Cheesecake and Teardrops

by Faye Thompson

  A few days later Heather stopped by the health food store after work for the prescribed supplement. The salesperson said he had never heard of it. She made him double-check.

  He did. There was no such drug listed in the computer.

  Heather was stumped.

  31

  Charisma

  “Mother?”

  “Charisma, what’s wrong?” Jena could hear the tears in her daughter’s voice.

  “Mother, I left Nate.”

  “What happened? Where are you?”

  “I’m on my way over. I’ll see you in a few.” She wiped her face with the back of one hand while driving with the other.

  Twenty minutes later, Charisma was in her mother’s kitchen, snotting like there was no tomorrow. Jena managed to put the story together between the near hysterics.

  “Charisma, I can only imagine the pain you must feel with another woman carrying your husband’s child. You have every right to feel angry and bitter and enraged. But when all is said and done, if Nate got her pregnant before you two got together and it was a one-night stand . . .”

  “Are you taking his side?”

  “No, but you’re a married woman, and you need to start thinking like one. Marriage is a grown woman’s game. Life is hard sometimes, honey. Lord knows it’s not easy being a woman. But you can’t leave your husband every time he does something wrong, especially if it was before he married you. Your father and I were married nearly thirty-five years, Charisma. If I left him every time he did something stupid, we wouldn’t have lasted a month. Do you understand? What do you want? Do you want to be right or do you want to be married? The choice is yours. What price are you willing to pay?”

  Charisma was so angry. She barely had time to wipe away one batch of tears before a fresh batch replaced them. She almost hated to admit it, but she wanted to save her marriage.

  The phone rang and she jumped.

  “Hello?” Jena answered, pausing ever so slightly. “Hi, Nate, how are you?” She looked at Charisma.

  Charisma shook her head vehemently.

  “No, Nate, she’s not here. I certainly will. Okay then. Bye.”

  “Whew,” Charisma exhaled. “Thank you, Mother.”

  “Charisma, you can stay here for a couple of days. After that I want you to go home and see about your marriage.”

  Nate was miserable without his wife. He went to bed alone and he woke up alone. Days were long. Nights were even longer. He blew up Charisma’s cell phone, leaving a bunch of messages, but he knew she needed her space right now. He was tempted to call her at work just to hear her voice, but thought better of it.

  By the end of the week, when he couldn’t stand it anymore, he and the fellas went drinking after work at a Manhattan sports bar. They watched a couple of baseball games and talked smack. There was no rush to go home to an empty house and a cold bed. Around midnight his married buddies started packing it in. They had to get home to their wives. Nate stayed another hour then headed to Penn Station to catch his train. He got to Lynbrook, picked up his car, and drove home.

  Nate unlocked the front door with his key, letting himself in to the dark, quiet foyer. He missed Charisma so much that he could almost smell her perfume. He flipped on the light switch and nearly jumped out of his skin. Charisma was sitting on the sofa in the dark. For a moment, neither spoke.

  “Hi,” he said simply.

  “Hi.”

  “How long have you been here?”

  “A couple of hours, I guess,” she told him.

  “In the dark?”

  “I think better in the dark.”

  “I see,” he said. Exhausted, Nate sat on the couch next to Charisma. “I missed you so much,” he said simply.

  “I missed you too, babe. I couldn’t bear staying away from you another day. That’s why I came back, but we still have a lot to work through, Nate.”

  “I know.”

  “It won’t be fixed overnight, but I’m willing to do what it takes to save our marriage.”

  He planted a kiss on her forehead, then on her right cheek, and then on her lips. She kissed him back hard. He loved the scent and the warmth of her skin. He had missed his wife. It was good to have her home again. He swooped her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom.

  They made love tenderly that night, and this time she was the first to doze off. He watched her sleep, nestled in his arms. Whatever it took. He’d make it up to her.

  Charisma needed a big favor from Tangie. She needed to know where Chase’s grandfather, Stone Canyon, would be lunching that afternoon or maybe Tangie knew someone who knew someone who knew. Charisma called her on her cell.

  “Hey, girl, what’s up?” Tangie asked.

  “I need a favor.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I need you to find out where Stone Canyon’ll be lunching tomorrow.”

  “He doesn’t always touch bases with the staff here, but I overheard the manager say that he usually lunches at O’Neil’s, but let me put out a few feelers, and I’ll get back to you.”

  “Cool.”

  Two hours later Tangie called Charisma on her cell. “Today and tomorrow he has a one o’clock reservation at O’Neil’s and Friday he’ll be at Fox’s.”

  “I knew you’d come through for me.”

  “Are you sure you wanna do this?”

  “Positive,” Charisma said. “Payback’s a bitch.”

  “Then, handle your business, girl.” Tangie said simply.

  “Handle your business.”

  Thursday afternoon Charisma walked into O’Neil’s. Luckily, the maître d’ seated her in the center of the room, and she had a panoramic view of her surroundings. The clinking of the silverware only made her more nervous. A waiter came by, filled her water glass, and left a menu.

  Stone walked in alone promptly at 1:00 P.M. His freshly coiffed white hair made his blue eyes pop, and his blue tie only complemented them.

  The maître d’ seated him at a table not far from Charisma’s. Charisma took a deep breath, a sip of water, and walked over to Stone’s table. He was examining the menu, but looked up, sensing her intrusion.

  “Stone Canyon? I’m Charisma Arquette.”

  “Have we met?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Mrs. Arquette, I don’t have time for guessing games. My time is very important.”

  She refused to be intimidated. “This won’t take long.” She sat without waiting to be asked. “I’ll make this short and sweet.”

  “I don’t know what you’re offering, Mrs. Arquette,” he said, looking her over. “But trust me, I’m not interested.”

  Charisma ignored the remark. “Let me get straight to the point. Your granddaughter, Chase, is carrying my husband’s child.”

  “You have my condolences.”

  “And you must feel as betrayed as I do.”

  “I have nothing against you people personally. I’d just rather avoid complications. You understand.”

  “Absolutely, but unfortunately, Mr. Canyon, it’s not that simple.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You thought that by forcing Chase to get rid of the baby, your lily-white family would be left intact, but guess what? You were wrong.”

  “I think your husband’s infidelity has gone to your brain, and that’s understandable. You have my sympathy, but my attorney is due any minute. We’re through here.”

  “All that blackness you’ve tried to dodge has found its way back to you. Life’s funny like that.” She leaned in closer to Canyon, speaking barely above a whisper. “Did you know Ellis Dearborn?”

  “The loan officer? My loan didn’t get approved because of his ass.”

  “Well, he was my father. I did my homework, Mr. Canyon. You received your new heart on the same day my father passed away. You do the math. There’s a chance that the heart ticking in your chest belonged to him. It’s a scary thought, isn’t it?”

  The look of horror
on Canyon’s colorless face told Charisma that he would rather have been dead.

  “So the next time you take a breath, maybe you should thank a black man.

  “Let me leave you with this tidbit, Mr. Canyon, seeing that you’re so thrilled to be alive. Most transplants last ten years, but who knows. Maybe you’ll get lucky.” She walked out of the restaurant and smack-dab into Nico Antonelli. “I think you should check on your client.”

  Nate noticed a slight change in his wife’s disposition. It was a subtle change, but it was a change nonetheless. She was softening toward him, becoming more gracious. About a week later she stopped wearing her granny gowns to bed. It was a sure sign that she was allowing him back in their bed.

  That night Charisma lay wide-awake as Nate slept evenly beside her. She thought about the predicament, the triangle, that she, Nate, and Chase were in. Too bad life’s problems couldn’t be resolved with the wave of a magic wand. It was as if they were bound to Chase against their will. Maybe there was a way to make it work for all of them. So there’d be no losers. Charisma stayed awake until the wee hours of the morning, looking at the situation from every possible angle. Somewhere around 5:00 A.M., she came up with an idea.

  Charisma, Tangie, and Heather enjoyed a much-needed girls’ night out. Once again, Heather’s car was on the blink. Tangie picked her up en route to Applebee’s. They ordered drinks at the bar as they waited for a table. It was a Thursday night and luckily the wait was not too long.

  As they settled into their booth, Tangie asked Charisma, “So, how did your power lunch go with Stone Canyon?”

  “It went as planned.”

  “So what was his reaction?” Heather took a sip of her mudslide.

  “You should have been a fly on the wall. The color completely left his face, and he looked like he’d seen a ghost. I waltzed out feeling like Daddy had gotten the last laugh. I was in seventh heaven until I ran smack-dab into Nico.”

  “Get outta here! When’s the last time you saw him?” Heather asked.

  “That night in his apartment. And I dodged him for about a week after that until eventually he got the message and stopped calling. If it wasn’t for the fact that I was afraid Mr. Canyon might be having another heart attack, we may have actually talked. It’s funny. The minute I bumped into Nico, it’s like reality slapped me in the face. I suddenly realized that my father wasn’t getting the last laugh, and he would not be proud of my behavior. I wasn’t raised like that. I was ashamed. Looks like your girl has some growing to do.”

  Tangie thought for a moment. “If you ask me, it’s already begun.”

  After appetizers, another round of drinks, and the main course, they switched gears.

  “So how’s Miss Upper-Middle Ass?” Tangie asked, referring to Chase.

  “She’s having the baby. It’s final.” Charisma stared straight ahead without blinking.

  “Ouch.” Heather shook her head.

  “I thought the first year of marriage was supposed to be full of bliss. I’ve been gypped,” Charisma sighed.

  Nate came home one evening with two tickets to the Dominican Republic. “I think a little R and R would do us some good, baby.”

  Charisma was thrilled. “Ooh, I can hardly wait,” she squealed with delight. “Why don’t I finish cooking, and we’ll have dinner out on the patio.”

  They ate underneath the stars that night, the early autumn breeze tickling their cheeks. They chatted easily as though they hadn’t a care in the world. Nate poured Charisma another glass of white wine. Before they knew it, the bottle was empty. They cleared the table and loaded up the dishwasher before heading upstairs to their bedroom.

  Charisma put on a sexy red satin baby doll nightie while Nate took a quick shower. She lit candles and the room was bathed in a soft glow of light. Nate gasped as he came back into the room and saw her stretched out on the bed, her curves teasing him through the satin, her nipples winking at him through the sheerness of her nightie.

  He walked over to her and she gently tugged at the towel around his waist until it fell to the floor. She laughed softly and rolled over onto her back, pulling her knees up and opening her legs.

  They made love that night, and it was so slow and so good that tears rolled down Charisma’s face as she and Nate came. They lay together for a moment, enjoying the silence.

  Finally, Charisma spoke. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, babe, about us and Chase and the baby. I was wondering if maybe, just maybe, you and I could—I mean—if I could adopt the baby and—”

  Nate sat up in bed. “Baby, are you serious?”

  “Yes, I’ve given it a lot of thought. I mean, I can’t have children, but this is your child, and we can give it a good life.”

  “I know Chase is not your favorite person in the world. Are you sure you want to raise her child?”

  “I want to raise your child, Nate,” she said. “How can I love you and not love your flesh and blood?”

  Nate looked at his wife in awe. “You wanna know something, Mrs. Arquette? You are truly amazing, and I am truly blessed.”

  A week later Nate and Charisma were on a flight bound for the Dominican Republic. They spent five fun-filled days and four glorious nights Jet Skiing, horseback riding, and playing in the pool. On their last night on the island they went dancing at an intimate little nightclub where they played only slow jams. Then, arm in arm, they went back to their room and did what they did best—twice.

  Charisma and Nate got up the next morning, had a nice leisurely breakfast, and headed for the airport. Once home, Nate called Chase. Without going into too much detail, he told her that they needed to sit down and talk. She agreed to stop by their house the following day.

  Charisma was on pins and needles that night, anxious about their meeting with Chase in the morning. Nate tried reassuring her that things would be all right, but she tossed and turned all night and woke up exhausted Sunday morning.

  They agreed that Nate would do most of the talking. Chase arrived on time. She waddled through the door, and they all sat in the living room. Charisma offered Chase decaf, which she politely refused. For a moment, no one spoke.

  “Chase, I swear you’ve gotten huge since I saw you last,” Nate said, taking a sip of coffee. “How’s the baby doing?”

  “The baby’s just fine. I brought the latest sonogram.”

  Chase reached inside her purse for the picture. “But I still don’t wanna know the sex. There are so few surprises in life.” She leaned forward and handed Nate the sonogram.

  “I know what you mean,” he agreed, looking at the photo of the baby before handing it to Charisma, who sat next to him on the sofa. Charisma looked at the sonogram, nodded, and handed it back to Chase.

  “So you’re still set on adoption?” he asked Chase.

  “Yes,” she said.

  “That’s why we called you over. Charisma and I have a proposition for you. We’d like to adopt the baby,” he told her.

  Chase chose her words carefully. “Charisma, let’s be honest, okay? There is no love lost between us. None. And now you want to adopt my baby? Why?”

  “Chase, you’re absolutely right. We’ve had our moments—lots of them. And when I first found out you were pregnant, I could have killed you. But that baby you’re carrying is also my husband’s. Rather than having it raised by complete strangers, we would rather keep the baby in the family. True, you and I have had our differences, but let’s not make an innocent child suffer because of it. Especially when there’s a better solution.”

  “I think I’ll take that decaf now,” Chase said, rubbing her belly.

  “No problem. Are you hungry?” Charisma asked her.

  “I stay hungry. Pregnancy is unbelievable. No wonder I’m big as a house.” Chase shook her head. “And I’m not due until December.”

  “You sit here and relax, and I’ll whip us up some breakfast.” Charisma stood.

  “Is there anything I can help you with?” Chase asked.

&n
bsp; “No, I’m good. You relax,” Charisma said. Charisma prepared fresh fruit, omelets, salmon cakes, English muffins, juice, and coffee. They ate in the dining room. Chase ate generous portions of everything.

  Neither Nate nor Charisma pressured her in any way. They just let the conversation flow naturally, discussing work issues, the latest movies, and current events.

  “Charisma, that was delicious. I can barely boil water, but you are some cook.” Chase smiled.

  “Glad you enjoyed it,” Charisma said, sipping her juice.

  Chase glanced at her Movado watch. “I hate to eat and run, but I don’t want to be late for an appointment. I’m learning that the world doesn’t revolve around Chase Martini.” She chuckled lightly. “And I’ll think seriously about your proposition. Honestly.” She got up from the table and checked her watch again.

  Nate and Charisma escorted Chase to the front door.

  “I’ll get back to you both as soon as I can,” Chase promised.

  “We appreciate that,” Nate said.

  “Thanks.” Charisma smiled. She closed the door behind her and breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Well, we’ve done our part,” Nate assured her.

  “All we can do now is hope and pray,” Charisma added.

  Two weeks passed and no word from Chase. Charisma was a bundle of nerves. What if Chase said no? Then again, maybe no news was good news. Charisma had only mentioned their desire to adopt the baby to her mother, not wanting to jinx anything.

  Jena had a heart-to-heart with her daughter. “I know you want a baby, sweetheart, but can you deal with raising a child of Nate’s with another woman?”