Tales From a Broad (27 page)

A waitress appeared behind him with two
glasses and a jug of wine. She put a loaf of bread on the table and
poured a bowl of olive oil. “
Buon appetito
.”

“Scuzi
?” Cooper said. “Can we have
menus?”

The woman laughed. “There are no menus,
Signore
. We bring lots of food, and you eat lots of food,”
she replied. I gave her a warm smile, which she returned, before
walking away.

“I hate places like this,” Cooper muttered.
“You get stuck drinking shitty wine and food you didn’t even
want.”

I took a sip of the wine and smacked my lips.
“It’s actually pretty good. Try it.”

Cooper made a face and raised his glass to
his lips.

“Wait,” I cried. “Thank you for coming to see
me,” I said, holding my glass in the air.

“What do they say in Italian? Salude?” Cooper
clinked my glass.

“Salute
.” I took another sip. The
maitre d’ walked hurriedly past our table.

“Sal-
ick
,” Cooper groaned loudly,
making a face as he wiped his lips. The maitre d’ stopped dead in
his tracks and whipped his head around.

“You no like?” he said defensively.

“No. Not at all, man. Sorry,” Cooper
grimaced. “You must have something else?”

“We have a house white, but it’s no good.
This is the best,” he said with pride, hands flying in the air.

“It’s perfect,” I said. “We love it.”

“But the
signore
,” he said, with a
look of pain. “He—”

“My friend isn’t a wine drinker,” I
interrupted. I leaned closer towards him and gave him a knowing
look. “He doesn’t know shit from Shinola.”

The maitre d’ broke out in peals of laughter.
“
Bella
, I don’t know what that means, but I like,” he said,
cupping my shoulder. “
Grazie, bella, grazie
.” He smiled and
walked away.

“Very kind of you to have a laugh at my
expense,
friend
,” Cooper said as he played around on his
BlackBerry.

“You,” I pointed my finger at him, “were very
rude. As is this,” I reached across the table to tap his phone.
“Maybe you can save the blackberry for dessert?”

“Sorry.” Cooper slipped the phone into his
breast pocket. “So... How’s the trip been?”

“Fabulous.” I looked at Cooper earnestly. I
was eager to welcome a more neutral topic of conversation. “I can’t
believe how much I’ve enjoyed seeing this part of the world. Oh,
and in case you’re wondering, I didn’t even need Valium for the
flight.” I sat up taller and shimmied in my seat.

Cooper gave me a half-smile and a puzzled
look.

“Remember?” I looked at him pointedly. “I
hate flying?”

“Oh. Right, right.” He nodded quickly and
took a sip of wine, wincing as he swallowed. “How could I have
forgotten?”

I threw my palms up and wondered that very
same thing.

“Come to think of it...” He unbuttoned the
cuff on his sleeve to look at his arm. “I think I still have nail
marks from that first flight we took together.”

I rested my chin on my hand and grinned from
behind my knuckles. There was a pregnant pause as we stared at each
other in an awkward silence. I tucked my hair behind an ear and
looked down at the table.

Cooper cleared his throat and swallowed. “So,
how’s Tess been? Are you enjoying your travel companion?”

“Actually, I really am.”

“You sound surprised by that.”

“Well, when we started out, I wasn’t sure
what my role was. We both had different agendas, and I tried to
expose her to the things that ...” I paused, placing a hand on my
chest, “I deemed important.” I lifted the linen napkin that covered
the bread and extracted a warm chunk of freshly baked bread.

“And now?” Cooper said, eyeing my bread.

“Well, I think we have a nice pace. I’ve
loosened the reins as ‘chaperone extraordinaire’ and gave her the
space she deserves. She even went on a date.” Cooper reached for a
piece of bread. “She got lost one day in Paris and met a nice guy
who waited tables at a café and ...”

He froze with his hand mid-air. “You’re
kidding me, right?

“No,” I said furrowing my eyebrows. “Why
would I be kidding?”

“I just can’t believe you would let your
niece, for whom you happen to be responsible, go out on a date with
a ... a waiter.” Cooper wrinkled his nose and made a face.

Just when I thought I had broken out of the
chaperone box, he put me one foot back in it. “She’s twenty-four,”
I said sternly. A sudden tightness formed in my chest, and I picked
up my glass of water. “And what’s wrong with being a waiter?”

Cooper raised an eyebrow. “I’m going to use
the bathroom.” He pushed his chair back and stood up.

Good idea. I nodded politely.

“Do you think there’s even soap in there?” he
said in a condescending tone.

“Of course there’s soap. What’s your problem
with this place?”

“Nothing.” Cooper sat back down and leaned
across the table. “It’s just so ... low brow,” he whispered.

“No, Cooper, it’s not low brow. It’s local.
Big difference. And isn’t it great to experience a real Florentine
restaurant?”

I looked over and realized he wasn’t buying
any of my enthusiasm. I shook my head, disappointed.

“We should’ve just stayed at your hotel. Done
dinner the Four Seasons way: elegant, upscale, and totally
predictable.” I dipped a piece of bread in the oil and popped it
into my mouth.

“I would’ve loved that. However, one of us
was a little underdressed.” A sarcastic grin crossed his face.

The man was very lucky I had food in my
mouth. It gave me enough time to think before I lashed out at him.
I held my fist to my mouth, swallowed, and drew in a deep
breath.

“Cooper,” I said calmly, “would you like to
leave?” As I waited for his answer, I played with the side of the
olive oil bowl.

The tiny hand-painted black olives on the
bowl morphed into question marks as all sorts of things ran through
my head. How could I have loved this man? Had he always been this
way? And why hadn’t it bothered me in the past? Was I that blinded
by his success and so flattered to have been ‘the chosen one’ that
nothing else mattered? Or had he just gotten worse since we split?
Did a little attention from a down-to-earth man open my eyes?
Perhaps I was the one who changed and now saw him through fresh
eyes. Whatever the reason, one thing was certain: he could be so
goddamned obnoxious.

“So? Are we leaving or not?” I said
again.

“Actually,” he said tightly, “that would be
too late.” I followed his gaze to the platters of food heading
towards us.

“Well,” I sighed. “I guess it’s settled. Can
you please make the best of this?”

“Sorry,” Cooper smiled sheepishly. “I think
I’m just nervous. Of course I can make the best of this.”

Shockingly, for the next two hours, he
actually did. Not that it was all that difficult. The food was
outrageously outrageous. We had an unbelievable Gorgonzola gnocchi
and probably the best steak I’ve ever eaten in my entire life.

We kept the conversation light by sticking to
neutral topics like friends and family. By the time we walked out
of the restaurant, I knew we needed to talk. Really talk.

Cooper and I turned to face each other at the
same time and practically stepped on one another’s toes in the
process. We were so close I actually felt the tip of my nose brush
up against his shirt. He placed his hands on my shoulders, and I
was aware of his gaze, but couldn’t bring myself to look up and
meet his eyes. The familiar scent of his clean skin and woodsy
cologne gave me pangs of nostalgia and sadness.

We stood silent, enveloped by the sounds of
traffic on the street. Cars honked and scooters whizzed by while I
watched Cooper’s shirt move to the rhythm of his breath. I closed
my eyes and inhaled deeply. Despite all the food we’d just
consumed, his breath managed to smell like mint. I, on the other
hand, could still taste the remnants of garlic in my own mouth. I
pursed my lips and took a step back.

Cooper released his grasp on my shoulders and
reached a hand down to take a hold of one of mine. The intimacy of
his touch caused my lip to tremble. I pressed my fingers on my lips
and looked away.

“I know,” he whispered, giving my hand a
squeeze. “I feel it too.”

I looked into his eyes and felt my nose sting
with emotion. “Cooper, it’s been fun chatting with you, but I can’t
just pretend like nothing ever happened.”

“Luce, don’t you think I know that? I’ve been
dreading this moment all day.” Cooper closed his eyes and rubbed
his forehead. “I even rehearsed what I was going to say to you in
the mirror.”

I fought an overwhelming desire to laugh out
loud.

“It’s true,” he said with a shrug. “But in
all seriousness, Luce, no rehearsal in the world could have
prepared me for the way I feel right now. Seeing you makes me feel
like shit. Absolute shit.” He grimaced and clenched his fists. “How
could I have hurt you so badly?”

I gritted my teeth and shrugged my shoulders.
“Only you can answer that one, Cooper. Why didn’t you call me
sooner? If I hadn’t called you...”

“I’m so glad you did,” he exclaimed.
“Honestly, I didn’t think you’d ever want to hear from me again,”
he said with a groan. “Everyone in your world must hate me.” Cooper
shook his head sadly.

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that one.
They did.

“Would you even consider taking me back,
knowing people may think you’re crazy for giving me a second
chance?”

“Cooper, have you met me? People’s reactions
are the least of my concerns.” I shook my head with exasperation.
“I don’t give a crap what people have to say, and yet that’s all
you seem to care about. You’ve mentioned people’s opinions of you,
people’s opinions of me taking you back ... to hell with
people.”

Cooper forced his hands into his pockets and
let his shoulders slouch as he stared back at me.

“Wasn’t that the reason you broke up with me
in the first place?” I continued. “Because God forbid,
people
thought we were flawed by our, no I’m sorry,
my
inability to produce a child? Who are these people that
have so much power over you? You’re like a one-man government,
ruled by the goddamned people.”

I sighed loudly and rolled my eyes. My head
was pounding, but I just had to know one thing immediately. “Tell
me something, Cooper. Has anything changed?” I said pointedly. “Do
you still feel the way you did about the baby thing?” My eyes
filled with tears.

“No,” he exclaimed. “Not at all. I was
stupid. I think I just freaked out and that was my pathetic way of
dealing with the news. Now that I know what life without you is
like, it really doesn’t matter to me as much. I don’t need to have
a baby.”

“No, you aren’t getting it.” My heart
hammered in my chest as I placed a firm grip on his arm. “I
do
need to have a baby.”

He had a bewildered look in his eyes. “But
you can’t. We can’t.”

“Oh, I will,” I said with conviction. “And if
you’re lucky enough to be a part of it, will you be able to face
your ‘people’,” I said making air-quotes, “with the shocking news
that we aren’t perfect? That your wife is flawed?”

Cooper drew in a sharp breath and pressed his
lips together. I clasped my shaking hands while I waited for his
response.

He tilted my chin up and locked my eyes with
his. “Listen to me Luce. You’re far from flawed. And I am so sorry
I made you feel otherwise.”

I nodded and chewed the bottom of my
trembling lip.

“Really
.
You’re absolutely right.
There are plenty of other ways to have a family. I’m sorry it took
me so long to understand and accept that.”

My body trembled with excitement. Maybe he
had changed.

“Right,” I said. “I know it’s not ideal, but
think of all the kids out there who need a mom and dad.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Cooper’s face.
“True. But like I said, there are other ways to have a family. A
guy at the office just had twins through a surrogate mother and egg
donor. It was all his sperm, though, his flesh and blood.” He
paused, and looked at me with an eyebrow raised. “You’d really want
to adopt?”

My eyes practically bulged out of my head.
“Why not?” I demanded.

“I don’t know. Do you really think you can
ever love someone else’s baby?”

“Someone else’s baby? It would be
our
baby. I’d be the mother. You’d be the father.”

“Right. That’s what I meant,” he said, rather
unconvincingly.

“So now you’re asking if I could ever love
our baby? Okay...” I trailed off and curled my lip. “Cooper, I will
love whatever God gives me.”

Cooper ran his hands through his hair and
exhaled. “Did you ever consider becoming a lawyer? You’re really
making me nervous.” He used the back of his hand to wipe the beads
of sweat that had formed on his upper lip. “I hear what you’re
saying, and I’m sorry.”

I folded my arms across my chest and tapped
my fingers.

He reached over and gave my shoulder a
squeeze. “Relax. We’re just talking. It’s not like we’re anywhere
close to that point.”

“You can say that again, but to even get
close to that point, I really need to know how you feel about
this.” Hysteria began rising within me.

“When we get back together...” Cooper
began.

“If
we get back together,” I
corrected.

Cooper placed a finger on my lips to silence
me. “If you forgive me, and if we get back together, then yes, we
will adopt as many kids as you like,” he said in a gentle voice.
“You have my word.”

I know I’d told myself to play it cool, but
that didn’t seem to stop the corners of my mouth from turning up.
What happened to the bitch in the mirror?