by Candy Caine
* * *
Robert took her to a really unusual restaurant, though she doubted the word “unusual” came close to describing it. Outside it looked like any generic restaurant. Inside, it felt as if they’d entered a parallel universe into a Jules Verne novel and had climbed aboard the Nautilus. The walls were iron sheets riveted together each possessing two large portholes where diners could enjoy watching live fish swim by. Claudia half expected Captain Nemo to stop by their cozy little table and take their order. Instead, a short, round man dressed in black pants and a black and white striped polo shirt, emphasizing his pot belly, presented himself as their server. They ordered drinks and Robert asked what she thought of the restaurant so far.
“I’ve never been to a restaurant like this. Just looking at it from the street, you’d never guess walking inside is like falling through the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland. It’s pure fantasy.”
Grinning like a small boy, he said, “I told you so.”
“How did you find out about it?
“John Phillips sometimes moonlights here as a waiter.”
“What’s good on the menu?”
“I haven’t tried all the dishes, but their lobster and shrimp dishes are always delicious. John loves all the exotic stuff like squid and octopus.”
“If sushi makes me squeamish, I doubt I’ll do well with squid or octopus.”
“I can live without the raw stuff, too. Wondering if my food might crawl away doesn’t quite do it for me.”
The vision made her laugh. Claudia scanned the menu and decided on a lobster dish. Usually, she wouldn’t eat something messy for fear that she might embarrass herself, but she felt comfortable with Robert.
Their waiter returned to take their order.
“Do you know what you want?” Robert asked her.
“The broiled lobster.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” he said and ordered the same.
After the waiter left, he looked at her and smiled. “We seem to have a great deal in common.”
“Yes, we do.” Especially his taste in music.
She found it easy to converse with Robert. She guessed it went along with the easy-going vibes he gave off. He also had a great sense of humor and entertained her with stories about his geological adventures. He had a love for archeology, as well, and went on several digs throughout the country. When the food came, they both had a little difficulty cracking open the lobster with the nutcrackers. First Robert accidentally sent a piece of lobster skittering across the table toward her. Of course, he apologized, but a moment later, she did the same thing. Instead of being embarrassed, she began to laugh and he joined her. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d had as much fun on a dinner date.
Because it was such a beautiful night, after dinner, they took a stroll through a small park nearby. As they walked and talked, Robert casually put his arm around her shoulders. It felt good. A number of thoughts began to fill her head like asking him in for a nightcap or coffee when he took her home. Though she’d vowed to keep their relationship as impersonal and they spoke of remaining friends, she wondered if he’d read something into it if she asked him in? Then, again, if she didn’t ask him in, he wouldn’t get any ideas and their relationship would remain platonic.
Claudia had just reached that conclusion when the sky opened up and it began to pour. Robert grabbed her hand and they ran back through the park to where he’d parked his car. The good part was that the convertible top was up. The downside was that they were both soaked to the bone and dripped all over the leather seats.
“I don’t believe this,” she said.
“It wasn’t supposed to rain.”
“Somebody should have told that to Mother Nature. We better get back to my place where you can dry off.”
“I don’t want to make a mess of your place,” he protested.
“And what do you think I’ll be doing?”
He laughed. “Forgot. Thanks. I hate the sloshing feeling I have in my loafers.”
So much for planning, but how could she let the poor man go home in sopping wet clothes. He’d have pneumonia by the time he got there.
Robert drove back to Claudia’s apartment and together they ran from the car through a solid sheet of rain to the building. As she opened her front door, puddles gathered around their feet. They just looked at each other and laughed.
“Is this how a drowned rat looks and feels like?” she asked.
“I would imagine it is.”
Once inside, they removed their shoes, though it didn’t do much for the rest of them.
“Let’s go into the bathroom and take off these wet things. I can throw them into the dryer,” she suggested.
“I feel so ridiculous,” Robert said, as if reading her mind.
“I still can’t believe it even happened,” she said as they left a wet trail from the hall into the bathroom.
They began to pull off their dripping wet clothes. The atmosphere of the bathroom suddenly became charged with erotic excitement. One moment, Claudia had been shivering from the dampness and the next she felt heat rising from within. Robert must have felt something, too, for he took her into his arms and kissed her. That kiss was all it took.
Before her brain could even register what her heart had decided, they were making love in the bedroom. As he began to plant kisses all about Claudia’s face and neck, he whispered hoarsely, “What’s going on here?”
She answered him with a passionate kiss. They rolled over and he was now on his back with her on top. She kissed his mouth long and hard. She knew what he was asking, but had no answer. All she could do was wonder how he’d gotten by her defenses. He rolled her over and trapped her between his arms. She let out a slight gasp as he bit one of her nipples gently. Then he lathed it with his tongue and played with the other. She moved under him, arching her back to give him more access.
Robert continued to tease her excited buds as he slipped two fingers into her. She gyrated her bottom against them, driving herself even crazier. More than ready, Claudia breathlessly said, “Now, Robert, please.”
He removed his fingers and replaced it with his manhood. Though she knew this entire scene was so very wrong, it felt sooo very good. Her thoughts were being drowned out by her moaning. All Claudia was now capable of doing was to focus on the pleasure that was enveloping her. “Oh, yes,” she cried as one involuntary tremor after another took hold of her. Somehow a non-self-absorbed pleasurable thought was able to filter through sex-addled brain as she realized Robert was climaxing, as well. Had she not been impregnated the other night, perhaps this time would do the trick.
“That shouldn’t have happened,” Robert said quietly as they cuddled together moments later in the afterglow of their lovemaking.
“I know.”
“It isn’t fair of me to start something I really can’t finish. In a few months, I could be off to Arizona for several years.”
In retrospect, Claudia had no idea why she allowed him to make love to her again. It was against everything she believed in. She hated relationships because they shackled you, often entrapping you in situations that only ended in pain. She’d learned from Jerome’s infidelity that giving a man control of your heart is dangerous. Marriage was the ultimate disaster. If it wasn’t, there wouldn’t be so many divorces. The answer was to be self-reliant and never have to depend on a man for life’s basic necessities. It often comes with a price no woman can afford. However despite all this, she wanted Robert. What scared her, more than anything, was the fact that it might not only be for the sex. She liked him for the person he was inside. And that concept she just couldn’t deal with.
“I’m going to miss you, Robert,” she heard herself say—not that she could believe such sentiment passed so readily through her lips. There had to be some form of demonic possession here. Only that would explain her totally irrational behavior.
“Not as much as I will miss you,” he said and kissed the top of her head. “I
hope I don’t scare you off, but I need to tell you exactly how I feel.”
She looked up into his beautiful eyes. Tears began to unexpectedly well in hers.
“I think I’m falling in love with you, Claudia.”
She couldn’t speak. Tears streamed down her face.
“I didn’t want to make you cry.”
“It’s not you. It’s me. I do like you very much, but I’m not ready for a relationship.”
He sighed. “Can we still remain friends?”
“I’d like that very, very much.”
And they left it at that.
Robert and Claudia continued their friendship. To him it was probably a consolation prize. She was far from certain what it truly meant to her. They had lunch together a couple of times a week and even managed a dinner, every now and then. Each time they met she found herself happy to be with him. After that rainy night, they were most careful not to end up in bed. Despite that, Claudia found there were times she had to restrain herself from jumping his bones—and she was the one most fearful of relationships.
Before she realized it, nearly an entire month had gone by. It was a Friday and she was meeting Lauryn for dinner. Lauryn was waiting for her just inside the Sportscaster, literally beaming, so Claudia knew something was up. That woman wore her heart on her sleeve. That’s why all the guys loved to play strip poker with her.
While they waited for a table to be ready, Claudia ordered a drink at the bar, but Lauryn declined. Before she could ask her why, she blurted out, “I’m two months pregnant!”
Every head in their vicinity turned in her direction. Claudia hugged and congratulated her.
“Won’t it be great if you were, too?” she blurted out.
“Then we can commiserate together—but could the world handle the two of us?” Claudia replied, but said nothing more. Though she’d missed her period and could actually be pregnant, she couldn’t be certain until she took a pregnancy test. Strangely enough, as much as Claudia wanted to have a baby, she was avoiding the test.
Chapter Eight
Claudia’s hands trembled as she held the pregnancy test indicator up to read. She had waited for this defining moment so long and yet she was acting like a coward, too afraid to look at it. Finally, she took a deep breath and read it. There was no mistaking the fact that she was pregnant. As promised, she called Lauryn immediately.
Though she said she was happy for her, Claudia still detected a note of concern in her best friend’s voice. However, it really didn’t matter what Lauryn thought, because as far as Claudia was concerned, it was too late to change her mind. Abortion was not an option in her book. Having a child wasn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. Besides, she knew what was best for her. She wanted this baby and would love and cherish it. She would give it everything she hadn’t had and intended to be a great mother—and father. She’d never give the child any reason to miss having a father.
As Claudia sat at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of decaf coffee, she thought about everything she had to do now in preparation. Though she’d once envisioned herself doing cartwheels around the room, it all felt so…anticlimactic.
* * *
By remaining Robert’s friend, Claudia had placed herself in a weird situation. She didn’t want him to know she was pregnant, though she assumed she could lie, if necessary, and tell him it was another man’s. Yes, he’d remind her that she’d told him she’d been on the pill, but forgetting to take them is a simple mistake. However, she feared losing his respect. When she originally planned her little caper, she never imagined she’d have to factor those crazy sentiments into the equation. Because she never cared about a man’s feelings toward her before, this was all so very new. Therefore, she was twice as careful about putting on the pounds, hoping Robert would leave before she began to show.
Ironically, the more time she spent with Robert, the more she realized she’d miss him after he was gone. She began to wonder why she’d put herself in such an impossible situation. Luckily, she was still able to see the big picture. There was the chance Robert would get the grant, fall madly in love with ASU, and remain in Arizona. Then, all her worries would be over.
The reason Robert had applied for the grant in the first place was because he’d been considering relocating to Arizona for several years. He’d vacationed there several times and thought it would be a great place to live. The grant offered him a chance to find out if he could live there permanently. Since he had no ties to Pennsylvania, he jumped at the chance. This was one of the main reasons she chose him to father her child. She wasn’t supposed to have any feelings for him. Why had she sabotaged her own game plan?
She was leaving for the day and half-way to her car when her cell phone chirped.
“Hi, pretty lady.”
“What’s up, Robert?”
“Do you have any plans for tonight?”
Other than getting off my aching feet? “Not really. What did you have in mind?”
“Dinner. I have lots of stuff to tell you.” He sounded excited.
“Do you want to meet somewhere?”
“I’ll pick you up. There’s no sense in having two cars. Besides, I don’t like you driving around by yourself at night.”
She began to protest, but caught herself. Robert was truly a good human being who cared about others.
* * *
Robert felt like having steak so they went to Morton’s Steak House. After they had ordered, he smiled and said, “The grant came through.”
“That’s wonderful, Robert. I’m so very happy for you.”
“Thanks, but now it came through I have mixed feelings about it.”
“You shouldn’t. It’s what you’ve wanted for a long time.”
“Yeah, but that was before I met you.”
Claudia covered his hands with hers. “We can still remain friends. The only difference will be that it will be a long-distance friendship.”
“I guess there’s an upside to all this?” He said, smiling the slow easy smile she was getting to love.
“What’s that?”
“You’ll have a great place to vacation.”
“Now, that’s something I can look forward to,” she replied. Though, not for quite awhile, I’m afraid.
Robert drove her home directly after dinner. He’d picked up on her sheer exhaustion and asked if she was feeling okay. As he looked into her eyes, she wondered if he was trying to discover more. He parked in front of her apartment. She longed to throw her arms around him, but resisted the temptation. “Good night, Robert.”
He smiled. “Good night, Claudia.” Then he kissed her cheek.
She got out and closed the door. He waited until she was safely inside before he pulled away from the curb. The apartment seemed deathly quiet—so quiet she could hear her own heart beat. For someone who couldn’t wait to put her feet up earlier, she now felt unusually wired and restless. Hoping that a cup of Chamomile tea might help relax her, she put a kettle of water on the stove to boil.
Claudia brought the tea into the living room and curled up on the sofa. As she sipped the soothing, hot brew, her mind dwelled on Robert. She knew darn well that she was going to miss him. They’d grown close—nearly in some ways as close as she felt to Lauryn and she’d known her forever. She found herself telling him things she never dreamed of sharing with another man. She guessed it was because he wasn’t like all the other men she’d known. She truly respected and trusted him. It was so ironic, though. He’d never deceived her and yet she intended to be grossly untruthful to him. She realized she didn’t like herself very much lately.
Chapter Nine
The day Robert came to say goodbye was a bittersweet moment for the both of them. Claudia knew this day would eventually come, but hadn’t been prepared for her feelings about it.
“Email me and let me know how you’re doing.”
“You’re my best friend,” he said, taking her hand. “Let’s not lose contact and forget one another.”
<
br /> She drew him close and hugged him, knowing, only too well, that by having his child growing within her, there was no way that that would ever happen. Then she realized she was crying. She was really going to miss him. But, somehow she half-convinced herself that it was for the best that he was going. That way she didn’t have to explain about the baby. But, she had to wonder where all those stupid sentimental feelings were coming from.
He hugged her back and gave her a kiss good bye. Then she watched him walk away. She wasn’t supposed to care for him. She didn’t believe in tangling relationships. What the hell was wrong with her? Then she understood what was going on. Her hormones were going crazy. After all, wasn’t she pregnant?
* * *
Robert sent her an email as soon as he got settled in his new apartment complete with a dozen pictures of the campus. ASU looked like a country club. What was there not to like—except the heat? Even though it was May, the mercury was already hitting in the 90s and it wasn’t technically summer yet. She certainly hoped he brought lots of sunscreen with him. However, he sounded happy enough. Maybe he’d grow to love it out there and want to remain.
The Friday night following Robert’s departure, Ray had to work late and Lauryn couldn’t get a sitter, so Claudia brought a pizza to her place for dinner. Seth had finished his dinner and went to watch TV in the living room, leaving them alone in the kitchen.
“You miss Robert, don’t you?”
“Yes. He was a wonderful friend.”
“Just a friend?”
“I could have sworn that’s what I said.”
“Uh-huh. “That’s what you’re saying…”
“Lauryn, for goodness sakes, what are you implying?”
“I think you’re in love with Robert.”
“Heavens no! What would give you such an idea?” Claudia exclaimed, but somehow it sounded more like a defensive protest—shades of Lady Macbeth. She had a distinct feeling that Lauryn hadn’t believed her.