Hot Cooking Spanker Wanted (22 page)

We
got in cars, not limousines. We were driven the few blocks to where
the movie was showing. She had pulled her hand away from mine before
she got in the car.

“
How
have you been Katherine?”

I
got a mean look for that. Just when I thought she wasn't going to
answer at all she spoke. “I'm not trying to be rude. I just think
it is better if we don't speak to each other.”

“
I
think we need to have a long sit down talk.”

A
long silence then “No thank you.” We were pulling up to the curb
and someone opened her door. She took their hand and got out like a
supermodel and waved to the crowd. She went to talk to fans and
reporters. They loved her here. She was taking her time going in. I
was already freezing, but she was smiling like it was going out of
style and she wanted to get its worth out of it. I had to go get her
and pull her inside again. That had made the crowd laugh. She had
said something about me.

“
Why
did they laugh like that?”

“
I
just explained that you weren't used to the cold.”

“
That
made them laugh?”

“
I
sound cute when I speak German.” She stepped around me and went to
people and talked to them in German. I went off to answer questions
too but my eyes returned to her again and again. She looked happy
without me.

Katherine
was the only one who seemed to be enjoying the movie in our section.
But then again she was the only one who understood it. I took the
time to just enjoy sitting next to her. I waited to see how she would
react to the love scene this time. She hung her head and didn't look.
I reached out and laid my hand on her knee.

Katherine
moved away. She didn't want to make love because that was how we had
made the baby. She was depressed and she needed me to be
understanding. I felt I could do that better if I could just hold her
and talk to her all alone.

I
moved my hand back to my own knee and watched the movie.

I
sounded stupid in German.

I
sat next to my beautiful Katherine in her lovely blue dress in the
car. She looked like she was about to burst out in tears. It was
snowing outside but it looked nice out. Her pain was like a real aura
that I couldn't see but it could feel it. It was hurting me too.

“
I'm
so sorry about the baby. I wished you would have let them call me.”

She
gasped and looked at me for a second and then she turned away and
shook her head. This hadn't been the right place. She was crying and
trying so hard not to show it.

I
leaned over to her as close as I could get. “Katherine, I'm the
logical person for you to talk to about this. You have to come to me
when you have problems. That is what being in a relationship means.
It means that you always have someone who is there for you.”

She
snorted.

“
When
wasn't I there for you?” I was offended. I mean, I was being
sensitive about everything. I could have reacted differently too. I
even had the right to be mad at her for not telling me, and then for
dumping me like she did.

“
I
know more than you think. Let's just leave it at that.”

The
car was parking and she got out pretty quick for someone in such a
long dress. Snow was flying all around her. Katherine looked magical.

She
hated me. She left me standing there and went in. What on earth had
she meant? What did she know about me that could make her hate me so?

She
was in an elevator and gone before I could catch up with her. I got
in the other one and tried to figure out why she would act the way
she was. Did she blame me?

I
got out of the elevator and saw her walking down the hall. I ran
ahead and grabbed her by her arm. She raised her other arm to cover
her face. She thought that I was going to hit her. I let go of her.

“
I
have the right to say I don't want to be with you anymore. You have
to accept that. I have rights that even you have to respect.” She
backed away from me. I stood there like an idiot as she turned and
unlocked her door.

I
jumped forward and got my foot in the door. “Did you ever think
that I have the right to know what happened with my child?”

“
No.”
She looked me dead in the eyes. I could tell that she honestly
believed what she was saying. She didn't think I had any rights.

“
Well,
you are wrong.” I pushed my way into the room and leaned against
the door. I folded my arms over my chest.

She
backed away from me still afraid. When I didn't move she went to the
window and looked out. She stood still, as if she was standing for a
portrait. Her hand on the windowsill and her focus on something
outside. What was going through her head? It was obvious that talking
about the baby was too much for her. Julio had said she cried the
whole night.

“
The
baby is unfortunately gone, but I am still here. Don't push me away.”

“
I
didn't. You were already gone, beforehand.”

“
That
doesn't make any sense. Are you pretending to be crazy now?”

“
I
don't have to pretend. Will you please leave?”

What
did she mean by that? That she was going to let everyone know that we
weren't together anymore? Or that she had gone crazy? It would be an
explanation for her odd behavior.

“
I'm
waiting.”

“
Whatever
for?” She turned to look at me, looking confused. Had losing the
baby made her a bit crazy?

“
I
want you to tell me what happened.”

“
You
already know everything. You just don't know what I all know. That's
what is making you nervous. I'm sure I don't even know everything.”
She shook her head a little. “Unlike you, I don't even want to.”
She went back to looking out of the window.

I
felt stupid just watching her but I didn't feel that I could leave
her alone either. I sat down on the bed and waited for something. I
didn't know what, but for her to react a little to my presents.

The
silence was killing me. “I'm sorry I spanked you when you broke up
with me. I should have realized that there was something else going
on. If I would have reacted differently then – ” I looked at her
and sighed. That had been the biggest mistake in all of my life. I
had let my feelings get away with me.

“
We
were over with before I lost the baby.” She spoke, but otherwise
she didn't move.

“
What
does that mean?”

“
It
means that I want you to leave. I am speaking very plainly. I will
call the police if you don't.” She stood next to the phone. Her
fingers were on the receiver.

I
nodded and got up. At the door I stopped and turned back to her.
“Katherine, I really don't want to be over with. I would do
anything to fix this.”

“
You
had that chance and you blew it. Please leave. I have to be on TV
very early tomorrow morning. I would like to get some rest before
that.”

“
Of
course, but we will talk tomorrow on the plane.”

“
I
have a lot of work to do. I have already planned that time.”

“
Of
course,” I said as snidely as I could. I left closing the door
behind me. I went to my own room and changed out of my things. I
packed up my stuff so it would go faster tomorrow. We had to do a
talk show like thing tomorrow evening. And then the plane ride to
Munich. There we were going to do several interviews and the cooking
show. She had signed up for that. I was the tag along. I wondered
what that was all about. Had she agreed to that before the break up?

The
next morning I got up late. I had slept longer than I had wanted to.
I flipped the TV on to see if I could see her on one of the stations.
Sure enough there she was, speaking gibberish that I couldn't
understand. Everyone was smiling at her and laughing at what she had
said. She was smiling and looking happier than what she ever had with
me.

Damn
her, I went and took a shower.

I
got ready for an interview that I would be giving here at the hotel
today.

I
ordered up breakfast and worried about lunch. I had wanted to go to a
specific restaurant for lunch, but going without Katherine wouldn't
be any fun. I probably should go anyway. I may never be in this neck
of the woods again. I was even surprised that a kid like me had made
it this far. No one else from my home town had ever left the country
unless we were at war.

I
talked myself into it. I told my manager to make reservations. He
asked for how many. I told him that he should come along with me. He
said he couldn't, but he would call Katherine's agent and see if she
had time to join me. I smirked, that wasn't very likely but he was
already on the phone.

I
sat down for my make up and went about my interview. They mostly
asked me about Katherine. The whole world was interested in her. They
talked about how smart she was and I told them that I had always
known that she was brilliant. They asked me to tell them something
about her that no one knew.

I
smiled, remembering sitting next to her at my home church. “She can
sing like an angel. If she wanted she could do it professionally.”

That
surprised the guy interviewing me. He hammered me with questions
about her favorite songs and this and that. It was easy for me to
answer because I had known her so well.

While
I was answering all I could think about she the look in her eye when
she told me that I was paying attention after church that day.

What
was I missing now?

The
make up came off and I went to the car that was going to take me to
the restaurant. I went in and someone had spilled the news to the
press. They were taking my picture as I went in. The owner greeted me
at the door. He told me how honored he was that I had chosen to eat
at his restaurant. They had blocked off a section for me. I sat down
and talked to the chef. Then I heard the screams from outside.

“
Katherine?”
I asked.

“
She
is very popular here.” The chef looked excited to see her too. He
was rubbing his hands together. The people in the restaurant were
standing and stretching, trying to get a glimpse of her. The owner
went to her and shook her hand and welcomed her in German. The cook
was standing right behind him and waiting for his turn.

Katherine
smiled at them so beautifully and then she turned to me. She came
right over to me. She leaned into my ear and whispered that she
didn't appreciate this trick. To everyone else it looked like she had
kissed me.

She
sat down across from me and smiled. “What are you having?”

“
I've
been goggle-ing this place for a while so I choose this and that that
I wanted to try. I ordered so much that they might think that I
already ordered for you too.”

She
made a funny face at that and picked up her menu. She picked out what
she wanted and the chef cook told her order and he hurried off to
make it for her.

We
were being watched so closely. I wanted to get back together with her
badly but she seemed to be out of my league. I had always known that.
The first time I went to her apartment, the way the doctor had
treated her and the people at the premiere at home and here again.
She was the star, and I would have never gotten the roll that I did,
if she hadn't told me all about my character.

I
swallowed hard and looked at her. She was looking at me too. “How
was your TV appearance this morning?”

She
actually smiled at me as she answered. “It was a lot of fun. I used
to watch that program in the mornings before I went to work, and then
to be in it this morning was impressive. It's the same thing with the
program we are going to be in this evening. Everyone here will be
watching it this evening and talking about it tomorrow. It isn't just
a game show or just a talk a show. It's all in one. Real normal
people write in with bets. Like I bet I can open twenty beer bottles
with just my teeth, or something silly like that. We have to decide
if they can do it or not. If you bet wrong then we have to do
something because we lost the bet.”

I
was shocked that she actually talked to me. I nodded and tried to
remain cool.

“
This
is really big here. You can't imagine. We will be interviewed and
asked about recent events. We will have to give our opinions.”

I
nodded, but I was worried. “I don't know anything about German
current events.”

“
Just
don't mention any about the past and you should be okay. You will be
getting an earpiece and someone will translate everything you say and
everything you hear. You won't miss anything. Just listen to what you
can understand.”

“
You
will be speaking in German, right?” I sounded a little whiney.

“
You
will get the translation about what I am saying too.” She wasn't at
all worried. She looked excited about this.

A
cup of hot chocolate arrived and she wrapped her fingers around it.
Just like the first day we met. “Have you been writing a lot
lately?” I motioned with my chin to her fingers.