Unforgettable (22 page)

“
I love you, Jack.” I was
dreaming.

“
I know. I just wish you’d
figure it all out. And marry me.”

“
Wedding dress…”

“
Beautiful
dress…”

“
Make love and I won’t be
scared.”

“
Not scared. Just incredibly
hot.”

“
I love you so
much.”

“
I know.”

Saturday

David called at ten.

“
I can be there around noon,
depending on traffic. Will that work?”

“
Yes.
Absolutely.”

“
I can’t wait.”

I walked into the den. The flowers and
candles were mysteriously missing.

I heard a crash in the bathroom
followed by a long stream of cussing.

“
Jack?”

“
Goddamn!”

I opened the door. The tub bench had
tipped and he was halfway on the floor and half in the tub with his
ankle bent under him.

“
Good Lord!” I turned the
water off and got him completely on the floor.

“
What happened?”

“
Dropped the soap, reached
for it, my cast got caught on something and then I fell, in slow
motion. It was like I knew I was going down and I couldn’t stop
it.”

I started wrapping towels around him,
drying him off. He watched, amused.

“
Are you hurt?”

“
No. Tailbone a little. But
I’ll survive.” He started to laugh.

“
What’s so
funny?”

“
You know, my arms work, I
could dry myself off. Of course, if you’d rather.”

I looked at him, suddenly
embarrassed.

“
Force of habit.
Sorry.”

I handed him the towel.

“
Most of my patients were
frail…fall like that would have put them in the hospital. Need help
getting up? It’s slippery.”

“
What’s wrong?”

“
You’re naked. ‘Never seen
you naked. This is awkward.”

He laughed.

“
Sorry. Hand me my
shorts.”

He slipped them on and I helped him
stand up.

Roger and Fritz were standing smiling
at us.

“
You mean you two were there
the whole time?”

“
No, not the
whole
time,” Fritz
said.

“
Why didn’t you
help?”

“
It was more fun watching
you get embarrassed,” Roger laughed.

“
Arrested development, I
swear.”

I went to the kitchen where Sarah had
left cheese scones on a large plate. I took one and a cup of coffee
and went out to the koi pond. Jack followed me.

I went back in the kitchen and got his
food and coffee.

“
Thank you.”

“
You’re welcome.”

“
And what shall we do
today?”

“
I’m going to David’s, at
noon.”

The smile dropped from his
face.

“
I see.”

“
Party tonight?”

“
Always. Fritz is working on
it now.”

“
I’ll be back for that. If
you like.” I took a bite of my scone.

“
Always.”

“
You’re making this very
difficult…”

“
Good.”

“
We had such a good time
last night.”

“
Yes.”

“
Your face is making me feel
so guilty.”

“
Tragic. Must mean you
shouldn’t go.”

“’
Have to.”

He took my scone from my hand and
crushed it.

“
You don’t have to, Sam. I’m
tired of these games.”

I picked up his scone and stomped on
it.

Fritz stood in the doorway
smiling.

“
You know I can’t lie to
you. Look me in the eye. Am I lying? I have to go to
David’s.”

He stuck his hand in his coffee and
flicked coffee in my face.

“
You just think…” he said as
I poured my coffee on the top of his head ”…you do,” he
sputtered.

He dipped his empty mug in the koi pond
and threw the water on me.

“
That’s fish pee, you
know.”

I sat down, dripping.

“
I’m out of ammunition. I’m
getting another shower. And I
am
going to David’s.”

Fritz handed him a towel.

“
I think that went well,”
Fritz grinned.

I went upstairs and
showered.

It was eleven thirty. I didn’t want to
hide but I didn’t want to fight with Jack again, either.

I laughed, thinking about the scones.
And the fish pee.

I went downstairs. Jack was sitting in
bed with the basketball game on.

“
Let’s do some exercises,” I
suggested to him.

“
You look very sexy,” he was
towel drying his hair.

“
You’re getting your boot
soon, I want your leg as strong as we…”

“
Stop, Sam.”

“
Stop what?”

“
Avoiding.”

“
I’m not avoiding…you’re
getting your boot. This is why I’m here.”

“
Why are you going to
David’s?”

“
To get an art
lesson.”

“
You’re lying.”

“
Obviously.”

“
Sit down.”

I sat at the foot of the bed where he
couldn’t reach me.

“
I figured it
out.”

“
What?”

“
You’re having sex with him.
He’s helping you…to have sex again.”

I stared at the floor.

“
Say something.”

I shook my head.

Someone knocked on the door. Fritz
answered it.

“
I’ll be back for the
party.” I bent and kissed him.

"Dad, I really don't
want..."

Frank's phone rang and he
was grateful. He didn't want to argue with his dad about starting a
business with him.

"Oliver! Hey. How are
you?"

"Need your
help."

"Yes."

"That's it? You don't want
the details or me to beg?"

"Nope. Where?"

"San Diego. I have an
office. Two apartments in the back. Well, kinda apartments. Five
hundred west Broadway."

"Be there
tomorrow."

George packed up his things
and stretched.

"Finally getting off
mommy's couch. Can't wait to get out of here. Let's get to it,
Frank. You won't even know what's hit you."

A large man in black pants and a tan
shirt was waiting for me. I remembered him from the last
trip.

“
Mr. Abernathy apologizes
for not picking you up. He’s waiting for you, however.”

Traffic crawled. Finally we arrived at
David’s. He opened the door wearing jeans and an open Hawaiian
shirt.

I gave him a big hug and he handed me a
glass of wine.

“
I am so glad to see
you.”

“
I missed you,” he
said.

“
Tell me about
Japan.”

“
I am very tall when I go
there.”

“
What were you there
for?”

“
Trying to get investors for
a three series movie deal. Teenagers, seductive ghosts, evil demon
woman, sex, drugs, and rock and roll. All the classics.”

“
How did it go?”

“
Negotiating with the
Japanese is an entirely different experience than what we do. I met
with them two weeks ago. The visit was ninety-nine percent social.
At an appropriate point I mentioned this movie. The senior
investor, Hiroshi, nodded. He didn’t ask for further
information.

“
But I sent everything I had
the next day. This meeting was social but they had completely
absorbed the information. They had their questions
ready.

“
But, you must be patient
with the Japanese. My next visit I will probably have a deal.
Probably.

“
You said the boys were
driving you crazy.”

“
Yeah. They have all figured
out what you and I are doing. First Fritz, then Roger, and then
Jack.”

“
How do you feel about
that?”

“
Icky.”

He giggled.

“
It’s like being naked in
front of your high school graduating class. You know like those
nightmares that you go to school in your underwear?”

“
God, yes.”

He paused.

“
Any ideas of what you want
to do today?”

“
Not a clue.”

He led me in the bedroom, taking his
shirt off.

“
Clothes.”

I smiled and stripped for
him.

“
You don’t have any glue and
a ruler do you?” he asked.

“
How did you know about
that?”

“
Sam, I am impressed. I am
royally impressed. Gluing that prick’s dick to a stick. I’m a poet.
I think this will be your last visit—for this purpose,” he
said.

“
What are we doing today?
I’m kind of ….”

“
Scared?”

I nodded.

He hugged me.

“
Just making love. Nice and
slow. And I want you to start thinking about Jack. You love him,
you know.”

“
But, I…”

“
Maybe someday you and I.
But right now you’re obviously mad about him.”

He whispered, “only one rule: stop me
if you need to.”

His mouth and hands were everywhere. It
was going too fast and terror was building.

I didn’t know why.

“
Too fast,” I
whispered.

“
Good, Sammy. Tell me what
you want.”

“
Easy…slow…fuck. ‘Want to
get lost in you.”

“
Good job.”

He kissed me and climbed on top,
pushing into me.

I smiled.

Within a few minutes I was panting,
totally engaged with his rhythms.

He came.

I laughed and cried as he held me
tight. He played and licked and I quickly came. He held me so that
I was lost in him, knowing totally, completely that I was
loved.

I cried.

“
I did it,” I whispered. “I
really did.”

“
I know. I was here.” He
kissed me.

It was so bittersweet my heart was
breaking.

If not for Jack…

David and I walked into the party and
people noticed. Jack watched from a corner by the bar. Fritz was
dancing with an exotic woman with long, long, black braids. But he
noticed, glancing at Jack.

“
You know those horrible
dreams we were talking about, like going to school in your
underwear?”

David grinned and nodded.

“
We just walked into one of
those.”

“
Dance with me.”

“
No, I don’t
think…”

He took me out by the pool and held me
close, staring into my eyes and kissing my face. We fit together
perfectly.

“
You know I love you,” he
whispered.

The Rod Stewart song
Have I Told You Lately that I Love You
was playing. He kissed me.

“
Never leave my arms,” he
told me. “Go away with me. Tonight.”

I sang to
him
…”you fill my heart with gladness, take
away all my sadness…have I told you lately that I love
you…”

He smiled.

The song ended.

“
Don’t look so sad, my love.
I know you love Jack. We had a deal, remember? No
promises.”

He hugged me and walked
away.

I strolled into the back yard and sat
by the fountain, wondering why this was happening. Why couldn’t
there be just one man. All three were so wonderful. I couldn’t
stand the thought of hurting them. I couldn’t stop the tears this
time.

Jack quietly sat next to me,
waiting.

“
Hi.”

“
Hi.”

“
You know what your problem
is?”

“
No, Jack, what’s my
problem?”

“
You feel too much. Worry
about other people too much. Your heart is too soft.”

Ted nodded. “She’s like her
mother, too soft hearted,” he smiled at Gabrielle. “She’s making a
mistake…”

Gabrielle sighed. “He’s
gorgeous. And I think he loves her. I hope to God he loves her.
I’ve gotten nowhere at stopping the monster…he’s coming. He’s
coming, Ted.”