “I don’t know.”

Roxanne gave him a little tug and he came crashing
down into the water. “I seriously doubt it was this hard to get you
in here the first time.”

Frank laughed, wiped the bubbles off his face and
dabbed them onto hers.

“Let’s have a toast,” she said. “I’ll pour the
champagne while you get undressed.”

After he’d tossed his wet clothes aside, she handed
him a glass of champagne.

“What should we drink to?”he asked.

“Let’s drink to…ooh, I know...let’s drink to
us.”